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?
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...
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
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.
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.