Atari ST Book
 | |
| Atari ST Book with its Vector Pad to the right of the keyboard | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Atari Corporation; built by Sugiyama Electronics, Japan[1] |
| Type | Notebook computer |
| Released | Shown at CeBIT, March 1991; on sale in Europe from February 1992[1] |
| Discontinued | December 1992[1] |
| Intro price | DM 3,498 (May 1992); US$1,995 planned for the US, where it was not sold[1] |
| Units sold | About 1,000 to 1,200 built, according to sources cited by atari-computermuseum.de[1] |
| CPU | MC68HC000 at 8 MHz[2] |
| Memory | 1 MB pseudo-static RAM, battery-backed; Atari's specification also allows 4 MB[2][1] |
| Storage | Internal 2.5-inch IDE hard disk, a Conner CP2044 (42.6 MB) as shipped[1] |
| Display | 640 × 400 monochrome LCD, no backlight[2][1] |
| Sound | Yamaha YM3439 PSG, three voices and noise[2] |
| ROM | 512 KB (TOS 2.06 for the ST Book, with a ROM disk)[2][1] |
| Input | Keyboard with 71 keys and ten function keys; Vector Pad pointing device[1] |
| Ports / interface | Parallel, RS-232, MIDI in and out, Pseudo-ACSI (DMA and external floppy), 120-pin expansion, keypad[2][1] |
| Power | NiCd pack (9.6 V, 1300 mAh), seven AA alkaline cells in a holder, or the 16 V adaptor[1] |
| Weight | About 2 kg[1] |
| OS / Firmware | TOS 2.06 (ST Book version)[1] |
| Predecessor | Atari Stacy |
| Model no. | NST-141[1] |
The Atari ST Book is a notebook computer in the Atari ST family, designed by Tracy Hall and shown at CeBIT in Hanover in March 1991 as the ST Notebook. It reached European shops in February 1992, cost DM 3,498 in Germany, and was dropped in Atari's product reorganisation at the end of 1992. A US launch was planned but did not happen.[1] Atari's engineering drawings call it MAXIST.[3] To save power it has no backlight, no internal floppy drive and fewer ports than a desktop ST,[1] and Atari's hardware specification describes it as STE compatible except where the specification says otherwise.[2]
History
[edit | edit source]The ST Book was shown at CeBIT on 13 March 1991 as the ST Notebook, together with the ST Pad tablet, and under its final name at the Atari show in Düsseldorf on 23 August 1991. It went on sale in Europe in February 1992. In the US both the 1 MB and 4 MB versions were planned at first, then only the 4 MB version from December 1991, at a planned US$1,995; neither was released there. atari-computermuseum.de cites sources putting production at about 1,000 to 1,200 machines, all shipped to Europe, and says production ended in December 1992.[1]
Of the peripherals Atari planned, only a null-modem transfer cable appeared. An external floppy drive (with the WD1772 controller inside the drive), a docking station on the 120-pin expansion connector, an internal 9600-baud fax modem, a notebook mouse and a numeric keypad were not released.[1]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Main chips
[edit | edit source]| Function | Part | Position | Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 68HC000, 8 MHz | U100 | 2 |
| System ROM | 27C4096 | U102 | 2 |
| Multi-function peripheral | 68HC901 | U203 | 3 |
| Keyboard and MIDI ACIAs | HD6350 | U201, U200 | 3 |
| Sound and parallel port | YM3439 | U202 | 3 |
| RS-232 driver | MAX241 | U206 | 3 |
| Audio amplifier | LM386 | U212 | 3 |
| Memory controller, glue logic and BLiTTER | COMBO | U304 | 4 |
| LCD controller | SHADOW, with a 62256 static RAM at U306 | U305 | 4 |
| Main RAM | Eight 1M/4M pseudo-static RAMs | U400–U407 | 5 |
| DMA controller | DMA4140 | U600 | 7 |
