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{{Infobox computer
{{Infobox computer
| name = Atari 1040STF
| name = Atari 1040STF
| image = [[File:Atari_1040STF_system.jpg|250px]]
| image = [[File:Atari_1040STF_system.jpg|250px]]
| caption = The 1040STF โ€” 1 MB, internal double-sided drive, internal supply, no modulator
| manufacturer = Atari Corporation
| manufacturer = Atari Corporation
| type = Home computer / personal computer
| type = Home computer / personal computer
| caption = Atari 1040STF
| release_date = Shown 9 January 1986 (Winter CES); on sale 1 March 1986
| release date = {{Start date|1986}}
| discontinued = 1989
| discontinued = 1990
| price = US$999 with the SM124 monochrome monitor; US$1,199 with the SC1224 colour monitor (March 1986)
| price = US$999.99 (with colour monitor); US$799.99 (with mono monitor)
| cpu = Motorola MC68000 @ 8 MHz
| cpu = Motorola MC68000 @ 8 MHz
| memory = 1 MB RAM
| memory = 1 MB โ€” 32 x 256 kbit x 1 DRAM in two banks
| storage = Internal 3.5-inch DS/DD 720 KB floppy drive; external floppy via 14-pin DIN; external ACSI hard disks
| rom = 192 KB ROM TOS (six 32k x 8 devices at U2โ€“U7)
| display = 320ร—200 (16 colours), 640ร—200 (4 colours), 640ร—400 (mono)
| storage = Internal 3.5-inch double-sided 720 KB drive; external drive on the 14-pin DIN; external ACSI hard disks
| sound = Yamaha YM2149F (3 voices + noise)
| display = 320x200 (16 colours), 640x200 (4 colours), 640x400 mono โ€” monitor only, no modulator
| dimensions = 78 mm ร— 470 mm ร— 330 mm (3.1 ร— 18.5 ร— 13 in) approximately
| sound = Yamaha YM-2149 PSG, three voices plus noise
| weight = โ‰ˆ5.5 kg (12 lb)
| power = Internal switching supply, +5 V and +12 V only, 2 A fuse
| os = Atari TOS 1.00 / 1.02 / 1.04 (192 KB ROM)
| os = Atari TOS 1.00 / 1.02 / 1.04
| predecessor = [[Atari 520ST]]
| predecessor = [[Atari 520ST]]
| successor = [[Atari 1040STE]]
| successor = [[Atari 1040STE]]
}}
}}


