Falcon Upgrades

[matheus]

Hello,

 

I am starting a project which consists in upgrading a stock Falcon 030 in every possible way that doesn't involve soldering nor modifying the Falcon case (due to purist reasons).

 

Could you Falcon experts help me completing the list below? So far I have gathered this:

 

- Install a FPU

- Install additional RAM

- Replace stock HD with CF kit

- Replace TOS with Mint

- Replace internal keystroke silicon contacts

 

And here are some items I'm not quite sure about:

 

- Hardware required to connect to the Falcon to the internet

- Installing a graphics card (I heard of a Eclipse card but couldn't find much info about it)

 

Thanks in advance!

[Lynxman]

If you want to install maximum memory (14MB) you should take a board with a PS/2-Simm on the downside of the board, or you should take a board with memory chips assembled direct to the pcb. If the socket for the PS/2-Simm is soldered on the upper side, you have to modify the metal shield.

 

Please look to the picture for the 14MB Falcon Memory Board i created. It is the same size as the original Atari memory boards.

 

If you need one, it is still available.

 

Kind Regards

 

Lynxman

[danwinslow]

I've put a few CT63 accellerator boards in the stock case. Don't have to mode the case or soldlr but you do have to remove the original power supply. For internet I've used a EtherNEC cartridge port NIC, and also a dayna port to ethernet adapter.

[+poobah]

I've put a few CT63 accellerator boards in the stock case. Don't have to mode the case or soldlr but you do have to remove the original power supply. For internet I've used a EtherNEC cartridge port NIC, and also a dayna port to ethernet adapter.

I had to modify the shielding to fit mine in.

[ggn]

For ethernet there is also a device called NetUSBEE, which is a direct replacement of the ethernec.

 

Also, there are 2 new projects for graphics card. Both require that you have a CT6x installed:

 

CTPCI (user needs to obtain a ATI Radeon 7xxx PCI series)

Supervidel

 

Now, as to what you want to pick and why, it's a big discussion (which I'm not going to start at 1:23AM )

[matheus]

Do you know if NetUSBEE is comercially available nowadays or where I can get one? Apparently hardware.atari.org is not selling them.

 

My updated to-do list:

 

- Install a FPU

- Install additional RAM

- Replace stock HD with CF kit

- Replace TOS with Mint

- Replace internal keystroke silicon contacts

- Install a NetUSBEE for ethernet connection

 

Pending:

 

- Graphics card?

- PC keyboard/mouse?

[Shredder11]

Forum user djbase on the Atari-Forum.com will have some available to buy in the near future, i.e. a few weeks time. Also he has improved the design so that the USB port no longer blocks access to the MIDI ports.

 

Atari-Forum - NETUS-Bee info and availability

[simonsunnyboy]

I'm unsure but there will be 2 new designs coming out, one by djbase and one by someone else whose name I forgot. One will not have the USB host interface but will be a bit cheaper of course.

[danwinslow]

I've put a few CT63 accellerator boards in the stock case. Don't have to mode the case or soldlr but you do have to remove the original power supply. For internet I've used a EtherNEC cartridge port NIC, and also a dayna port to ethernet adapter.

I had to modify the shielding to fit mine in.

 

Er, yes, thats true. That qualifies as a case mod I guess, although since it's not externally visible I was ignoring it as such.

[Lynxman]

I'm unsure but there will be 2 new designs coming out, one by djbase and one by someone else whose name I forgot. One will not have the USB host interface but will be a bit cheaper of course.

 

The name is matashen.

 

m a t a s h e n

 

He made Lynxopoly.

[Lynxpro]

Hello,

 

I am starting a project which consists in upgrading a stock Falcon 030 in every possible way that doesn't involve soldering nor modifying the Falcon case (due to purist reasons).

 

Could you Falcon experts help me completing the list below? So far I have gathered this:

 

- Install a FPU

- Install additional RAM

- Replace stock HD with CF kit

- Replace TOS with Mint

- Replace internal keystroke silicon contacts

 

And here are some items I'm not quite sure about:

 

- Hardware required to connect to the Falcon to the internet

- Installing a graphics card (I heard of a Eclipse card but couldn't find much info about it)

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

Right there with you. I'm planning on digging out my Falcon after 10 years of inactivity and upgrading that mofo. I already had the 14MB upgrade [from the stock 4MB] done back in 1995. I want to junk that Conner 44MB HD and move to SD. I also want to add a 33Mhz* 68882 if I could find a new one on the cheap. I don't want to pay $70 for it. Maybe I should just find an old Mac and extract it out of that.

 

I'm not interested in moving the Falcon guts into a rack mounted case. I wouldn't mind sticking it in a TT case if there was a TT case that wasn't being used and/or if the mobo died in it. I wouldn't want to rob Atariland of a working TT.

 

 

 

*I've read it is best to add a 33Mhz 68882 to the Falcon instead of a 16Mhz 68882 to cut down on latency due to the 16-bit bus.

[Beetle]

I wouldn't mind sticking it in a TT case if there was a TT case that wasn't being used and/or if the mobo died in it.

 

Like so? There even was space for a

 

[+poobah]

I wouldn't mind sticking it in a TT case if there was a TT case that wasn't being used and/or if the mobo died in it.

 

Like so? There even was space for a

 

 

ATI?

[Beetle]

Sure. Radeon graphics coming soon!

[+wood_jl]

I want to junk that Conner 44MB HD and move to SD.

 

Oh man, I haven't seen that name in a long time. Around the time of the first Bill Clinton inaugration, a friend and I were mad into building/trading/etc PCs and he scored several that I think were Sams Club (or PACE it was called then) returns. We put the Conner drives in our PCs. I never liked the way they sounded. One of his crashed. We got rid of them all, and every time we'd get another system and open it up, we'd laugh and say "If it's a Conner, it's a goner." Yes, I know this is lame. Was unaware Atari used them though.

[+poobah]

Sure. Radeon graphics coming soon!

CT-PCI connected?

[wongck]

Sure. Radeon graphics coming soon!

CT-PCI connected?

 

Coming real soon... by end of march I reckon.