TRUDIE (True IDE) is an advanced 3.3 V only IDE interface designed specifically for the H5 board with a 3.3 V bus. The name TRUDIE stands for True IDE, reflecting its direct, hardware-level IDE implementation.

TRUDIE features automatic hardware byte swapping, allowing CompactFlash cards to be freely exchanged between Atari ST systems and PCs/Macs without the performance penalty of software-based byte swapping. This enables operation at the maximum achievable speed on an 8 MHz system.

Unlike many lower-quality IDE interfaces, TRUDIE is designed for broad CompactFlash compatibility, reliably supporting a wide range of CF cards.

Board features

• Master and Slave IDE support - Slave operation is available using a master/slave IDE cable with the appropriate jumper configuration on the devices.
• Hardware byte swapping - Ensures direct compatibility with PCs and Macs.
• Optional HDD/FDD LED output - For use with an external LED board modification.
• Built-in TOS 2.06 decoder
• Compact easy to install desgin.

IRQ - ACSI pin 10. Needed for TOS206 autoboot.
KB IN - Keyboard widget input.
KB OUT - Keyboard widget output.
ROM DIS - Disable ROM decoding. ( FlashyClock will disable TRUDIE decoding if fitted automatically)
BS DIS - Disable automatic byteswapping.
ROM CE - Output to the H5 CE jumper.
ACTIVE LED (yellow ) - TRUDIE IDE interface is active
IDE ON LED (green ) - IDE / CF is active

In normal operation both green and yellow LEDs will light simultaneously. If the yellow active LED is on without the green LED, then likely there is a problem with the CF card, or adapter, or cable.

TRUDIE is designed to fit into the H5 left-side 3.3V bus expansion socket only. DO NOT PLUG TRUDIE INTO A 5V EXPANSION SOCKET !

It is assumed users already know how to install the hard drive software such as HDDRIVER.

Be careful that some revisions of the H5 mistakenly had inductors fitted on the 3.3V bus and need to be changed to 220K resistors. See THIS topic. Most boards had 100K resistors fitted and should be changed to 220K.

I only stock short IDE cables in the store and you may need to obtain a longer cable and mount the IDE adapter wherever you see fit yourself.

Solder the red wire to the RCE hole on TRUDIE. Then connect the other end of the red wire as shown on the H5 motherboard near the shifter.

The H5 ROM bank jumper is on the left side of the H5, next to the cartridge port. Generally you should have TOS104 in one bank, and TOS206 in the other bank.

If you have a later H5C5B revision, then there is no need for TRUDIE to do the ROM decoding. In which case the ROM DIS jumper should be soldered over.

Solder the orange wire to the left hole on TRUE, then on the H5 as shown.

IDE will now autoboot with TOS206 once the driver is installed correctly.

TRUDIE LED WIDGET is a small keyboard LED addon PCB which replaces the keyboards LED with the "widget PCB" which allows TRUDIE to switch the LED to green when accessing the IDE. The yellow LED remains uneffected for floppy drive access.

See this video for example https://youtu.be/lJhBF-6Cnfc?t=11