Atari STE

> Resources

Powered by the Motorola 68000, the Atari ST was a groundbreaking computer featuring 16-bit performance, a mouse-driven graphical user interface, 512 KB of RAM, and a vibrant 512-color palette.

□ Online Shops

□ Useful Links

□ Atari STE/TT/Falcon

□ Keyboard Shortcuts

Control + Alt + Delete → Warm reset
Control + Alt + Delete + Shift → Full reset
Alt + Arrow Key → Moving the mouse pointer

□ System Manuals

Service Manuals

□ Atari Monitors

SM124/125: 12-inch Monochrome, 640×400px, speaker
SC1224: 12-inch Color, 640×200px, speaker
SM147: 14-inch Monochrome, 640×400px, no speaker
SC1425: 14-inch Color monitor, speaker, and a headphones jack
SC1435: 14-inch Color monitor, 2 stereo speakers (rebadged Magnavox)
SM195: 19-inch Monochrome, 70 Hz refresh, 1280×960px for TT030

□ Emulators

Spectre GCR -Emulating the Macintosh
PC-Ditto -MS-DOS emulator
PC-Speed (NEC V30)
AT-Speed (Intel 80286)
ATonce-386SX (Intel 80386SX)

□ Famous ST Musicians

With built-in MIDI ports and exceptionally low-latency performance, the Atari ST became a favorite among musicians. Notable users include:

Jean Michel Jarre (in 90's concerts)
David Arnold (in his first films, including "Stargate", "Independence Day", and "Tomorrow Never Dies")
The Fatboy Slim
Depeche Mode ("Songs of Faith and Devotion")
Pet Shop Boys (Atari ST, programmer Pete Gleadall)
Atari Teenage Riot
Tangerine Dream (during the late 1980s and 1990s)
Darude (Composed "Sandstorm" on a 1040ST)
Future Sound of London
Aphex Twin (early years)
Aleksandr Zatsepin
Mad Vision/Def KLF
Richard H. Kirk (1040ST)
Camouflage (German band)
Mike Oldfield (Atari ST and C-Lab MIDI software)

"The Artistic Alter Ego of the Atari ST"

Released in late 1989, the Atari STE was a multimedia-enhanced evolution of the popular Atari ST line. While it retained the same Motorola 68000 CPU, the STE introduced significant hardware upgrades, including enhanced graphics, a 4,096-color palette, PCM stereo sound, and a new TOS operating system.

Priced at $499 at launch (around $1,170 in 2023 money), the STE offered outstanding value
It’s estimated that 1 million STE units were sold worldwide

ATARI STE AT A GLANCE

Fully compatible with older ST models
68000 CPU
0.5 MB or 1 MB RAM, easily expandable to 4 MB via 4 SIMMs
TOS 1.6/1.62 (graphical OS)
4,096-color palette
Blitter chip for fast graphics and hardware scrolling
2-channel 8-bit PCM stereo sound (2x2 mono)
Two extra joystick ports (Jaguar/Falcon-compatible)
Genlock support
Built-in 3.5” double-sided floppy drive

Colors & Graphic Modes

Boxed 520 STE from my collaction...

The STE brought a major visual upgrade over earlier ST models. With hardware scrolling, a Blitter co-processor, and a deep color palette, it was designed with multimedia and games in mind.

Up to 16 on-screen colors from a 4096-color palette (vs. 512 on the ST)
Display modes:
- 320×200
- 640×200
- 640×400
Blitter chip: Moves data at up to 4 MB/s
Hardware scrolling: Smooth horizontal & vertical panning
Capable of displaying more than 16 colors on-screen using software tricks
Genlock support for video overlay and production

Sound Capabilities

The STE was the first Atari to feature PCM audio, delivering far superior sound to any earlier ST models.

2-channel 8-bit stereo PCM audio
Plays samples at up to 50 kHz
Mixes with the 3-channel YM2149 FM synth from the original ST
Greatly improved audio for music and games

I/O Ports

Underneath the case

2 x 9-pin mouse/joystick ports

On the back of the case

DB25 RS-232c serial port
DB25 Centronics printer port
ACSI (similar to SCSI) DMA port (19-pin D-sub)
External Floppy Drive Port (14-pin DIN)
Monitor port (13-pin DIN)
RCA stereo audio-out jacks

On the left of the case

2 x enhanced joystick ports (same as Atari Jaguar and Falcon 030)
2 MIDI ports (5-pin DIN)
ROM-Cartridge port

Expansions & Upgrades

The very nice ACSI2STM external SD-based Hard Disk

The STE offers a wide range of upgrade possibilities, especially for retro enthusiasts today.

RAM: Upgradable to 4 MB using 4×1MB SIMMs
Storage:
- SD-card-based hard drives (UltraSatan, ACSI2STM)
- Internal/External Gotek floppy emulator
CPU Boosters: 16 or 33 MHz upgrades (68000-based)
1.44 MB floppy upgrade (requires a controller board)
Dual TOS switchers (1.62/2.06)

Unreleased STE Models

These are two STE models that were never sold.

The 4160STE

A rare version of the 520STE with 4 MB RAM. Never officially released, but small batches were distributed to select developers and dealers.

The STE+

Planned successor featuring a new CPU and built-in IDE drive. Ultimately canceled in favor of the Sparrow project, which became the Falcon 030. A few prototypes are known to exist.

Monitors

The Atari STE works with a wide variety of display types:

Atari RGB monitors (color and monochrome)
TVs via SCART (RGB to SCART cable)
15 kHz VGA monitors (with adapter)
Modern HDMI/VGA monitors (via upscaler hardware)

STE Gaming Titles

STE and the fantastic Atari SC-1224 monitor from my collection... While not heavily supported at launch, the STE later gained a dedicated fanbase and enhanced versions of classic titles. These took full advantage of the DMA sound, Blitter, and hardware scrolling.