Re: Apple II/II+ Question

["Paul R. Santa-Maria" <paulrsm@buckeye-express.com>]

Bryan Parkoff wrote:
> Apple II/II+ Question

Following is a simplified overview of the Apple II/II+, the
Language Card, and the Firmware Card.

The Apple II and the Apple II+ motherboards are identical 
except for the ROMs.  The Apple II has Integer BASIC ROMs 
while the Apple II+ has Applesoft ROMs.  (Integer BASIC 
was written by Woz; Applesoft was written by Microsoft.)
Both have RAM from $0000 to $BFFF, slot card I/O from
$C000 to $CFFF, and BASIC (either Integer or Applesoft)
from $D000 to $FFFF.

Apple made a Firmware Card that plugs into slot 0.  It
contains either the Integer BASIC ROMs or the Applesoft
ROMs.  You can bank-switch between the motherboard ROMs 
and the Firmware Card ROMs so your Apple II/II+ could
run either BASIC.  Support for this was built into
DOS 3.3 and it would switch to the correct BASIC
depending on which BASIC program was loaded.
Many Apple II owners purchased the Applesoft Firmware 
card and swapped the ROMs from their motherboard with 
the ROMs on the Firmware Card.

Apple also made the Language Card.  This is a 16K RAM card 
that also goes into slot 0 and lets you switch between the
motherboard ROMs and the memory on the Language Card in
a similar way that the Firmware Card works.  It was 
introduced for Apple Pascal but DOS 3.3 uses it to
load whichever BASIC is not on the motherboard.  That is,
if you have Integer BASIC on the motherboard, DOS 3.3 will
load Applesoft into the Language card and vice-versa.

DOS 3.3 loads into the upper part of the 48K memory.  There 
were several DOS movers that put it into the Language Card.
This gave more room for your BASIC programs but removed the
ability to run the other BASIC.

So, an Apple II/II+ with nothing in slot 0 can only run
the BASIC on the motherboard ROMs.  An Apple II/II+ with
a firmware card can run either BASIC but not Apple Pascal.
An Apple II/II+ with the Language Card can run either BASIC,
Apple Pascal, or can use the memory to move DOS 3.3 and 
make more room for BASIC programs.

Apple II/II+ users were clever and found ways around
many of the limitations above.  For example, you could
put the Language Card in slot 0, the Firmware Card in slot 
4 (or another slot), and patch DOS 3.3 so it would load
in the Language Card and switch between the motherboard
ROMs and Firmware Card ROMs as needed.

You can find more information about Woz's software at
http://members.buckeye-express.com/marksm/6502/

I have an Integer BASIC Firmware Card in my hand.  It is
labeled "ROM CARD" and has the following ROMs in it:

ROM   Part Number   Description
F8    341-0004-00   Original Monitor
F0    341-0003-00   Integer BASIC,
                    floating point routines,
                    mini-assembler, Sweet 16
E8    341-0002-00   Integer BASIC
E0    341-0001-00   Integer BASIC   
D8                  The Inspector (third-party add-on)
D0    341-0016-00   Programmer's Aid #1

I will have to dig out an Apple II+ to find the part numbers
for the Applesoft ROMs.

--
Paul R. Santa-Maria
Monroe, Michigan USA