New board: MonSTer

[alanh]

The only reason the blitter would be greyed out is if you removed the jumper on the MonSTer board across the BLITTER pins.

[Fujiyama]

My thoughts too. The jumper is there and so are the connectors from the various ICs.
Something must have happened when I removed the MonSTer for removing IDE pin 20.

[Fujiyama]

I removed the MonSTer and the Blitter works fine on the computer so I suspect the various wires from the motherboard have gotten loose when I removed the board to desolder pin 20. They all look fine but you never know...

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good type of glue for fastening wires to ICs, PCBs etc. so this sort of thing doesn't happen again? I've used hot-glue but it keeps falling off ICs and such (but sticks very well to the wires). I remember seeing some sort of flexible, elastic glue being used in commercial electronics which I think would be ideal for this. Some sort of rubber glue?

[Fujiyama]

After removing and resoldering all the blitter-related wires it's now working again. This time I'm using some strong glue instead of the hot-glue that keeps falling off all the time to secure them!
Just goes to show that even though wires appear to be connected they sometimes aren't (or not well connected).

[Methanoid]

EmuTOS is working fine on my STM. Have tried both 192kb (fc0000) and 256kb (e00000) versions.

Joska, do you mean you have MONSTER working with EmuTOS on your STM? Was considering buying a TOS upgrade for a 520STM I got and maybe some other bits but if I can add Monster and get TOS, IDE, Ram etc for that price its a no brainer?!

And could someone explain AltRam to me in dumb terms? My 520 STM is 512k with a (broken) 512k ram expansion.. could I load games into AltRam? Or do they need Ram contiguous with the system Ram? What about PPera's HD images or IMGRun software - will that run from AltRam? I might be able to avoid spending LOTS on a 1/2 to 1.5Mb expansion Ram as well.

[joska]

Joska, do you mean you have MONSTER working with EmuTOS on your STM?

I have a DIY flash/IDE-solution on my STM, this was before the MonSTer was available. However, I have a Mega ST and an STE with MonSTers, and EmuTOS is working perfectly fine in both.

And could someone explain AltRam to me in dumb terms? My 520 STM is 512k with a (broken) 512k ram expansion.. could I load games into AltRam? Or do they need Ram contiguous with the system Ram?

AltRAM is of no use to games or demos, they need to run from ST-RAM. If you're going to use this machine for games only then you're probably better off with a floppy emulator (HxC, Gotek) and a RAM expansion.

What about PPera's HD images or IMGRun software - will that run from AltRam?

The HD images can be put on a CF/SD-card and used as an IDE disk with a MonSTer. I don't know about IMGrun though, I have never tested it.

[Methanoid]

Thanks. Does Monster fit on an STM though? It overrides the TOS onboard the ST?

[joska]

You need to remove the original TOS ROMs. I guess it fits physically, but ask Alan about that.

[alanh]

Should be fine. Need to solder the MonSTer on top of the 68000, and potentially remove the metal sheilding or cut it.

[Fujiyama]

Alan, will new MonSTer boards soon be available for sale?

[alanh]

Soon, is all I can say

[Fujiyama]

Good to hear
Thanks.

[vattari]

Soon, is all I can say

Are you staying with the original design Alan, or will this be enhanced in some way?

[Fujiyama]

Soon, is all I can say

Any news?

[frank.lukas]

I can not wait ...

[Bikerbob]

So could someone explain to me how an ST can see 12mb when it does not have a 2+ tos in it?

Does this board allow the ram to be accessed at primary ram? or 4mb primary + TT ram?

There was an explanation that the MegaSTE can only access 6mb because it runs into the VME addressing.. is this because the ram is primary? not TT?

I am looking at another booster/ram expansion which will do a 020 or 030 booster with a addon memory card - This being TT ram I think. it will go up to 128mb or 256mb sdram (is the plan I think) but I might be waiting on this board for a year. MonSTer sounds good.. just wondering on the ram?

James

[Bikerbob]

I removed the MonSTer and the Blitter works fine on the computer so I suspect the various wires from the motherboard have gotten loose when I removed the board to desolder pin 20. They all look fine but you never know...

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good type of glue for fastening wires to ICs, PCBs etc. so this sort of thing doesn't happen again? I've used hot-glue but it keeps falling off ICs and such (but sticks very well to the wires). I remember seeing some sort of flexible, elastic glue being used in commercial electronics which I think would be ideal for this. Some sort of rubber glue?

I sell at my store, and I think you can get it as various electronics store, an item called liquid electrical tape. Liquid rubber. Should do the job if you find the hotglue is not sticking to the ICs well enough. Be aware there are different types of glue sticks you can buy as well

James

[joska]

So could someone explain to me how an ST can see 12mb when it does not have a 2+ tos in it?

If you by that mean TOS 1.x then it can't. You need TOS 2.x, EmuTOS, MagiC or MiNT to use RAM above 4Mb.

Does this board allow the ram to be accessed at primary ram? or 4mb primary + TT ram?

Not sure what you mean by "primary RAM", but MonSTer alt-RAM always (well, there is one exception) starts at adress 4194304, i.e. immediately after the 4Mb of ST-RAM. This is called "alt-RAM", TT-RAM is something else and is not available on 68000-computers since TT-RAM is outside of 68000 address range.

There was an explanation that the MegaSTE can only access 6mb because it runs into the VME addressing.. is this because the ram is primary? not TT?

Mega STE VME address range starts at 10Mb, so you can't have alt-RAM above that. Unless you put alt-RAM in the VME-slot of course, but MonSTer does not do that.

MonSTer sounds good.. just wondering on the ram?

There is nothing to worry about, it just works.

[robdaemon]

Any word on when there will be more boards? My Mega ST 2 is practically begging for one.

[frost]

Me too, I'm pleased with my first one but now I have 2 more machines to equip !

[Fujiyama]

Alan, any estimate on availability yet?

[Almerian]

I asked him last week and he hopes to have time later in the year.

[Methanoid]

A question before I worry too much about how much later in the year these are available again.... does the Monster bypass the DMA issues that seem to plague some STs?

[alanh]

Still here, and getting there.....

[arf]

A question before I worry too much about how much later in the year these are available again.... does the Monster bypass the DMA issues that seem to plague some STs?

The IDE port on the MonSTer won’t do DMA at all (like in the Falcon and so on), so in that understanding, it is bypassed, yes.