Atari ST

Atari ST is the name of a group of home or personal computers from Atari, which was produced from 1985 to 1994. The ST series appropriated by the graphical interface GEM among other things, professional office applications and was due to the existing standard MIDI interface standard computer in small and large recording studios. The abbreviation "ST " stands for Sixteen / Thirty- Two ( 16/32 ), as the main processor used, the Motorola 68000, a 16-bit wide data bus has and works internally with 32 bits.

The ST series was an alternative to the much more expensive Apple Macintosh models and was in direct competition with IBM PC -compatible computers, which it was superior in terms of ergonomics and ease of use.

5.1 Data Storage
5.2 printer
5.3 data transmission
5.4 Monitors 5.4.1 monochrome
5.4.2 Color

History

The Atari ST was one of the first popular models with a graphical user interface, the GEM from Digital Research. The memory size was between 512 KiB ( 520ST ) and 4 MiB (Mega ST4), this number was, after rounding, part of the model name ( 520ST - 512 KiB; 1040ST - 1024 KiB = 1 MiB).

The only exceptions were the 260ST ( shipped with 512 KiB ) and the 520ST (1 MiB). The 260ST should - be supplied with only 256 KiB, in the final stages of development but it was found that 256 KiB would definitely not be sufficient to operate the computer with TOS sense - true to its name. However, since the advertising was already under way, he was unceremoniously shipped with 512 KiB. At the first available in Europe 260ST the TOS was loaded from floppy disk as the first American 520ST what the size of the available memory greatly reduced. The 260ST was hardly different from the 520ST. Actually, the only difference was that the 520ST TOS brought in read-only memories (ROM), the first and 520ST ST were still delivered without such memory devices because they were the product launch is not yet available. The upgrade was simple but also the 260ST as the base were already present. The Ur - 520ST disappeared half a year after the appearance of the market, followed him a year later the 260ST. 1989 all STs without a floppy drive and the 1040STF have been set, the end of 1990 the MegaST and in January 1994, all other devices ( at the time was the model range from 1040STFM, 1040STE, MegaSTE and the high-end computers Falcon 030 and TT 030).

The concept changes after completion of the development phase are also reflected in the Model 520ST . Here found the additional memory chips on the motherboard no place, so they had to be hand soldered piggyback on the memory circuits of the regular assembly. Individual pins (RAS, CAS ) of these additional circuits have been bent upwards and free wired.

Additional letter stated further equipped with: "F " in the name was an internal floppy disk drive, "M" an RF modulator. " " Meant a memory expansion ( 520ST ) or other extensions such as the unpublished 1040 STE . "E " comes from enhanced, these computers were to some functions, such as the ability to play sound in stereo, and an advanced on 4096 tones color palette has been expanded. The models " LST " ( Stacy ) and " IS" (ST Book) denote portable devices.

By November 1985, the Atari ST was shipped with the operating system on disk (TOS 1.0), later models had installed the operating system in ROM.

The software emulator CPMZ80 for the Zilog Z80 CPU and the operating system CP / M 2.2 was supplied free of charge by Atari. This made it possible, especially at the beginning, the then popular 8 -bit programs for CP / M, such as WordStar, dBase, Microsoft Multiplan, Turbo Pascal and others, on the Atari ST be used, and these programs generated documents, databases, sources and data were re-used.

The MegaST series had a remote keyboard and a main memory of up to 4 MiB. Hard disk drives were also available ( beginning with MFM method and 20 MB) and can be connected directly to the Atari ST (DMA port, also ACSI port ( SCSI variant is named for "Atari Computer System Interface " ) ).

The Atari ST had the option to either include a high-resolution black and white or a low -resolution color screen. The color resolution was 320 × 200 pixels with 16 colors and 640 x 200 pixels with four colors, each from a palette of 512 colors (or 4096 when STE).

The widespread monochrome monitor SM124 had a resolution of 640 × 400 pixels at 72 Hz refresh rate. These were excellent values for that time, in the field of IBM PC - compatible computer, there were just CGA, HGC and for particularly expensive computer EGA, which offered only 640 × 350 pixels and 60 Hz refresh rate. The successor models SM125 and SM14x did not reach these values.