The '''Atari 1040STF''' is a model in the Atari ST family featuring 1 MB of RAM and an internal double-sided floppy disk drive. The designation stands for '''1040''' (1040 KB / 1 MB RAM), '''ST''' (Sixteen/Thirty-two), and '''F''' (internal Floppy drive). Released in 1986, the 1040STF was notable as the first personal computer to ship with 1 MB of RAM as standard and the first to break the US$1-per-kilobyte price barrier.
The '''Atari 1040STF''' is the long-case ST with 1 MB of RAM, an internal double-sided floppy drive and an internal power supply. Atari's own service manual explains the name: "The 1040ST has a built in 1 Megabyte floppy disk drive, hence the full designation is 1040STF (floppy)."<ref name="fsm" /> It has '''no modulator''' and so needs a monitor โ€” an SM124 for the monochrome mode or an SC1224 for colour. The modulator version is the [[Atari 1040STFM|1040STFM]].
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Unlike the later [[Atari 1040STFM|1040STFM]], the 1040STF does '''not''' include an RF modulator โ€” it requires a dedicated monitor (Atari SM124 monochrome or SC1224 colour) or an external RGB-to-video adapter for display. This made it more suited to professional and semi-professional use than as a home computer connected to a television.
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== History ==
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The 1040STF was introduced at the January 1986 Consumer Electronics Show as Atari's flagship ST model. At US$999.99 including a colour monitor, it dramatically undercut the Apple Macintosh Plus (which also had 1 MB of RAM but cost US$2,599 without a monitor). This pricing strategy, combined with the ST's built-in MIDI ports, positioned the 1040STF strongly in the music production and desktop publishing markets.
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The "F" designation indicated the internal floppy drive, distinguishing it from the base "1040ST" model designation (which in practice was rarely sold without a drive). Atari subsequently released the [[Atari 1040STFM|1040STFM]], which added an RF modulator for television output, and the [[Atari 1040STE|1040STE]], which featured enhanced hardware including DMA audio and hardware scrolling.
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The 1040STF was the machine that established the ST as a serious platform for professional MIDI music production. Studios worldwide adopted it for its low-latency MIDI timing (driven by the MC6850 ACIA at a fixed 31.25 kbit/s with minimal jitter), and sequencers like Steinberg Pro-24 and C-Lab Creator/Notator became industry standards on the platform.
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== Architecture ==
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* '''CPU:''' Motorola MC68000 @ 8 MHz
* '''Architecture:''' 16/32-bit (32-bit internal, 16-bit external data bus, 24-bit address bus)
* '''RAM:''' 1 MB (16ร— 256kร—4 or equivalent DRAM configuration, arranged in two 8-bit banks)
* '''ROM:''' 192 KB TOS โ€” early units: TOS 1.00 in 6ร— 32 KB ROMs; later units: TOS 1.02 or 1.04 in 2ร— 128 KB ROMs
* '''Custom ICs:''' Shifter (C025914), GLUE (C025915), MMU (C025912), DMA (C025913)
* '''BLiTTER:''' Not standard; some boards have an unpopulated footprint for the optional BLiTTER chip
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=== Major ICs ===
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<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" />
{| class="wikitable"
! Function !! Part Number !! Notes
|-
| CPU || MC68000P8 / MC68000FN8 || 8 MHz, DIP-64 or PLCC-68
|-
| Video Shifter || C025914-38A || Pixel serialiser
|-
| GLUE || C025915-38A || Bus timing, video timing
|-
| MMU || C025912-38 / C100109 || DRAM row/column multiplexer
|-
| DMA Controller || C025913-38 || ACSI/floppy DMA
|-
| FDC || WD1772-02-02 || Floppy disk controller
|-
| MFP || MC68901 || Multi-function peripheral
|-
| ACIA (ร—2) || MC6850 || Keyboard/IKBD and MIDI
|-
| Sound/PIO || YM2149F || 3-voice PSG + parallel I/O
|-
| RS-232 drivers || MC1488 / MC1489 || Serial port level conversion
|}
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== Connectors ==
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Rear panel:
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* '''Power:''' IEC C14 mains inlet (internal SMPS)
* '''Floppy (external):''' 14-pin DIN
* '''ACSI (Hard Disk):''' DB-19 female
* '''Serial (Modem):''' DB-25 male, RS-232C
* '''Parallel (Printer):''' DB-25 female
* '''Video/Monitor:''' 13-pin DIN (analog RGB, mono, sync, audio)
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'''Note:''' No RF output โ€” the 1040STF does not include an RF modulator.
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Left side:
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* '''MIDI In:''' 5-pin DIN
* '''MIDI Out:''' 5-pin DIN
* '''Cartridge:''' 40-pin edge connector
* '''Reset button'''
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Under keyboard:
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* '''Port 0:''' DE-9 male (mouse/joystick)
* '''Port 1:''' DE-9 male (joystick)
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== Display ==
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* '''Low resolution:''' 320ร—200, 16 colours from 512-colour palette (9-bit RGB), ~50/60 Hz
* '''Medium resolution:''' 640ร—200, 4 colours, ~50/60 Hz
* '''High resolution (mono):''' 640ร—400, monochrome, ~71.2 Hz (requires SM124/SM125)
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The 1040STF has no RF modulator and no composite video output. A dedicated Atari monitor (SM124 mono, SC1224/SC1435 colour) or an external RGB-to-SCART/component adapter is required for display.


== Sound ==
It was first shown at the Winter CES on 9 January 1986 and went on sale on 1 March 1986 alongside the 512 KB 520STF.<ref name="acm1040" /> Production ended in 1989 when the STE arrived.<ref name="acm1040" />


* '''PSG:''' Yamaha YM2149F โ€” 3 square-wave channels + noise, 5-bit envelope generator
== The 1 MB claim ==
* '''MIDI:''' Built-in MIDI In/Out at 31.25 kbaud โ€” the feature that defined the ST as a music production platform
* '''Audio output:''' Mono line-level on pin 1 of the 13-pin monitor DIN


== Internal Floppy Drive ==
The 1040STF is widely described as the first computer sold with 1 MB of RAM as standard, and as the first to sell for under a dollar a kilobyte. The first of those is the claim made for it at the time and repeated by the German Atari museum.<ref name="acm1040" /> The second depends on which bundle you count and is worth treating as marketing rather than fact.


