Utilize more than 1GB from SD Card UltraSatan

[AtariSociety]

OK, new to this whole Satan/UltraSatan device. I acquired my 2nd hand with a Mega STe I purchasd a number of years ago. It is the little black box on top of my Mega STe. Has two SD slots. On/Off switch with ACSI cable coming out back that I used to connect to computer. A power plug too.

So, is this an UltraSatan or ?

What I can tell you is using it with HDDriver 8.2 on the Mega STe I was able to partition a 2GB card and it only use 1GB of it. Leaves 1GB waisted. But HDDriver only allowed me to make 4 partitions 256MB each. I think that is because TOS 2.05 I have only allows up to 1GB for size of the drive?

What about the waisted space? Or is there a way to get HDDriver to also make use of the other space?

If not, I will just buy a 1GB card so I can have more data space using the 2nd slot of the Satan device that is unused right now so I can have two SD cards working.

Thanks

TJ

[AtariSociety]

btw... what is the best partition and format to use when using the UltraSatan?

I did mine TOS as I check marked that box. That means the SD card would not be readable on my Mac or Linux system.

Reason I selected TOS is when I tried TOS and Microsoft, a message appeared I would need TOS 4.x to use it, and my Mega STe is only 2.05, so I stuck with just the TOS selection.

I would like to download new apps on my Mac or Linux system and slap them onto the SD card since I can't download stuff on my Atari, yet.

Maybe there is a better setting so I can use the SD card to boot my Mega STe from and also easily copy data to it from another system.

TJ

[Dew-It]

I use Peter Putnik's software with ultrasatan. http://atari.8bitchip.info/pphdr.php

[spiny]

HDDriver should let you make up to 13 partitions.

your ultrasatan has two card slots. partition the top card however you like in Atari format, then get a 128/256/512k etc card and format that TOS/DOS and it'll be readable on a pc too, then use it as a 'swap' disk in the second slot.

[AtariSociety]

HDDriver should let you make up to 13 partitions.

your ultrasatan has two card slots. partition the top card however you like in Atari format, then get a 128/256/512k etc card and format that TOS/DOS and it'll be readable on a pc too, then use it as a 'swap' disk in the second slot.

I will try again but seems when I started typing 511 and did that 4 times, it adjusted them all to 256mb so only the 1st 1GB was used. Going past that and adding a 5th made all the #s smaller again to only use the 1st 1GB.

Maybe I am imagining things and will try again.

Thanks

TJ

[leech]

I'd recommend upgrading your TOS to 2.06 as well, it's nice. Now I know the Mega STe's internal SCSI is limited to 1GB drives, I'm not sure the same applies to ACSI though. I am in the same situation, sort of. I have two 2GB SD cards in it, but it only really uses the first half of them. But it doesn't matter much because finding 1GB SD cards these days is hard anyhow, and 2GB ones are cheap.

Edit: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/263242 ... try3718313 answers the question about ACSI connected devices and if you can go beyond 1GB.

But you still are limited by 512mb partition sizes. I think 256mb is good though in case you ever need to run it on an older ST model with only TOS 1.04.

[DarkLord]

TOS v1.04 on my Mega ST along with HDDriver allows me to use a 4 gig
SCSI hard drive here with no problems. Eight 512 meg hard drive partitions,
including the C drive, running since the mid '90's for my BBS. No problems.

My conclusion would be that if there is a limit, it's in the Mega STe's hard
drive adapter and not the TOS version (although I agree that if you have
TOS v2.05 you should update to 2.06).

PS Had the same problem with my STacy, which uses the same adapter
as the Mega STe. Replaced it with Alan's internal adapter and an Ultrasatan
- problem gone.

HTHs.

[leech]

Yeah, it was my understanding that it's the hard drive controller itself that only allows reading 1GB hard drive (different than partition size). Which explains why, back in the day, I could never quite get my Barracuda 1.6gb 10k scsi drive to work.

I actually think it's only TOS 1.0 that had really buggy hard drive support and it was limited to 256mb partitions? (thought it was 1.04 though, but I guess not?)

