RSFI? (improved RSVE for serial port)

[Pacman]

Many people are familiar with the RSVE hardware; a small PCB modifcation which increases the ST's serial (modem) port's speed beyond the 19200 bps limitation. Actually, Sporkinet in this forum recreated it a few years ago and made it all available on his GitHub page.

Now, the original designer's (Harun Scheutzow) web page is no longer found, but thanks to the Wayback machine Internet archive his Atari museum page is still available, which includes access to the original RSVE project and the HSMODA software drivers needed for it to run.
I noticed something interesting in the RSVE section on that page (emphasis added by me):

RSVE - the hardware to speed up the MODEM1 serial port of Atari ST, STE, MegaST, MegaSTE and TT to 38400 and 57600 (and with good luck 115200) bps while still keeping the old data rates. Hint: RSFI is much better.

There's no download link or any more info on his (web archived) page, neither does anything turn up elsewhere on the web. Does anyone have any more info about the RSFI?
Or... know how to get in touch with Harun Scheutzow these days?


UPDATE: I just found something in the DoItST archive!
There's an online version of it as well, and in section 15.3.7 RSFI there's information (in German) along with a photo.
My German (and especially technical-German) isn't the best, but it appears it can handle up to 230 400 bps (RSVE can go up to 115 200) and the photo shows a small PCB with a couple of large PLCC surface mounted chips, a crystal oscillator and an SMD mounted resistor or two. There's no PCB layout or schematic as far as I can see, so perhaps they were only available from the author as ready built boards.
Maybe someone reading knows more about this.

[Darklord]

I don't recall anything about it but that's pretty amazing stuff. I would love to
see an improved RSVE!

Typically, under the RSVE mod I'm using on my Mega ST4 and my STacy, both with
upgrades (Mega ST4 -> AdSpeed accelerator, STacy -> Pak 68/3), I can do 38400
reliably, with HSModem in place.

[Pacman]

I don't recall anything about it but that's pretty amazing stuff. I would love to
see an improved RSVE!

Typically, under the RSVE mod I'm using on my Mega ST4 and my STacy, both with
upgrades (Mega ST4 -> AdSpeed accelerator, STacy -> Pak 68/3), I can do 38400
reliably, with HSModem in place.

Cool!
Remembering back to the 90s I started out with a US Robotics Sportster 14.4K modem, then progressed on to the 28.8K and finally the black 56K modem using ConNect with the RSVE installed. It came to good use though I can't remember which speeds I achieved, but it was definitely an improvement over the stock 19 200 speed.

Yeah, an improved RSVE would be nice. I understand that the RSVE can strain the CPU meaning other things slow down. I can't remember experiencing this myself, but I would think an improvement would mean less use of the CPU.

[Darklord]

I haven't tried it lately, and it might just be a matter of getting the settings
right in HSModem, but *if* I recall correctly, when I tried higher than 38400
(especially on unaccelerated machines), I got dropped characters and errors
during uploads and downloads.

My Mega ST4 with the AdSpeed board (16mhz, cache), and an RSVE mod, is
the one that runs my BBS, DarkForce!.

Using something like SyncTerm on a Win10 box or my Kubuntu Linux laptop,
I get perfect results.

When I call in with my Mega STe using the 2nd high speed serial port, I get good
results but Zmodem downloads don't seem to want to work correctly but Ymodem
and ye venerable old Xmodem do just fine.

Pretty much the same results with my RSVE and accelerated STacy when I call in
to DarkForce!.

DarkForce! Download Speed.jpg

STacy-RSVE Mod03.JPG

[Pacman]

Thanks for sharing!
I can't remember if I had problems with higher speeds, but 38400 seems to ring a bell, so maybe that's where I ended up as well.

Do you know if the RSVE is "transparent" to the computer unless it boots up with HSMODA (can't remember the specific filenames but I believe there were 2 or 3 files belonging to it) in the AUTO folder?
I remember that RSVE's LED lights up at some stage (while booting up with HSMODA or when setting the serial port to something higher than the standard maximum of 19200 in some sort of serial related software such as Connect), but I don't know if the computer fully acts like it's not there when its LED is unlit.