The 1040STF includes an internal 3.5-inch double-sided, double-density (DS/DD) floppy drive:
The launch prices are frequently reported the wrong way round. In March 1986 the 1040STF was '''US$999 with the monochrome SM124''' and '''US$1,199 with the colour SC1224'''; both fell by US$100 in January 1987.<ref name="acm1040" />


* '''Capacity:''' 720 KB formatted (80 tracks ร— 2 sides ร— 9 sectors ร— 512 bytes)
== What "1 MB" is made of ==
* '''Controller:''' WD1772 at 8 MHz, 250 kbit/s data rate
* '''Common drive models:''' Epson SMD-340/360, Citizen OSDA, Alps DFxx


== Internal Power Supply ==
RAM is '''256 kbit x 1''' DRAM. A 520 has one bank of 16; the 1040 has a second bank of 16, 32 devices in total, mapped as 000800โ€“07FFFF for the low bank and 080000โ€“0FFFFF for the high bank.<ref name="fsm" /> A 1040STF that reports 512 KB has lost bank 1 โ€” Atari's memory controller sizes each bank independently at power-up and simply does not count one that fails.<ref name="ehs" />


The 1040STF uses an internal switched-mode power supply:
The TOS ROMs are six 32k x 8 devices in three address-paired positions: U4/U7 at FC0000, U3/U6 at FD0000 and U2/U5 at FE0000. Early 520STs carried two 8k x 8 boot ROMs instead and loaded TOS from floppy.<ref name="fsm" /> The 1040STF went on sale in March 1986 and ROM TOS was the standard fit across the range by then.<ref name="acm1040" />


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== Power supply ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Rail !! Voltage !! Typical Current !! Purpose
|-
| +5V || 5.0V ยฑ5% || ~3.0A || Logic, RAM, all ICs
|-
| +12V || 12.0V ยฑ10% || ~0.5A || Floppy drive motor, RS-232
|-
| โˆ’12V || โˆ’12.0V ยฑ10% || ~0.05A || RS-232 negative rail
|}


'''WARNING:''' The internal PSU contains mains-voltage components and capacitors that may retain dangerous charge after the machine is unplugged. Always disconnect from mains and wait at least 5 minutes before servicing.
The internal switching supply provides '''+5 V (1.5โ€“3 A) and +12 V (to about 1 A) and nothing else''' โ€” there is '''no -12 V output'''.<ref name="fsm" /> It has a 2 A fuse and a single preset, RV301, which sets both rails together; Atari's instruction is to adjust to within 5 %, 4.75โ€“5.25 V. Typical demand is 2.2 A at 5 V and 160 mA at +12 V, rising to 2.3 A and 340 mA during disk access.<ref name="fsm" /> The full rail table is on [[Atari 520STFM]], which uses the same supply.


== Differences from the 1040STFM ==
The supply is mains-powered and its primary side stores charge after the machine is unplugged. Discharge the primary reservoir before working on it.


<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" />
== Board revisions ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Feature !! 1040STF !! [[Atari 1040STFM|1040STFM]]
|-
| RAM || 1 MB || 1 MB
|-
| Internal Floppy || Yes (DS/DD 720 KB) || Yes (DS/DD 720 KB)
|-
| RF Modulator || '''No''' || Yes
|-
| TV Output || '''No''' (monitor only) || Yes (via RF)
|-
| Internal PSU || Yes || Yes
|-
| Target Market || Professional / monitor users || Home / TV users
|}


== Known Issues ==
Three main-board part numbers are recorded for the 1040STF, in production order; the 520STF uses the same boards with half the RAM fitted:<ref name="acm1040" />


* '''PSU capacitor failure:''' The internal SMPS is a common failure point due to aged electrolytic capacitors. Symptoms include failure to power on, intermittent shutdowns, or unstable voltage rails. Recapping the PSU is strongly recommended as preventive maintenance.
* '''C070523''' โ€” early production
* '''TOS ROM version:''' Early 1040STF units shipped with TOS 1.00, which has known bugs (most notably in the desktop and file copy routines). Upgrading to TOS 1.04 or TOS 2.06 resolves these issues and improves compatibility with later software and hard disk drivers.
* '''C070789''' โ€” shared with the STFM models
* '''Floppy drive failure:''' Internal drives can develop worn heads, dirty head assemblies, or degraded belts.
* '''C103088''' โ€” later production
* '''Keyboard membrane degradation:''' Common to all ST models.
* '''DRAM failure:''' Ageing DRAM chips can cause crashes, garbled display, or boot failure.


