Disk ][ Question:Slot Selection

5 posts / 0 new
Last post
Offline
Last seen: 8 months 3 weeks ago
Joined: Dec 19 2003 - 18:53
Posts: 906
Disk ][ Question:Slot Selection

After reconditioning some Disk ]['s I found that they worked terrifically well with all software, when booting them in slot #6. Trying to boot from slot#4 created issues however. It was driving me nuts at first, when I didn't realize the solution (of using slot#6), and I was keeping slot #6 open for being able to quickly be plugging in and out an I/O card (for running a DuoDisk). I know the literature of the day always recommended slot#6, but I didn't realize that it was so critical as boot drive choice (a system standard really) with the Disk ]['s. Am I missing or forgetting something here?

speedyG's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Nov 16 2011 - 07:45
Posts: 2493
Re: Disk ][ Question:Slot Selection

Yes....
some slots have been reserved for beeing a bit better for faster access and DMA .....
seems to be dependent to the place related to daisy chain and length of some timing traces......
that´s also reason slot 4 is proposed to be used with coprocessorcards like Softcard with Z80 for CPM as default...
slot 4 is assumed to be a so called "fast" slot
by "never published reasons" for this standard the following standards should be kept...:
slot 0 - language card / 16kB card
slot 1 - printer card or parallel or iEEE488 card
slot 2 - serial card or modem card or networking card
slot 3 - 80 column card
slot 4 - z80 card or other coprocessorcard
slot 5 - second disk card or harddisk controllercard
slot 6 - disk controllercard or hardisk controller card ( alternating to slot 5 and staying as default bootup slot
prior to slot 5 .... some disks don´t even work while booting from slot 5 ! )
slot 7 - Video RGB card or RAM Disk card for large RAM cards ( i.e. slinky ) or alternating harddiskcontroller
if it is the default bootup device prior to slot 6....

its strongly recommended to keep with this order.....

some interface cards don´t even have relocatable code in their
Eproms or ROM´s and make trouble if inserted in wrong slot....

speedyG

addon with MarkO´s reply....
according to my current reply.... those card with non- relocatable code usually had origin from Taiwan as so called "copy cats" ... i.e. printer cards some serial cards and some "special cards" like measurement cards for labs...

MarkO's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 week 10 hours ago
Joined: Dec 10 2011 - 16:26
Posts: 688
Re: Disk ][ Question:Slot Selection

The Disk ][ Controller Card should work in any Slot from #1 to #7...

Certain Applications might expect it to be in Slot #6.. IIRC, UCSD Pascal had this limitation, plus the need for 80 Columns..

Slot #7 has a Video Signal, the Only Slot to have it besieds the Aux Slot on the Apple ][e, on Pin #36, IIRC... That would be the only difference..

MarkO

Offline
Last seen: 8 months 3 weeks ago
Joined: Dec 19 2003 - 18:53
Posts: 906
Re: Disk ][ Question:Slot Selection

By the way folks this was performed in a recently enhanced Apple IIe. Also I had used electronic cleaner on all of the slot connectors, within the last week and a half.

amauget's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 week 4 days ago
Joined: Jan 3 2011 - 11:34
Posts: 339
Re: Disk ][ Question:Slot Selection

Hello,

Like MarkO points out, some software won't boot if the Disk II controller is not inserted in slot #6.
Keep it this way and you will be out of trouble.

Log in or register to post comments