Atari 520STFM

The Atari 520STFM combined the integrated floppy drive and power supply of the STF with an RF modulator for connection to a television. With 512KB of RAM in a self-contained keyboard enclosure, it became one of the most recognisable and widely sold members of the ST family.

Early examples may contain a single-sided 360KB floppy drive, while later machines commonly use a double-sided 720KB drive. Strong software bundles and competitive pricing made the 520STFM especially successful in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Notable Features

• Combined an internal floppy drive, internal power supply and RF television modulator.
• Later production commonly used a double-sided 720KB floppy drive.
• Retained the ST’s built-in MIDI ports and three display modes.

Historical Significance

• Became one of the best-known Atari ST models, particularly in the United Kingdom and Europe.
• The FM suffix denotes both an internal floppy drive and a television modulator.

Collector’s Notes

• Early units may have a single-sided 360KB drive; later examples usually have a 720KB drive.
• Original retail bundles varied widely and can add considerable collector interest.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Atari 520STFM
Manufacturer	Atari
Launched	Monday, December 1, 1986
Discontinued	1990
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola MC68000 at 8 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	Atari TOS with GEM desktop
I/O	MIDI In/Out, RS-232 serial, Centronics parallel, ACSI hard-disk, cartridge, floppy, monitor and two joystick/mouse ports
Keyboard	Integrated 95-key keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys
Storage	Internal 3.5-inch floppy drive, 360KB on some early units and commonly 720KB later; ACSI hard-disk support
Sound	Yamaha YM2149 three-channel programmable sound generator
Colour Palette	512 colours
Display	320x200 in 16 colours, 640x200 in 4 colours, or 640x400 monochrome
ROM	192KB TOS ROM
RAM	512KB
CPU Speed	8 MHz