ParanoidLittleMan

Source code is what programmers did put together - like S ASM source, or some C source. May be some other language too. It usually contains comments for easier understanding by others, or even for self, for same much later case. But it is only part of sources. There is graphic, audio, level data, etc. And there is really big variety of tools could and can be used. Only way is to get sources from authors, copyright owners. But in big part they are lost. Or nobody cares. For instance I got e-mail from one team regarding sources for Oids - they contacted original author, and he tried to supply them, but sources were on some kind of tapes, which just went in too bad state. They knew that I dealt with modding it - and yes, I disassembled it's code. And sent them. But that's only part of whole thing, as said. It reminds me that some people made some tools about 2 decades ago - like graphic ripper from games and similar. Yes, I'm thinking too about disassembling ST version of Strider. But graphic is reworked, with more colors, and as is said some parts missing from ST were added. I guess that they could use Mame files too .

And to add: Steem SSE does not Basic ACSI emulation, only ICD extended one. And very slowly - speed is in range of Satandisk. While Pasti.dll for regular Steem is about 5-6x faster than usual speeds with better adapters, so about 5 MB/sec .

Surely needs image. And whole problem is not copy protection related.

I checked latest Steem SSE (4.1.2) and it is even worse. Beside not reliable work it fails with images above 2 GB . Then disk/image capacity is not detected - says 0, and then driver will not mount partitions. Really interesting ... Seems that Sensei Software uses signed 32-bit integers for image size and related ... What about using 64-bit integers in 2022 ? I need to add text to my page about new images with games: like " this will not work (well) in emulators Steem SSE and Hatari . Because not proper emulation of larger hard disk images/sizes. If you want that it work, write to emulator authors, teams ... Because it works well on real Atari HW. " .

I'm sure that there are good ST image versions of Midi Maze available. For instance in TOSEC is one - usual 360 KB FAT12, so with regular files format. If Floimage gives RNF errors, that may be because Format is not checked on. Or just disk on what you try to write is in very bad shape. Or even drive problem - possible that needs head cleaning. Some old floppy disks can cause that because of detached magnetic surface.

I did not try newer Hatari release in last couple years, and now decided to DL and install last official v. Mainly because problems with 3.6 GB long image - with 12 partitions - that's newest game compilation with screenshots, new start menu - now finished, needs just some testing yet. There happen errors, slowdowns or even not finding some file (it is present in Desktop window of logical drive), while SD card, from which I made image works flawless on real Ataris, with diverse SD card adapters like UltraSatan, ACSI2STM, SD4ST . And someone reported problems with game To Be On Top with Hatari and Steem . And yes, it bombs in Hatari 2.1.0 right when music starts at title screens. That error does not happen in 2.4.1, but I don't see progress in ACSI emulation, better said in ICD extended ACSI emulation (needed for more than 1 GB space access) . There is now SCSI instead IDE emulation, what is for sure good for some people. So, I'm asking for experiences with very large hard disk images in latest Hatari versions . Maybe situation with Linux version is better ? But really have no time to deal with it too this weeks . Plus, surely count of Win users is bigger .

Well, I don't want to be rude, but maybe some more physical activity - what does not mean to not do retro computer thing - would help her to look even better .

Looking good. More than 16 colors, smoother scroll than ST version ...

I was just on checking it in Steem 3.2, and tried with TOS 2.06 too - it worked, and it was UK TOS . Little more checks: it is actually screen refresh rate what matters - if it is 60 Hz it will not allow start. And US TOS will start with it, of course. Some kind of regional protection. Some games check TOS version, regional code, and will not allow play if ... And this is not emulator issue (there are some), same happens on real Ataris . And there are other problems related with TOS versions - some games will work only with TOS 1.00, 1.02 . Much more complicated that with 8-bitters .

I made my first RAM expansion in my 520 ST to 1 MB, using that piggy-back system - just adding same RAM chips on top of existing ones, and of course needed few wires too. But later I wanted more RAM, so added 2 MB to 512KB on board to have 2.5 MB RAM. It was in 1989 - and piggy back was not really usable because of different RAM chips, with different pinout. So, I made PCB for RAM expansion, and it was small enough to place it easily in ST . Surely needed lot of connections with wires. Someone other can answer better than me what RAM expansion boards are now available for ST machines. And they may not fit in every ST motherboard revision ..