| Keyboard and Vector Pad controller | COP888CG, 10 MHz crystal | U703 | 8 |
| Real-time clock | RF5C15, 32.768 kHz crystal | U415 | 11 |
| VCC and hard-disk motor converters | MC34063 | U904, U905 | 10 |
| LCD bias regulator | MAX634 | U1004 | 9 |
Source: Atari's schematic.[3] atari-computermuseum.de gives Atari part numbers C302183 for the COMBO chip, C101775 for the SHADOW chip and C104531 for the keyboard processor.[1] Atari's hardware specification calls the clock a Ricoh RP5C15. It also describes a socket for an ST or Mega compatible keyboard and the 1 MHz HD6301V1 that scans such a keyboard; the ST Book's own keyboard is scanned by the COP888CG at U703.[2][3]
Memory and ROM
[edit | edit source]Main memory is pseudo-static RAM, kept alive by the backup supply when the machine is off. Atari's specification says the ST Book's memory is not reconfigurable: it "MUST be configured as if there were two banks of 2Mbyte each, even if there is actually only 1Mbyte in the system", because the video system refreshes the RAM. Video fetches keep the RAM refreshed but cost about 300 mW, so a separate refresh machine, bit 4 of the LCD control register, can take over while video is stopped, slowing the system clock by about 0.5% on average.[2] Shipped machines have 1 MB in eight Toshiba TC518128AFL-10LV chips, four on each side of the board; the 4 MB version was never sold.[1]
The specification's feature list and memory map give a 512 KB base system ROM at E00000–E7FFFF, while its component list says 256 KB.[2] The schematic shows a single 27C4096, a 512 KB part, at U102.[3] The ROM holds the ST Book version of TOS 2.06 with a ROM disk (drive P:) carrying ST-Trans and other utilities.[1]
Display
[edit | edit source]The panel is 640 × 400 monochrome with no backlight. The SHADOW controller keeps its own copy of the image in local static RAM and drives the panel as an upper and a lower half in parallel, so the video controller can stop fetching from main memory to save power without the picture disappearing. There is no external video output.[2][1]
The two sources disagree on size. Atari's specification gives a 0.27 mm dot pitch, which works out at about 8 inches diagonal for 640 × 400;[2] atari-computermuseum.de gives 10.4 inches and says Epson made the panel for this machine.[1] A repairer identified the panel as an Epson ECM-A0572.[4]
Keyboard and Vector Pad
[edit | edit source]The keyboard has 71 keys, ten function keys and an Atari key, with no numeric pad; the Atari key switches the blue-labelled keys to a numeric layer. The pointing device is the Vector Pad, a pressure-sensitive dish to the upper right of the keyboard that works like an analogue joystick, with two buttons.[1] On the schematic the pad's four force-sensing inputs are read through LP339 comparators by the COP888CG keyboard controller.[3] Atari's feature list calls it a "joypad" mouse substitute.[2]
Power
[edit | edit source]The ST Book runs from an eight-cell NiCd pack, a seven-cell alkaline pack or the AC adaptor/charger, with rechargeable lithium cells inside to keep the RAM and clock alive for about 40 hours when there is no other source. Switching regulators make the 5 V logic supply (VCC), a separate 5 V hard-disk motor supply and the negative LCD bias; a 3 V linear regulator (VBAK) supplies the RAM and clock when the machine is off.[2] atari-computermuseum.de gives the NiCd pack as 9.6 V 1300 mAh and the adaptor as a JVC PSA-4642A rated 16 V 1.25 A.[1] The rails, thresholds and power-control registers are set out on the Atari ST Book Troubleshooting Guide.
