Re: Saving //gs Control Panel Settings

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Bill Bach writes ...
> 
> I am trying to get my //gs (ROM01) to save its settings in the control
> panel -- e.g. Setting a slot to "Your Card" to enable a SuperSerial card
> in it, or even changing the beep frequency or setting the system speed
> (would be nice to play old games at normal speed).
> 
> A previous post indicated that I might need to replace the system
> battery, which I now have done.  However, the only thing that I'm able
> to set is the clock (which was working fine with the original battery),
> but all other setting changes revert back to their defaults.  Any
> suggestions now?
 ....

     Are you able to make Control Panel changes while the computer is turned ON? For
example, can you change screen Text and border colors and have the changes 'stick'
for as long as the computer is powered?



> Is there a second battery that I need to find
> somewhere?

     There is no other battery involved. What sort of battery did you install--
mainly, what type (e.g. alkaline, lithium, etc.) and what is its Voltage rating?



> Is it trying to write to a CMOS chip which perhaps has gone bad?

     I guess that's possible; but, it does not seem likely. The 256 bytes of memory
used for storing Control Panel settings are part of the same chip (often called the
"BAT RAM") that keeps time.

     What I'm wondering is whether your bat Voltage is too low. (It should be 3.6V.)
Possibly, with a too-low bat Voltage, the clock might keep working when power is OFF
but the 256-byte RAM might lose data.

     Although it seems unlikely, the 1K resistor (R75) or the IN914 diode (CR2)
coming from the battery may be defective.

     Another possibility is that some data never gets sent to the BAT RAM. That could
relate to a poorly socketed Video Graphics Controller IC-- a square IC located under
the power supply. With everything OFF, prying up and resocketing the VGC chip may
reestablish good connections and fix things. (You can pry up square IC's at the
corners using a tiny screwdriver or large needle.)



Rubywand