STE Dual TOS switcher widget (obsolete - never produced)

Upgrade or replace the ROM.
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rubber_jonnie
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STE Dual TOS switcher widget (obsolete - never produced)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

I'm very lucky to have got my hands on one of these:
It's the tiny purple board in the middle :)
It's the tiny purple board in the middle :)
IMG_20180118_223024.jpg (4.97 MiB) Viewed 7262 times
It's basically a tiny device from Urban Jonsson, that lets you use a combination of power off/on, plus a press of the reset switch, to select which of the 2 versions of TOS in exxos' excellent fast ROM switcher for the STE that you wish to boot up in.

It means no cutting of the case for a switch to change your TOS. I'm all for that.
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...
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exxos
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by exxos »

sweet! I've not even got one to mess with yet! :lol:
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
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Maeke
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by Maeke »

If exxos likes it, we may see it as an official feature of his future tos switcher revisions.... :threadjacked:
If i take too long to reply, sorry my cat is sleeping on my laps.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Apparently I have one of only 3 in existence!

The hardest part was finding R100 to take the reset signal from :pullhair: It's actually on the front left of the board, next to an axial capacitor, running north-south (Cartridge port is west, Floppy is east, back is north, front is south!). The pick off point was the north lead of R100.

It would be cool to add to future switcher revisions, as you can see, adding it to the GND and SEL headers on the SWITCHER board was straightforward. On Urban's advice, I removed the pull up resistor and added a 3rd pin from that hole up to VCC. It needed bending slightly in order align with the holes, which unlike GND & SEL, don't line up in a straight line.

Switching is easy. Power off, hold down reset, power on. Release reset, and you will switch ROM. Otherwise it will stay with whatever is currently selected.
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...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by rubber_jonnie »

exxos wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 12:00 am sweet! I've not even got one to mess with yet! :lol:
You need one Chris :)
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...
ube
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by ube »

Image

Made some new ones that won’t be such a tight fit. Thinking of making them with THT Attinies and in kit form; aka less work for ube.
master of the bare pcb
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DrF
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by DrF »

That looks like a excellent idea I was moaning about wanting something like this before for some reason I cannot remember now :lol:
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by rubber_jonnie »

ube wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:58 am Image

Made some new ones that won’t be such a tight fit. Thinking of making them with THT Attinies and in kit form; aka less work for ube.
Interesting redesign. My temptation after installing this, would be to mount it below the TOS switcher PCB, rather than above, as I've done, as it would clear the FDD better.
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...
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exxos
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by exxos »

rubber_jonnie wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 1:49 pm Interesting redesign. My temptation after installing this, would be to mount it below the TOS switcher PCB, rather than above, as I've done, as it would clear the FDD better.
Thats a good idea, I never thought of that!
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
ube
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Re: STE Dual TOS switcher widget

Post by ube »

Main problem with the first one is that the peg for mounting the floppy is right besides the header. And mounting it using a female header on the header-board, below the dualTOS, won’t work since it’ll hit the motherboard. At least I think came to that conclusion when I looked into it.
master of the bare pcb
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