The computer became popular especially in CAD or desktop publishing sector, especially as Atari and other manufacturers, the high-resolution 19 " monochrome monitors onto the market. In German-speaking outweighed even the otherwise rather office applications such as word processing or spreadsheet. In the United States of the ST was primarily used with color monitor and was considered rather than games and demo machine (see: Atari demos). . Worldwide brought the Atari ST a built- in MIDI interface a wide distribution among musicians and recording studios a This included Mike Oldfield, of the Atari ST mainly used for the arrangements of his songs. on the album Earth Moving the use of the Atari ST was listed on the back of the cover. too, Depeche Mode and Fleetwood Mac used at this time the ST. Moreover, the Atari ST was as it were a mediator between the worlds. the file system of the disk was largely compatible with the MS- DOS, so that one example, had access to text files that were created on a PC. There was also an Apple emulator and a CP/M- and Z80 emulator, and he was - provided with appropriate software - as an intelligent terminal and developer station to a wide variety of mainframes and mini- computers from Hewlett-Packard and workstations from Texas Instruments and Hewlett Packard used. Striking about the operating system of the ST family was the variety of provided interfaces. So was intended from the beginning to the port of graphics tablets and cameras, which was unique at that time, especially as related hardware was not available on the market.

The Atari ST was for three times as expensive in 1984 Apple Macintosh an affordable alternative for broad masses and was in competition for a little later entered the market, Amiga Commodore.

Several journals such as ST computer, ST Format, ST magazine, TOS, XEST, ATOS, 68000 or Atari Inside supplied the user with information on this computer.

Hardware

Main Processor: Motorola MC68000, 8 MHz (Mega STE: 16 MHz)
Memory: 512 KiB to 4 MiB (factory features, memory expansion up to nearly 16 MiB possible by other providers - but with considerable effort ) managed by the memory controller chip " MMU " (Memory Management Unit).
GPU: " Shifter ", used an arbitrary portion of main memory as a frame buffer is now called " Shared Memory" architecture. Resolutions and color depths above
Bit blit - chip ( only from MegaST and STE series, 1040STFM later models were equipped with blit bit): support of the main processor for graphics and memory operations. Retrofitting on additional cards in all ST models possible.
GLUE - chip: the system logic, which holds the system ( chip selects, clock, etc.)
Sound: Yamaha YM- 2149 or GI AY -3- 8910 three-voice synthesizer chip with noise generator
Floppy disk controller WD1772: MFM controller for drives with standard Shugart bus; newer TT030 and Mega STE and all Falcon 030 were delivered with HD floppy drives and fully compatible, but also at higher clock frequencies (16 MHz and 32 MHz) and stable running AJAX.
DMA controller from Atari, ACSI interface controls (Atari Computer System Interface ). ACSI is limited to Group 1 commands and some signals SCSI interface.
2 Motorola 6850 interface modules, called " ACIA ": one for MIDI interface, 1 for serial communication with the keyboard
MFP: MFP 68901 ( MultiFunctionPeripheral ) and Others for extended interrupt logic and serial interface
Storage: built-in floppy disk drive (3 ½ " DD 720 KB ) - only for 520/1040STF/STFM, Mega ST, Stacy and the STE series; 3 ½ " SCSI hard drive ( 20-80 MB, only with some Stacy and Mega STE)

Connections

Standard on all ST variants are available:

Monitor: 13-pin DIN socket for connecting the Atari monitors from the SM / SC- Series
Mouse / Joystick: 9-pin D- SUB connector for connecting mice, joysticks, graphic tablets, etc.
Floppy: 14-pin DIN socket for connection of up to two floppy disk drives (with built-in drive only one external possible)
Hard Disk: Also known as ACSI or DMA, 19-pin D -SUB connector for external Fest-/Wechselplatten, CD -ROM drives ( CDAR504 ) and laser printers (SLM Series)
Parallel: 25 -pin D- SUB female connector for connection of eg printers
Serial: Serial interface of the ST, 25 -pin D- SUB connector, for connecting modems or for the construction of serial networks
MIDI In / Out: One five-pin DIN socket for connecting synthesizers, etc., also for peer-to -peer networks can be used ( Midinet )
ROM port: 40-pin edge connector, to accommodate program modules or external hardware (eg scanners)

Some models also have additional ports:

