Re: Apple ][e

["Roger Johnstone" <rojaws@mac.com>]

In article <3B6485FE.C5E5DEEA@dcs.ed.ac.uk>, Steve Maughan 
<saxm@dcs.ed.ac.uk> wrote:

> Hi, I've just dug out my apple ][e after 10 years in storage. I was
> wondering if anyone can identify some of the hardware in it. Here are
> the descriptions of the cards I have:
>
> Card 1:
> A orange Micro "GRAPPLER INTERFACE" card (number 22462). This is a
> parallel port, right? Can I make a parallel port connection with this to
> my other machine? To use like a serial terminal?

Yes, it's for connecting a parallel printer. You could connect it to another
computer by using the data lines as outputs and the signal lines as inputs,
but I don't know if there's any software out there to support it.


> Card 2:
> A big red card, has "D.D.P.RESEARCH & MARKETING (C) 1981" and "RAMEX 16
> ISS2" written on it. It's got 23 16pin chips on it (8xITT 8005N/4116 3D,
> 4x74LS153PC, and the rest are 74(somethings)).

Sounds like a 16KB RAM card. The processor in the Apple II can directly
address 64KB of memory. The Apple II and II+ could have up to 48KB of RAM on
the motherboard while the top 16KB of the address space was used by the ROM
and for I/O. A Language Card could be added to expand the RAM to 64KB. It
worked by switching between the ROM and RAM in the top part of memory. The
Apple IIe has 64KB already so a language card is useless in it. There was a
second type of card which could work in a IIe as well. I know Saturn made
them in 32KB, 64KB and 128KB versions but I've never heard of one with only
16KB.


> Card 3:
> Has "OMNIVISION computer shop (tm) written on it. Also has 7 dip/rocker
> switches on it on the top left of the board. It has a big central chip -
> a motorola MC68455P/R1A8005. It also has 8 pins on the top right,
> labelled (0-7), GND, VIDEO OUT, LIGHT PEN, GND INPUT, N/C, +5V, LC
> INPUT.

Definitely an 80-column text card. The Apple II and II+ only had 40-column
text displays, so these were a common add-on. The Apple IIe has a built-in
80-column display, but you need to have a memory expansion card in the
auxilliary slot for it to work. Normally these cards go in slot 3. You can
activate it by typing 'PR#3' from the BASIC prompt. The built-in 80-column
display will only work if there is no card in slot 3, since it uses the slot
3 space too.


> Card 4:
> It has "TIME ][" etched on it and on the left, 8 blue dip switches (with
> INTER-RUPT SET etched to the right of it). It also has a big National
> Lithium Battery on the top right.

A clock card.


> Card 5:
> This one looks fun - it has a "ZILOG Z8400A PS Z80A CPU 8320" It also
> has 4 dip switches to the left of the Z80. It has the letters AT written
> on the bottom left of the card.

A Z80 coprocessor card, normally used for running the CP/M operating system.
If you want to use it you'll need to find out the manufacturer of the card
since most cards required a custom version of the CP/M boot disk, although
some were clones of the Microsoft card.


> Card 6:
> It says "(c) ELITE SOFTWARE COMPANY" on the left hand side, and "ESC 001
> ISS2" on the bottom left. It's a blue card with a lead with a push
> button on the end of it. I've never had any idea about this one - it was
> given to me seperately from my apple about 12 years ago in a box with
> "Wildcard" written on it.

That's an interesting card. I've never used one, but I think the idea was
you could run a program and at any time press the button to stop the
program. From there you could go into the monitor to view the memory or save
it to disk. It was often used for cracking copy-protected programs.


> Card 7:
> Ok, this isn't actually a card, but I'll mention it anyway. It's not
> actually plugged into my apple ][ but I believe it may have come with
> the Digitek Colour Encoder Card. I think this because it looks like the
> tuner on my main computers video card, and says "THIS SLOT _ONLY_ FOR
> EURO COLOR PAL/SECAM CARD _DO NOT USE ANY OTHER CARD!_. It also has a
> lead with a s/video connector on the end of it.
>
> Card 8:
> Another thing that isn't really a card - it seems to plug into the
> expander port thing on the outside of my apple. It has a 3.0v 100mA
> battery on it and says "MICRO WATCH" on the top right, and "(c) GLANMIRE
> ELECTRONICS LTD 1982" on the bottom left.

That sounds like another clock. Where exactly does it plag in?


> Anyway, if anyone can help me with any of this, It would be much
> appreciated, and I eagerly await your replys :)
>
> Oh yeah, I just have to say: I've got the Digitek colour encoder card
> plugged into the s/video in on my main computers card, so I have my
> apple ][ running into a 17" Sony Trinitron monitor! It rocks!
>
>
> --
>
> Steve Maughan
>
>     Don't run away from your problems...
>     Riding is much faster.

--
Roger Johnstone, Invercargill, New Zealand

Apple II - Future Cop:LAPD - iMac Voodoo2 - Warcraft II
http://homepage.mac.com/rojaws
______________________________________________________________________

"I think there is a world market for about five computers."
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