CT60 Essentials

Get the most from your accelerator

You've got your shiny new CT60, it fits in a snap and goes like a rocket, but that's just the beginning. What can you do to enchance the experience and make it go as smoothly as possible? What tools and accessories? Here's MyAtari's top ten!

1. SDRAM
CT60 gets its speed, like CT2 before it, from dedicated RAM accessed at much higher clock frequencies and with wider bus than the old on-board ST RAM. In the case of CT60, it's a single 168-pin synchronous DRAM module, common in the last generation of PCs and still widely available today due to the large installed base of hardware.

However, before you go and rip some DIMMs (Dual In-line Memory Module) from an old PC, consider the recommended specification, which is PC133 CL2. 133 MHz is the rated clock frequency while CL stands for CAS Latency, CAS (Column Address Strobe) being the delay in clock ticks between the memory controller issuing a data request and the data arriving. Less is better. Early PC133 modules often had an inferior rating of CL3 (or CAS 3), you had to go to specialist high performance manufacturers like Mushkin in the USA to get CL2 rated PC133, even then the maximum module size at CL2 was 256 MB.

Now you can readily buy a full 512 MB of CL2-rated PC133 from quality major manufacturers such as Crucial (part CT64M64S4D7E.16LT 512 MB 168-pin DIMM 64Mx64 SDRAM PC133 CL2 works a treat). Decent memory is one of the cornerstones of system reliability, and the more exacting specifications are an indication of quality. Better over-engineered than borderline. Don't even bother with major-on-third memory, this is a term for a no-name module assembled with major manufacturers' DRAM chips of unknown grade. You'll be lucky to get a warranty, it's a false economy.

2. ST RAM
That's right, you still need the old memory in place, because it acts as the audio and video buffer for the custom chips as well as various other I/O functions on the Falcon motherboard. Once again, different types have different effects on system performance. If you plan to do the fitting option with solders to increase the motherboard speed, your ST RAM needs to be up to the task. Otherwise you'll typically get symptoms like flickering pixels or streaks on the screen.

We've found Atari's standard 4 MB boards to work very well at 25 MHz, but Atari's very rare 16 MB board seems to sulk. Best option is a board that takes fast 72-pin EDO SIMMs, for example, Rodolphe Czuba's CENTRAM 14 has optimized PCB routing for maximum stability. If you have the clunky old FalconWing, the one which takes four 30-pin SIMMs and requires RF shielding to work reliably even in a standard Falcon, get that replaced with something more modern as soon as possible!

3. JTAG cable
To update the Xilinx logic chips which form the heart of the CT60, you need an interface cable. The official one from Xilinx is not cheap, and needs modification to work with an Atari. The solution is to make your own, or get hold of one of these specially made ones from Andreas Pettersson in Sweden. Plug one end into your printer port, and the other onto the CT60.

4. Didier Méquignon's CT60 software tools
Not only can you configure every aspect of your CT60 with this software package, you can also monitor memory usage, CPU load and CPU temperature to ensure your precious 68060 is not cooking itself under the lid. What other Atari system can do this?

5. New case to hold all the goodies
It may be possible, with the right miniature ATX power supply, to have a CT60 in the standard Falcon case (the keyboard doesn't clear the stock CT60 CPU fan though), for the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing. Let's face it though, you're going to need more space than the 19 year old ST style case to bolt on the extra things to make that CT60 system really complete.

Custom-made replacement Atari cases like the Space Case offer extended room with easy and neat fitting. Elliot Swanton has his CT60 project housed in such a case. Should you need more, a popular solution is to modify a PC tower case. Look for one that can accommodate large diameter exhaust and intake fans for quiet and effective cooling.

6. Quality ATX power supply
Like quality memory, a sufficiently hefty power supply with stable output is necessary for reliability. This is especially true if you plan to run many other devices besides the CT60 off the same power supply unit. Salvaging one from a defunct PC may save some pennies but surely your Falcon deserves better? Even entry level ATX power supplies these days are usually rated at around 350 W output, easily enough for all but the most demanding users. Prices range from about £10 at a computer fair to perilously close to a ton for premium models from the likes of Antec and Enermax which also push upwards of 500 W capacity.

7. 2.5" to 3.5" IDE adapter
SCSI on the Falcon can be a can of worms, and we only know of one "killer-app" that demands it: Cubase Audio. For an easy storage solution which works better with nearly all other software, use the IDE interface. The drives are inexpensive, high in capacity and very fast, more so than the Falcon's 8-bit SCSI especially if motherboard acceleration is also applied.

If you go the re-casing route, consider a 3.5" IDE drive, they're more robust than the 2.5" variant as originally fitted at the factory, and offer more speed and better value. All you need is a suitable adapter, we found the one from Lindy to be the best - it's compact and completely encased in a plastic shell. In the photo above you can see the end pins on the right of the adapter are not connected. These are power pins, only needed when using the adapter to run a 2.5" device on a host that normally uses the 40-way interface found on 3.5" devices. When used the other way, to plug a 3.5" device into a host that normally uses 2.5", you power the drive in the normal way using its standard 4-pin power input.

Be sure to keep IDE cables as short as is practical to minimize RF interference on the data bus, this is critical on the Falcon. Same goes for extending the cartridge port.

8. The right stickers
Print this badge and stick it on your CT60 system for that subtle "Don't mess with me" look.

9. Nature SuperVidel graphics card
This one's not available at the moment but it's imminent, and you'd be a fool to miss it. You'll have the combined advantage of vastly accelerated graphics in millions of colours with full backward compatibility as part of the custom design, this is no off-the-shelf hack. Check our SuperVidel Graphics article this month for an interview with one of the designers. With CT60 and SuperVidel, the two weakest areas of the Falcon are finally addressed in the most powerful expression of technology seen on the platform yet.

10. Safety gear
When going this fast, we recommend to protect yourself.

MyAtari magazine - Feature #9, June 2004