Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

17 posts / 0 new
Last post
robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hi all,
Just getting my Apple IIGS together and Im having some problems loading GS/OS. I have a 1MB expansion card installed but I'm not sure if its working correctly. Under the RAM disk options I see the following:

Total RAM in use: 84K
Total RAM free: 171K

Does this seem correct? Or should I be see other values? Is this were I should see the Expansion 1MB?

Thanks,
Rob

speedyG's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Nov 16 2011 - 07:45
Posts: 2493
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hello Robbo007,
this would only be OK - if the entire space of the RAMcard is reserved to RAM Disk.....
otherwise it´s not O.K. and the card is not recognized by the system.
Is the card completely populated ? And if it is - then it is recommended to make no reservation for RAM-disk but rather more to grant entire RAM to the system......
Showing only total amount of 256 K,B i assume that your IIGS is version ROM 0.
If that is true then - after the card is recognized by the computer - the alternate thread:
http://www.applefritter.com/content/apple-iigs-ram-expansion
should be read too......
sincerely speedyG

robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hi Speedy.
The card is completely populated with RAM. Its in the aux port of my IIGS and in the bios I have set the slot to "use my card". I did not assign any to RAMdisk its the default bios option as my bios battery is dead so each time I power off it restores the factory defaults of the bios.

Is there a way I can see if the card has been detected? Where does it need to show the amount of RAM the system has?
Thanks,
Rob

speedyG's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Nov 16 2011 - 07:45
Posts: 2493
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hello Robbo007,
when pressing option-key ( keeping them pressed ! ) before switching on power and after powerswitch was switched to "on" and the releasing after poweron the option-key the controlpanel is displayed. Choose 1 for the options and in that menu choose with the arrow-keys the option RAMDISK. There the Card should be displayed with the RAM detected and you may select how much from the card shall be allocated to the RAmdisk and how much of the memory shall be allocated for use with the RAMdisk. confirm with enter-key and them make warm-boot.

Anyhow, why not pick a cage for 3 AAA-type accumulators and attach / solder instead of the battery to the mainboard ???
Leave the system at least several hours after bootup powered up and make sure that the accumulators are loaded up to
3,6 Volt..... then this will replace the battery for several days and each time the IIGS is powered on again that accumulators get recharged....

-----------------wire at + ---------------- Diode with Cathode at this side -------wire to + of accumulatorcage ----- minus wire to mainboard
...don´t bother dots at this side... L -------- Resistor 100 Ohm ------I ( resistor connected in front and behind of the diode to wire )

sincerely speedyG

Offline
Last seen: 8 years 4 months ago
Joined: Apr 10 2006 - 20:01
Posts: 1013
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Im having some problems loading GS/OS.

I know you're off investigating your RAM, but... what problems are you having, specifically?

robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Thanks for the reply.
I was trying to see if my card was working as my RAM is displayed:

RAM disk Size: 0K
Total RAM in Use: 84K
Total Free RAM: 171K

Is this detecting all my 1MB RAM from the card? Or does it look like its not working?

speedyG's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Nov 16 2011 - 07:45
Posts: 2493
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hello robbo007,
if it would be your own guess what would you believe ?
if the answer is, that the computer does not recognize the card at all, then the answer will be correct.
Some part of the card or the auxiliary RAM slot must be damaged.
speedyG

robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

ok,
So I don't have another RAM card handy to test. Ive removed all the chips from the ram card and both jumpers to test if it detects the 256KB which is soldered on to the RAM card. I still get the same reading in the bios.

I notice there is a little movement when I remove and insert the Ram card in the aux slot so I removed the motherboard to take a closer look. All the slot pins seem to be in order and nothings looks broken. The movement is slight but not enough for the pins to come off the board. Looks like the contact is still being made. I don't want to risk putting some solder on the "loose" pins just yet. All though I've had similar problems with my pinball machine. I had to re-solder some of the points to get the globes working.

Is it more likely for the card to be damaged than the slot? Is there anything else I should test? I think I might have to risk buying another RAM card off ebay or something to see if it is the card and not the slot.

