Re: Question: What other IIgs accelerators existed?

[pubpc1@library.ucla.edu]

Nathan Mates wrote:
> Andrew T. Foster <knight@arsenal.com> wrote:
> >I just picked up a Transwarp GS (woo hoo! this things rocks!), but
> >I was curious to know what other types of accelerators were
> >available in "the days"? Are there any faster accelerators than the
> >Transwarp? By the way, this one has 32k.
> 
>    [Reposted to comp.sys.apple2 where is more appropriate, and also
> reformatted to be 70 characters per line, which should be used rather
> than 90+]
> 
>    The ZipGS was the only other processor accelerator. [RamFAST sped
> up scsi HD transfers] Both were upgradeable to certain amounts of
> cache RAM and processor speed (max is anywhere from 12-14+ Mhz
> depending on lots of things, including cards in system, phase of the
> moon, and lots of other factors preventing a definitive answer). The
> TWGS is supposed to have a better cache algorithm, so it's reported to
> be slightly faster than a Zip for the same processor & cache
> size.

Yes indeed.  A 10MHz Transwarp GS I tested matches a 12.5MHz
Zip GS in most tasks.

> [But, they required rarer components to upgrade them; zip is
> more likely to be pushed higher without modification or searching for
> oddball GALs, etc]

Not true, Nate.  You really should update the out of date
info in your accelerator FAQ.  I invite the original poster
of the question to point their web browser to:

http://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/apple2/apple16/Hypermedia/Hypercard/

And download: TWGSupgrade.SHK (or TWGSupgrade.BSQ if you require
7-bit transfer).

Any 65C816 high speed chip manufactured today (and recently [years])
_does not_ require an upgrade to the GALs.  Those were only
required with the old "Engineering" chips that WDC used to sell.
I've upgraded a TWGS card by just changing the half-size oscillator
in the corner.  No GAL upgrade or ROM upgrade needed.  The info
is in my Transwarp GS upgrade stack.

Also, again, your Zip GS upgrade info in the accelerator FAQ is
also in error.  Not everyone needs to replace the gates there for
high speed operation.  I did not need to for 13.75MHz.  Matt
Portune's Zip _would not work_ WITH the replacement gates.  And
my stack, ZipUpgrade.SHK and ZipUpgrade.BSQ from ground, also
shows where to get parts for upgrading without soldering the board.

Upgrading both accelerators is easy.  Easier than the dated
accelerator FAQ makes it out to be.

-Scott G.