Trying to identify RAM upgrade.

[stephen_usher]

I had a 2MB RAM upgrade fitted by Third Coast Technologies to my 520STM back in 1989 and I would like to identify the manufacturer and determine just what I need to do (other than populate the other half of the board with 1Mbx1 chips) to bring the machine up to 4MB.

There don't look to be any jumpers so I'm guess it that it's merely a case of disabling the internal RAM.

Anyway, here are the pictures of the main RAM board:

IMG_1575.jpg

IMG_1576.jpg

P.S. I do have the instruction manual supplied with it somewhere but it's an n'th generation photocopy and is/was a completely unreadable mess.

[stephen_usher]

I've now found the original installation manual for the memory upgrade in my Dad's loft.

From one of the the third or more generation photocopies of tha picture I can see the names "Masse-Kabel-Klemme", which I guess is the original manufacturer.

I'm still none the wiser about this upgrade.

[HigashiJun]

I've now found the original installation manual for the memory upgrade in my Dad's loft.

From one of the the third or more generation photocopies of tha picture I can see the names "Masse-Kabel-Klemme", which I guess is the original manufacturer.

I'm still none the wiser about this upgrade.

Massekabel Klemme means earth cable clamp in German, so it is definitely not the original manufacturer's name. ;)

I have never seen this kind of RAM upgrade for the STM...

[stephen_usher]

Here are picture of the installation “manual” which came with the upgrade. I doubt anyone successfully installed it using these...

D431A34B-91F4-43B4-B4BA-39289CB1C36F.jpeg

B6292282-15A2-4DD0-8687-46FC8F37F04F.jpeg

2240E633-D0B0-42A4-910B-E00D8DB2565E.jpeg

8DF3DE6B-33A2-4A08-AFD9-05FA3014353F.jpeg

5721033D-4672-4911-9C26-49450706301A.jpeg

5B35BC80-2911-4941-878D-A21621FC966E.jpeg

[HigashiJun]

It seems that Third Coast Technologies was not only the company which had fitted the RAM expansion but also its manufacturer.

They were apparently making HDD drives and memory upgrades for the STs.

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... -Atari-ST/

https://www.ataristsales.co.uk/shop/sys ... ed-tested/

I guess the "manual" was a pleasure to read...

:D

[stephen_usher]

Third Coast Technologies was a big ST seller in the UK and did indeed build quite a bit of stuff, including hard disk enclosures (using ICD adapters internally). My first hard disk was a 27MB Seagate in a Third Coast encosure (with a *VERY* noisy fan).

However, this upgrade is unlikely to have been designed and manufactured by them, especially as the pictures have German text and Third Coast was a Brtish company.

[Steve]

I bet @frank.lukas knows who made it :)

[frank.lukas]

I have no idea. At that time there were a large number of maker companies in germany for Atari accessories and stuff.

The memory expansion can be measured quite easily ...