Project: (M)STE PLCC -> DIL solder adapter

Shockwav3 · Post by **Shockwav3** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:30 pm

After a longer departure I seem to have returned ...
Anyways, (M)STE users will know the hassle of not being able to use expansions made for the ST due to the different forms of the 68k. Sure, there are plug-in adapters, but users of the PAK68/3 will know those appear to be more of a hassle than providing a benefit. Due to this, I've hacked up a solder adapter in Eagle which bypasses this problem and allow a fit as tight as possible. Only drawback this means you'd have to unsolder the socket for your PLCC CPU on your (M)STE and solder in precision SIL strips (or the adapter directly).
I've tried to make the footprint as small as possible and might tweak this in the future as reasonable suggestions pop up. Currently it would slightly overlap the blitter on the 1040STE and might collide with the PSU on the MSTE (would be much appreciated if one of you could measure the distance between the border of the CPU socket and the PSU). This adapter is primairly intended for towered (M)STEs.
I suppose this adapter would also work the other way around, but I'm not exactly sure why one would want that, especially since the PLCC socket footprint used on the STE is different to usual PLCC sockets you'd find at radioshack/digikey/etc.

Anyways, I intend to get those PCBs produced professionally (doublesided PCB with soldermask), so if anyone is interested, feel free to jump on board, as this would help me getting a better quote on the boards ... and you a board

For your personal pleasure here's a screencap made in eagle: http://imageshack.us/a/img854/274/loetadapter.png

ToasTuk · Post by **ToasTuk** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:13 pm

Just measure. Top of the CPU socket (pin43) to the PSU is 25mm (1")
Distance from PSU to front of pcb is 110mm (4.25").
Distance from left of CPU socket to cartridge port shield 63mm (2.5")
All sizes are tight, reduce to allow a gap for installing.

Hope this is what you wanted to know.

Shockwav3 · Post by **Shockwav3** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:17 am

Thanks a lot ToasTuk, that's exactly the info I needed. Seems like I'm 1.5mm off to make it fit in the MSTE, gotta fix that and then produce some prototype board to make sure everything works correctly.

Scarlettkitten · Post by **Scarlettkitten** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:00 pm

I'd be in for one of these boards for my MegaSTE depending on price.

Shockwav3 · Post by **Shockwav3** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:08 am

Scarlettkitten wrote:I'd be in for one of these boards for my MegaSTE depending on price.

It would be free when you swap it against your pink STM

I've currently put this on hold as I haven't decided on the final footprint yet, while the current standing is okay-ish for MegaSTE users it excludes pretty much every 1040STE user using the original case ... while allowing both would possibly mean clogging up the fan on the MSTE ... hard one.
Not to forget I'm not exactly happy with the distance between both sockets, as the board might actually break during insertion without using either very, very mild force or using some kind of reinforcing

Awol · Post by **Awol** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 3:02 am

I'd definitely sign up for one of these boards if it fit in an unmodified 1040 STE case! Err, depending on price range.

I have a DIL accelerator lying around that I'd rather put in my 1040 STE than my STF. Mostly because I don't really use the STF, and partly because I don't want to desolder its original CPU.

Actually, I tried and failed to make my own adapter (see thread here). It's also still lying around. I could probably cannibalize the male PLCC plug from it, so I wouldn't have to solder on my STE directly.

I don't even know for sure if the accelerator works. :/

EDIT: It sounds like this board is for putting DIL chips in PLCC sockets, but the title "PLCC -> DIL" makes it look to me like this is about putting PLCC chips in DIL sockets. Just to be clear, which is it?

Shockwav3 · Post by **Shockwav3** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 8:47 pm

It exchanges the PLCC socket originally found in STE machines with a DIL socket, so one can use STFM based expansions.
If you're looking for the other way around - I have everything ready for that but don't intend to produce them.

Out of curiousity, where did you get that PLCC plug you've used?

Awol · Post by **Awol** » Wed May 08, 2013 1:52 am

Shockwav3 wrote:It exchanges the PLCC socket originally found in STE machines with a DIL socket, so one can use STFM based expansions.
If you're looking for the other way around - I have everything ready for that but don't intend to produce them.

Out of curiousity, where did you get that PLCC plug you've used?

It's the first option I'm interested in: putting an ST expansion in an STE.

I didn't remember where I bought the PLCC plug from but the thread I linked to in my previous post says I bought it here.

I still have some double-sided copper-clad board lying around, so if you designed this board to fit in a 1040 STE and put the black and white plans online, I'd try etching it at home via the iron-on method. I don't know how to use PCB design software. :/

Awol · Post by **Awol** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:15 am

I see that Shockwav3's profile says he hasn't logged in since May. I'm still interested in this adapter!

I see his "Project rePAK" thread got bumped recently too.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:15 pm

is this any use too you
you'll need maybe to rewire the zif under the vero
but its better than what you have

i want £10 for it + postage...

i used it for a while for a dev on an alarm system

Fujiyama · Post by **Fujiyama** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:57 pm

Shockwav3 wrote:Anyways, I intend to get those PCBs produced professionally (doublesided PCB with soldermask), so if anyone is interested, feel free to jump on board, as this would help me getting a better quote on the boards ... and you a board

For your personal pleasure here's a screencap made in eagle: http://imageshack.us/a/img854/274/loetadapter.png

Great initiative which fills a gap for us STe/Mega STe owners!
I've got a Mega STe which will have Alanh's IDE interface. In addition I'd like to add more than 4MB RAM, but the only (non vapourware/abandonware) option I know of is Exxos' Magnum ST project which sounds very promising. The catch is that it'll be a DIL version and not PLCC.

Hopefully your adapter will allow for a PLCC "through" connection for my IDE interface, and the DIL socket on the side will allow connecting to the Magnum ST. You mentioned something about needing to desolder the existing PLCC socket in the STe/Mega STe -so it won't plug in the same way Alanh's IDE interface does?
I don't mind the adapter's physical size as I'll be recasing the MSTE anyway, but if you do get it to fit it might be useful for other STe/Mega STe users as well.

EDIT: on second though it might not be a big deal to desolder and replace the existing Mega STe PLCC socket anyway as I've most likely damaged it when trying to insert the IDE interface. So if that's a better solution than just plugging it in I'm still interested.
Any indications what it'll cost, and has it been tested for cross-talk or other issues that might arise when extending all those CPU signal lines?

Shockwav3 · Post by **Shockwav3** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:21 pm

OMG News!
After someone on a german atari forum kept asking - there's currently a Prototype in production. If everything works out, a run could be done. Final price for an empty PCB should be around 10 to 15 Euro. Just keep in mind Project rePAK is currently my main priority.

A realistic estimate would be around march 2014

Fujiyama · Post by **Fujiyama** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 7:41 pm

Excellent news!

Thanks for all the work you're putting into these projects!

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