TOS 2.06 has some nice features over 2.05 for sure though. Like the memory check /Atari logo at boot. Plus some other things that are less apparent.

[ctirad]

I used to have exactly the same problem. It definitely was neither partitioning nor TOS version issue. The SD card size was detected properly by the US itself and both drivers I tried (HDDriver and ICD tools). The partitiong of the whole space passed without any problems, but the TOS had no access to any sector above ~1GB space. The ICD mode was enbaled in HDriver, BTW.

[1st1]

The limitation is not TSO 2.05, but STacy/MegaSTE internal ACSI-SCSI-hostadapter. (Difference between TOS 2.05 & 2.06 is mainly that 2.06 supports legacy ST hardware)

[leech]

Yeah, I was just suggesting to upgrade to TOS 2.06 because in general it is better.

I have an EEPROM burner, I should try making some ROMS.

[AtariSociety]

I do have 2.06 but have to find a few moments and patience to install. Was something I planned on doing once I got the hard drive or Satan device booting and working.

TJ

[ctirad]

The limitation is not TSO 2.05, but STacy/MegaSTE internal ACSI-SCSI-hostadapter. (Difference between TOS 2.05 & 2.06 is mainly that 2.06 supports legacy ST hardware)

No. The UltraSatan device connects to the ACSI port directly. It does not have anything to do with the MegaSTE internal SCSI.

[AtariSociety]

The limitation is not TSO 2.05, but STacy/MegaSTE internal ACSI-SCSI-hostadapter. (Difference between TOS 2.05 & 2.06 is mainly that 2.06 supports legacy ST hardware)

No. The UltraSatan device connects to the ACSI port directly. It does not have anything to do with the MegaSTE internal SCSI.

I take it the ACSI SCSI card inside the hard drive bay can be removed and then the UltraSatan can just plug right into the same connector where one unplugs the ACSI card from?

In time I may opt to do that.

How are you all mounting the Ultra Satan inside the Mega STe /TT Drive bay? The metal bracket is for large drive so curious how you all rigged that up. Mine is the small black box with dual SD card slots. I may use that internally and then get an external one to so I can do card swaps.

TJ

[ctirad]

Here you have the original documentation about possible connections http://joo.kie.sk/?page_id=224

[DarkLord]

I've never hooked an Ultrasatan up to any of my Mega STe's. However, as far
as I know, the internal connector is the same between the STacy and the Mega
STe.

Noting that, I *had* to have Alan's internal Mega STe adapter to use with my
Ultrasatan when I installed it in my STacy. Not saying you can't , but I personally
didn't do it that way. If you remove the original you have to replace it with some
thing else like Alan's design or cable/board made from Jookie's website.

Externally, sure - piece of cake. Internally, requires a bit more be done.

[AtariSociety]

I've never hooked an Ultrasatan up to any of my Mega STe's. However, as far
as I know, the internal connector is the same between the STacy and the Mega
STe.

Noting that, I *had* to have Alan's internal Mega STe adapter to use with my
Ultrasatan when I installed it in my STacy. Not saying you can't , but I personally
didn't do it that way. If you remove the original you have to replace it with some
thing else like Alan's design or cable/board made from Jookie's website.

Externally, sure - piece of cake. Internally, requires a bit more be done.

I think I will leave mine well enough alone.

hehe.

Yeah appears for me I can only use up to 1GB of space... I can't fill a 2GB card as example. Uses 1st 1GB and rest is just not able to be used... at least with HDDriver.

TJ

[alexh]

Slightly off topic but here is the thread about the internal MegaSTe board/cable for Ultrasatan

http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18687

[DarkLord]

I'd say it could be fairly relevant. Thanks Alex.

[crashman]

Hi,

here:
http://retrowiki.es/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=562

you can find 2 sd images that work on Satandisk, I suppose they will work also on Ultrasatan, that uses a 2Gb card at it's full.
There are two versions, because not all the 2Gb SD cards, have the same capacity, so if you're unlucky to have the lower, you'll loose the last partition.
I think the FAT was touched somehow to use the 2Gb, so if you change it with HDDriver or whatever, it's likely that you'll loose the ability to use the card at it's full size again.

Regards.