Storm ST & Cloudy ST: Flashable TOS and Alt-RAM for the Mega ST
I just installed the new Storm ST and Cloudy ST combo in my Mega ST 4 "Low" machine. Now I can switch from EmuTOS 1.0.1 to PP's improved iTOS 1.04 and also have 8 MB of Alt-RAM under EmuTOS.
The Cloudy ST
The Cloudy ST is an extremely compact TOS adapter for Atari ST, STM, STF, STFM and Mega ST. It allows you to switch between two TOS ROMs: one ROM comes with EmuTOS preinstalled, the other one can be flashed via software, for example with TOS 2.06 or TOS 1.0x. It works together with the Storm ST and/or the Lightning ST, needs an address decoder (hexE00000) which the Storm ST provides, and is fully compatible with TOS 2.06, EmuTOS and TOS 1.00 - 1.04 (on mainboards that support 1 Mbit ROMs).
The Storm ST
The Storm ST is a compact add-on for the Atari ST, STM, STF, STFM and Mega ST that adds 8 megabytes of alternate RAM, usable with TOS 2.06, EmuTOS and MagiC. (Alternate RAM is not supported by TOS 1.x.) It also provides the address decoder for TOS 1.0x, 2.0x and EmuTOS, making it the perfect companion for the Cloudy's flashable TOS board, plus a connector for an optional real-time clock. With EmuTOS, Alt-RAM and the RTC are detected and used automatically with no software required.
My Setup
With the Storm ST and Cloudy ST combo in place, the machine boots into EmuTOS 1.0.1 with all 8 MB of Alt-RAM available, or switches over to PP's improved iTOS 1.04 for maximum software compatibility with games and demos from the era. iTOS 1.04 adds real FAT16 filesystem support, so it works much better with hard disks and mass storage, plus a few welcome extras on top of the classic TOS 1.04 behaviour. It's the best of both worlds: the modern conveniences of EmuTOS combined with the improved, authentic-feeling iTOS.
Gallery
The Storm ST and Cloudy ST combo installed in the Mega ST.
Close-up of the Storm ST and Cloudy ST boards.
The Storm ST and Cloudy ST with their wiring in place.
The finished installation in the Mega ST.