RF Modulator: RCA jack for connecting the ST computers to the antenna input of a TV ( STM, STFM, and later STE 520 ST)
Audio R / L: each 1 RCA jack for connecting to an amplifier or stereo equipment ( STE only )
Controller 3 4: 15-pin D -SUB socket ( equal to the VGA port ), game controller ( for example, the pad for the Atari Jaguar ) can be connected there ( only STE)
Keyboard: 6- pin Western socket for connecting the Atari keyboards (only Mega ST and Mega STE)

Models

Desktop

Portable

Stacy, Stacy2, Stacy4 (1989-1992): portable, 7.5 -pound version of the Mega ST, with optional built-in hard drive, but without blitter. With 12-inch liquid crystal screen.
ST -Book (1991-1992): Notebook, was placed at the great value to save energy. Except for the 2 ½ - inch hard disk drives are not available, also no lighting of the 12-inch LCDs. Battery life depending on operating 5-10 hours.
ST- pad " Stylus " (prototype ) Atari ST with pen input.

Other

Atari Transputer Workstation 800 (1988): So-called transputer based on the T800 chip. As a control terminal for a multi-processor system or MegaST Atari ST was used

Periphery of Atari

Data Storage

SF314: external floppy disk drive, 3 ½-inch, double-sided, written by the original TOS with 726 016 bytes, format FAT12 largely by reference to MS -DOS compatible, which uses 4 KB more.
SF354: external floppy disk drive, 3 ½-inch, single-sided, written by the original TOS with 357 379 bytes, format analogue SF314
SH204: 20 MB MFM hard disk with Adaptec ACB 4000 controller, ACSI interface housing in a shoebox format
SH205 (later Mega File 20 ): 20 MB MFM hard disk with Adaptec ACB 4000 controller, ACSI interface housing in the form of an Atari Mega ST
Mega File 30: 30MB RLL hard disk with Adaptec ACB 4000 controller, ACSI interface housing in the form of an Atari Mega ST
Mega File 60: 60 MB RLL hard disk with Adaptec ACB 4000 controller, ACSI interface housing in the form of an Atari Mega ST
Mega File 44: 44 MB removable hard disk of Syquest, with ACSI -to- SCSI host adapter housing in the form of an Atari Mega ST
CDAR504: CD -ROM drive, ACSI interface, can also be used as a standalone system, removable IR remote control

Printer

SLM804: 300 dpi laser printer. Much like today's GDI printer the printed page in the main memory of the Atari ST / TT was calculated and then sent to the printer.
SLM605: 300 dpi laser printer. Successor of SLM804 with other printing unit.
SMM804: dot matrix printer

Remote data transmission

SX212: modem, baud rate 1200 baud, serial and Atari SIO Interface

Monitors

Monochrome

SM124: 12 inch, 640 × 400, 71.2 Hz refresh rate
SM125: 12 inch, 640 × 400, 70 Hz refresh rate
SM144: 14 inch, 640 × 400, 70 Hz refresh rate, was introduced along with the Atari Mega STE in the market.
SM146: 14 inch, 640 × 400, 70 Hz refresh rate
SM147: 14 inch, 640 × 400, 70 Hz refresh rate ( only distributed in USA )
SM194: 19 inch, 1280 × 960, 70 Hz refresh rate, could be supported with custom graphics card on the system of the mega -ST series.
SM195: 19 inch, 1280 × 960, 70 Hz refresh rate, ECL signal could be controlled directly by the Atari TT

Color

PS3000: 12 -inch, 320 × 200 and 640 × 200, with built-in one-sided 3 ½ -inch floppy disk drive ( very rare for sale only in North America)
SC1224: 12 -inch, 320 × 200 and 640 × 200, according to PAL standard, with RGB signal input and Atari - specific plug
SC1425: 14 -inch, 320 × 200 and 640 × 200, with a SCART output ( cf. Commodore 1084 )
SC1435: 14 -inch, 320 × 200 and 640 × 200, with stereo speakers ( cf. Philips CM 8833 -II)

Peripherals / extensions from other manufacturers (selection)

