Re: ROM-Drive - Update

["Terence J. Boldt" <apple2@cgocable.net>]

Anthony Politz wrote in message <758atc$e94@world5.bellatlantic.net>...
>What about creating a ProDOS battery backed ram Drive. Something like AE
>ramcharger but it would act like a HD. With new technologies this shouldn't
>be too hard. Even a PCMCIA interface where one could use a type II PCMCIA
>hard drive or Flash card.


The idea for this one was to have fun building a card with technology
available in the early 1980's.  It does not have any fancy GAL's, PAL's,
FlashRAM or anything like that.  Part of this decision is due to the fact
that I'm building this (aside from the PCB) from scrap parts lying about in
my basement and a $79 EPROM programmer that doesn't handle much.

>Will the ROM card accept 8meg ROMS ? How would one burn the eproms without
>and eprom programmer ?


It currently works with up to 4 27C512 EPROM's which gives you 256KB.  That
should be enough to boot ProDOS and have a few utilities on hand.  Mine will
boot ProDOS and have a few games on it.  ;-)  This current design would
force you to use an EPROM programmer to create the disk image.  If all goes
well with this design, perhaps a much more modern drive will follow (I know
there are at least a couple people working on such things).  I really would
like to see a finished working product before going nuts with more
complicated things.  Certainly the ultimate would be a several megabyte
FlashRAM drive that boots GS/OS System 6.0.1 in seconds.  Next time.

-- Terence J. Boldt (apple2@cgocable.net)