Sothius' Home of Ancient Microcomputers

ATARI 1040STFM

ATARI 1040STFM logo (7 KBytes)

ATARI 1040ST^FM

ATARI 1040STFM (62 KBytes)

ATARI 1040ST^FM with STM1 mouse, SM124 monochrome monitor and its integrated, double-sided drive
(picture copyright by M.A.Grundke)

Specifications

Name ATARI 1040ST^FM

Made by ATARI Corp.
Sunnyvale, California

Released
1986
first ST-prototypes were shown on CES 1985 (i.e. a 130ST with 128KB RAM)
first ST officially sold was the 520ST (in Summer 1985)
the 1040ST REV.F appeard in 1989, and this particular machine was produced in 1990 (according to the chips' production dates)

Serial-No. A106L 4071908

Board-info
mainboard:
ATARI®
ACTION F
C070789-001 REV.F
keyboard PCB:
C070777-002 REV.A
also see the mainboard and keyboard PCB overviews

CPU Motorola MC68000
C070714-001 'GLUE'
although having 16 bit data/ 24 bit address bus, the MC68000 internally processes 32 bits, thus the 'ST' (meaning 'sixteen thirtytwo')
GLUE is the ST-architecture's 'Control logic' and coordinates all of its components

Speed 8 MHz

RAM C100109-001 MMU
1024 KBytes:
32 pcs. SIEMENS HYB 41256-12 (256Kx1)
expandable to 4096 KBytes, which is also MMU-limit
some 1040ST came with 2 MB (2080ST)/ 4 MB RAM (4160ST) pre-equipped, using 1024Kx1 SRAMs. However, these 'rebadged' units are quite rare

ROM/ Native OS PAL TOS 1.02 ('BLiTTER-TOS', aka TOS 1.2)
in 2x 128 KBytes ROM
up to 320 KBytes ROM via external cartridge
the machine's board can also be jumpered to use the older TOS ROM-sets, which consisted of six 32 KByte ROMs
TOS 1.02 basically is an enhanced TOS 1.0, adding support for hardware clock and BLiTTER

TOS is also known as 'Tramiel Operating System', after Jack Tramiel (ATARI's boss these days). It's based on CP/M-68k, a MC68000 conversion of Gary Kildall's CP/M ('Control Program for Microcomputers'), adding a graphical user interface (GUI) similar to that of the Macintosh. Since both CP/M and GEM were products of Kildall's company Digital Research, Incorporated, it was easy to merge them and a clever decision
a little confusing is the TOS naming scheme - TOS 1.2 was also referred to as TOS 1.02. This continued with the following versions (e.g. 1.6 being 1.06 and so on)
the last official TOS version was 4.04, used in the ATARI FALCON 030

Keyboard/ Layout Hitachi HD6301V1P (C070122-002, keyboard control)
95 keys/ german (QWERTZ) layout

Graphics C070713-002 'Shifter' (Video Shift Register Chip)
Motorola MC1377P (RGB-to-NTSC/PAL encoding)
Resolutions:
320x200 ('LowRes', requires RGB-monitor)
640x200 ('MedRes', requires RGB-monitor)
640x400 ('HighRes', requires monochrome monitor)
Colors:
16 at 320x200 from 512 color palette
4 at 640x200 from 512 color palette
monochrome at 640x400
all 512 in LowRes with tricks possible

Text: 80x25 characters (although no 'real' text-mode)
PAL version; PAL or NTSC are detected via interrupt by the 68901. However, this is only interesting for LowRes and MedRes modes (50/ 60 Hz) - in HighRes, refresh is always 72 Hz
Upon operation, the ST's graphic subsystem takes 32 KBytes of RAM to utilize as 'BitMap video display memory'
Although later 1040ST^FM came with BLiTTER onboard, this one's only got spare pads for it

Sound Yamaha YM2149F
'Programmable Sound Generator'
3 independent voices, programmable volume; dynamic envelope shaping; wave shaping; programmable attack, decay, sustain, release; frequency range: 30 Hz to 125 KHz
built-in D/A converters
special: two MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports controlled by the ACIAs

Media WD1772-PH floppy-controller
C100110-001 DMA for floppy- and harddisk-access
integrated EPSON SMD-380-101-04 diskdrive
ATARI part no. C103558-003
3.5", double-headed
720 KB/ disk
one external drive possible, using 3.5" disks with
360 KBytes/ disk (single-sided) or
720 KBytes/ disk (double-sided)
5.25" diskdrives, 360 KB/ disk for PC-DD-compatibility

external harddisks at various sizes (e.g. ATARI Megafile)

