Atari 1064
| Atari 1064 Memory Module | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Atari 1064 memory module | |
| Manufacturer | Atari, Inc. |
| Type | Memory expansion module |
| Release date | 1984[1] |
| Interface | Parallel Bus Interface (PBI)[2] |
| Compatible | Atari 600XL[2][3] |
| Power | From the 600XL's PBI[1] |
The Atari 1064 Memory Module is a RAM expansion for the Atari 600XL that plugs into the computer's Parallel Bus Interface (PBI) at the rear. Atari's 600XL field service manual calls it the "1064 48K Memory Expansion Module" and gives the 600XL's 16K of RAM as "expandable to 64K" with it.[2] Atari introduced it at the Winter CES in Las Vegas, 7 to 10 January 1984.[1] The Atari Historical Society describes it as the only PBI product Atari released for the XL computers.[3]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Memory | 48K, taking the 600XL from 16K to 64K (Atari service manual; comp.sys.atari.8bit FAQ); 64K, for a total of 80K (Atari Historical Society)[2][1][3] |
| Connection | 600XL Parallel Bus Interface, with a pass-through PBI connector on the back of the module[2][3] |
| Power | Taken from the 600XL's PBI; no adaptor[1] |
The memory figures differ between sources and are given as published. Atari's own documents and the FAQ agree that the 600XL with a 1064 has 64K in all.[2][1]
Compatibility
[edit | edit source]The 600XL has two 16K × 4 DRAMs on its main board, 16K in all.[2] Its PBI is an unbuffered 50-pin connection to the address, data and control signals. Among them are the DRAM row and column address strobes (RAS' and CAS'), the refresh output REF, the external select input EXTSEL' and the math pack disable input MPD'.[2]
According to the Atari Historical Society, the 1064's connector only fits the 600XL. On the 800XL, 1400XL and 1450XLD the module would block other ports. The pass-through connector on its back was there so that further PBI devices could be chained behind it.[3] The society's collection also holds a prototype in an all-brown case marked "ATARI MEMORY MODULE", built on a wire-wrapped board and fitted with an LED that does nothing; production modules are marked "ATARI 1064".[3]
Alternatives
[edit | edit source]The 1064 is scarce. AtariAge members in 2021 reported that the supply had dried up, and one had to buy a 600XL to get the module fitted to it.[4] Other ways of bringing a 600XL to 64K:
- Internal upgrade: replace the two RAM chips with 64K parts and add selects for the two extra address lines.[5]
- Contemporary third-party boards: the MPP (later Supra) Microram 64K memory board, and RC Systems expansion modules for 32K, 48K or 64K.[5]
- The 1064M, a 2022 community design that plugs into the PBI and uses an AS6C1008 SRAM and inverters from a 74F04. It has no PBI pass-through.[6]
- According to AtariAge members, the RAM 320XL expansion runs on an unexpanded 600XL but adds only banked memory, leaving 16K of base RAM, and was reported not to work properly with some 600XLs. The SysCheck 2.2 board can stand in for the 600XL's base 64K of RAM.[4]
For the 600XL's own RAM test and memory faults, see the Atari 600XL Troubleshooting Guide.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Michael D. Current (ed.), Atari 8-Bit Computers: Frequently Asked Questions, comp.sys.atari.8bit FAQ, last modified 29 November 2009: section 1.5 (the 600XL), section 6.7 (power requirements) and section 11.1 (history, January 1984). faqs.org. Community reference.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Atari, Inc., Atari 600XL Computer Field Service Manual, FD100610 Rev. 1, October 1983. DRAMs and the 1064 (p. 1-9); parallel bus interface (p. 1-15) and PBI pin assignments, figure 1-12 (p. 1-16). Hosted here as File:Atari 600XL Field Service Manual.pdf; see Atari 600XL Field Service Manual.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Curt Vendel, "The Atari 1064 Memory Module", Atari Historical Society. atarimuseum.ctrl-alt-rees.com.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 AtariAge forums, "1064 replacement possible?", June 2021. forums.atariage.com. Community source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 David A. Paterson, The Atari 8-bit Hardware Upgrade, Modification and Add-On FAQ, version 1.1, 14 October 1998, "RAM upgrades: Atari 600xl". landley.net mirror. Community reference.
- ↑ AtariAge forums, "1064M: a 64k PBI board for the 600XL", from June 2022. forums.atariage.com. Community source.