BLiTTER in short 520ST

General discussions or ideas about hardware.
User avatar
Cyprian
Posts: 387
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:16 am
Location: Poland

BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by Cyprian »

Is there any method to install the BLiTTER in short 520ST?
thx
Lynx I / Mega ST 1 / 7800 / Portfolio / Lynx II / Jaguar / TT030 / Mega STe / 800 XL / 1040 STe / Falcon030 / 65 XE / 520 STm / SM124 / SC1435
DDD HDD / AT Speed C16 / TF536 / SDrive / PAK68/3 / Lynx Multi Card / LDW Super 2000 / XCA12 / SkunkBoard / CosmosEx / SatanDisk / UltraSatan / USB Floppy Drive Emulator / Eiffel / SIO2PC / Crazy Dots / PAM Net
http://260ste.atari.org
User avatar
exxos
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 23488
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:19 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by exxos »

AFAIK nobody has ever done it. Probably would have to have a custom PCB done to fit over the CPU, then some tracks cutting to GLUE to route the bus grant stuff about.
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
tzok
Posts: 337
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 2:27 pm

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by tzok »

I think I've seen such mod once... you need to cut just 2 tracks, as in STf you have to desolder only 2 bridges. Just 68 wires, and you're done ;)
User avatar
PaulJ
Posts: 1568
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:14 am
Location: USA

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by PaulJ »

You must really want a glitter to go through all that trouble. I think I would look for a st that has a pc board that will accept a glitter socket or something that comes with a blitter such as a mega. Chances of successfully adding a glitter to a 520 would be small. Just my thought. :mrgreen:
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10462
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by rubber_jonnie »

As an owner of a short 520ST I'd really kind of think that trying to add a Blitter is a really long road you wouldn't want to go down. It just wasn't designed with it in mind.

I'd suggest you'll probably be better of leaving it as is and getting an STF/M with space to add a Blitter or one that's already installed.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
User avatar
Cyprian
Posts: 387
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:16 am
Location: Poland

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by Cyprian »

True, would be easier to use 1040 instead. But if I would like to go the easy way, I would just leave retro computers :)
From all my Atari collection, 520ST looks the sexiest. I have a secret plan to install there FPG blitter.
Colleague from our local forum Atari.pl had short 520ST with the BLiTTER's daughterboard. Unfortunately sold it a few years ago.
Lynx I / Mega ST 1 / 7800 / Portfolio / Lynx II / Jaguar / TT030 / Mega STe / 800 XL / 1040 STe / Falcon030 / 65 XE / 520 STm / SM124 / SC1435
DDD HDD / AT Speed C16 / TF536 / SDrive / PAK68/3 / Lynx Multi Card / LDW Super 2000 / XCA12 / SkunkBoard / CosmosEx / SatanDisk / UltraSatan / USB Floppy Drive Emulator / Eiffel / SIO2PC / Crazy Dots / PAM Net
http://260ste.atari.org
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10462
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Cyprian wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 10:22 am True, would be easier to use 1040 instead. But if I would like to go the easy way, I would just leave retro computers :)
From all my Atari collection, 520ST looks the sexiest. I have a secret plan to install there FPG blitter.
Colleague from our local forum Atari.pl had short 520ST with the BLiTTER's daughterboard. Unfortunately sold it a few years ago.
If you do find a way, then I fully expect documentation of the entire process on this forum ;)
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
User avatar
Cyprian
Posts: 387
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:16 am
Location: Poland

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by Cyprian »

oki :)
Lynx I / Mega ST 1 / 7800 / Portfolio / Lynx II / Jaguar / TT030 / Mega STe / 800 XL / 1040 STe / Falcon030 / 65 XE / 520 STm / SM124 / SC1435
DDD HDD / AT Speed C16 / TF536 / SDrive / PAK68/3 / Lynx Multi Card / LDW Super 2000 / XCA12 / SkunkBoard / CosmosEx / SatanDisk / UltraSatan / USB Floppy Drive Emulator / Eiffel / SIO2PC / Crazy Dots / PAM Net
http://260ste.atari.org
User avatar
agranlund
Posts: 777
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:43 pm
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Re: BLITTER IN A ST

Post by agranlund »

I have added a blitter to my 520ST. In fact, the PCB's arrived from china just today so I was quite excited to see that it actually worked!
Of course, the sane thing to do would be to just get an STE, but I like this machine - I've had it since 1985.
Thank you Exxos for stocking and selling loose Blitter chips, it really came in handy :)

The board I made goes in the CPU socket and provides blitter, adress decoding for 2.06 roms and a 44pin IDE port.
Of course, the ST doesn't have a socketed CPU so it has to be desoldered and the socket added.
I'm waiting for delivery of a CF card adapter before I can test if the IDE port works or not.

I'll put the schematics somewhere for download once I've had a chance to test it more properly :)
DSC_2981_small.jpg
DSC_2981_small.jpg (240.83 KiB) Viewed 7064 times
DSC_2984_small.jpg
DSC_2984_small.jpg (199.32 KiB) Viewed 7064 times
DSC_2971_small.jpg
DSC_2971_small.jpg (238.52 KiB) Viewed 7064 times

I'm thinking the next upgrade will be a card for where the RF modulator used to sit. To provide a VGA connector and an audio jack, and perhaps an internal speaker.
User avatar
agranlund
Posts: 777
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:43 pm
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Re: BLiTTER in short 520ST

Post by agranlund »

All signals except for INT3 are available on the CPU bus so if you make a custom PCB that goes between the motherboard and CPU there is no need to cut traces on your motherboard - the only thing you need to do with the ST motherboard is solder a wire from pin 25 on the 68901 (or resistor R4) to wherever you expose the blitter interrupt on your board.

Of course, you would need to desolder the CPU and add a socket which in itself is a bit of a pain...

R4 on the ST motherboard is 4.7k while it's 1k on the STFM and STE, but it appears to work fine for me even without replacing that resistor - I have only had a chance to test with Gembench so far though.

--Anders
Post Reply

Return to “HARDWARE DISCUSSIONS”