Since this thread topic is Atari 520 expansion options, it is normal to rather talk about currently available and interesting, useful expansions. As cartridge port was mentioned, most of replies focused on what was available for it in past. I think that should rather talk about what is now available. I already wrote about mass storage solutions with modern Flash cards. And NetUsBee is one of it too, with LAN, extra USB/PS2 mouse port. And surely RAM expansion is what is probably most useful/needed for one ST 520 now. Here few words about expansion ports on 8-bit computers and on Atari ST: What was on Sinclair ZX 81 and Spectrum was basically full CPU bus + some other lines. So, it was good for RAM expansion, and ZX 81 was pretty useless without it, because was with only 1 KB RAM - yes, you read it correct. So, I bought 16 KB expansion together with machine. It worked pretty reliable. In case of Spectrum I bought 16 KB model, and did RAM expansion to 48KB self - there is place for it on motherboard. It is possible to add for instance IDE hard disk port via Spectrum expansion port: http://zx48.8bitchip.info/idehard.htm you may see on schematic ZX Edge connector lines - plenty of them, and good for practically any expansion. This is not case with Atari ST cartridge port - it was intended for ROM cartridges, max capacity 128 KB - that self means that is not good for TOS upgrade (should be min 256 capacity) . Then, it is read only. Despite it, lot of adapters for cartridge port solved write. As it was with my first HW design for Atari ST: cartridge port EPROM programmer. It surely needed write - was solved by using address lines as data with help of extra HW logic. Now, with same type trick write to external RAM via cartridge port is possible too. But it was not made at all, from simple reason: it would be slow, and more important: there are not all needed address lines, so it could not work as normal RAM on CPU bus, maybe only as some kind of RAM disk, not usable for running of SW . Btw. there is something like it, still available: http://atari.myftp.org/stramcart/stramcart.html It is mostly in Polish, but you can see what about it is. At bottom is English text by me about usage of my program RAMCART for it. Yes, you guessed: user can have ST ROM cartridge equ. device without need to have EPROM programmer - can change content of RAM on it with Atari and special SW for it. Battery on device will keep content ..

Or the best in Atari 16-bit line Mega STE . Mega ST is basically ST with separated keyboard, expansion slot, blitter (but it was present in later STs too) . Mega STE can work at 16 MHz CPU clock too, has internal hard disk adapter (surely now it is little outdated). And build quality is surely best - I still did not need to recap PSU in mine.

Cartridge port is not suitable for RAM expansion - there are no lines for that. It is additionally read only. I guess that currently NetUsBee is most popular expansion for. Will not go here in what it can. ACSI port is Atari STs fast data transfer port - so can get diverse adapters which can use SD or even some CF cards as hard disk. Like UltraSatan, SD4ST, ACSI2STM(SD) ... RAM, TOS upgrade is also useful, but it can be done only internal.

And one more, just spotted while checked for mine unfinished adapts: Skateball aka Skate Wars - on some places it is 'Skatewars' EU and US releases by Ubi Soft .

Thanx Major . So, we have game with 3 titles, and Mindscape self released 2 of them - took some time to make their mind up 🙂 Dragon Lord was unlucky choice since there is different game (platformer) with same title from 16-32 Diffusion. Both released in 1990.

I read it at Ataricrypt site: "It's amazing how fantastic this thing works: plug it in and power on your Atari ST (mine defaulted to high resolution but that can be changed by holding the top button for a couple of seconds)" . Btw. I really don't see need for all electronic for some simple task like this: switching can be solved with mechanical switch (need multiple type), some resistors, and guess what ? It remembers where was set last time 🙂

OMG . I must admit, I'm little shocked by this way of selling in fact still incomplete 520 ST - what would cost PSU and floppy drive for it ? Like 200 bucks more ... Plus asking same price for keyboard (couple chips and lot of plastic, some connectors) as for 'motherboard' - that's little misleading - there is plenty of chips there + modulator, connectors . Surely it takes lot of time and effort to keep it in good conditions, to fix failures. But that keyboard price ... I guess that Eiffel is cheaper .