Auto Switch -Over Scan: The small board required some soldering work on the ST series. The purpose of the extension was to increase the image resolution in monochrome mode, eg 768 × 520 pixels were reached. For this, it had to be partially re-adjusted the SM124 monitors.
ACSI -to- SCSI host adapter: eg ICD, ICP Vortex, and others. This made it possible to connect more inexpensive SCSI peripherals such as hard drives, CD -ROM drives, streamer, etc. to the Atari ST series. Named manufacturers delivered a competitor for the Mega File series from Atari to the host adapters based competitors. Special distribution for example, found the Vortex HD-20 to compete with the SH204 or Mega File 20
Hardware - PC emulator beta system Supercharger: A small white box, inside which a NEC V20 resided with 1 MiB RAM, 8 MHz clock speed and a special chipset. The chipset made for a PC -compatible hardware environment made available to the other and did the communication with the Atari ST / TT on the ACSI interface. The Supercharger thus constituted a PC / XT -compatible PC, the keyboard / mouse and graphics card (CGA and Hercules compatible ) of the Atari computer was. The mass storage cavity was on the Atari. On the Atari TOS / GEM programs could be executed in parallel and you could with a special key combination between both systems change.
Hardware - PC emulator vortex ATONCE: A to plug forming in the processor socket kit which used the memory of the ST, 8 MHz, 16 MHz clock speed later. The chipset made for a PC -compatible hardware environment made available to the other and did the communication with the Atari ST. The ATONCE put a PC / AT -compatible PC is according to a 80386SX who already below the 640 KiB limit more memory had available as an " original " compatible PC. Partitions up to 16 MiB could be read and written by both systems.
PAK68, PAK68 / 2, PAK68 / 3: processor replacement card. These extensions were the acceleration of ST- systems by replacing the Motorola 68000 processor by its not pin-compatible successor 68020 and 68030th PAH was placed on the motherboard instead of the original processor and did the mechanical and electronic adjustment to the new processor. Use the PAK system speed of the ST computer could be significantly increased; depending on the clock frequency so the upgraded systems reached the speed of the successor TT and Falcon or exceeded even these. The PAK was a project of the c't magazine in the Heise publishing house.

Reusing Atari ST data on current computers

On the Internet, circulating a wealth of emulators for Atari ST. Most of these emulators require for their function but an image of original Atari -ROMs, so they may be used for licensing reasons only if the owner of the computer itself also owner of an Atari ST ( or its ROMs) is. As a legal way out is the use nachprogrammierter, freely available TOS versions as EmuTOS.

Atari disks can be read mostly from the PC (or an older Apple Macintosh). However, difficulties are umlauts in path and file names because of the different character sets as well as higher formatted disks (that is, with more than 80 tracks and / or more than 9 sectors per track ); these only operate reliably with an original Atari computer and need to be copied. If no such Atari computer is available, this can be done for example with the live CD of ARAnyM. This path, which is licensing law unproblematic and requires no installation on the " Host PC", it makes possible on a PC hardware to read older Atari disk formats and copy the files to DOS formatted floppies. Another possibility: 2DD disks under MS- DOS with the command format a: / u / f: be formatted 720, both from Atari than be read and written to by Windows and therefore serve as a transport medium between two computers worlds. Windows XP supports / f parameter: 720 no longer, so you have to format / t: 80 / n: 9 a: dodge.

Since current PCs missing the floppy drive, here are the solutions to burn data either on CD to upgrade a disk drive or connect a USB drive, removable media such as ZIP / JAZ or DVD -RAM drives ( the Atari can with suitable software PC remain Read -compatible hard disks and removable disks and write) or the Atari and the current computer using the network card at Atari ( Ethernec or EtherNEA ) and most existing network connection to connect.

An open source emulator Hatari.

A professional Atari emulator for Apple Macintosh is MagiCMac (X). This emulator provides, inter alia, Calamus a printer interface, so that Calamus can recognize and address each Apple -installed printer.

For Windows operating systems, there is the counterpart MagiC PC.

For Apple Computer Performa 450, 475 and 630 also existed (1995 ) with Mac STout a MagicMac - compatible interface card that nachrüstete the non-existent on the Macintosh parallel ( Centronics-/Drucker- ) interface and a serial interface with original Atari chips. In conjunction with MagiCMac programs such as Word Plus, Signum, scripts or Calamus were able to print with PC printers, and Atari programs were running on the Macintosh with about four times the speed of an Atari TT. McSTout existed also in a variant that also still MIDI ports set ready.

Trivia

The Berlin digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot produced their music have to rely on a ST.