Configuration switch register
[edit | edit source]An eight-bit register reports options; the specification says it may be a DIP switch, solder pads or jumpers, and that a bit reads 1 when the circuit is open.[2] On the Rev 7.0 schematic it is an eight-way DIP switch, SW400.[3]
| Bit | 0 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | No DMA sound hardware | DMA sound hardware available |
| 6 | High-speed (16 MHz) 1772 floppy controller fitted | Only low-speed (8 MHz) 1772 fitted |
| 5 | Bypass self test | Self test |
| 4–0 | Undefined, reserved | |
Source: Atari's specification, section 2.6.[2]
Ports
[edit | edit source]| Port | Connector | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel | DB-25 | Data through the YM3439's port B; STROBE from the YM3439, BUSY to the MFP; ACKNLG not supported |
| RS-232 | DB-9 plug | DCD, RXD, TXD, DTR, RTS, CTS, RI; 50 to 19,200 baud |
| MIDI in, MIDI out/thru | Circular mini-DIN | 31.25 kbaud current loop |
| Pseudo-ACSI | Micro-D 28 | ACSI signals plus the floppy-controller signals and adaptor voltage, so that the WD1772 can sit in an external drive powered from the ST Book's adaptor |
| Expansion | 120-pin Micro-D | 68HC000 buses, interrupts, clocks, VCC and EXPANSION_WAKE- |
| Keypad | 10-pin | For the planned mouse and numeric keypad. Atari's specification also describes a socket for an ST or Mega keyboard, and one restorer has run a Mega ST keyboard through an adapter[4] |
Sources: Atari's specification, sections 4.2 to 4.5 and 6;[2] the keypad port from atari-computermuseum.de.[1]
Atari notes that converting the Pseudo-ACSI port to standard ACSI needs only a cable wired to the right pins, with no active electronics. The FDD_DENSE_SEL line selects an 8 MHz clock into the WD1772 for double density or 16 MHz for high density.[2]
The 120-pin expansion bus, shared with the unreleased STylus, carries the 68HC000 address and data buses directly. The specification gives the current available to external devices from VCC as 400 mA in one section and 500 mA in another. Pulling EXPANSION_WAKE- low with an open-collector driver switches the machine on as the power button does.[2]
Repair notes
[edit | edit source]Owners restoring ST Books on the exxos forum in 2024 reported leaking electrolytic capacitors in the LCD assembly causing a weak picture and vertical lines, failed Conner hard disks, cracked hinge mounts, and a flat internal backup battery. A machine that boots to four bombs may have a dead hard disk, since the factory TOS needs a working partitioned disk or a floppy drive to boot.[4] See the Atari ST Book Troubleshooting Guide, Atari ST Book General Maintenance and Atari ST Book Capacitor Replacement Guide.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Atari STBook Hardware Specification: Atari's 37-page engineering specification of 10 September 1992, covering the chip set, memory, registers, ports, expansion bus and power system.[2]
- Atari STBook Schematic: Atari's twelve-sheet schematic, drawing C104446-001 Rev 7.0.[3]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Atari ST Book General Maintenance
- Atari ST Book Troubleshooting Guide
- Atari ST Book Capacitor Replacement Guide
- Atari Stacy
- Atari 1040STE
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 "Leichtgewicht: Das ST BOOK", atari-computermuseum.de, last edited 25 August 2024, https://www.atari-computermuseum.de/nst.htm (retrieved 2026-10-01). Source for the history, dates, prices, model number, manufacturer, designer, production estimate, weight, power sources, adaptor, hard disk, memory chips, panel size and maker, keyboard and Vector Pad, ports and the peripherals that were planned.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 Atari Corporation, ATARI STBook Hardware Specification, 10 September 1992, marked Atari Corporation Confidential, 37 pages: section 1 (feature list), 2.1 (MPU and MFP), 2.2 (memory and refresh), 2.4 (sound), 2.5 (clock), 2.6 (configuration switch register), 3 (graphics), 4.1 to 4.5 (ports), 5 (components), 6 (expansion bus), 7 (memory map) and 10 (power supply). Hosted here: File:Atari STBook Hardware Specification.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Atari Corporation, Schematic Diagram MAXIST, drawing C104446-001 Rev 7.0, twelve sheets; index sheet dated 18 March 1992, individual sheets dated between 17 March and 14 August 1992. Sheet 2 CPU, ROM and reset; 3 serial and parallel; 4 MCU and LCD control; 5 RAM; 7 ACSI and IDE; 8 keyboard; 9 power system; 10 DC-DC converter; 11 alarms and RTC. Hosted here: File:Atari STBook Schematic Rev 7.0 C104446-001.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Thread "Repairing a ST Book.", exxos forum, posts by AndresPlazaR and others, 12 July to 21 September 2024, https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7118 (pages 1 to 4, retrieved 2026-10-01).