Showing posts with label Hardware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hardware. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

SidecarTridge Multi-Device





Multi-Device

Wow, how long has it been since I posted anything in our Hardware section? Well, my dry spell finally comes to an end as I've treated myself to a gadget that plugs into the side of any Atari ST. Yep, no case cutting or soldering needed at all. It's called the SidecarTridge Multi-Device and is based on the Raspberry Pi Pico, designed by Diego Parrilla. I won't pretend to know what that is because it's all black magic to me!

It has many uses, but the main use (for me) is booting floppy disk images as if a real floppy disk were inserted into the drive. Of course, there is much more to this tiny piece of hardware: it can also act as a GEMDOS drive (like in Hatari), features a real-time clock, supports an SD Card storage, and can connect to WiFi to download games and programs on the fly. There's even a USB port to power my Ultrasatan - how cool is that?

This little gadget fits snugly into the cartridge port, and from the moment of power on, you are presented with the option to activate it or boot as normal. Hitting the left shift key takes you into its menu, where you should complete the initial (one-off) configuration for WiFi access (and inverting the screen colours to prevent your eyes from exploding). It's also worthwhile to format an SD Card on your Mac/PC, with three folders...

  • An "HD" folder is used by the Multidevice as an emulated hard drive, similar to how Hatari works (GEMDOS). Anything you store within here will be accessed as Drive C by your Atari.
  • A "ROMS" folder is for any images you may have.
  • Finally, the "FLOPPIES" folder is where you will keep any MSA/ST disk images.

Regardless of what you choose to store within the folders, there is the option to download games and more over WiFi. Yes, on the fly, which is pretty darn awesome!! Anyhow, once you've formatted that SD Card (as FAT16 or exFAT) and created the (above) folders, slide the card inside the device and reboot your ST.

As I mentioned, my primary reason for purchasing this device is to find a more convenient way to use floppy disks again. So, when you have configured WiFi, choose option 5 from the main menu to access a database of ST games. This gives access to thousands of disks by Automation, Medway Boys, and others. All can be downloaded and instantly used, without the faff of using a Mac/PC and manually copying them to the SD card. It’s much quicker, and beats my old method of converting an MSA/ST image back onto a real disk!!
This database is alphabetically listed, and you can filter by letter simply by hitting the relevant key (example: R for Rogue, X for Xenon, etc). Also, you can then use the left/right keys to "quickly" paginate through the list. Sadly, there is no actual search option, so if you wanted to play Dynamite Dux, that means you must wade through several pages listing games beginning with 'D'. That also includes loads of "doc" disks... Not ideal, but hardly the end of the world.
Okay, let's take a break to see the main menu and access the device's game database...


This is the main menu and, as you can see, it's dead easy to use.


Option 5 presents a massive database of programs to download via WiFi.




Compatibility?

I have tested Multi-Device on five Atari computers...

  • 520 STM 512Kb TOS 1.00 - I had trouble getting the ST to recognise the cartridge. I had to reboot the device a few times before it worked. Thankfully, things improved afterwards, and I was able to load most disks. Sadly, some still fail, possibly because of the limited RAM or the TOS version.
  • 520 STM 1MB TOS 1.02 - Similar to the above, but with much better success thanks to a couple of extra reboots at initial power on. Sadly, it often crashed in the menu with many bombs!! I fear that might be the cartridge port, which felt quite slack. I need to repair this ASAP :(
  • 1040 STF 1MB TOS 1.02 - Worked perfectly with floppy images downloaded via WiFi or via the SD Card. However, I was concerned about how reliable TOS would be when used as a 'hard drive'.
  • 520 STe 4MB TOS 1.62 - The best of the bunch and remains the computer on my desk. It works like a dream and is fast and responsive when running through different menus/etc/etc.
  • Mega STe 4MB TOS 2.02 - Performed perfectly well, just like the stock STe, except that TOS 2 has an annoying feature to keep testing the RAM, which becomes irritating when using the Multi-Device. Nothing major, just my personal feeling, as everything else worked well.

Of course, the compatibility isn't just about the hardware alone. We want this thing to play ST games, watch demos, listen to music, view art, read disk mags, and do everything we did back in the day. Sadly, things get a little sketchy, and I had mixed results. Browsing the games over wifi delivers an enormous list, by many crackers. It's huge, but I'm sure it could be even bigger when you consider 95% of crews aren't included (just look at Atari Legend to see what I mean). I hope Diego finds some way to include more from other archives.

Many disks worked great, but some didn't, as they weirdly still attempted to access the hardware directly. So, rather than loading data from within the virtual drive within the Multi-Device, you will instead hear the floppy drive spin up. These disks are the ones that won't work, no matter what I try. Of course, if one crew's disk fails, you can always source another, as numerous games are listed more than once.

Generally speaking, Automation disks are a safe choice and work about 90% of the time. Some disks still fail as they attempt to access the real floppy disk drive, for example, Rick Dangerous II on disk #362. Thankfully, the SidecarTridge lists many games multiple times, and Rick Dangerous also appears on Flame of Finland #49, and that works a treat. Also, Terry's Big Adventure is featured on three different crews' disks - it's fine with the Automation and Pompey Pirates disks, but the Medway Boys let us down. It's not all bad news, as Dan Dare III appears on Pompey, FOF, and Automation, and works flawlessly on all.

