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2010-04-21
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A C H I E V E T H E I M P O S S I B L E - A 2. 5 M E G S T E !
contributed by Paul Davis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello fellow members. Someone asked me the other day about the mixing of SIMMs
in their STE. Well, this is all I could lay my hands on, so I hope it is of some
use!
Paul Davis
-----oOo-----
It's perhaps not as useful as it once was - when RAM was far more expensive than
it is now - but it's a useful prog for those times when you've got odd SIMM
cards around and want to use them to the full.
This is the text file that comes with the programme. The prog itself
(SIMMFIX.PRG) is PD and can be ordered from either Folders PD (ask Paul for the
programme by name) or from Floppyshop (Floppyshop: UTL.4638). Their addresses
are listed in the Atari Yellow Pages in this issue. jfw [021]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 2.5MB STE SIMM fixer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a short program that allows you to fit 2.5MB of memory to an STE by
mixing 256K and 1MB SIMMs.
Why it's needed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The reason you can't mix the two types of SIMM is that TOS 1.6 in the STE fails
to recognise this memory configuration and incorrectly programs the MMU chip. It
thinks, in fact, that you have 4MB of memory installed. This causes big problems
as soon as you attempt to run any non-trivial program (e.g. GEM) The symptoms
are that your STE gets stuck in a reset-reboot cycle.
How it works
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program works by reprogramming the MMU and correctly setting memtop, and
then warm booting the STE.
How to use it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You must fit the SIMMs into your STE in the following order:
** (Back of STE) **
|-- 1meg SIMM --|
|-- 256K SIMM --|
|-- 1meg SIMM --|
|-- 256K SIMM --|
** (front of STE)**
Put the SIMMFIX.PRG program *FIRST* in your AUTO folder (do this by deleting
everything in the AUTO folder, then copy SIMMFIX.PRG to it, and then copy
everything else back into AUTO).
With SIMMFIX first in your AUTO folder, your ST will start, then reboot, and
should then display a short message detailing the version of SIMMFIX and the
authors names.
From then on all should be well. This program has been extensively tested by
David Hoggan on a wide range of software (though few games were tested).
Problems
~~~~~~~~
Because you have to run SIMMFIX every time you switch on your STE, you cannot
just switch on and insert any autobooting disk (e.g. Dungeon Master, Starglider
II etc. etc.) In these cases, you should make a boot disk with nothing except an
AUTO folder containing SIMMFIX. PRG. Boot with this disk, and when the desktop
appears, remove the disk. Insert the game disk that you want to autoboot. Then
hold down Control, Alt and Delete together to reset the STE, and the game will
boot and run as normal.
Make sure you have (at least) one backup disk containing SIMMFIX.PRG in the AUTO
folder in case anything goes wrong with your boot disk. If you can't run
SIMMFIX, then you'll have to open up your STE and remove the 256K SIMMS, make a
new boot disk, and then put them back.
------oOo-----
Good luck then all you adventurous ones who think nothing of delving into your
computers innards, but really it is a doddle to do.
Paul
~~~ eof ~~~