Cheers,
Rob

robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

***update.. Its the plastic cover of the slot which seems to have a slight movement at one end and not the pins. The pins are firmly attached to the motherboard. I gather the movement is from removal and insertion of the RAM card.

magnusfalkirk's picture
Online
Last seen: 1 hour 57 min ago
Joined: Feb 18 2007 - 11:46
Posts: 325
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hi Speedy.
The card is completely populated with RAM. Its in the aux port of my IIGS and in the bios I have set the slot to "use my card". I did not assign any to RAMdisk its the default bios option as my bios battery is dead so each time I power off it restores the factory defaults of the bios.

Is there a way I can see if the card has been detected? Where does it need to show the amount of RAM the system has?
Thanks,
Rob

For the aux ram slot, which is the slot to the upper right of the motherboard as you look at the computer from the front with the cover off, there is NO Control Panel setting. If you've set a slot to "Your Card" and have your memory expansion card in that slot you have it in the wrong place. When you boot up GS/OS go to the Apple in the menu bar and click on it and select "About This Apple IIGS" that will display the total amount of RAM and how much is in use.

speedyG's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Nov 16 2011 - 07:45
Posts: 2493
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hello robbo007,
there seems to be still misunderstanding about the slots allthough in ebay nearly each week is also a picture availiable from an opened IIGS..... like here:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Apple-IIgs-/300823828328?pt=Klassische_Computer&hash=item460a7f5768
at the pictures of that offer the one wirh the open case is turnes around that way - that the right side of the IIGS is on top of the picture....

so lets get this clear:

if the cover is lifted upward towards the front of the IIGS and taken off....
at the rearside ( thats the side where the keyboard and other devices like the monitor are plugged in ) there is a line of slots that are controlled by the controlpanel with the setting to your card or not - ( still sitting in front of the opened case ) counting from left- thats close to the powerunit - slot 0 to right - thats farest away from the powerunit -slot 7 ( similar to the Apple II )....
this slots have nothing to do with the additional RAMcard and that slots have 50 contacts ( 2 rows, each 25 contacts )

the auxiliary RAMslot

is just close to the front right side and it has 2 rows each 22 contacts together 44 contacts and the card is inserted that way, that the chips look toward the middle of the mainboard and the soldering side is looking to the outer right side.
That is the slot determined for the RAMcard only and it is not switched on or off by the controlpanel.... in the controlpanel you may only set the use of the RAM that is detected....
speedyG

robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hi,
Yes its the auxiliary RAM slot I was referring too. Sorry for not being clearer.

I looks like my card is damaged. I'll try to locate another to test it.

Offline
Last seen: 8 years 4 months ago
Joined: Apr 10 2006 - 20:01
Posts: 1013
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Pictures of the card and its insertion might be good too.

speedyG's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Nov 16 2011 - 07:45
Posts: 2493
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hello David,
i´ve just refered him two postings above with a link to actual ebay-offer with picture of opened IIGS and memorycard inserted.... i guess he just viewed that and then confirmed in his last posting that the correct slot was used and the card was inserted correct.... so i agree with him that the card is damaged, if it was inserted correct and even the soldered first 256 kb of RAM have not been recognized by the system.... but i do guess too, that the card has been first probably inserted in wrong slot an damaged there....
sincerely speedyG

robbo007's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 months ago
Joined: Dec 14 2011 - 06:39
Posts: 129
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Here are some photos of the card and Apple IIGS:

IMAGE(http://www.robcraig.com/images/appleiigs1.jpg)
IMAGE(http://www.robcraig.com/images/appleiigs2.jpg)
IMAGE(http://www.robcraig.com/images/appleiigs3.jpg)

Still no joy. I hope its the card thats damaged and not the slot. I'm going to buy one of those Briel cards as I have some SIMMS I can use with it. Does the Briel use the Auxiliary slot too?

Dog Cow's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Dec 11 2008 - 16:26
Posts: 554
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Does the Briel use the Auxiliary slot too?

Yes, because that's the main way to add RAM to the IIgs CPU.

amauget's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 week 4 days ago
Joined: Jan 3 2011 - 11:34
Posts: 339
Re: Apple IIGS Ram Expansion questions

Hello,

You can also try a diagnostic test like this one.

Log in or register to post comments