Input/ Output 2x ST EF6850P ACIA ('Asynchchronous Communications Interface Adaptor')
Goldstar GD75188 + GD75189A (RS232)
Motorola MC68901P 'Multi-Function Peripheral'
Hitachi HD6301V1P (C070122-002, 1 MHz, for basic-I/O and clock)
2x 9 pin SUB-D joystick/ mouse connectors
in contrast to older STs, the connectors in this machine are on the keyboard-PCB's lower side
40 pin female edge conn. expansion bus
2x 5 pin round-DIN MIDI IN and OUT (31.25 KBaud)
13 pin round-DIN RGB-out
25 pin parallel SUB-D
25 pin serial SUB-D (RS232C compliant, 19.2 KBaud max)
14 pin round-DIN external diskdrive conn.
19 pin SUB-D for external harddisks
RF-out (for television)
internal power supply unit (PSU) with standard, 2-prong powercord-conn.

has a reset-button

Miscellaneous
Comes with integrated floppy and TV-modulator (thus the 'FM')
There was also the ATARI 1040ST^F, which was just a 1040ST^FM without TV-modulator. Further available (but very rare, some even claim they were prototypes) were 2080ST and 4160ST. These were just relabeled 1040STs, that came pre-equipped with 2 MB/ 4 MB RAM (the onboard-RAMs were just replaced by greater capacity chips). This was, by the way, also how the 520ST^FM was created - a 1040ST^FM, stripped-down to 512K

Since people complained about the ST's limited expandability and (being a 'keyboard-computer') its rather uncomfortable keyboard, ATARI decided to launch the MEGA ST-series in 1987. Coming with 1, 2 or 4 MBytes by default, BLiTTER, detached keyboard and internal expansion bus (used by third-party graphics- or FPU-cards), the MEGA were professional workstations these days, especially for word-processing, desktop-publishing and in connection with the high-res SM124 monitor

TOS 1.06 screenshot with Blitter setting (7 KBytes)

This is a screenshot of an english TOS 1.6 (aka TOS 1.06), showing the 'Blitter' setting in the Options menu. Should a machine come without a BLiTTER, this option would just be missing from the menu. If a BLiTTER is present, however, it allows you to toggle it on or off, increasing compatibility. This behaviour was first implemented in TOS 1.02, since it was the first with BLiTTER support. But why would ATARI use BLiTTER TOS in the 1040ST-series, although they didn't come with BLiTTER pre-equipped? Well, first of all, later 1040ST (such as this particular machine) came with spare soldering pads to add a BLiTTER (i.e. manually, by the user, or theoretically from the fab). Second, after the MEGA ST-series was introduced, TOS 1.02 became the standard for all machines (effectively reducing production cost - why produce two different versions?)

All trademarks mentioned on these pages belong to their respective owners (if they still exist). All other content, including pictures is (C) M.A.Grundke (aka Sothius), unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized copying or usage of that content, without former permission from M.A.Grundke or the rightful copyright-holder, is prohibited

