exxosuk Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 PRE-Ordering will be very soon once I work out final price for this. Will post back in a couple of days. For those who don't know of this project. This is a simple 32MHz booster for the STE. Solder in kit. This gives 32MHz boost on the CPU and 32MHz access to ROM without waitstates. The ROM board is sold separately and is dual TOS for 1.62 & TOS2.06. The image below is the prototype. The final boards is a lot nicer And some benchmarks vs a STFM with and without blitter enabled. Also in case nobody has seen the STFM V2.2 booster, I made the last batch of those last week. There is about 8 left. I am concentrating on STE boosters currently. Current progress with all my booster work is on my website. http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/16mhz/index.htm 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 ORDERING URL. http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/store.htm#STEV1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsicle Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Can i fit a switch to select between 32mhz and 8mhz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 ORDERING URL. http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/store.htm#STEV1 What magic will you do next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Mine is ordered, it's part of a trail of upgrades for my STE this year. CosmoEx to be ordered in September, then everything gets fitted!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Android8675 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Money sent, don't tell my wife. Anything I should look for on my 1040STe that might cause an issue with this upgrade? Skill level required to install? How concerned should I be about my PSU? I assume you'll tell me I should at least recap it, is there an easy way to install it? -A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 What magic will you do next? Got loads of really awesome things lined up 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Mine is ordered, it's part of a trail of upgrades for my STE this year. CosmoEx to be ordered in September, then everything gets fitted!! Awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Money sent, don't tell my wife. Anything I should look for on my 1040STe that might cause an issue with this upgrade? Skill level required to install? How concerned should I be about my PSU? I assume you'll tell me I should at least recap it, is there an easy way to install it? -A. lol Like my other stuffm, its removed the CPU, solder in the board. The PLCC socket is tricky to remove, but I will do a cheat sheet for this soon. The PSU should be recapped , all my PSU's failed a few years ago, not many still working these days.. OR there is my own PSU build. Info is on my PSU page about it all and fitting anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trecool Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Those PSU kits exxos sells at his website makes a worry free system. Low skill level required. Just check the cap polarity and some attention fitting the bridge rectifier.Really easy work to do, nothing to worry about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Those PSU kits exxos sells at his website makes a worry free system. Low skill level required. Just check the cap polarity and some attention fitting the bridge rectifier.Really easy work to do, nothing to worry about. I agree, I recapped using a kit from Exxos recently, it's just a question of making sure polarities are right, especially with the rectifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Exxos, i have just ordered the fast rom kit to go with my booster, turns out I wasn't able to wait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Exxos, i have just ordered the fast rom kit to go with my booster, turns out I wasn't able to wait Awesome, thanks again for your support I have done a guide now to removing the PLCC sockets. http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/removal/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Got loads of really awesome things lined up Any chance of supporting any other Atari platforms? Seeing that nobody's building the XBoard for the 7800, you could easily corner that market. Especially for the European-based enthusiasts since it would be a plug-in since the MARIA chip on the European 7800s supposedly weren't soldered onto the mobos [unlike the majority of North American 7800s, allegedly]. http://www.x-game.se/products/xboard.htm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Any chance of supporting any other Atari platforms? Seeing that nobody's building the XBoard for the 7800, you could easily corner that market. Especially for the European-based enthusiasts since it would be a plug-in since the MARIA chip on the European 7800s supposedly weren't soldered onto the mobos [unlike the majority of North American 7800s, allegedly]. http://www.x-game.se/products/xboard.htm I did buy some 7800 and 2600 gear some years ago. I did a video mod for the 2600 to get better image quality. But mostly the stuff was just piled up in a box for years, couple years ago I just chucked it all out. Problem is , I just don't have the time to take on anymore projects. I'm pretty much only working part time in my day job, and all my free time goes on ST stuff. I have a few other projects piled up that ive not even started on yet I want to move over to the falcon eventually, but I really need to cut down on the time im spending on the stuff now. I've got STM stuff in the pipeline at the moment. Plus the booster stuff. Then likely once that work is completed I will take a back seat from designing new hardware. I do have other hobbies like my Tesla coil stuff which I've not had time to do anything with for several years now. So yes, it would be good to go into other areas, but for me its just not going to be possible. I am really struggling to keep on sale the stuff I am doing now and there is several other kits in motion yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I have done a guide now to removing the PLCC sockets. http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/removal/ Wow, and I thought desoldering the Ajax FDC was scary!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Chris, is the 68K in a PLCC socket on the Booster? Or is it soldered in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Chris, is the 68K in a PLCC socket on the Booster? Or is it soldered in? The STE booster has a socket for the CPU. It wouldn't be good for people to try and fit the CPU direct to the PCB. Its a lot easier to solder a socket. Also not all CPU's can run at 32mhz. I had a bunch of them which would only run 16mhz. So I need to test each one before it goes in the STE kit anyway. I've tried to make it all as easy to solder up as possible. There is a tiny IC on the board , but I will be soldering them on for people anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Android8675 Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Got the TOS board installed last night, I'm going to wait on the booster til next week, but curious, my system starts up in 50Hz, I assume I'm running UK roms? Is there an easy way to get the US, or is there a quick change program I can run in AUTO for the time being? Monitor I have doesn't look so good in 50hz mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted July 26, 2016 Author Share Posted July 26, 2016 Got the TOS board installed last night, I'm going to wait on the booster til next week, but curious, my system starts up in 50Hz, I assume I'm running UK roms? Is there an easy way to get the US, or is there a quick change program I can run in AUTO for the time being? Monitor I have doesn't look so good in 50hz mode. UK ROM's start in 50hz. There was a 60hz program somewhere for the auto folder, but I regret I don't remember where I got it from, maybe someone else here knows of the program ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Fingers crossed, and with a bit of luck and a following wind, now my server is repaired, I'm going to try and at least remove the PLCC from the STE this weekend. IF all goes well, the booster may get fitted, and the external switches to choose which TOS, and 8/32MHZ will also go in. I will get photos as I go along and will put up a separate thread on here, plus share on Facebook, so everybody can share my experiences. Wish me luck!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Fingers crossed, and with a bit of luck and a following wind, now my server is repaired, I'm going to try and at least remove the PLCC from the STE this weekend. IF all goes well, the booster may get fitted, and the external switches to choose which TOS, and 8/32MHZ will also go in. I will get photos as I go along and will put up a separate thread on here, plus share on Facebook, so everybody can share my experiences. Wish me luck!! Don't need luck, just dont yank on the CPU socket to hard and you be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Don't need luck, just dont yank on the CPU socket to hard and you be fine Oh, I won't, I'll be taking it really slow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exxosuk Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Oh, I won't, I'll be taking it really slow! I don't think anyones got up and running with one yet, so you could be the first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifanboi Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I don't think anyones got up and running with one yet, so you could be the first! No pressure then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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