8 MB Card in IIGS – A2Heaven ProDOS in ROM Card

This was an interesting card developed and sold a couple years ago by Plamen of A2Heaven for the IIGS. It is built with ProDOS 2.4.1 in 512k of Rom, and with 8MB of memory. Boots to 2.4.1 instantaneously, if that’s your goal. You can bypass that and use it as just an 8MB card. I have earlier posts on my original install. It also had a battery which I hoped would keep ram alive after turning off IIGS or rebooting. But IIGS wipes the control of that feature on boot up. Here’s the link to my original post.

https://vintagegeek.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/1944/

Here, I was testing the 8MB only after dislodging the ROM component.

Full card – no longer sold.

Above is the full card.

Link to card on A2Heaven.

https://a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&path=75&product_id=143

Here is the card with only the 8MB component.

Here is the card without the Rom component. It’s next to my CFFA3000 card. I had to remove the Rom piece as it was touching/pushing the USB cable on the CFFA3000.

8MB

Another angle

Another shot.

MicroDrive Turbo Rebuild – Partitions and CiderPress with “Special” 32MB Drive Images

March 17, 2019 NOTE: As of March 17, 2019 The Hard Drive Images on Alex Lee’s site noted below have all been redone with a block size compatible with the MicroDrive Turbo.

http://whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/updates-and-the-current-state-of-solid-state-storage/

This post is about how CiderPress and MicroDrive Turbo treat some 32 MB hard drive images that are found on Alex Lee’s site for the IIGS. Some of the images are larger than others by a block. This is not an issue with CFFA3000 cards or Emulators. But with MicroDrive Turbo cards and CiderPress this led to an issue with loading them onto the partitions as recommended by the microdrive documentation. This post carries on from my post of 5 days ago.

http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za

So I experimented by increasing the block size by one as you’ll see in the pictures below and the odd sized or other sized, if you want to call them that, images loaded just fine and work on the MicroDrive without issue so far.

This reports the files in KBytes but illustrates the different sizes.

The series of screens can also serve as a bit of a tutorial on using CiderPress to load images.

Image 1: The 3 Partitions that come standard. All are 65535 as recommended in the manual.

Image 2: Two of the three partitions appear on the desktop. The third does not appear since its image is not loaded, as yet.

Now I add a 4th Partition. A 65356 block partition.

Using the Volume Copier in CiderPress

You’ll see the 3rd and 4th Partitions listed. One at 65535 blocks. My experimental at 65536 blocks.

Loading the Productivity and Graphics image.

Now, loading the other size, block size, image. System Addons.

Here the images appear on the desktop.

Starting MicroDrive Setup from GSOS to add another partition, Load it, and use it.

FASTChip //e for Apple IIe – Accelerator Card from A2Heaven

Just installed my FASTChip //e In italics are the notes from the a2heaven.com website. Links to website and my videos are below.

Update May 31, 2018: I recently found my 5.25 pfs:Write disks and thought I’d try it with the FastChip//e and the DuoDisk drive. Interesting to watch.

May 31, 2018  I updated the file again today and then ran Spell Check or ‘Proofing’ as pfs:Write calls it. With the FastChip//e set to 8.3 MHz (random speed selection) the Dictionary disk never stopping spinning in drive one. Data disk in drive two. The document was over five pages long and the spell checking flew. The disks and screen never really stopped and barely slowed down as it flew through the document addressing probably over 1000 words. There were proofs required along the way since there were some misspellings, but also terms, like FastChip//e. Many of these needed to be added to the Personal Dictionary. It was fun to perform this check. Lastly, the word replacement special effect of pfs:write where it erases the word from right to left and types in the new word, was nearly instantaneous. 

November 22, 2017

I’ve been running a tests of PublishIt v4 startup time on the Apple //e with the FastChip//e.

*With the FastChip//e set at 10 MHz and running PublishIt from the SCSI drive it took 8 seconds to load.

*With the FastChip//e running at 1.0 MHz running from the SCSI drive it took 25 seconds.

*With the FastChip//e running at 1.0 MHz and PublishIt v4 running from a UniDisk 3.5 disk connected the Liron Controller Card in the //e it took 53 seconds to load. [ Note: The Apple //e has a RamWorks8M card made from a2Heaven. This card uses current day technology so it must provide some additional advantage when loading the fonts, et al into memory upon startup. The only way to see the difference would be for me to uninstall the RamWorks8M and reinstall the 1986 RamWorks 1M card by Applied Engineering. At the end of this post are links to YouTube videos of the above.

From the a2heaven website:

The FASTChip //e accelerates the Apple //e™ by replacing the on-board microprocessor with a much faster one. Because the memory on the Apple //e™ can only run at a 1 MHz speed maximum, faster memory (SRAM) must be provided to increase performance and allow the 65C02/65C816 CPU to run at full speed. To do this, the FASTChip //e contains 512KB/1024KB of fast SRAM memory. The clever design allows the acceleration of programs running in both main and auxiliary memory. The additional FASTChip //e memory can emulate both 192/448 KB fast RamWorks  compatible RAM and 256/512 KB fast RamFactor (slinky) compatible RAM.

FASTChip //e features

• Easy to install card, installable in slot 1-7 of the Apple //e™, or Enhanced //e.
• Does not mechanically interfere with the 80 column card in slot 3.
• 65C02/65C816 microprocessor running at a clock rate of more than 16 MHz .
• External Hardware Control Panel with controls and LED display.
• CPU frequency can be changed real-time via rotary knob (0.2Mhz to 16.6Mhz).
• Stop/Pause and Status buttons for easy control.
• 4 digits x 7 segment LED display.
• Built in 192/448 KB fast RamWorks compatible RAM.
• Built in 256/512 KB fast RamFactor (Slinky) compatible RAM.
• Low power design for cool operation.
• Acceleration of programs running in both main and auxiliary memory.
• Compatible with most interface and expansion cards for the Apple II/IIe.
• Transparent operation with all Apple II software.
• An easily accessed built-in software control panel lets you control processor speed, memory, joystick, speaker sound quality and many other options.

