RSVE (serial port modification) installation

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Pacman
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RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Pacman »

Does anyone know how to connect an RSVE high-speed serial port modification board to the STe?
I've had one installed in my STe years ago, but since removed it (in order to replace messy wires with proper connectors, but never got round to it), and I can't find any English docs. I've got the board (with 4 loose, cut-off wires) but don't know where they go.

It also appears my serial port isn't working (can't communicate with my Mega STe via a nullmodem cable), and I assume this might be the reason.
STe | MonSTer with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | NEC Multisync 1990SXi | ST_ESSC | RSVE | Link '97 | Sony HD floppy drive/AJAX controller | Exxos HD floppy module | Battery-backed Ricoh realtime clock module | Discovery cartridge | C-Lab Unitor-2 | C-Lab Export | C-Lab Combiner | C-Lab Steady Eye | C-Lab Human Touch | Unicorn USB

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frank.lukas
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by frank.lukas »

Read the Textfile ...

Without a Speeder it make no sense !
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Pacman
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Pacman »

Ah! The English text was after the German docs in the same file so I had it all along :lol:
Thanks :dualthumbup:
What do you mean by "without a speeder it makes no sense"? Are you referring to the HSMODEM software in the AUTO folder?

Here's what it says (in case others are also interested) from the file RSVE_DOC.TXT:
Connections in the circuit

+5V to VCC (5 V) on the main board
GND to GND on the main board
LED+ anode of the LED
LED- cathode of the LED
TID to pin 16 of the MFP
TUA to pin 7 or pin 10 of the MFP

The LED lights up when one of the extended baud rates is selected.

The MFP usually is lettered MC68901. The pin numbers mentioned here
refer to the 48 pin MFP in DIL housing. If you have a 52 pin MFP in a
Quadpack housing (e.g. in the TT), the following table shows the
relation of the pin numbers:

48 pin 52 pin
Pin 7 Pin 8
Pin 10 Pin 11
Pin 16 Pin 18

On the main board, pin 7, pin 10 and pin 16 are connected to another.
The connection between pin 7 and pin 10 has to be preserved, the
connection of those two pins to pin 16 must be cut. If you cannot find
the corresponding connection on the main board, pin 16 may be cut close
to the board's surface.
So it does indeed appear that a trace on the motherboard needs to be cut, and it makes sense that the serial (modem) port no longer works in my STe if the RSVE is "bridging" that broken connection if it's simply been removed (which I apparently did, put the STe in storage, then forgot about the connections when I pulled it out again).

I also have an ST_ESSC in my STe (two additional high speed serial ports) which is installed on an IC socket which is soldered on top of the 68901 so it's a little hard to see what has been done. I'll probably have to look at the solder side of the STe motherboard.
STe | MonSTer with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | NEC Multisync 1990SXi | ST_ESSC | RSVE | Link '97 | Sony HD floppy drive/AJAX controller | Exxos HD floppy module | Battery-backed Ricoh realtime clock module | Discovery cartridge | C-Lab Unitor-2 | C-Lab Export | C-Lab Combiner | C-Lab Steady Eye | C-Lab Human Touch | Unicorn USB

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frank.lukas
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by frank.lukas »

If a 16 MHz speeder is installed (e.g. as standard in the MegaSTE),
38400 Baud and 3000 cps are possible, or still more with TURBOCTS).
I have a pcb for but it is only for a 48pin DIL MFP ...

rsve.jpg
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Pacman
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Pacman »

Cool!
Which accelerator is that? It would be great to put an accelerator in the STe, but I'm not sure if that would be possible when I already have a MonSTer in the CPU socket.
Mechanically I could probably stack the accelerator on top of the PLCC socket on top of the MonSTer, then put the 68000 in the accelerator.
STe | MonSTer with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | NEC Multisync 1990SXi | ST_ESSC | RSVE | Link '97 | Sony HD floppy drive/AJAX controller | Exxos HD floppy module | Battery-backed Ricoh realtime clock module | Discovery cartridge | C-Lab Unitor-2 | C-Lab Export | C-Lab Combiner | C-Lab Steady Eye | C-Lab Human Touch | Unicorn USB

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Darklord
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Darklord »

Be careful...

