The 2.5MB STE SIMM fixer - Mega STE version. ============================================ This is a short program that allows you to fit 2.5MB of memory to a Mega STE by mixing 256K and 1MB SIMMs. Why it's needed =============== The reason you can't mix the two types of SIMM is that TOS in the STE fails to recognise this memory configuration and incorrectly programs the MMU chip. It thinks, in fact, that you have 4MB of memory installed. This causes big problems as soon as you attempt to run any non- trivial program (e.g. GEM) The symptoms are that your STE gets stuck in a reset- reboot cycle. How it works ============ This program works by reprogramming the MMU and correctly setting _memtop, and then warm booting the STE. How to use it ============= You must fit the SIMMs into your STE in the following order: ** (back of STE)** |-- 1meg SIMM --| |-- 256K SIMM --| |-- 1meg SIMM --| |-- 256K SIMM --| ** (front of STE)* Put the SIMMFIX.PRG program _FIRST_ in your auto folder (do this by deleting everything in the AUTO folder, then copy SIMMFIX.PRG to it, and then copy everything else back into AUTO). With SIMMFIX first in your AUTO folder, your ST will start, then reboot, and should then display a short message detailing the version of SIMMFIX and the authors names. From then on all should be well. This program has been extensively tested by David Hoggan on a wide range of software (though few games were tested). Problems ======== Because you have to run SIMMFIX every time you switch on your STE, you cannot just switch on and insert any autobooting disk (e.g. Dungeon Master, Starglider II etc. etc.) In these cases, you should make a boot disk with nothing except an AUTO folder containing SIMMFIX.PRG. Boot with this disk, and when the desktop appears, remove the disk. Insert the game disk that you want to autoboot. Then hold down Control, Alt and Delete together to reset the STE, and the game will boot and run as normal. Make sure you have (at least) one backup disk containing SIMMFIX.PRG in the AUTO folder in case anything goes wrong with your boot disk. If you can't run SIMMFIX, then you'll have to open up your STE and remove the 256K SIMMS, make a new boot disk, and then put them back. Program History =============== The SIMMFIX program was submitted to the "Programmer's Clinic" section of ST World, the premier UK ST magazine, by David Hoggan. I (Mathew Lodge) made a few additions and wrote this documentation for a posting to USENET. Mathew Lodge 5 May 1990 (JANET address : SOCS18 @ uk.ac.york.vaxa) NEW STUFF ========= With the new arrival of the Mega STE machines, the current version of TOS (2.05) moved the address of the reset so that the current version of SIMMFIX would not work. I have changed the program to properly do the reset (warmboot). Michael Pasek B.Sc. 11 Nov. 1991