NEW IDE Controller & TOS 2.06 board (with extras)

[DarkLord]

Fully agreeing with Joe Even and Dal - that price is fine, 30 is phenomenal.

[alanh]

I'd buy one even at £50. It's still a lot cheaper than the current SD/ACSI solutions, and a neater solution too. I guess you will announce it here when you're ready to ship.

Sure.

What do people think about the STFM version ?

I looked at Mario Becroft's old STFM version and he used a socket with soldered 2.54mm pitch cable to move the IDE board backwards. That's an option but it makes the IDE adapter flap about without some kind of tape security it. I'm not sure I like that, but it could be the only option in this form factor.

[spiny]

just agreeing with previous posters, for £30 I'd buy two (or even three )

would these work with the IDE > CF Card adapters too ? apologies if it's been covered already

[alanh]

Yes, you can see in the very first pictures it has my CF card adapters.

[joska]

I looked at Mario Becroft's old STFM version and he used a socket with soldered 2.54mm pitch cable to move the IDE board backwards. That's an option but it makes the IDE adapter flap about without some kind of tape security it. I'm not sure I like that, but it could be the only option in this form factor.

Another option is an adapter like this Amiga 500 CPU-adapter that relocates the CPU socket.

[alanh]

Unfortunately doing that is just as big as an increase as the IDE board, impacting the metal shielding.

I've got one of Mario's STFM IDE adapter's, and here's a picture of what he did.

p.jpg

I wouldn't want to be soldering 128 cable pins, 64 on the socket and 64 on the IDE board for folks, so people would need to do this themselves. But that's the only option I see for people with STFM's with the 68000 under the keyboard.

[alanh]

Just been testing CDROM's, looking good now. Looks like I bumped into a bug with Extendos 4.0. Seems like no-one has ever run with IDE on an ST(E) and used Extendos 4.0. Roger over at Anodyne has nicely fixed and we're up and running.

A small tweak to the board and we're in very good shape.

[joska]

What I *really* would like for my old 520ST is a 16MHz accelerator with 10Mb SRAM, flash-RAM for TOS/MagiC and an IDE-port/CF-slot. All accessed at 16MHz

I wonder if the Dragonball Super VZ (MC68SZ328) is still available. 68k core, up to 66MHz and a built-in DRAM controller (and some other stuff too) would make a powerful and quite cheap accelerator for the ST(e).

[alanh]

O.k. just tested the 8 IDE devices,i.e. two stacked prototype boards and it works Although this won't be available on the STE board.

Anyway, I'm pretty much done with testing. The BOM and STE & STFM boards are going off to the fab house next and I'll expect some quotes back.

I'll report back when I know better pricing.

[spiny]

O.k. just tested the 8 IDE devices,i.e. two stacked prototype boards and it works Although this won't be available on the STE board.

Anyway, I'm pretty much done with testing. The BOM and STE & STFM boards are going off to the fab house next and I'll expect some quotes back.

I'll report back when I know better pricing.

[facebook] spiny likes this [/facebook]

[papa_november]

I looked at Mario Becroft's old STFM version and he used a socket with soldered 2.54mm pitch cable to move the IDE board backwards. That's an option but it makes the IDE adapter flap about without some kind of tape security it. I'm not sure I like that, but it could be the only option in this form factor.

There's two 68000 relocation adaptors for sale here that could help the situation somewhat.

EDIT: Beaten. Oops!

Anyway, it might be possible that the height issues with one of the adaptor boards can be reduced by using a non-pass-through connector at the 68000 end. Cutting holes in the upper RF shielding in key spots could also buy a few extra millimeters. Metal nibbling tools are great for this.

[DarkLord]

EDIT: Beaten. Oops!

Just for the record, I've sent a couple of e-mails to the address listed on that website and to date,
I've had *zero* response.

[joska]

You can reach kipper2k on AmiBay. He has a thread there where he's selling his Amiga products. I've bought RAM-cards from him, response and shipping was quick.

[DarkLord]

Thanks, guess he just doesn't like e-mail.

[DarkLord]

And that website doesn't like me:

Spammer02.jpeg

Starting to look like too much trouble for what its worth...

PS Sorry Alan, way off topic here - won't post anything else
related to this...

[wongck]

And that website doesn't like me:

Spammer02.jpeg

Starting to look like too much trouble for what its worth...

PS Sorry Alan, way off topic here - won't post anything else
related to this...

May be it's saying.... go away Atari user..

[alanh]

Fiddling with the board layout because the shape didn't quite fit a MegaSTE. Here's a new shot.

i.jpg

There will be right angle 44 pin IDE connectors too, just helps reduce the board height, but should (hopefully, just waiting for the CF adapter to arrive to check) allow one of these to be fitted in the primary port on the basic STE, not the MegaSTE though as the card would hit the PSU.

cf_to_44_female_ide_180.jpg

[alexh]

Thats fine because on the MegaSTe you'd want to fit a cable to a CF card adapter mounted into the VME slot at the back of the unit then you can exchange the CF card with the PC.

At least that is what I do with a MegaSTe->ACSI->SCSI->IDE->CF

[lschafroth]

I would keep it internal so you can keep the VME slot for a video card when its made. Maybe fabricate a new opening in the existing hard drive bay for the CF opening.

[papa_november]

I would keep it internal so you can keep the VME slot for a video card when its made. Maybe fabricate a new opening in the existing hard drive bay for the CF opening.

If I remember correctly, if you leave it unscrewed it sort of lifts out anyway, right?

I really wouldn't worry about making provisions for adaptors to plug directly in, because cables give way more flexibility; the user can make their own cables easily enough if it comes down to that.

[alanh]

What do people think about the STFM version ?

I looked at Mario Becroft's old STFM version and he used a socket with soldered 2.54mm pitch cable to move the IDE board backwards. That's an option but it makes the IDE adapter flap about without some kind of tape security it. I'm not sure I like that, but it could be the only option in this form factor.

I just found some low profile sockets and tested the height restriction on my STFM. It works, and the keyboard sits nicely again. But you'd have to sacrifice the metal shielding, or at least cut it around the CPU area. The downside is that low profile sockets are not cheap.

[alexh]

The downside is that low profile sockets are not cheap.

These sockets take the 68000 that you remove from the motherboard? Are they more expensive than 68000 chips? Perhaps surface mount a 68000 chip instead?

[alanh]

With the low profile sockets, you don't need to remove the existing 68000. Just solder the 32 pin low profile sil sockets to the current legs of the 68000 and then, low profile sil header is soldered on the IDE board. They mate nicely and keep the IDE very close to the 68000 and underneath the keyboard.

Therefore this method doesn't involve extraction of the current 68000.

[alexh]

Oh ok. Is the 68000 on most STfm's not socketted?

[alanh]

Correct.