Re: Card Questions(?)

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <1995Aug13.123134.1@surf.eng.yale.edu>,
 <wklye@surf.eng.yale.edu> wrote:
> 
> 1.  I'd like to add more memory in addition to the 128K on board (counting 
> the 64K on the 80col/64k/RGB card).  I'm aware the Apple makes (made) a 1Meg
> board, and AE make both the RamFactor and RamWorks (in several incarnations) 
> board.  Basically I need to know the diffrence between what these boards do,
> their compatibility with software (AppleWorks, say), specific slot requirements
> and whether they need some driver software to be used.

The Apple II Memory Expansion Card (made by Apple) takes a maximum of
1 MB of RAM.  It will run in any slot from 1 to 7, except 3.  It will
work in a II+, IIe or IIgs (slot must be set to "Your Card" in the
IIgs).  It can be used as a RAM disk: automatically by ProDOS and by
Pascal 1.3, with a simple IN#n command for DOS 3.3.  ProDOS and
possibly Pascal can be booted from the RAM disk, provided it has been
intialized (boot blocks need to be written to the card).

The AE RamFactor is basically the same design, except that it supports
a 2MB piggyback memory expansion card, and has settable parameters for
a partition between the RAM disk and program usage of the RAM.  There
is also an externally powered memory backup unit called the RamCharger
that can be used with the RamFactor. 

Both cards can be used as memory expansion by some programs.  The
recommended method of using the memory is via SmartPort byte
read/write calls, or by simply using the card as a RAM disk.

Code cannot be executed from these cards: it must be loaded in the
main memory of the computer first (either main or auxiliary memory).
The memory is physically accessed through a one-byte data register
with a 3-byte auto-incrementing address register.

AppleWorks 1.3 and later supports this type of RAM card.  You should
also have a 64K auxiliary RAM card to maximise the IIe memory.


The RamWorks and similar cards can only be used in the IIe.  They plug
into the auxiliary slot, in place of the auxiliary 64K RAM card.  Most
models will take up to 1 MB on the main card, and some support a
piggyback card to expand the memory further.

These cards operate by bank switching: multiple auxiliary 64K banks
may be selected by writing the desired bank into a register on the card.

There is no ROM on the card, and a patch is required to get ProDOS to
use it as a larger RAM disk (either patching the PRODOS file on disk,
or loading a driver into memory once ProDOS has been booted).  You
cannot boot from this RAM disk.  I'm not aware of any Pascal support
for these cards.  DOS 3.3 support would also require a patch.

It is possible to run code from the card, but this is rather difficult
to manage, because you have to have duplicated code in each bank to
switch execution between banks, or go through glue code in the main
64K bank.  It is also a nuisance dealing with the language card space
that is repeated in every bank.  I believe that most programs simply
use the card for data storage, and waste some space in the language
card to simplify operation and to include interrupt vectors and code
to copy data in and out.

AppleWorks 3.0 and later support this type of card.  Earlier versions
can be patched using the software supplied by AE with the card.


I haven't had much experience using either type of card with other
programs.

> 2.  An accelerator card would be next - but I understand AE's
> Transwarp is not DMA compatible ...

There is no accelerator for the IIe that is DMA compatible.  The
TransWarp GS and ZIP GS are DMA compatible, but they don't work in the IIe.

The Apple High-Speed SCSI card and RamFast can both have their DMA
facilities disabled, which allows them to be used with an accelerator
in a IIe.

> Also, the same questions - compatibility, slot requirements, drivers?

The TransWarp (and ZIP CHIP) should be compatible with nearly all
software.  I'm not sure whether the TransWarp will work in slot 3.

> 3.  I'm quickly running out of space (seven slots just isn't enough
> any more).  Is there anyway to use slot 3 - keeping in mind I have
> (and want) the 80col/RGB card in the AUX slot?

Slot 3 can generally only be used for a card that has no ROM.  On the
IIgs, an accelerator can be put in slot 3, as can special cards such
as most stereo cards, the Second Sight (VGA) or Video Overlay Card.

There might be some IIe-specific cards with a ROM that can be used in
slot 3, but they would have to implement the interrupt handler entry
points to be fully compatible, and the loss of the 80-column firmware
would be a pretty major limitation.

> 4.  I'm thinking of hooking a ink jet printer like a StyleWriter or one of
> Canon's many bubblejet printers to the //e.

You won't have any luck with a StyleWriter.  There is no IIe-based
software that will support it.  There is a driver for the IIgs, but it
only works with native software.  This only works with the original
StyleWriter, not the StyleWriter II.

The StyleWriter and StyleWriter II do not support ASCII text output
from the computer, only graphically generated output.  This prevents
them from being used with about 99% of Apple II software.  The
few programs that support graphical output have generally not been
updated recently enough to support the StyleWriter.

The Canon Bubblejet might be a different story, provided you can
interface to it and it supports ASCII output, and ideally emulation of
a common printer such as one of the Epson models.   You are unlikely
to be able to take full advantage of the printer's capabilities.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand