Can all registered uses please login, even just for a few minutes..
It helps build a picture where our "good traffic" is coming from..
Thanks :)
It helps build a picture where our "good traffic" is coming from..
Thanks :)
Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
- HigashiJun
- Posts: 2390
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:21 am
- Location: Tokyo
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
May sound stupid, but do you have the correct cable ?
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
Is your cable a null modem cable? It needs to be.Dwh18 wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 12:20 pm Yes, all reverted ... but no onscreen duplicated on serial for sure
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...
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...
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
Bought it as a null modem.... might try with another onerubber_jonnie wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 1:05 pmIs your cable a null modem cable? It needs to be.Dwh18 wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 12:20 pm Yes, all reverted ... but no onscreen duplicated on serial for sure
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
Can I suggest you get some photos of the areas you've repaired when removing the RAM expansion and also a video of what you see during the boot on your terminal.
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...
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...
- olivier.jan
- Site sponsor

- Posts: 340
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:00 am
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
If you have a little serial to usb adapter (like ftdi232), you can connect RX and TX to pin 8 and 9 of the MFP (and GND anywhere on the motherboard’s ground), it will work directly at 9600 bauds.
Retro stuff
520 STF/ 1040 STE / Mega ST / 2 Mega STE / 2 H5
2 x 600XL with U1MB /SOFIA 2/ AVG CART / and a few 1050
Apple //c, Commodore 128, Mac Classic, SE/30, LC, IIvi and PB G3 (Clamshell)
Amiga 600 and a few 486 and 386.
Many Nintendo G&W and other electronic games from the late 70s/early 80s.
520 STF/ 1040 STE / Mega ST / 2 Mega STE / 2 H5
2 x 600XL with U1MB /SOFIA 2/ AVG CART / and a few 1050
Apple //c, Commodore 128, Mac Classic, SE/30, LC, IIvi and PB G3 (Clamshell)
Amiga 600 and a few 486 and 386.
Many Nintendo G&W and other electronic games from the late 70s/early 80s.
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
That's a great tip actually and helped me fix something totally unrelated and non Atariolivier.jan wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:43 pm If you have a little serial to usb adapter (like ftdi232), you can connect RX and TX to pin 8 and 9 of the MFP (and GND anywhere on the motherboard’s ground), it will work directly at 9600 bauds.
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
Ordered this oneolivier.jan wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 6:43 pm If you have a little serial to usb adapter (like ftdi232), you can connect RX and TX to pin 8 and 9 of the MFP (and GND anywhere on the motherboard’s ground), it will work directly at 9600 bauds.
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
Did some more digging and noticed u35 and u32 are different than U36 and U33. Is this supposed to be like this?
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
Are they the 74LS244 & 74LS373 chips? If so you should have two of each.Dwh18 wrote: Fri Mar 07, 2025 10:08 pm Did some more digging and noticed u35 and u32 are different than U36 and U33. Is this supposed to be like this?
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
- olivier.jan
- Site sponsor

- Posts: 340
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:00 am
Re: Atari Mega ST 1 Rev 1 no boot
The adapter you have should work, what I was mentioning are the little usb to serial (not RS232) like this: https://amzn.eu/d/dCjUFvn.
Anyway, if you want to check : Pin 8 of the MFP is TX while pin 9 is RX. So, if the diag cart is sending dat, you should see activity on pin 8 when you start the ST. You can test also the other direction: if you type data in your serial terminal it should generate activity on pin 9 of the MFP.
If you have an oscilloscope, checking will be pretty easy. With a multimeter, set on DC, you should see some voltage variations when there is activity.
Anyway, if you want to check : Pin 8 of the MFP is TX while pin 9 is RX. So, if the diag cart is sending dat, you should see activity on pin 8 when you start the ST. You can test also the other direction: if you type data in your serial terminal it should generate activity on pin 9 of the MFP.
If you have an oscilloscope, checking will be pretty easy. With a multimeter, set on DC, you should see some voltage variations when there is activity.
Retro stuff
520 STF/ 1040 STE / Mega ST / 2 Mega STE / 2 H5
2 x 600XL with U1MB /SOFIA 2/ AVG CART / and a few 1050
Apple //c, Commodore 128, Mac Classic, SE/30, LC, IIvi and PB G3 (Clamshell)
Amiga 600 and a few 486 and 386.
Many Nintendo G&W and other electronic games from the late 70s/early 80s.
520 STF/ 1040 STE / Mega ST / 2 Mega STE / 2 H5
2 x 600XL with U1MB /SOFIA 2/ AVG CART / and a few 1050
Apple //c, Commodore 128, Mac Classic, SE/30, LC, IIvi and PB G3 (Clamshell)
Amiga 600 and a few 486 and 386.
Many Nintendo G&W and other electronic games from the late 70s/early 80s.
