ACSI-CF adapter for Atari ST(E) available


 p/ACSICFfs.jpg

Adapter/interface goes to ACSI port of Atari ST, STE, TT computers.
Prices at bottom of this page.

Power for adapter is solved by taking +5V at joystick or mouse port - yellow cable with 2 connectors (only 1 is covered with plastic case because no space by other one at STFM machines for it - so user can connect mouse or joystick to connector with plastic shield).  Who don't like this solution, or has bad joystick/mouse connectors may use external +5V PSU. Or to get +5V from Atari somehow.  
What is visible on pic above will be shipped - except CF card.  CF card must be Sandisk brand - because only that makes very high data transfer rate (speed) possible. And it is 1.9 MBytes/second . Indeed fastest one made for Atari ST(E) ACSI (DMA) port.
Speed is achieved by fast logic in adapter and special driver SW for it.

And that means that this will not work with usual Atari ST hard disk driver SW. I made driver, partitioner programs and other necessary SW for easier usage.
There is now support for it in my iTOS versions - as autoboot add on, and as ACSI-CF driver as integrated driver.




Video above shows process of partitioning CF card. Partitions are TOS/DOS compatible, what means easy data transfer between old Atari and some modern computer - attaching to some PC/Win or Linux via USB reader will result in access to partitions and easy file/DIR copy in both directions.
After partition creation autoboot driver is installed in few seconds. Then reset. It is regular TOS, so cartridge with driver autoboot is used. If user press key D cartridge program will run autoboot driver installed on CF card, instead driver in ROM - that allows running newer version of driver without updating cart. ROM content.
And as may see, UltraSatan driver autoboots too - yes, this works fine together with UltraSatan, which normally is set as target 0-1, while ACSI-CF is hardcoded as target 7 .



Running/installing driver for this adapter:  Regular TOS versions do not support this adapter - so there is no driver autoboot with them.  In such case solution is to load driver from floppy.
Much better is to use TOS with added autoboot code for this adapter. I already added it to diverse TOS versions - like 1.04, 1.62, 2.06 . Those who buy  adapter will get image of such expanded TOS version without extra cost. Of course then need to self burn it to EPROMs.  Possible that I send programmed EPROMs with it to buyer.  All it will need talk about details - petari@8bitchip.info is where to write.

TOS 1.04 UK with added ACSI-CF autoboot

It is possible to achieve autoboot of driver without opening machine, ROM change - with ST cartridge. Code for it is done too, and tested.  At moment I can not supply ST cartridges, so who wants it must have cartridge, or to get it somewhere.
Other way is with special boot floppy, what will load and set up installed autoboot driver on CF card. 360 KB floppy image:
ACSI-CF autoboot floppy image

p/cartacfaub.png

Autoboot of driver with Virtual Floppy feature and changing active floppy image file:


ACSI-CF aka PeraSAN autoboot cartridge ROM image


Prices:  
Horizontal version: 58 Euros + shipping.
Expected shipping cost is 12 Euros, but it depends from where it will go. Shipping time should be about 1 week if it goes inside European Union. Outside it is likely more, partially because new custom regulations.
 Price includes driver + partitioner (and other, as wrote above) SW, worth of it is 15 Euros. And I will not sell it without driver SW, because there is no other SW with what this can work. So, it is usable only with it.
Contact me with questions, order and related at:  petari@8bitchip.info    

 

    PP,   November  2020 - Jan. 2022.