I didn't say 'personal attack' . I just asking to send details about config on which problem(s) happen. It stays on DL table page over many years: "Example: My config is: Atari STE, 1MB RAM. TOS 1.62 . I have UltraSatan, and use PP driver. The game is Total Recall. When losing all lives, so Game Over, it crashes soon after ..." You did not specify adapter, hard disk driver used. And that can be problem too sometimes. I need to spend much more time to even start game in question than writing this few sentences. Rally Cross has awful controls - laggy. Especially keyboard control layout is really not like what people is used to. And I needed to test with it on my Mega STE, because joystick port lost some solderings when connected joystick. It worked well. Worked well in emulator Steem, where I seen some problems couple days ago. But I needed to install Win week ago, and setting all SW I use regularly needs time. The problem was that on site was old version of game. I made update and fixed problem in 2020, made YT video too when opponents drive normally. But from some reason it went back to old version - and the reason was most likely server migration, so old game ZIP from 2015 was there until today and old YT video too. Just to be sure: pls. check size of ZIP of your DL before today - bad version - it is 447006 bytes. Corrected v. is 490198 bytes - and it is now on host . Well, 1600 games, really can not keep it all in head.

I think that Muzz73 is aware that it needs external PSU and floppy drive. And maybe have it .. It is just same as my first ST, what I bought in 1987 spring. And most likely with TOS 1.00 .

I really don't see why problems with some MAC SW should be in Atari ST forum. I DL-ed SW for TL866 from it's manufacturer site - Windows version. Works very well. What works not well are EPROM prices in Hu, so I need to order them from somewhere else. For instance in local shop asked 8.5 Euros for 1 piece of 27C512 (good for STs, and can hold 2 TOS versions) . 6x8.5 = about 50 Eur.

I wrote about such things on my pages about cowork of my ACSI-CF design adapter with other ACSI port adapters. For instance there was talk about that parallel attaching of second adapter works better than pass-thru connected adapter. Of course it does not stay for only such adapter combination. Pass thru is just outdated. Or better said was outdated already 30 years ago. And maybe that Megafile 2 port limit was not because some protocol/adapter solution restriction, but just simple bus overload. What is btw. something what I recommend to users: do not connect many hard disk adapters to your 30+ years old Atari ST* machine - it can cause problems. And there is no real need for it. Data transfers can be solved in many ways.

I asked here, and not only here, and not only once to submit 'bug' reports not in this thread. But in e-mails. And with more details - like TOS version, what exact HW, hard disk adapter, driver version, or maybe emulator, etc. And yet, you expect that I will spend time on this single problem, for single user, while I need to work for hundreds of hours on new features which will serve plenty of people. So, if you really want that I look about this 'bugged' my release pls. be at least so decent to listen on my requests. I did not write them to do some superior attitude, but because they are necessary to track down the problem with as much possible least time, tracing and like. I looked it for short, and yes, opponents really act weird. The really weird thing is that this is first error report since 2015. Including e-mail reports. Most likely some TOS version related problem - get it ? The reason why I insist on specify it. Surely I will not test all games with all possible TOS versions. I need to sleep sometime 🙂

Yep, that was used in plenty of SW . For sample rate control MFP timer was used, and with good code surely could achieve pretty high sample rate by playback. Of course that meant totally busy CPU with it. Unlike 0% by STE DMA playback (during play self, not counting init of registers) .

Well, when speaking of alternatives: plenty of people has IDE adapter in their ST(E)s . And it is present in Falcon, ST Book (Wiki page doesn't mention IDE port, factory built IDE disk) . Myself made IDE adapter for my ST, and used a lot of 2.5 inch IDE drives with it in next years. Why IDE instead SCSI ? Ask Falcon designers 🙂 I had ICD Pro (ADSCSI) too and number of SCSI drives - could buy them locally for good prices in period 2005-2014. But they just stopped to work after some years, even if I barely used them. So it went to someone other. "Of course the 1 gig limit applies through ACSI and you can only have one SCSI ID from it " . That's not correct explanation. It is possible to attach multiple devices to ACSI port, and they must have different IDs . 1 GB limit is limit of ACSI protocol and older ACSI-SCSI adapters designed with it in mind. ICD invented great solution to override it, and it is used in latest ACSI-SD adapters right now. And guess what ? Driver SW uses that (SCSI2) protocol even with direct SD card adapters (Satandisk, UltraSatan ... SD4ST ..) . My design ACSI-CF does not use SCSI protocol, but way how DMA works is same. And there are some adapters for cartridge port too.

Yeah, I expected that raising cover is the solution 🙂 As for guide with pics or video - that needs lot of time to make it, hours. And people usually have what to do. That would look little different in case of many people interested. There is saying 'Help yourself and God will help you' - search for ceramic capacitors. ACSI connector (really not knowing it ?) or worse - jumpers ... All it is pretty well known in computer people, Atari ST waters. Someone with experience could do all wiring in half hours. That includes watching schematic too.