Accelerators like the AdSpeed and T20 through T36 series
do not work with the MonSTer board. (there's a conflict
with control registers somewhere)

Unless Alan has addressed this issue...

I had actually bought a MonSTer board very early on,
after its initial release. I was planning on using it
with my AdSpeed equipped Mega ST4. So I ended
up selling it.
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DoG
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by DoG »

Pacman wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 9:50 am Which accelerator is that? It would be great to put an accelerator in the STe, but I'm not sure if that would be possible when I already have a MonSTer in the CPU socket.
Mechanically I could probably stack the accelerator on top of the PLCC socket on top of the MonSTer, then put the 68000 in the accelerator.
Not a accelerator. It's the RSVE mod your where talking about. It's the 48pin MFP (MC68901) moved on to a PCB and a socket on the motherboard. Then the GAL, an oscillator (1.8432 MHz) and I guess a 74HC4040 underneath as stated in the text file in the zip above (if not all logic is in the GAL). It looks like the mod is fitted in a MegaST.
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Pacman
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Pacman »

DoG wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 6:02 pm
Pacman wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 9:50 am Which accelerator is that? It would be great to put an accelerator in the STe, but I'm not sure if that would be possible when I already have a MonSTer in the CPU socket.
Mechanically I could probably stack the accelerator on top of the PLCC socket on top of the MonSTer, then put the 68000 in the accelerator.
Not a accelerator. It's the RSVE mod your where talking about. It's the 48pin MFP (MC68901) moved on to a PCB and a socket on the motherboard. Then the GAL, an oscillator (1.8432 MHz) and I guess a 74HC4040 underneath as stated in the text file in the zip above (if not all logic is in the GAL). It looks like a MegaST that the mod is fitted on.
Ah! I see. Nice solution. Similar to my ST_ESSC, but with the 68901 on top instead.
I remember having good use for the RSVE back in the 90's with various US Robotics "Sportster" modems. I think the last one I had was a 56K and probably made full use of that speed. Must have saved some pennies with the increased speed :lol:
STe | MonSTer with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | NEC Multisync 1990SXi | ST_ESSC | RSVE | Link '97 | Sony HD floppy drive/AJAX controller | Exxos HD floppy module | Battery-backed Ricoh realtime clock module | Discovery cartridge | C-Lab Unitor-2 | C-Lab Export | C-Lab Combiner | C-Lab Steady Eye | C-Lab Human Touch | Unicorn USB

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Pacman
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Pacman »

Darklord wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 4:47 pm Be careful...

Accelerators like the AdSpeed and T20 through T36 series
do not work with the MonSTer board. (there's a conflict
with control registers somewhere)

Unless Alan has addressed this issue...

I had actually bought a MonSTer board very early on,
after its initial release. I was planning on using it
with my AdSpeed equipped Mega ST4. So I ended
up selling it.
Frustrating :(
Do you know if this applies to all accelerators? It would be cool to have Exxos' 32MHz STe booster together with the MonSTer, but TBH I'd be more than happy with just the CF card option on its own. A completely silent and super fast hard drive solution is amazing when making music with the ST (I'm not very nostalgic about the noisy hard drives of the 80's-00's which I struggled with back then).
STe | MonSTer with dual IDE-CF memory card adapter | NEC Multisync 1990SXi | ST_ESSC | RSVE | Link '97 | Sony HD floppy drive/AJAX controller | Exxos HD floppy module | Battery-backed Ricoh realtime clock module | Discovery cartridge | C-Lab Unitor-2 | C-Lab Export | C-Lab Combiner | C-Lab Steady Eye | C-Lab Human Touch | Unicorn USB

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Darklord
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Re: RSVE (serial port modification) installation

Post by Darklord »

I do not. Best to get Exxos in here and let him comment on that directly.
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