I'm thinking of a situation where I'll be using the serial port for a MIDI expansion device (like the C-Lab Export which adds 3 MIDI OUT ports), but which won't take any advantage of the increased speeds. I'm concerned if the inclusion of the RSVE could possibly interfere with the timing of the MIDI sequencing software by putting strain on the 68000 CPU and/or 68901 MFP.
If my notes are correct (don't quote me on this) the motherboard needed to have a circuit trace cut: pin 16 (TDO) should be disconnected from pin 7 (TC) and 10 (RC). Then pin 16 attaches to the RSVE board.
Another wire goes from the pin7 & pin 10 connection and also goes to the RSVE. Finally +5V and GND goes to the RSVE for power. A total of 4 wires from the STe motherboard.

So if necessary I could add a switch between pin 16 and the RSVE/pin 16 and pin 7 and 10 on the motherboard.
Any thoughts on this?

[Darklord]

If HSModem isn't run from the AUTO folder (it's DRVIN.PRG and MFP.PRG for ST's with standard serial ports),
then the RSVE device isn't available.

It's absolutely essential software, IMHO, because with HSModem you can hijack the 19200 setting and "remap"
it to 38400. This is important because then any legacy software that doesn't recognize or has been adapted
for the RSVE mod can then access the higher speed, just by picking 19200 (or another available speed if you
didn't want to use 19200). In my case, BBS Express! ST only goes up to 19200 - so for me, picking 19200 as
usual activates the RSVE mod at 38400. Magic. :)

Yes, there is a red LED that lights up once the faster serial port speeds are activated. If not, it stays off.

Using the RSVE mod made by Sporniket, it's not necessary to cut the trace on the motherboard, IIRC. I mean
you can cut a trace, but its far easier in my opinion to lift 1 leg on the chip from the socket instead.

You mentioned him earlier - his thread on his RSVE mod is loaded with information and I'd highly recommend
going through it to anyone who was planning on installing this mod. It's not too bad to install. I did it, and if
I can do it, pretty much anyone can. :)

I'm unsure as to what to say about any MIDI interference. I've not attempted to use anything MIDI here on the
machines that I have the RSVE mod installed in. I do have a Roland MT32 hooked up to my Mega STe, that I use
for Sierra games and the Ultima games that support it because they sound so much better it's not even funny.

STacy-RSVE Mod04.JPG

STacy-RSVE Mod06.JPG

STacy-RSVE Mod07.JPG

rsve-quick-install-guide--draft.pdf

[Pacman]

If HSModem isn't run from the AUTO folder (it's DRVIN.PRG and MFP.PRG for ST's with standard serial ports),
then the RSVE device isn't available.

It's absolutely essential software, IMHO, because with HSModem you can hijack the 19200 setting and "remap"
it to 38400.

Yes, it's a really smart piece of software!
I remember now why I seem to recall 3 files; because I also have a driver for my ST_ESCC board. It's an add-on board that plugs on top of the 68901 MFP chip (you need to solder an IC socket on top of the MFP chip) and gives you two additional high speed serial ports. Created by Harun Scheutzow as well (he's also the one behind the RSVE).

Yes, there is a red LED that lights up once the faster serial port speeds are activated. If not, it stays off.

I like LEDs which indicate what's on and off.
Truth be told: I like LEDs! :lol:

Using the RSVE mod made by Sporniket, it's not necessary to cut the trace on the motherboard, IIRC. I mean
you can cut a trace, but its far easier in my opinion to lift 1 leg on the chip from the socket instead.

Yes, that's true. You can do either. I can't remember what I did because I'll first have to remove the ST_ESCC board in order to see how the RSVE is connected. I have a whole list of repair/upgrade tasks to do on the STe and am in the midst of a planning and ordering of components stage, so when I'm ready I can do it all in one go.

You mentioned him earlier - his thread on his RSVE mod is loaded with information and I'd highly recommend
going through it to anyone who was planning on installing this mod. It's not too bad to install. I did it, and if
I can do it, pretty much anyone can. :)

Yes, I've read it, along with the original RSVE instructions. Thanks for sharing.
Like many add-ons it's not necessarily hard to install, but in my case at least I like to read and re-read the instructions (and preferrably different instructions, explaining things from different angles) for a full understanding before actually proceeding. Looking at the schematic often helps clear up some of the details as well.

I'm unsure as to what to say about any MIDI interference. I've not attempted to use anything MIDI here on the
machines that I have the RSVE mod installed in. I do have a Roland MT32 hooked up to my Mega STe, that I use
for Sierra games and the Ultima games that support it because they sound so much better it's not even funny.

That's a nice synth module for games! I'm pretty sure the game experience is quite different with it.
I should probably ask in the "Recreating the RSVE mod" thread regarding those questions.

PS: thanks for posting those photos. A picture says more than a thousand words :thumbup: