Atari STE help

[Tajmaster]

Hi guys

Ive got a friend over with me, he found an Atari STE in his loft but we know squat about it.

Id like to know what program I can load to tell me stuff like OS version, total RAM etc. Kinda like SysInfo on the Amiga. If I leave it switched on the floppy makes a few attempts to read then eventually it ends up on the TOS (I think thats what it is?) screen but none of the menus have any memory or version info.

:sos

 

[johnim]

hi taj a quick search gives me this

http://193.166.3.2/pub/atari/sysinfo/

 

[tokyoracer]

Bung them on a floppy since it is the same format as PC apparently.

 

[Tajmaster]

Looks good guys, hes left the ST at my house so Ill give them a go

 

[storhemulen]

Here's a good site where a lot of useful software can be found, sysinfo among others.

https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/

I have a 1040STE which I plan to pimp a bit. That is, when I have the time. :dry:
So far I only popped in 4 x 1MB 30pin SIMMs and then used a PC-formatted disk with sysinfo on it to check that it was indeed detecting all RAM.

Next is to burn EPROMs with dual TOS 1.62/2.06 that can be switched. Anyone done this before?

 

[Hell_Labs]

Hi guys

Ive got a friend over with me, he found an Atari STE in his loft but we know squat about it.

Id like to know what program I can load to tell me stuff like OS version, total RAM etc. Kinda like SysInfo on the Amiga. If I leave it switched on the floppy makes a few attempts to read then eventually it ends up on the TOS (I think thats what it is?) screen but none of the menus have any memory or version info.

:sos

520STE = 512k (two SIMMs)
1040STE =1MB (four SIMMs)

Max memory is 4MB but if it's never been opened it won't have been upgraded.

The about box should have An atari logo and a list of copyright dates, if the Atari logo is colour-cycling that means you have rainbow TOS, which is 1.06 on the STE. Generally the best version for games.

I advise you to open it up and have a look at the DMA chip, this is underneath the floppy drive.

if it's C398739-001A (Atari-1990)-31 you are okay.

If it's C025913-38 PH23-001A you have a crap DMA chip! Beware, hard disks won't work!

If neither of these are there, but there's a square chip instead, you're okay too. That means its a really late STE when they were messing with surface mounting stuff.

While you're in there you can also check see if it's had ram upgraded. Max is 4x 1MB SIMMs, these usually have three surface mount chips each in my experience.

 

[Tajmaster]

Hi guys

Ive got a friend over with me, he found an Atari STE in his loft but we know squat about it.

Id like to know what program I can load to tell me stuff like OS version, total RAM etc. Kinda like SysInfo on the Amiga. If I leave it switched on the floppy makes a few attempts to read then eventually it ends up on the TOS (I think thats what it is?) screen but none of the menus have any memory or version info.

:sos

520STE = 512k (two SIMMs)
1040STE =1MB (four SIMMs)

Max memory is 4MB but if it's never been opened it won't have been upgraded.

The about box should have An atari logo and a list of copyright dates, if the Atari logo is colour-cycling that means you have rainbow TOS, which is 1.06 on the STE. Generally the best version for games.

I advise you to open it up and have a look at the DMA chip, this is underneath the floppy drive.

if it's C398739-001A (Atari-1990)-31 you are okay.

If it's C025913-38 PH23-001A you have a crap DMA chip! Beware, hard disks won't work!

If neither of these are there, but there's a square chip instead, you're okay too. That means its a really late STE when they were messing with surface mounting stuff.

While you're in there you can also check see if it's had ram upgraded. Max is 4x 1MB SIMMs, these usually have three surface mount chips each in my experience.

Thanks mate

It has 2 SIMMs and the rainbow logo

Its not my ST its my mates loft find but I dont think hes much interested in it, its more my curiosity Ill see if any of my 30pin SIMMs are compatible when I get a moment

 

[tokyoracer]

Its not my ST its my mates loft find but I dont think hes much interested in it, its more my curiosity Ill see if any of my 30pin SIMMs are compatible when I get a moment

The ones you want are 4x 1Mb Non-Parity RAM (Usually even no. of chips on the module).

 

[Hell_Labs]

Good to hear you atleast got the good version of TOS.

512K is enough for floppy loading games so you're OK there. See on the "normal" ST they didn't put in a way to upgrade ram (No SIMMs), so developers just aimed for 512k. Another reason amiga wins!

Just be glad he didn't find a falcon. Those are WEIRD. Dos or Unix? Yes.

 

[Tajmaster]

I downloaded the Sysinfo program from the link above, it says my total ST memory is 2048Kbytes, err, 2MB?! but Ive only got 2 SIMMs plugged in?

Is that right??

 

[darkxavier]

Yep. 2 x 1Mb SIMMS

 

[Tajmaster]

Awesome so someone must have upgraded this in the past I guess.

I also saw that TOS was listed as version 1.6 in the Sysinfo program.

My mate has "left" (read "he couldnt be arsed with it" lol) this with me to tinker with as hes not interested. I must say there are a lot of games I got with it that have Amiga versions so its been interesting to compare them.

 

[4am]

This is your man for memory - 4x1MB chips will cost you a tenner:

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/jays2009/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754

EDIT: For the record I should perhaps state that I have no affiliation with the above gentleman. I have however purchased from him before and he's as sound as they come on eBay.

 

[Harrison]

I'm sure an Amibay member with some spare ram would be willing to send you some for the price of postage.

 

[dougal]

The ST is really easy to get games onto it too. You can write the disks using a PC and a program. Forgot the name but i can check later if you like.

 

[morcar]

All I can say is BLOOD MONEY !!!!!

its better on the ST than amiga in my opinion

 

[alexh]

You can write the disks using a PC and a program. Forgot the name but i can check later if you like.

The most accomplished for modern Windows (XP onwards) is FloImage by Pera Putnik

http://atari.8bitchip.info/floimgd.php

 

[dougal]

You can write the disks using a PC and a program. Forgot the name but i can check later if you like.

The most accomplished for modern Windows (XP onwards) is FloImage by Pera Putnik

http://atari.8bitchip.info/floimgd.php

Bingo that was it. Works brilliantly

 

[4am]

The most accomplished for modern Windows (XP onwards) is FloImage by Pera Putnik

Seconded, works a treat.

 

[Tajmaster]

Thanks for the info guys

I found a DD PC-formatted floppy could be read straight off by the ST, no messin about

Ive actually got loads of games (some really good ones too) so I dont think Ill be downloading any. To be fair I just want to check it out, Im definitely parked at Camp Amiga The differences between versions on both platforms is interesting. Chaos Engine for example seems to have better music and "more colourful" graphics, guess Ill have to play games on both side by side