Sothius' Home - Museum - ATARI - ATARI 1040STFM - additional pictures

Name	ATARI 1040ST^FM
Made by	ATARI Corp. Sunnyvale, California
Released	1986 first ST-prototypes were shown on CES 1985 (i.e. a 130ST with 128KB RAM) first ST officially sold was the 520ST (in Summer 1985) the 1040ST REV.F appeard in 1989, and this particular machine was produced in 1990 (according to the chips' production dates)
Serial-No.	A106L 4071908
Board-info	mainboard: ATARI® ACTION F C070789-001 REV.F keyboard PCB: C070777-002 REV.A also see the mainboard and keyboard PCB overviews
CPU	Motorola MC68000 C070714-001 'GLUE' although having 16 bit data/ 24 bit address bus, the MC68000 internally processes 32 bits, thus the 'ST' (meaning 'sixteen thirtytwo') GLUE is the ST-architecture's 'Control logic' and coordinates all of its components
Speed	8 MHz
RAM	C100109-001 MMU 1024 KBytes: 32 pcs. SIEMENS HYB 41256-12 (256Kx1) expandable to 4096 KBytes, which is also MMU-limit some 1040ST came with 2 MB (2080ST)/ 4 MB RAM (4160ST) pre-equipped, using 1024Kx1 SRAMs. However, these 'rebadged' units are quite rare
ROM/ Native OS	PAL TOS 1.02 ('BLiTTER-TOS', aka TOS 1.2) in 2x 128 KBytes ROM up to 320 KBytes ROM via external cartridge the machine's board can also be jumpered to use the older TOS ROM-sets, which consisted of six 32 KByte ROMs TOS 1.02 basically is an enhanced TOS 1.0, adding support for hardware clock and BLiTTER TOS is also known as 'Tramiel Operating System', after Jack Tramiel (ATARI's boss these days). It's based on CP/M-68k, a MC68000 conversion of Gary Kildall's CP/M ('Control Program for Microcomputers'), adding a graphical user interface (GUI) similar to that of the Macintosh. Since both CP/M and GEM were products of Kildall's company Digital Research, Incorporated, it was easy to merge them and a clever decision a little confusing is the TOS naming scheme - TOS 1.2 was also referred to as TOS 1.02. This continued with the following versions (e.g. 1.6 being 1.06 and so on) the last official TOS version was 4.04, used in the ATARI FALCON 030
Keyboard/ Layout	Hitachi HD6301V1P (C070122-002, keyboard control) 95 keys/ german (QWERTZ) layout
Graphics	C070713-002 'Shifter' (Video Shift Register Chip) Motorola MC1377P (RGB-to-NTSC/PAL encoding) Resolutions: 320x200 ('LowRes', requires RGB-monitor) 640x200 ('MedRes', requires RGB-monitor) 640x400 ('HighRes', requires monochrome monitor) Colors: 16 at 320x200 from 512 color palette 4 at 640x200 from 512 color palette monochrome at 640x400 all 512 in LowRes with tricks possible Text: 80x25 characters (although no 'real' text-mode) PAL version; PAL or NTSC are detected via interrupt by the 68901. However, this is only interesting for LowRes and MedRes modes (50/ 60 Hz) - in HighRes, refresh is always 72 Hz Upon operation, the ST's graphic subsystem takes 32 KBytes of RAM to utilize as 'BitMap video display memory' Although later 1040ST^FM came with BLiTTER onboard, this one's only got spare pads for it
Sound	Yamaha YM2149F 'Programmable Sound Generator' 3 independent voices, programmable volume; dynamic envelope shaping; wave shaping; programmable attack, decay, sustain, release; frequency range: 30 Hz to 125 KHz built-in D/A converters special: two MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports controlled by the ACIAs
Media	WD1772-PH floppy-controller C100110-001 DMA for floppy- and harddisk-access integrated EPSON SMD-380-101-04 diskdrive ATARI part no. C103558-003 3.5", double-headed 720 KB/ disk one external drive possible, using 3.5" disks with 360 KBytes/ disk (single-sided) or 720 KBytes/ disk (double-sided) 5.25" diskdrives, 360 KB/ disk for PC-DD-compatibility external harddisks at various sizes (e.g. ATARI Megafile)
Input/ Output	2x ST EF6850P ACIA ('Asynchchronous Communications Interface Adaptor') Goldstar GD75188 + GD75189A (RS232) Motorola MC68901P 'Multi-Function Peripheral' Hitachi HD6301V1P (C070122-002, 1 MHz, for basic-I/O and clock) 2x 9 pin SUB-D joystick/ mouse connectors in contrast to older STs, the connectors in this machine are on the keyboard-PCB's lower side 40 pin female edge conn. expansion bus 2x 5 pin round-DIN MIDI IN and OUT (31.25 KBaud) 13 pin round-DIN RGB-out 25 pin parallel SUB-D 25 pin serial SUB-D (RS232C compliant, 19.2 KBaud max) 14 pin round-DIN external diskdrive conn. 19 pin SUB-D for external harddisks RF-out (for television) internal power supply unit (PSU) with standard, 2-prong powercord-conn. has a reset-button
Miscellaneous	Comes with integrated floppy and TV-modulator (thus the 'FM') There was also the ATARI 1040ST^F, which was just a 1040ST^FM without TV-modulator. Further available (but very rare, some even claim they were prototypes) were 2080ST and 4160ST. These were just relabeled 1040STs, that came pre-equipped with 2 MB/ 4 MB RAM (the onboard-RAMs were just replaced by greater capacity chips). This was, by the way, also how the 520ST^FM was created - a 1040ST^FM, stripped-down to 512K Since people complained about the ST's limited expandability and (being a 'keyboard-computer') its rather uncomfortable keyboard, ATARI decided to launch the MEGA ST-series in 1987. Coming with 1, 2 or 4 MBytes by default, BLiTTER, detached keyboard and internal expansion bus (used by third-party graphics- or FPU-cards), the MEGA were professional workstations these days, especially for word-processing, desktop-publishing and in connection with the high-res SM124 monitor