Sadly, some games fail no matter which crew you choose to try: Golden Axe as both the Pompey Pirates and the Automation disks attempt to access the floppy, which results in BOMBS. Also, Fire & Forget II has the same crashes from both the Automation and FOF versions. So disappointing :(

Of course, some games that fail are listed only once: Alien Storm (D-Bug), Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Pompey), Lemmings II (Adrenalin), Chaos Engine (D-Bug). However, many work a treat: Sabre Team (Superior), Galaxy Force (Automation), Ballzone (D-Bug), Warlock The Avenger (Medway), War In The Gulf (Adrenalin), Hero Quest (Superior), Moonfall (Cynix), Z-Out (Pompey), etc/etc. This means you should manually download another crew's disk from Atari Legend and manually copy it over to the SD Card to playtest.

Additionally, games on two disks cannot be played unless you download the disk images and mount them manually (using menu option 3). It's not a big deal downloading two disks, but it is a bit of a faff. Of course, the game itself still needs to support Drive B, which is often another issue altogether!! ie, Domark's F1, Cannon Fodder, Cadaver, Ghostbusters II, Magic Boy, and others do not recognise the virtual Drive B.

This has been a lot of work, but somebody's got to do it lol. Hey, it's screenshot time...


Option 3 displays all the floppy images I've copied onto the SD Card.


If you have some hard drive-adapted games, then option 4 is for you!





CryptO'pinion

The Multi-Device is a marvellous piece of kit and only costs around £40 incl. postage. Incredible value for money when you think about it. This offers us a wealth of functions without much initial configuration. So it's a matter of simply powering on and pressing the Left Shift key to begin. It's that simple. And having access to loads of ROMS and floppy disks via the WiFi is a killer feature! Thankfully, no internal soldering or case cutting is required, which is ideal for people like me who are dangerously inept at that sort of thing!

Once again, I know this is a "multi-device", but my main reason for buying this is to access floppy disks, mainly menu disks. I cannot tell you the joy I feel in easily flipping between disk images. It can mount anything (ST/MSA format), which means you could download everything from magazine cover disks to PD Disks to Menu disks and relive the 1990s, which is absolutely amazing!! However, it's not perfect as I've previously mentioned. Plus, the menu is missing a few basic features, like an option to delete unwanted MSA/ST images.

Of course, the device provides those alluring extra features - mounting ROM images and having an alternative type of hard drive are interesting. However, I have my Ultrasatan, which is better than any GEMDOS/GEMDRIVE. Again, I bought the MultiDevice to use ST floppy disks. Have I mentioned that already? :-)

This is a fabulous piece of hardware, which has provided me with the opportunity to relive my cracker days and enjoy menus. No more impaired emulation, or converting disk images into real floppies, whilst hoping that the disk is free of bad sectors. Yup, I cannot recommend this device enough: it's easy to install/setup and provides access to squillions of menu disks with more games than you can shake a stick at. Marvellous.

  • SidecarTridge's Mult-Device is awesome, so click here to buy one yourself.
  • They have loads of other cool gadgets you'll love right here.
  • Why not follow Diego's ST passion over on X/Twitter!!
  • Check out my 'Hardware' section for other goodies I've bought.

Saturday, June 06, 2020

UBESWITCH




My best purchase ever?

After two years, I can finally update our hardware section with my latest Atari ST purchase. I dumped my old monitor switch box for a Ubeswitch by Urban Jonsson, which I bought off the Exxos Web Store.

It's amazing how fantastic this works: plug it in and power on your Atari ST (mine defaulted to high resolution but that can be changed by holding the top button for a couple of seconds). Changing resolution is simple, tap the same button to send a signal to the ST that you wish to switch resolution - and you can flip between colour/mono at any time. I'm using an NEC 1970NXp multisync which works very nicely.

STOP!! You should first check that your monitor is fully compatible and listed here:
Best-Electronics
Atari-Forum Wiki
15khz.net
Wikidot

What a cracking piece of hardware with an incredible design that makes using it so easy. If you have a monitor that can support the ST's awkward 15Khz display demands, then head over to the Exxos web store and get this adapter bought. Fascinating witchcraft and I wish I'd have bought one of these years ago!!



Forgive my handy camera skills! Click it for a bigger view of my Ubeswtich love.

Sunday, February 04, 2018

Ultrasatan




UltraSatan? More like UltraGOD!

When my hard disk decided to kick the bucket I replaced it with an Ultrasatan. It's built like a tank and incredibly versatile and (obviously) silent - the old hard drive sounded like a Vulcan Bomber!! I could have bought CosmosEx/Gotek but I would rather attempt open-heart surgery than risk cutting my Atari ST.

But what about games?? Not to worry, there are runnable disks thanks to Floppy Image Runner by Peter Putnik who has adapted hundreds of games to load directly off the Ultrasatan. The D-Bug guys have converted loads of games with stunning menus and cheats - I wish they'd continue on as they are amazing.

