STE RAM Upgrade Advice

[+Muddyfunster]

Hi,

 

I'm looking to upgrade my STE. I recently added a Gotek internally and now I'm looking at upgrading the memory. I have a UK STE that has 1mb RAM populated with 4x 256kb SIMMs. It was originally a 520STE and had an additional 512kb added as the SIMMs don't all match.

 

I'm looking to upgrade to 4mb, I appreciate this is easier on STE's as it's just a case of swapping the modules out.

 

My question is, what are the parameters of the memory that I need?.

 

I see a lot of cheap 1mb 30pin 70ns type SIMMs on fleabay. Will regular old PC 70ns 30 Pin SIMM modules work?

 

I did a search before asking but I didn't see any definitive answers.

 

Appreciate any guidance !

[mellis]

2 minutes ago, Muddyfunster said:

Hi,

 

I'm looking to upgrade my STE. I recently added a Gotek internally and now I'm looking at upgrading the memory. I have a UK STE that has 1mb RAM populated with 4x 256kb SIMMs. It was originally a 520STE and had an additional 512kb added as the SIMMs don't all match.

 

I'm looking to upgrade to 4mb, I appreciate this is easier on STE's as it's just a case of swapping the modules out.

 

My question is, what are the parameters of the memory that I need?.

 

I see a lot of cheap 1mb 30pin 70ns type SIMMs on fleabay. Will regular old PC 70ns 30 Pin SIMM modules work?

 

I did a search before asking but I didn't see any definitive answers.

 

Appreciate any guidance !

As I recall, EDO RAM will NOT work, so avoid that.

 

Going from memory, I believe the ST uses non-parity RAM, but it will work with non-EDO parity RAM (where it ignores the parity bit).

 

If you buy RAM labeled as Mac RAM (for the 68000-based Macs of the day), it should also work in the ST.  I have 4MB of RAM in my Mac Plus that will also work in an ST.

[bfollowell]

I bought these back in October and they work great in my machine. I have an adopted U.K. 520STE that had also been upgraded to 1MB at some point. I'm in the process of converting it over to a U.S. model in pretty much every way except for the original modulator, which I would never use anyway. This RAM works great in my machine. I can't wait to put my original Atari 4160STE upgrade badge on the case!

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-1MB-30-Pin-2-Chip-Non-Parity-70ns-FPM-Memory-SIMMs-4MB-Apple-Macintosh/142814739559?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[zzip]

1 hour ago, Muddyfunster said:

Hi,

 

I'm looking to upgrade my STE. I recently added a Gotek internally and now I'm looking at upgrading the memory. I have a UK STE that has 1mb RAM populated with 4x 256kb SIMMs. It was originally a 520STE and had an additional 512kb added as the SIMMs don't all match.

 

I'm looking to upgrade to 4mb, I appreciate this is easier on STE's as it's just a case of swapping the modules out.

 

My question is, what are the parameters of the memory that I need?.

 

I see a lot of cheap 1mb 30pin 70ns type SIMMs on fleabay. Will regular old PC 70ns 30 Pin SIMM modules work?

 

I did a search before asking but I didn't see any definitive answers.

 

Appreciate any guidance !

From my memory from when I upgraded years ago:

120ns speed or better is fine, so 70 should work.

it doesn't matter if the SIMMs have parity chips, it will work with or without

No EDO

[snarkdluG]

Does EDO even exist on 1Mb 30pin SIMM modules?

[+Muddyfunster]

I just looked at some NEC modules that were listed as EDO, so I guess so.

 

Thanks for the advice and guidance folks, really appreciated.

[Charlie_]

https://www.memoryten.com/p/1C2F14-80.html

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by Charlie_

[Colleton]

On 2/27/2020 at 8:32 AM, bfollowell said:

...I have an adopted U.K. 520STE that had also been upgraded to 1MB at some point. I'm in the process of converting it over to a U.S. model in pretty much every way except for the original modulator, which I would never use anyway. This RAM works great in my machine. I can't wait to put my original Atari 4160STE upgrade badge on the case!...

Hah, I'm doing the same thing.  Bought a UK 520 STE that already had 4MB.  I've already installed a US keyboard and have a US TOS set on order that should be here within the next week.  Ordered a 4160 STE badge which should arrive within the week as well.

[bfollowell]

5 hours ago, Colleton said:

Hah, I'm doing the same thing.  Bought a UK 520 STE that already had 4MB.  I've already installed a US keyboard and have a US TOS set on order that should be here within the next week.  Ordered a 4160 STE badge which should arrive within the week as well.

