New board: MonSTer
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Re: New board: MonSTer
The only reason the blitter would be greyed out is if you removed the jumper on the MonSTer board across the BLITTER pins.
Falcon CT60, Falcon CT63 x2, TT x3, MegaST x2, MegaSTE x2, STFM x2, STE x2, STacy, STBook, (Dead) Hades 060, Milan 060, T40.
Re: New board: MonSTer
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.
Something must have happened when I removed the MonSTer for removing IDE pin 20.
Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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Re: New board: MonSTer
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?
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?
Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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Re: New board: MonSTer
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).
Just goes to show that even though wires appear to be connected they sometimes aren't (or not well connected).
Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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Re: New board: MonSTer
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?!joska wrote:EmuTOS is working fine on my STM. Have tried both 192kb (fc0000) and 256kb (e00000) versions.
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.
Re: New board: MonSTer
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.Methanoid wrote:Joska, do you mean you have MONSTER working with EmuTOS on your STM?
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.Methanoid wrote: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?
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 wrote:What about PPera's HD images or IMGRun software - will that run from AltRam?
Jo Even
VanillaMiNT - Falcon060 - Milan060 - Falcon040 - MIST - Mega STE - Mega ST - STM - STE - Amiga 600 - Sharp MZ700 - MSX - Amstrad CPC - C64
VanillaMiNT - Falcon060 - Milan060 - Falcon040 - MIST - Mega STE - Mega ST - STM - STE - Amiga 600 - Sharp MZ700 - MSX - Amstrad CPC - C64
Re: New board: MonSTer
Thanks. Does Monster fit on an STM though? It overrides the TOS onboard the ST?
Re: New board: MonSTer
You need to remove the original TOS ROMs. I guess it fits physically, but ask Alan about that.
Jo Even
VanillaMiNT - Falcon060 - Milan060 - Falcon040 - MIST - Mega STE - Mega ST - STM - STE - Amiga 600 - Sharp MZ700 - MSX - Amstrad CPC - C64
VanillaMiNT - Falcon060 - Milan060 - Falcon040 - MIST - Mega STE - Mega ST - STM - STE - Amiga 600 - Sharp MZ700 - MSX - Amstrad CPC - C64
Re: New board: MonSTer
Should be fine. Need to solder the MonSTer on top of the 68000, and potentially remove the metal sheilding or cut it.
Falcon CT60, Falcon CT63 x2, TT x3, MegaST x2, MegaSTE x2, STFM x2, STE x2, STacy, STBook, (Dead) Hades 060, Milan 060, T40.
Re: New board: MonSTer
Alan, will new MonSTer boards soon be available for sale?
Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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Re: New board: MonSTer
Soon, is all I can say 

Falcon CT60, Falcon CT63 x2, TT x3, MegaST x2, MegaSTE x2, STFM x2, STE x2, STacy, STBook, (Dead) Hades 060, Milan 060, T40.
Re: New board: MonSTer
Good to hear
Thanks.

Thanks.
Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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Re: New board: MonSTer
Are you staying with the original design Alan, or will this be enhanced in some way?alanh wrote:Soon, is all I can say
- Mega STE/4, Monster board, 40GB IDE, CosmosEx
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Re: New board: MonSTer
Any news?alanh wrote:Soon, is all I can say

Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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- frank.lukas
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Re: New board: MonSTer
I can not wait ...
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- Bikerbob
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Re: New board: MonSTer
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
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
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Re: New board: MonSTer
Fujiyama wrote: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
Re: New board: MonSTer
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.Bikerbob wrote:So could someone explain to me how an ST can see 12mb when it does not have a 2+ tos in it?
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.Bikerbob wrote:Does this board allow the ram to be accessed at primary ram? or 4mb primary + TT ram?
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.Bikerbob wrote: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?
There is nothing to worry about, it just works.Bikerbob wrote:MonSTer sounds good.. just wondering on the ram?
Jo Even
VanillaMiNT - Falcon060 - Milan060 - Falcon040 - MIST - Mega STE - Mega ST - STM - STE - Amiga 600 - Sharp MZ700 - MSX - Amstrad CPC - C64
VanillaMiNT - Falcon060 - Milan060 - Falcon040 - MIST - Mega STE - Mega ST - STM - STE - Amiga 600 - Sharp MZ700 - MSX - Amstrad CPC - C64
Re: New board: MonSTer
Any word on when there will be more boards? My Mega ST 2 is practically begging for one. 

Re: New board: MonSTer
Me too, I'm pleased with my first one but now I have 2 more machines to equip !
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Re: New board: MonSTer
Alan, any estimate on availability yet?
Mega STe | MonSTer (Mega STe) with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | STe | SM-144 |NEC Multisync 1990SXi | IDE doubler | ST_ESCC | RSVE | ICD Link II | Link '97 | HD floppy drive/AJAX | HD floppy module | Minolta PCMCIA card-drive | Realtime Clock module | Discovery cartridge | Unitor-2 | Export | Combiner | Steady Eye | Human Touch | Unicorn USB
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Re: New board: MonSTer
I asked him last week and he hopes to have time later in the year.
Re: New board: MonSTer
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?
Re: New board: MonSTer
Still here, and getting there.....
Falcon CT60, Falcon CT63 x2, TT x3, MegaST x2, MegaSTE x2, STFM x2, STE x2, STacy, STBook, (Dead) Hades 060, Milan 060, T40.
Re: New board: MonSTer
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.Methanoid wrote: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?