Re: STe simms

From: J.D. Coleman (as967@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 12/11/91-08:25:32 PM Z


From: as967@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (J.D. Coleman)
Subject: Re: STe simms
Date: Wed Dec 11 20:25:32 1991


In a previous article, as367@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Timothy Wilson) says:

>
>ok. how do i upgrade my memeory in my STe?
>do i buy 1meg simms? or what? part numbers would prove useful.
>thanks
>
>

The memory in STe's is arranged using four slots in two banks.  The majority
of machines use SIMM's for memory but I believe there are a few with soldered
in memory ( SIPP's ? ).  The SIMM's are arranged in the STe :


                             REAR OF STE
      ---------------------------------------------------------
      | POWER  '        ======= bank 0         '              |
      |        '        ======= bank 1         '  DISK DRIVE  |
      | SUPPLY '        ======= bank 0         '              |
      | - - - -         ======= bank 1          - - - - - - - |
      | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
      |                                                       |
      |                    K E Y B O A R D                    |
      |                                                       |
      |                                                       |
      ---------------------------------------------------------
                             FRONT OF STE


The two banks can contain either 512k or 2048k, so the possible memory
configurations are :

    bank 0    bank 1    total
    ======    ======    =====
    512k      empty     512k     ( 520 STe )
    512k      512k      1024k    ( 1040 STe )
    2048k     empty     2048k
    2048k     2048k     4096k

Note that STe's cannot normally have 1 bank of 512k and one bank of 2048k.  A
program exists on atari.archive called simmfix which should allow you to do
this but I have been unable to get it to work.

To make up a bank of 512k, you need have two 256k SIMM's, for a bank of 2048k,
you need two 1048k ( 1 meg ) SIMM's.  The SIMM's should be 150ns or faster
( most seem to be 120ns or faster ).  SIMM's come as x8, x9 and x12 bits,
depending on the number of parity bits ( 8 bits are used for data ).  STe's
can take x8 or x9 ( where the parity bit is ignored ).  x8 SIMM's are used in
Mac's and x9 SIMM's are used in PC's.

So, to upgrade your STe :

Current    Upgrade    SIMM's required
=======    =======    ===============
512k       1024k      two 256kbits
512k       2048k      two 1meg ( old two 256kbit SIMM's spare )
512k       4096k      four 1meg ( old two 256kbit SIMM's spare )
1024k      2048k      two 1meg ( old four 256kbit SIMM's spare )
1024k      4096k      four 1meg ( old four 256kbit SIMM's spare )

I'm afraid I don't know part numbers for SIMM's: I would assume they would
vary by manufacturer.  You could try looking in a magazine like Computer
Shopper for companies selling memory upgrades for Mac's or PC's.

Hope this helps,

Julian

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