extract from http://cd.textfiles.com/crawlycrypt1/magazine/znet/znet9123/znet9123.asc ======================================================================= INSTALLING THE JRI RAM+ BOARD ----------------------------- by Ben Hamilton Sysop of Virtual Reality BBS, Copperas Cove, TX ======================================================================= SIMM module memory upgrades are rapidly becoming the new "standard" for memory upgrades to computers, and JRI (John Russell Innovations) of California have brought the SIMM upgrades to the 520ST and 1040ST with the introduction of their RAM+ Board. Many computer supply companies, are recommending JRI's upgrade, so I took advantage of the recommendation and ordered JRI's "Type C" board. The Type C is designed for many ST models, including the 520/1040ST with RAM chips under the keyboard, the 520/1040ST with RAM chips under the power supply, and the old-style 520ST without internal floppy drive. I assume that they also provide other models of the board for each type of ST. A quick call to JRI (the number is listed at the end of this article) should answer any questions you might have. When I called JRI, I talked with John Russell himself, who knew which type of board I needed, and he recommended that he do the installation, which costs an extra $50. If you feel uncomfortable opening your ST and if you have little or no experience with a soldering iron, then this is indeed best left up to a qualified electronics technician. I used to work for an electronics repair shop, and although I don't have any "official" training, I felt that I was qualified to do the installation. I couldn't do without my ST, as it runs my BBS, so I was really "forced" to do it myself anyway. After a little thought, I also decided not to try to find a better price, but to go ahead and order the SIMMs directly from JRI. One meg x 8 SIMMs are $50 each from JRI, which is a quite reasonable price. I have heard that they sell for as little as $38, but I was worried that they would be somehow incompatible with the upgrade board. JRI's docs to the board mention that low-profile, 120ns or faster chips are required. John suggested that he send the board and modules by UPS Blue, and I received them in UPS's usual timely fashion. The board sells for $125, and each SIMM (you need two for 2.0 or 2.5 meg and four for 4 meg) was $50. Shipping and COD was an extra $10 total. After I received the board, I read the included instructions several times to familiarize myself with the procedure. Of course, I hadn't had my ST apart yet, so I didn't know which type of motherboard I had. PC- board artwork is included in the instructions for each type of ST motherboard. The installation procedure is fairly simple, once you do it and realize what you've done! Everything is included in the installation kit, right down to the wires, the solder, and the cable ties. Installation involves removal of the ST Shifter chip, which is moved into a new board. At this point, a second chip can be installed which allows your ST to support a 4,096 color palatte. A floppy disk is included in the kit which has several demos for the new color support. I did not elect to get the extra chip from JRI (which costs $25) because this computer is dedicated to my BBS, and I have no need for the extra colors there. But installation and support of the chip is easily done by just popping in the new chip to the board socket. Next the boards (the one that holds the Shifter and the one that holds the SIMMs) must be secured by a supplied heavy gauge stranded wire. Convenient grounding points are provided on each board. I felt uncomfortable securing the RAM board only with the grounding wires, so I placed a piece of cardboard (the same cardboard that earlier supported the boards under shrink-wrap during shipping!) between the RAM board and the ST motherboard. I didn't want to take the chance that any of the contacts on the underside of the RAM board might touch any of the motherboard contacts. After the boards are mounted, a few wires must be run from the RAM board to the motherboard, and each connection is well-documented in the instructions. Some of the connections require that various resistors are removed, and wires are run from the pads where the resistors used to be. This is perhaps the most unnerving part of the installation -- once you clip those resistors, you have the feeling that there's no turning back. Another of the connections goes directly to the MMU, which I believe is the ST's memory management chip. This is also documented, although the instructions fail to even casually mention that two of the chips in the ST resemble each other, the MMU and the other chip, and since I'm a novice, I'm unfamiliar with the other one. But fortunately, the instructions also include the possible Atari part numbers of each chip, so I was able to determine which one was the MMU by its number. After installation was complete, I put it all back together and fired it up. Viola! About one hour's work, and I now have a 1040ST with 2.5 megabytes of RAM! And I can upgrade to 4 meg with the addition of two more SIMMs and a few more changes to the installation. Instructions for changing to 2.0, 2.5, and 4 meg are included in the documentation. Upgrading to 2.0 or 4 meg requires the disabling of all of the internal RAM, and these instructions are also included. The floppy disk contains a memory tester TOS program, and the remainder of the programs deal with the 4,096 color option. If you're living with your ST with only 512K or one meg of RAM, I hope you decide to upgrade soon, and I give you my personal recommendation for the RAM+ Board from JRI. -Ben Hamilton, Sysop of Virtual Reality BBS, Copperas Cove, TX 817-547-1734 1200/2400/9600/14.4K bps HST-DS v.32bis/v.32/v.42/v.42bis Fnet #422, Fido-Net 1:395/6 JRI (John Russell Innovations) P. O. Box 5277 Pittsburg, CA 94565 415-458-9577