Atari TT030

Atari TT030 ( Thirtytwo / Thirtytwo for the data bus, 030 for the CPU ) is the model designation for a series of computer manufacturing company Atari, which was produced between 1990 and 1994.

Ataris designed for professional use computers are equipped with processors of type Motorola 68030 floating point co-processors and Motorola 68882nd The CPU clock was originally at 16 MHz ( twice the frequency of the Atari ST computer ) are, in competition with the Commodore Amiga 3000 (25 MHz) he was then but - but only on the processor itself - increased to 32 MHz. The rest of the system was further clocked at 16 MHz.

Main memory

A special feature of the TT is the division of memory into two non- contiguous areas, similar to the Commodore Amiga. This division results from the default, to make the TT as compatible as possible to its predecessor, the ST; in a sense the TT contains an ST subsystem:

  • The ST- RAM is located at the same address as the previous model ST, ie within the first 16 Mbyte address space. This memory is also the frame memory ( video RAM ) such that the CPU is a little braked when accessed. Some ST -compatible peripheral devices, such as the ST- DMA chip can only access this memory. The TT is not run without ST-RAM, it came with 2 or 4 MB, expandable via plug-in cards that were up to 10 MB. It is always 2 MB are directly on the motherboard.
  • The TT-RAM, also called Fast-RAM, is directly available to the CPU, which therefore could access it without delay. Accesses to this memory are therefore usually much faster, depending on the application. Atari gave the TTs usually made with 2 MB ST-RAM and 4 MB DD RAM; depending on the card (commercially available) 4-256 MB are possible. The TT is run without TT-RAM.

Areas of application

The specially programmed for the TT software and offered by Atari and third-party hardware ( graphics and sound cards, high resolution large screens ) made ​​the TT mainly in desktop publishing, office applications and MIDI-/Musik- interesting. An example of this is the DTP software Calamus, which is today, although mainly used on Windows-based PCs and Apple Macintosh computers using emulators, but can be used is still natively on TTs (if the current Calamus requirements for screen resolution and color depth be met by the TT ).

Revisions

Essentially two revisions of the TT were made ​​:

  • The first models under the plastic housing a sheet metal cage as a shield. This is designed so unfavorable that the retrofit requires a RAM expansion card on the sheet cutting tool. The processor does not sit directly on the motherboard, but on a so-called daughterboard, here the clock doubling from 16 to 32 MHz is made. Chance of pre-production models are also without clock doubling exist. The first TTs all have a DD floppy drive ( nominally 720 kB). The computers were shipped with TOS in ROM 3:01.
  • The newer models have a shield, a reddish- brown coating on the inside of the plastic housing, the cage plate will therefore be omitted. The CPU is now located directly on the motherboard, as well as the hard drive cover was mechanically modified so that the lid between the device revisions are not interchangeable. The newer TTs have HD floppy drives ( nominally 1.44 MB). The newer TTs were shipped with TOS ROMs 3:05 or 3:06.

Mass storage

Incorporated are ( the so-called daughterboard TTs ) a DD floppy drive, newer a HD floppy drive (1.44 MB) in old TTs. In any case, a SCSI hard drive - ex-works mostly with 48 or 80 MB. Externally as an additional diskette drive ( SF314, SF354, PCF554 or foreign drives), ACSI disks (the Atari Mega File Series), SCSI hard disks and removable disks and SCSI CD -ROM drives can be connected.

Operating system

At the TT comes Ataris known operating system TOS (The Operating System) in versions 3.01 3:05 or 3:06 for use. Also planned a TT with a UNIX variant was known as DD / X. Prototypes of the TT / X were presented, inter alia, on the ATARI fair in Dusseldorf. These were a Unix System V version 4 compatible system, at the time one of the first SVR4 systems at all. The final version, available on tape or hard drive was only delivered in late 1990, some developers, but never to end customers.

Connections

  • Keyboard: Atari Special keyboards come in here (6 -pin Western plug)
  • LAN: previously unused serial interface in Mini - DIN format - according to Atari AppleTalk - capable, but only refers to the electrical specifications, Mac networking software was it never available.
  • MIDI in / MIDI out: interface for music players and sequencers ( five pin DIN connectors)
  • ROM Port: Mainly program modules or scanner interfaces are connected here ( 40-pin edge connector socket)
  • Audio R / L: This is the TT connection for amplifiers etc.
  • Serial 1 / 2 Serial / Modem 1 / modem 2: Four serial ports with different data rates. All the D- SUB -9 format. The two with "Serial" labeled connections are located on the filler panel for the VME bus can be connected to, for example, high-resolution graphics cards.
  • Monitor: Standard VGA output
  • Printer: standard parallel port ( D -SUB 25)
  • DMA ( ACSI ): Atari - specific interface for connecting Fest-/Wechselplatten and the special laser printers from Atari SLM Series - D -SUB 19
  • Floppy: Atari - specific interface for external floppy drives (DIN 14 pin. )
  • SCSI: Universal SCSI -1 interface ( 25-pin D -SUB)
  • Mouse / joystick (both on the keyboard): one nine-pin socket for the controls.

Periphery

The following peripherals has been specially developed for the Atari TT and partly also for Atari PC series.

Screen resolutions and monitors

  • PTM144: 14 inch, 640 × 350, 640 × 400, 640 × 480, grayscale
  • PTM145: 14 inch, 640 × 400, 640 × 480, grayscale
  • PTC1426: 14 -inch, 320 × 200, 640 × 200, 640 × 480, color
  • TTM194: 19 inch, 1280 × 960 monochrome, ECL signal
  • TTM195: 19 inch, 1280 × 960 monochrome, ECL signal

Otherwise, can be used up to the monitors, most of the ST- periphery.

Commodore International Calamus (DTP) Atari TOS VMEbus Clone (computing)
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