Yes, I have a NOS U.S. keyboard to install. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I also have one of Exxos' dual TOS cards with U.S. TOS 1.62/2.06 on it for better compatibility. I also need to work my way through all of Exxos' mandatory fixes for the STE.

 

[Colleton]

6 hours ago, bfollowell said:

...I also have one of Exxos' dual TOS cards with U.S. TOS 1.62/2.06 on it for better compatibility. I also need to work my way through all of Exxos' mandatory fixes for the STE.

 

Have you installed the dual TOS card?  If so, how hard was it?  From what I have read on the exxos forum, you need to desolder the ROM sockets and solder the adapter directly to the board in order to get everything to fit under the floppy drive.  I ordered the STE dual TOS setup with 1.62/2.06 ROM, but I also ordered the regular 2.06 ROM to use if I chickened out.  lol

 

I also ordered his 110v PSU to replace the original 240v PSU.  You can get a Mean Well RD-50A PSU on Amazon that will fit and work for a lot less though.

 

I'll have to do some reading on the mandatory fixes, do you have a link?

Edited March 1, 2020 by Colleton

[bfollowell]

3 minutes ago, Colleton said:

 

Have you installed the dual TOS card?  If so, how hard was it?  From what I have read on the exxos forum, you need to desolder the ROM sockets and solder the adapter directly to the board in order to get everything to fit under the floppy drive.  I ordered the STE dual TOS setup with 1.62/2.06 ROM, but I also ordered the regular 2.06 ROM to use if I chickened out.  lol

 

I also ordered his 110v PSU to replace the original 240v PSU.  You can get a Mean Well RD-50A PSU on Amazon that will fit and work for a lot less though.

 

I'll have to do some reading on the mandatory fixes, do you have a link?

 

I bought the ASSEMBLED STE DUAL TOS UBE 1.62/2.06 that uses the reset switch to select which version to boot into. I haven't installed mine yet, but it didn't seem that the install was all that involved. That being said, I was a bench tech many years ago before I became a maintenance supervisor and glorified paper pusher and baby sitter. If you haven't already seen it, there is a lot of information here for the various versions of the dual-TOS boards.

 

https://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/tos/index.htm

 

I remember looking at his PSU, and it does look like a great PSU, but it just seemed like a lot of overkill and cost to me. A lot of people are obsessed with keeping the inside of their STs lloking 100% stock, or as close to it as they can get. I'm not all that worried with what it looks like inside the case, as long as it isn't completely butchered up. Once I get it up a going well, I don't plan to ever be inside it again. As long as it works I can play with it when I want to, I'll likely never be inside it again. Exxos' remade PSUs do look great though. To each their own, as long as we're playing with our Ataris!

 

I wound up going with the Mean Well RPD-60A PSU. I got it and the three connectors I needed for about $20 from Digi-Key. It was an easy install, but I do need to get it permanently mounted and I'll need to make some slight modifications to the mounting plate to do that.

 

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/mean-well-usa-inc/RPD-60A/1866-4008-ND/7706011

 

The mandatory fixes are under the Tweaks & Fixes forum. He lists 12 mandatory fixes, but only #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11 & 12 apply to the STE, and #1 won't apply if you swap out the PSU, which you and I did. None of them look overly involved if you have decent soldering experience. If you don't find an old trash circuit board from something you're going to throw away and play with it. Practice desoldering and soldering.

 

https://www.exxoshost.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585

 

 

[Colleton]

4 hours ago, bfollowell said:

I wound up going with the Mean Well RPD-60A PSU. I got it and the three connectors I needed for about $20 from Digi-Key. It was an easy install, but I do need to get it permanently mounted and I'll need to make some slight modifications to the mounting plate to do that.

4 hours ago, bfollowell said:

The mandatory fixes are under the Tweaks & Fixes forum. He lists 12 mandatory fixes, but only #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11 & 12 apply to the STE, and #1 won't apply if you swap out the PSU, which you and I did. None of them look overly involved if you have decent soldering experience. If you don't find an old trash circuit board from something you're going to throw away and play with it. Practice desoldering and soldering.

I have no problem with anyone using the Mean Well PSUs.  I've watched Jan Beta put them in a couple of STs, they fit and worked very well.

 

Thanks for the links, I'll look through the mandatory fixes.  I was an electronics tech for almost 20 years before I started writing code for a living.  I'm not afraid of a soldering iron.

[bfollowell]

13 minutes ago, Colleton said:

I have no problem with anyone using the Mean Well PSUs.  I've watched Jan Beta put them in a couple of STs, they fit and worked very well.

 

Thanks for the links, I'll look through the mandatory fixes.  I was an electronics tech for almost 20 years before I started writing code for a living.  I'm not afraid of a soldering iron.

 

I'd say you'll be fine then.