Simple 16Mhz booster kits for sale , pre-order

[exxosuk]

For those who want to gain a boost in speed on your STFM without too much work, the kit is now on sale for pre-order.

 

All the information is located here http://exxos.www.idnet.com/IMPULSE/atari/last/v1booster/index.htm and can be ordered from my webstore here http://exxos.www.idnet.com/IMPULSE/atari/last/store.htm

 

Currently the kits are supplied with 16MHz CPU until I run out of stock of them. Afterwards the kit will be sold without CPU and will require you to obtain your own and fit it to the CPU yourself.

 

All proceeds from sales are pumped back into my development fund. In case anyone has not seen my 16Mhz booster pages, then please check them out as I am working on more powerful upgrades with the help of others.

[GadgetUK]

Great stuff!!! It's well worth getting one of these if you are die hard ST fan. For the record, I've tested well over 300 games and I've only found a couple that have issues with 16Mhz - Operation Wolf, and Cabal. Op Wolf crashes as the game starts, and Cabal has some wierd collision detection bug. Switching back to 8Mhz obviously sorts those games so it's not a problem anyway. You get nice speed boost in decompression etc. Wings of Death decompressed a lot faster as do other games using compression. Gives a much snappier feel to a lot of games - so it doesn't make them run too fast, they just feel smoother. I did some side by side tests which I've not uploaded yet, and games using 3D etc tend to be 20 to 30% faster, so it's not mega noticeable but does result in a much better all round experience.

 

When coupled with a Blitter and additional RAM the ST runs great with this mod =) GEM is a lot more responsive, it's actually pleasant to use.

 

If you get one of these and decide to make it switchable, you can use my utility here to show the clock speed on boot. I just stick it in the auto folder. It only works with TOS <= 1.04 though. I tried higher versions of TOS but my utility crashes due to linking / alignment issue in STOS. I will rewrite it in C at some point in future.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8tzspy5wdppflqr/CPU.PRG?dl=0

[oky2000]

Simple as in it's not as fast as a Mega STE in 16mhz mode?

[exxosuk]

The MSTE has cache doesn't it ? So its not a fair test. Though another guy on AF did post results and with cache off I think results were very similar.

[Triads]

Does it have to be a STFM? How about a simple STF?

[exxosuk]

It will fit any Atari with DIP 68000 CPU.

[Zogging Hell]

Hi Exxos, just wondering how easy that additional wire is to solder in with a Marpet memory upgrade sitting on the shifter? I'm loathe to take it out given the unreliability of those socketed upgrades. My 68k is socketed so this will be a doddle to fit otherwise. Will you be doing one with cache in future?

[walter_J64bit]

WoW, I've always wanted the ICD adspeed this would do the same job!

[+slx]

Does this fit into a Mega ST which has an ide/tos board installed already?

[exxosuk]

Hi Exxos, just wondering how easy that additional wire is to solder in with a Marpet memory upgrade sitting on the shifter? I'm loathe to take it out given the unreliability of those socketed upgrades. My 68k is socketed so this will be a doddle to fit otherwise. Will you be doing one with cache in future?

 

I can't see it making any difference,you can either solder to pin 39 of shifter or do as i did on my install instructions and solder to the resistor instead.

[exxosuk]

Does this fit into a Mega ST which has an ide/tos board installed already?

 

I've not seen the Mega ST or those upgrades so you would have to check on my install instructions page to see if it will fit.

[exxosuk]

WoW, I've always wanted the ICD adspeed this would do the same job!

 

I have never had one of those kits, but assume its the same simple upgrade. It gives a really nice speed boost for doing not a lot.

[locnar77]

The AdSpeed requires you to de-solder the 68000 chip, install a socket, then attach a daughter board with a new processor on it that can be clocked up or down by a switch, i'd post a picture, but it wont let me

[+DarkLord]

I've got an Adspeed in my Mega ST4:

 

 

HTHs.

 

[exxosuk]

Thanks Ron, I think I saw the pcb for adspeed somewhere, assume that one is just a simple 16mhz switcher like my board ? Mine you have to unsolder the 68000 as the old CPU isn't fast enough to run at 16mhz. Though with the new CPU and kit installed it takes up pretty much no room at all.

[+DarkLord]

Yep, posted it over at Atari Forum, probably in a couple of places.

 

I'm not sure I'd call it a "simple 16mhz switcher"?

 

You'd be more qualified to make that call than me.

 

Here's a couple of grabs from the Adspeed manual:

 

 

 

 

HTHs.

 

[Goochman]

Adspeed was the bomb back in the day - I have one in my Mega 2 ST with the switch

[exxosuk]

Yep, posted it over at Atari Forum, probably in a couple of places.

 

I'm not sure I'd call it a "simple 16mhz switcher"?

 

You'd be more qualified to make that call than me.

 

Here's a couple of grabs from the Adspeed manual:

 

 

 

HTHs.

 

 

That states it has cache. Though from what I see from doing a search on google images, there seems to have a really small version (like the one you posted) and a much larger version which is the one I presume has the cache on.

[exxosuk]

I am building up the kits today. So should be able to start shipping in a few days

 

I have 18 kits built but only about 12 16mhz CPUs left. So once my stock of CPU's has gone, people will have to take a gamble and source them elsewhere. I did get about 50 pcbs made so I can make up more kits in the future if there is demand. Though again, any future batches will be supplied without the CPU, and of course the pcb only price will be cheaper.

[+DarkLord]

 

That states it has cache. Though from what I see from doing a search on google images, there seems to have a really small version (like the one you posted) and a much larger version which is the one I presume has the cache on.

 

Not seen the larger version myself, but my Adspeed has the onboard cache.

 

I think the Amiga version used a larger PCB...

[exxosuk]

These are the images I found.

 

 

 

Id assume those 4 chips are the cache chips. The larder kits is probably similar to the larger CPU booster we are working on. If they had published the cache design and code it would have made creating one a lot easier.

[+DarkLord]

Yeah, the STe version was different.

 

Agreed, sure wish a *lot* of Atari developers, both hardware and software,

had open sourced things (especially if they were leaving the market).

[exxosuk]

Yeah, I tried to make contact with TUS who made the Veloce, he still seems to be about doing PC repairs last time I checked some years ago, though i emailed and wrote to him with no luck a few times over the years. Its a shame when people like TUS do great stuff then just vanish along with the hardware. It just makes new developments take 10 times as long, basically because people like me have to re-invent the basic stuff from scratch all the time and then build upon that.

[Zogging Hell]

I am building up the kits today. So should be able to start shipping in a few days

 

I have 18 kits built but only about 12 16mhz CPUs left. So once my stock of CPU's has gone, people will have to take a gamble and source them elsewhere. I did get about 50 pcbs made so I can make up more kits in the future if there is demand. Though again, any future batches will be supplied without the CPU, and of course the pcb only price will be cheaper.

 

What a time to have a cash shortage on my part..

[exxosuk]

I wouldn't worry to much, Atari sales are always painfully slow, unfortunately.