Atari Megafile 60
| Atari Megafile 60 | |
|---|---|
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| Megafile 60 2017.11.63 at the University of Waterloo Computer Museum | |
| Manufacturer | Atari Corporation |
| Type | External hard disk drive |
| Interface | Atari DMA hard disk port, 19-pin; Hard Disk In and Hard Disk Out sockets[1][2] |
| Compatible | Atari Mega ST and ST computers[1] |
| Dimensions | 34 × 34 × 7 cm (13.4 × 13.4 × 2.75 in)[2] |
| Weight | 4.27 kg (9.4 lb)[2] |
| Power | Internal mains supply, 120 V 60 Hz (US) or 240 V 50 Hz (UK); 18.1 W[2] |
| Storage | 64,616,448 bytes formatted, RLL[2] |
The Atari Megafile 60 is the 60-megabyte model of Atari Corporation's Megafile hard disk drives for the Mega ST and ST computers. It shares its owner's manual and specification sheet with the Atari Megafile 30, and Atari's controller schematic for the pair, drawing C103166, is titled for the Megafile 60.[2][3] The controller board, power supply, set-up and chaining are the same as on the Megafile 30 and are described in full there.
ANALOG Computing reported in December 1989 that Atari had introduced the Megafile 60 and Megafile 44 as the top of its range, above the new Megafile 30.[4] The University of Tübingen museum dates its Megafile 60 to 1988 and records it as made in Taiwan.[5]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Megafile 60 | Megafile 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Formatted capacity | 64,616,448 bytes | 32,747,520 bytes |
| Platters, surfaces, heads | 3, 6, 6 | 2, 4, 4 |
| Cylinders (tracks) | 809 (4,854) | 615 (2,460) |
| Track density | 753 tracks per inch | 588 tracks per inch |
| Rotational speed | 3,600 rpm ±0.5 % | 3,600 rpm ±1.0 % |
| Average seek | 61 ms | 65 ms |
| Power consumption | 18.1 W | 14.8 W |
| Factory partitions | Four of 15 MB | Three of 10 MB |
Both models record RLL data at 7.5 Mbit/s, run from 120 V 60 Hz or 240 V 50 Hz mains, take typically 22 seconds from power-up to ready, and Appendix C gives one set of dimensions and one weight for both.[2] The factory partitioning is given in the owner's manual and again in Atari's 1989 partitioning addendum, which also explains how to repartition the drive with HDX.[6][7]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Drive mechanism
[edit | edit source]Atari's documents do not name the mechanism in the Megafile 60. Its specification appendix says that Megafiles may use parts from different manufacturers.[2] Atari's 1989 errata sheet adds a step to formatting in which HDX asks the user to pick the label number printed on the rear of the drive; one of the numbers in Atari's example dialog is SEA5065.[8] The Megafile 60 at the University of Waterloo Computer Museum has a sticker reading "SEA 5 065" on its rear panel, under the power switch.[9]
Controller board
[edit | edit source]Atari drawing C103166 Rev. 4, Schematic Diagram, Megafile 60 (RLL), drawn 23 March 1988, gives its next assembly as A200346-xxx, used on the Megafile 60 (RLL).[3] The board, its chips and its power connectors are described on the Megafile 30 page.
Rear panel
[edit | edit source].jpg)
The Waterloo drive shows the rear panel layout: a mains rocker switch and an IEC inlet at the left, the fan grille in the centre, and two 19-pin DMA sockets, one under the inlet and one at the right-hand end.[9] Atari's manual names the sockets Hard Disk In and Hard Disk Out; the cable from the computer goes to Hard Disk In.[1]
Maintenance and repair
[edit | edit source]Care, head parking and the internal checks are on Atari Megafile General Maintenance, and faults are on Atari Megafile Troubleshooting Guide; both cover the Megafile 60. A 2017 AtariAge thread follows a Megafile 60 whose lights and fan came on but which the Atari driver reported as "unit 0 - no identification"; it is summarised in the troubleshooting guide.[10]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]The owner's manual, errata, partitioning addendum and the compilation containing drawing C103166 are on Atari Megafile Documentation.
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Atari Megafile 30
- Atari Megafile General Maintenance
- Atari Megafile Troubleshooting Guide
- Atari Megafile Documentation
- Atari Mega ST
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Atari Corporation, MEGAFILE Hard Disk Drive Owner's Manual, C300459-001 Rev. B, 1988, chapter 1, pp. 3-8 (PDF pp. 7-12): connecting one or more drives. Hosted as File:Atari Megafile Owner's Manual C300459-001 Rev B.pdf.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Atari Corporation, MEGAFILE Hard Disk Drive Owner's Manual, C300459-001 Rev. B, 1988, appendix C, "MEGAFILE Specifications", pp. 53-54 (PDF pp. 53-54).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Atari Corporation, Schematic Diagram, Megafile 60 (RLL), drawing C103166 Rev. 4, drawn 23 March 1988, title block, in Schaltungsdienst Lange, Megafile 30, Megafile 60 Service Manual, PDF pp. 2-3. Hosted as File:Atari Megafile 30 and 60 Service Manual (Schaltungsdienst Lange).pdf.
- ↑ Gregg Anderson, "Massaging Your MegaFile", ANALOG Computing issue 79, December 1989, p. 114.
- ↑ Museum der Universität Tübingen, "Computer ATARI Megafile 60", object MNF-Ge-f3 (retrieved 6 October 2026): date 1988, made in Taiwan.
- ↑ Atari Corporation, MEGAFILE Hard Disk Drive Owner's Manual, C300459-001 Rev. B, 1988, p. 11 (PDF p. 14): default partition sizes, Megafile 30 10-10-10 and Megafile 60 15-15-15-15.
- ↑ Atari Corporation, MEGAFILE Partitioning Addendum, C300862-001 Rev. A, 1989, p. 1: "The MEGAFILE 60 is divided into four partitions of 15 megabytes each." Hosted as File:Atari Megafile Partitioning Addendum C300862-001 Rev A.pdf.
- ↑ Atari Corporation, errata sheet for the MEGAFILE owner's manual, C300707-001 Rev. A, 1989: "Select the unit type" dialog and the label on the rear of the drive. Hosted as File:Atari Megafile Owner's Manual Errata C300707-001 Rev A.pdf.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 University of Waterloo Computer Museum, "Atari MEGAFILE 60 [2017.11.63"] (retrieved 6 October 2026): boxed example, serial number A1971000382, with photographs of the front, rear and underside.
- ↑ AtariAge Forums, "Install Megafile 60", January 2017. Forum thread.