Re: Applesoft Firmware Card

[Steven Weyhrich <a2history@gmail.com>]

On Monday, June 3, 2013 9:48:38 AM UTC-5, mwillegal wrote:
> Hi Steven,
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> Ah firmware cards - one of my favorite topics.  :-)
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> My original card is no longer in a "as purchased" state, but the 2nd version Blue Book, which essentially was a manual for the Applesoft Firmware card, doesn't say anything about monitor ROMs, auto start or otherwise.  There is a solder blob jumper on the card that will disable or enable F8 (monitor) ROM on the card.  A lot of the surviving cards, do not have the jumper installed, which prevents the F8 monitor ROM on the card from being used.  I would think that this would not be the case, if the original cards had autostart F8 monitor ROMs installed.   
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> I'm thinking that autostart ROMs arrived on the scene with the Apple II plus, about a year after the release of the first version Applesoft Firmware card.   I don't ever remember having autostart capability on my II, though I had a Applesoft Firmware card, from very early on.  I do clearly remember first encountering the autostart "feature" after purchasing an Apple IIplus off of ebay just a few years ago.  I'm pretty sure that I would have experimented with autostart back in the old days, if I had an opportunity to do so.
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> The part number for the autostart ROM is 341-0020,  which is a bit higher than 341-0015 (the highest numbered Applesoft ROM) seems to help confirm this, though it is not conclusive.  I'll check date codes on 341-0020 ROMs in my possession and see what I come up with.
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> Also note that there are 2 different part numbers that can be found silk screened on Firmware cards.  670-___-___ and 600-___-___.   I don't think that there are any electrical differences, so I've speculated about the reason for the change or difference, being related to Integer(670) versus Applesoft (600), but have nothing concrete.  I don't really know why there are two different part numbers for the same board.
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> One other thing,  when introduced, Apple offered Applesoft firmware cards for $100, half price.  There is a note in one of the Contact newsletters about this.  Once again no comment about any autostart feature in those newsletters.
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> regards,
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> Mike Willegal
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> On Sunday, June 2, 2013 6:53:34 PM UTC-4, Steven Weyhrich wrote:
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> > I have been trying to clarify dates of release of some early Apple products, and was reminded that the Applesoft Firmware Card came out some time in the first part of 1978, a year before work on the Autostart ROM was begun. Consequently, at least some Applesoft Firmware Cards out there do NOT have a different Monitor ROM than the original one.
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> > Does anyone out there have an old Applesoft Firmware Card? If so, does pressing RESET when the switch is set for Applesoft drop the user into the Monitor as it did on the original Apple II with Integer BASIC?
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> > Does anyone have a version of the Applesoft Firmware Card that DOES have the Autostart ROM code on it? That is, are there two versions of it out there, one with Autostart and one that just uses the motherboard ROM?
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> > And while we are at it, I have heard that there was an Integer Firmware Card, but have not actually seen it mentioned by someone who owned one. Any of those out there?

Great description! Many thanks!