== Service and Repair ==
== Servicing ==


* [[Atari ST General Maintenance]]
* [[Atari ST General Maintenance]] โ€” disassembly, Atari's clock distribution figures, symptom checklist
* [[Atari ST Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[Atari ST Troubleshooting Guide]]
* [[Atari ST Capacitor Replacement Guide]]
* [[Atari ST Capacitor Replacement Guide]]
* [[Atari 520ST and 1040ST Computer Field Service Manual]] โ€” Atari's own manual, hosted here
* [[Floppy Drive Repair]]


== Software Compatibility ==
Atari's disassembly sequence for this case is '''seven screws in the square holes''' to free the top case, plus '''three longer screws in the round holes''' which hold the disk drive. The keyboard harness plugs into the right front corner. The power supply and drive both sit in the base, not in the top case.<ref name="fsm" />


With 1 MB of RAM, the 1040STF was compatible with virtually all ST software:
== See also ==


* '''Music production:''' Steinberg Pro-24, Cubase, C-Lab Creator/Notator, Dr. T's KCS
* [[Atari 1040ST]]
* '''Desktop publishing:''' Calamus, PageStream, Publishing Partner
* [[Atari 1040STFM]]
* '''Word processing:''' 1st Word Plus, WordPerfect
* [[Atari 520STFM]]
* '''Programming:''' GFA BASIC, Lattice C, Mark Williams C, Pure C
* [[Atari 1040STE]]
* '''Games:''' Dungeon Master, Starglider, Carrier Command, Xenon, Populous, Captive


== See Also ==
== References ==


* [[Atari 520ST]] โ€” 512 KB original model
<references>
* [[Atari 520STFM]] โ€” 512 KB with floppy and RF modulator
<ref name="fsm">Atari Corporation, ''520ST / 1040ST Computer Field Service Manual'', part number CO26118-002 Rev B (3.6), January 1987: section 1 for the 1040STF designation, the case, the internal supply rating, the 2 A fuse and the 4.75โ€“5.25 V adjustment; section 2 "Main Memory" for the 256 kbit x 1 DRAM organisation, the bank map and the ROM positions U2โ€“U7; section 4 for the disassembly screw counts; section 8 for the Atari (Japan) power supply drawing. Hosted here as [[:File:Atari 520ST and 1040ST Computer Field Service Manual.pdf]].</ref>
* [[Atari 1040ST]] โ€” General 1040ST article
<ref name="ehs">Atari Corporation, ''Engineering Hardware Specification of the Atari ST Computer System'', 7 January 1986, section 2.2, Memory Configuration Register and the per-bank shadow-test sizing algorithm. Hosted here as [[:File:Atari ST Engineering Hardware Specification.pdf]].</ref>
* [[Atari 1040STFM]] โ€” 1 MB model with RF modulator
<ref name="acm1040">''Atari 1040ST'', atari-computermuseum.de. Secondary source, used here for the 1040ST<sup>F</sup> first showing on 9 January 1986, retail availability from 1 March 1986, the 1989 end of production, the US$999 / US$1,199 monitor bundle prices and their January 1987 reductions, the "world's first with 1 MB as standard" claim, the point that ROM TOS was standard across the ST range by early 1986, and the C070523 / C070789 / C103088 board numbers. https://www.atari-computermuseum.de/1040st.htm</ref>
* [[Atari 1040STE]] โ€” Enhanced successor
</references>
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== References ==
<references/>


{{Navbox-AtariVintageComputers}}
{{Navbox-AtariVintageComputers|state=collapsed}}


[[Category:Atari Systems]]
[[Category:Atari Systems]]

Latest revision as of 21:55, 23 September 2026

Atari 1040STF
The 1040STF โ€” 1 MB, internal double-sided drive, internal supply, no modulator
Specifications
ManufacturerAtari Corporation
TypeHome computer / personal computer
ReleasedShown 9 January 1986 (Winter CES); on sale 1 March 1986
Discontinued1989
Intro priceUS$999 with the SM124 monochrome monitor; US$1,199 with the SC1224 colour monitor (March 1986)
CPUMotorola MC68000 @ 8 MHz
Memory1 MB โ€” 32 x 256 kbit x 1 DRAM in two banks
StorageInternal 3.5-inch double-sided 720 KB drive; external drive on the 14-pin DIN; external ACSI hard disks
Display320x200 (16 colours), 640x200 (4 colours), 640x400 mono โ€” monitor only, no modulator
SoundYamaha YM-2149 PSG, three voices plus noise
ROM192 KB ROM TOS (six 32k x 8 devices at U2โ€“U7)
PowerInternal switching supply, +5 V and +12 V only, 2 A fuse
OS / FirmwareAtari TOS 1.00 / 1.02 / 1.04
PredecessorAtari 520ST
SuccessorAtari 1040STE

The Atari 1040STF is the long-case ST with 1 MB of RAM, an internal double-sided floppy drive and an internal power supply. Atari's own service manual explains the name: "The 1040ST has a built in 1 Megabyte floppy disk drive, hence the full designation is 1040STF (floppy)."[1] It has no modulator and so needs a monitor โ€” an SM124 for the monochrome mode or an SC1224 for colour. The modulator version is the 1040STFM.