Picture above courtesy of Jorma Honkanen.

Below is My actual //e Setup with FastChip//e, RamWorks8M card and SDFloppy II installed.

FastChip//e videos of PublishIT version 4 at 10 Mhz. A program essentially unusable on a IIe at 1 MHz.

[Note: I’m running PublishIt from a SCSI drive, not a floppy, unidisk 3.5, or SDFloppy, although programs ran fine from all three devices. But obviously SCSI is the fastest ] : unless you have a CFFA or MicroDrive Turbo.

https://youtu.be/njtTLMxZF-E

https://youtu.be/E0hqbxmvMJ4

http://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&product_id=147

http://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/resources/pdf_document/18/82/c.pdf

The end.

Virtual ][e – Expand that Ram to 8MB + TimeOut Accessories

Memory upped to 2.205 MB

TimeOut Accessories from Beagle Brothers: select screen printer : mark and print.

Tools are from DeskTools l and DeskTools ll

Snap of PrintOut

ByteBoosters 8MB Memory Card for IIGS Rom 3

Here it is. Great card. Take a look at it’s size in the picture of the IIGS below. Like the size of a credit card. 

GS8MBRAM/ROM from a2Heaven for IIGS

I bought the GS8RAMROM from http://www.a2heaven.com. It comes with ProDOS 2.4.1 in ROM and boots incredibly fast to it. The whole thing is new technology that runs with very little power drain and really fast ram chip.  Because it has a battery backup (CR2032) for the 8 meg ram I thought it would back up what was in RAM or on the RAM disk when the  computer was powered down.  —- My goal was to create a bootable GSOS 6.0.1 ROM/RAM disk.  However, the creator has not written the firmware yet to accomplish this. He says he is about 70% done. [ Note: as of Dec 21, 2017 there is no firmware upgrade; so use as a Solid State Ram Drive ]
Also, the IIGS Rom3 unit has a bug in it that does not allow you to  boot from RAM. When the author writes the firmware he will create the work around to correct this situation. I had been running my RamKeeper from Applied Engineering with a 6 meg GSRamPlus card to allow me to boot GSOS from Rom Disk. It works very well but I have no battery backup for it.

Programs on the card.

Find the spelling errors.

RamKeeper on IIGS Rom 3

I’ve been wanting to use my RamKeeper as a ROM Boot disk on the IIGS Rom 3 computer since I don’t have a spare SCSI drive or MicroDrive Turbo. This is the same IIGS with the new DVI adapter. 

I installed the Ramkeeper in the IIGS Rom 3 but the IIGS wouldn’t boot. I would get a RK 102 error which meant incompatible memory configuration. 

After many efforts with different memory configurations including with and without the SlotMover I checked the Internet. 

I found an old forum thread that talked about Rom 3 IIGS not working with earlier versions of the Ramkeeper. 

So, I installed the other Ramkeeper I had which had a rev 1.6 Rom chip. My other one was rev 1.3. The rev 1.6 version worked nicely. They only issue with this card was the wires connecting it to its transformer were loose so it would not keep configuration after I turned off the IIGS. 

So, I pulled the rev 1.6 chip from that one and installed it in the RamKeeper with the original ribbon cable to the transformer. It works nicely. 
I see the Ramkeeper with a 1.2 meg Rom Drive to hold GSOS and CDAs and NDAs. 

I also gave it a Meg of Ram Drive for loading programs or Mean18 golf courses. 

The latter do run much faster from the Ram Drive. 

I have the 1.25 meg of Ram on the IIGS motherboard and a 6 meg GS-Ram Plus.
After copying various NDAs and CDAs to the Rom GSOS I copied that set to a 3.5″ drive.

I labeled it LoadRom.
Now, the RamKeeper can only handle 4 disk drives in the chain including Rom and Ram drives.

So, I have the following:

Rom Drive

Ram Drive

3.5″ Drive

And the Floppy Emu with number of Hard Drive images reduced to one. 

I started with GSOS on the floppy emu.

RamKeeper, SlotMover, GS-RAM PLUS

Upgraded my IIGS Rom 01 with RamKeeper Card with the SlotMover and a GS-RAM Plus 6 meg memory card. Here are some pictures and the brochures.  See the Commodore power supply that works for the RamKeeper. I found it recommended in a couple forums. They’re readily available on eBay.

The RamKeeper required it’s own power supply to maintain what was in the ram drive. The above is a Commodore power supply the works.

Apple IIe

Loaded. 

Laser 128EX Memory Upgrade to 1 MB – MouseDesk GEOS

I upgraded my memory on the Laser 128EX to 1 MB. Getting access to the sockets was pretty easy. Hard part is putting the top and bottom back together. Working around the handle on the back is tricky. With the higher speed EX MouseDesk and GEOS applications run like a champ. Below are pictures to illustrate each of those topics.

Laser 128EX upgrade

Panel removed. Below the 1st two banks installed for 512K.

Next: Three Quarters of the way through memory additions. 1536 blocks. 768K

Full 1 MB Display 2048 Blocks

One

Not my install below. Just a picture from Internet.

Laser 3.5″ Drives.

Laser 5.25″ Drive

Here are a series of pictures with GEOS and MouseDesk running on the EX from the 3.5″ Drive and at the higher speed.

MouseDesk with folders open.

GEOS – installing drivers.

More

Formatting a 3.5″ disk within MouseDesk. Nice !

Four

The End