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From: jhs@disunix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: parallel CPU bus connection for 520ST
Message-ID: <8605071351.AA18191@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 7-May-86 09:51:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: mitre-be.8605071351.AA18191
Posted: Wed May  7 09:51:11 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 10-May-86 13:44:23 EDT
Sender: kjd@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The MITRE Corp., Bedford, MA
Lines: 18

In discussions with Paul Swanson of Nite Lite Systems (an Atari 520ST sales
and service -- and 1M upgrade) dealer, I became convinced that it would not be
very difficult to modify the 520ST to have a full CPU bus extension port
like the 8-bit 800XL has.  All it would take would be to replace the existing
cartridge port connector with a larger one and add a small piggyback board
above it (or a "smart" connector on the cable) which provided buffers for the
extra address lines -- maybe for all address lines, which would make it
easier to do on the cable side of the connector.  Because of the high speed of
the processor, one would of course have to be careful of cable length,
shielding, termination and such things, but I see no reason that it couldn't
be done.

This mod looks easy enough that I no longer consider the absence of a CPU bus
connection a telling blow in the 520ST versus AMIGA battle.  The mod would
open the way, for example, to large memory expansions and other nifty things.

-John Sangster
jhs@mitre-bedford.arpa