It was first shown at the Winter CES on 9 January 1986 and went on sale on 1 March 1986 alongside the 512 KB 520STF.[2] Production ended in 1989 when the STE arrived.[2]

The 1 MB claim

[edit | edit source]

The 1040STF is widely described as the first computer sold with 1 MB of RAM as standard, and as the first to sell for under a dollar a kilobyte. The first of those is the claim made for it at the time and repeated by the German Atari museum.[2] The second depends on which bundle you count and is worth treating as marketing rather than fact.

The launch prices are frequently reported the wrong way round. In March 1986 the 1040STF was US$999 with the monochrome SM124 and US$1,199 with the colour SC1224; both fell by US$100 in January 1987.[2]

What "1 MB" is made of

[edit | edit source]

RAM is 256 kbit x 1 DRAM. A 520 has one bank of 16; the 1040 has a second bank of 16, 32 devices in total, mapped as 000800โ€“07FFFF for the low bank and 080000โ€“0FFFFF for the high bank.[1] A 1040STF that reports 512 KB has lost bank 1 โ€” Atari's memory controller sizes each bank independently at power-up and simply does not count one that fails.[3]

The TOS ROMs are six 32k x 8 devices in three address-paired positions: U4/U7 at FC0000, U3/U6 at FD0000 and U2/U5 at FE0000. Early 520STs carried two 8k x 8 boot ROMs instead and loaded TOS from floppy.[1] The 1040STF went on sale in March 1986 and ROM TOS was the standard fit across the range by then.[2]

Power supply

[edit | edit source]

The internal switching supply provides +5 V (1.5โ€“3 A) and +12 V (to about 1 A) and nothing else โ€” there is no -12 V output.[1] It has a 2 A fuse and a single preset, RV301, which sets both rails together; Atari's instruction is to adjust to within 5 %, 4.75โ€“5.25 V. Typical demand is 2.2 A at 5 V and 160 mA at +12 V, rising to 2.3 A and 340 mA during disk access.[1] The full rail table is on Atari 520STFM, which uses the same supply.

The supply is mains-powered and its primary side stores charge after the machine is unplugged. Discharge the primary reservoir before working on it.

Board revisions

[edit | edit source]

Three main-board part numbers are recorded for the 1040STF, in production order; the 520STF uses the same boards with half the RAM fitted:[2]

  • C070523 โ€” early production
  • C070789 โ€” shared with the STFM models
  • C103088 โ€” later production

Servicing

[edit | edit source]

Atari's disassembly sequence for this case is seven screws in the square holes to free the top case, plus three longer screws in the round holes which hold the disk drive. The keyboard harness plugs into the right front corner. The power supply and drive both sit in the base, not in the top case.[1]

See also

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. โ†‘ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Atari Corporation, 520ST / 1040ST Computer Field Service Manual, part number CO26118-002 Rev B (3.6), January 1987: section 1 for the 1040STF designation, the case, the internal supply rating, the 2 A fuse and the 4.75โ€“5.25 V adjustment; section 2 "Main Memory" for the 256 kbit x 1 DRAM organisation, the bank map and the ROM positions U2โ€“U7; section 4 for the disassembly screw counts; section 8 for the Atari (Japan) power supply drawing. Hosted here as File:Atari 520ST and 1040ST Computer Field Service Manual.pdf.
  2. โ†‘ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Atari 1040ST, atari-computermuseum.de. Secondary source, used here for the 1040STF first showing on 9 January 1986, retail availability from 1 March 1986, the 1989 end of production, the US$999 / US$1,199 monitor bundle prices and their January 1987 reductions, the "world's first with 1 MB as standard" claim, the point that ROM TOS was standard across the ST range by early 1986, and the C070523 / C070789 / C103088 board numbers. https://www.atari-computermuseum.de/1040st.htm
  3. โ†‘ Atari Corporation, Engineering Hardware Specification of the Atari ST Computer System, 7 January 1986, section 2.2, Memory Configuration Register and the per-bank shadow-test sizing algorithm. Hosted here as File:Atari ST Engineering Hardware Specification.pdf.