I sure love my Ultrasatan which is a superb clump of hardware and one I cannot recommend highly enough. Visit Lotharek's website for more information and lots of other goodies - get yourself one of these beasts!!

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Monitor Switch Box




Flipping it

Okay, it's not exactly a modern option compared to what's available but I love my old monitor switch box. If there's one thing I dislike about the ST (no, it's not the joystick ports) it's swapping the cables when using colour and mono. So, this little device works wonders for me but perhaps it's time I looked to upgrade?

However, next on my wish list is a graphics card for my Mega STe.

That's been on my wish list for years... Can anyone help me with this dream??

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Atari 1040 STf





When eBay proves fruitful

I've bought an Atari ST and SM125 of eBay. However, both are in terrible condition! Very dirty with many battle scars and what looks like scorch marks near the power unit area. I took the chance and won the bid for a shocking 99 pence. Yep, less than one pound and that included the monitor as well :-)

Once home, I began the cleaning - it took a long time!! This old computer must have suffered fire damage at some point judging by the scorch marks inside. Also, it seems to have suffered more damage with several stickers from different repair companies. I hoovered around the floppy drive because of a soot-like sludge that looked like tar. Plus a thick bunch of spider webs covered the cables. Quite the toxic state!

After all that work, I'm happy to have this marvellous ST running! Plus the SM125 is a fantastic monitor. To think of its previous condition with the keyboard grime, burn marks, and all that weird thick sludge is gross. For once, eBay has produced a bargain and I'm glad to have rescued this beautiful old computer.

SysInfo reports it to be a 1040 STF with TOS 1.00 and 1MB RAM ...and all for 99 pence. Woop Woop!



Filthy on the outside but worse inside with a thick sludge and cobwebs!!


The old ST scrubbed up beautifully :-)

Sunday, June 12, 2016

ATARI STM (...continued)



I thought it was time I followed up on my previous article concerning my Atari STM. I have opened it up for a good clean and it powered on perfectly. Sys Info reports: 1mb Ram / TOS 1.2 / GEM 0.13 / AES 1.20 and I have successfully connected up my external floppy disk drive to play games. Yes, I'm a happy bunny :)

This is such a cool-looking computer and super-compatible for games. I now need to buy myself a pair of midi cables for Midi Maze against my 6-year-old daughter. Yes, I sense so many easy victories ahead!!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Atari STM


I've always had a longing for the sleek Atari STM computer before it became bloated with an internal PSU and floppy disk drive (STFM). I've just bought one off eBay for a meagre £14. It's in superb condition too. Needless to say, I now require an external floppy drive and PSU. I cannot wait to get this beast working :-)

Thursday, March 31, 2016

NetUS-Bee




Lotharek has done it again!

I've received my latest gadget from Lotharek, the NetUSBee. This awesome piece of hardware slots into the ST's expansion port to provide the option for fast ethernet networking and two modern USB ports.

I've connected a USB mouse (worked a treat) but, at the moment, there are no more USB devices to use. I hope this changes because the potential is huge. Using a modern mouse is nice but I'm really looking forward to getting the ST connected to my home network. I've already been able to access my FTP file server. Later, I shall attempt to configure STinG and get my Atari ST on the internet using CAB - so wish me luck.

I look forward to future drivers to get more out of this. How do you guys use yours?

NetUSBee is a fantastic product and is built like a tank!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

lotharek




Thank you Lotharek

Shortly before Christmas, the hard drive inside my Mega STE died. Thankfully, I had just backed it up the previous day (how lucky am I) but this did give me a big kick up the backside to invest in something better. After all, it was the original 47MB SCSI from 1991 so it was only a matter of time before it went BOOM!! ;-)

Lotharek is selling the Ultrasatan on their web store and I bought one. It's quite something to go from a noisy 47MB drive to a fast and silent SD card offering much more space. I must say, Lotharek are quick, as this arrived on Christmas Eve so I'm spending the holidays playing! The possibilities appear limitless because I am no longer struggling with meagre storage. Lotharek's UltraSatan is a brilliant piece of Jookie kit. Buy this!!

Why not use your UltraSatan to game or enjoy a few demos...



One of the most famous 16-bit shoot 'em ups ever - Xenon II Megablast. This will always be a firm favourite of mine so it was exciting to hear Peter Putnik had doctored it back in January with his magic.

The game now streams 25Khz music directly using the Ultrasatan (sorry STFM guys - this feature requires the audio co-processor hardware of the Atari STe). What a jaw-dropping upgrade!! Such an unbelievably huge size for an ST game and worth it. I certainly hope Peter converts more games in the future!






Drone, an Atari STe demo which I would personally rank as a masterpiece. Stunning audio, artwork and presentation.... all far beyond excellent. It was released back in 2012 by the legendary Dead Hackers and is a whopping 11+MB. It was released for Sommarhack to pay special tribute to the Ultrasatan.

This is one of the best demos I've ever experienced.




Random ATARI ST articles from the archives