Re: Apple IIc Plus questions

[ralphp@gcstation.net (Ralph Wade Phillips)]

Hi there, Mitchell!

In article <23JUL199619064197@vax2.concordia.ca>, spec@vax2.concordia.ca
(Mitchell Spector) wrote:

>    I've just recently added an Apple IIc Plus to my collection (finally
> have one of each Apple II model, minus a few variants :) and have a few
> questions about the machine.
> 
> - Is the 34-pin memory expansion connector on the motherboard compatible
>   with the one found on the late model (ROM 3 and 4) Apple IIc? It looks
>   the same, expect for a small set of male-pins beside it (separate from
>   the main connector and not parallel to it). 

        Unfortunately, no, they are not identical.  Drats!
> 
> - Is the system error "bell" supposed to sound different from other 8-bit
>   Apple II's? My IIc+ makes a lower pitched "beep" when turned on. Is this
>   normal or was it just changed as it was on the IIgs?
> 
        Well, it was slowed down so that it wouldn't cause dogs to go
nutzo when it beeped at full speed ... <B-)

> - Is the original character generator/Video ROM the same one found in
>   an Enhanced IIe? The chip installed is identical, even has the same
>   part number (342-0265-A) and number of pins. I'm curious if someone
>   didn't swap chips, since the socket has more pins than the chip and 
>   the part number silked-laced on the motherboard is different. As well, 
>   the "running man" character is still mapped to 'F' and 'G'.

        I saw both flavors when I worked at Shreve.  As far as I
understand, there's a larger character generator that includes overseas
characters, and the standard one.  Standard (USA) was the same as the
enhanced //e, AFAIR.  Note:  More accurate facts will be appreciated. 
Flames and insults at 40+year old ORAM not being perfect won't ... <B-)

> 
> - The Plus seems to use the same technology as a Zip Chip 4 MHz, there's
>   even a TAG and DATA socket with 8K SRAMs installed. :) The machine 
>   automatically starts in 4 MHz mode, but I found it rather curious that
>   quite often it still seems to be operating at 1.024 MHz. Usually there
>   will be short bursts where it'll speed up, but then slow down again.
>   ie - A game like Atari's Ms. Pac-Man. The music at the start is not
>   distorted (plays as if it were 1 MHz) and as I move through the maze
>   the sound and animation continue as normal. However, if I stop moving
>   and sit in a corner, all of a sudden it jumps into 4 MHz and the ghosts
>   start whizzing around. As soon as I move again, it jumps back to 1 MHz.
>   This seems to be the case with all software, it mostly runs at 'Normal'
>   speed and every so often gives short bursts of speed (almost like it's 
>   struggling to accelerate!). Is this _normal_ or is something wrong?
>   I've never seen another IIc Plus or Zip Chip in operation, I'm only
>   familiar with the IIgs and it's 2.6 MHz acceleration (or faster) which 
>   is a _constant_. 

        Backwards - No, the //gs's 2.6MHz is !NOT! constant, else the
floppies and the joystick would NOT work.  The //gs's actual average speed
was more like 2.25MHz, due to the toggling back and forth required to
maintain compatability with Disk ][s, UniDisk 5.25s, UniDisk 3.5s, and
Drive 3.5s, not to mention joystick action.  HOWEVER - That said, the
switch was smoother than the ZipChip ever was.

        The //c+ is toggling back to standard speed, and dwells at
standard speed, to enable joystick-based games to read the joystick
accurately.  It also toggles down for diskette reads, complete with a
dwell time afterwards. This was common with the ZipCard, ZipChip, and
TransWarp accelerators, for the same reason.

> 
> - I noticed I have to hold down the Open-Apple key longer when doing an
>   Apple-Control-Reset to warm boot (otherwise the machine just sees it
>   as a Control-Reset). My IIe's, IIc's, and IIgs's are not like this,
>   is this normal? Is it a side-affect of the built-in 3.5 drive?

        It's NORMAL for a ZipChip (or other accelerator, but the ZipChip,
which is built into the //c+, was more pronounced at it.)  What happens is
that the ZipChip has to reset, restart ITS state machines, and THEN it can
reset the MMU/IOU and THEN poll the keyboard.  You're right, it seemed to
take longer and longer on each generation of the Apple ][ family ...

> 
> - How many external drives can be connected to it's Smartport? I assume
>   one Apple 3.5 and two Apple 5.25 (or a couple of UniDisk 3.5's).

        Hmmm ... I !THINK! it's like the //gs, in that you can have two,
UniDisk 3.5's, two UniDisk 5.25's or Apple Drive 5.25's, and one Drive
3.5.  That's AFAIR, of course - more accurate info again will be
appreciated.

> 
> - (Not a IIc+ specific question but..) I found what appears to be a
>   no-slot-clock underneath the main ROM, although a sticker on it
>   identifies it as "ClockPro/ 4000-90". Is this a clone of the SMT
>   chip or the official thing? Where can I find the software to set
>   the time and date?

        Ah, the ClockPro.  Well, since Dallas Semiconductor made the SMT
and the ClockPro both, dunno if it'd be called a CLONE (grins), but that's
what it is, a no-slot clock.

> 
> Mitchell Spector
> spec@vax2.concordia.ca

        Hopefully this helped some.

        My BIGGEST gripe with the //c+ was the removal of the external
power supply.  (HUH??  WHY!!!????)  Since I had several customers who were
missionaries to the African countries, it was most helpful to have a 12V
monochrome monitor (RCA Survelience(?SP)) and a 12V operated //c.  The
ORIGINAL board had circuitry that would blink the power LED on a low
battery condition, the later ones removed that circuitry (which was easy
to add back in), but the //c+ required an inverter.  Drats!

        RwP

-- 
Ralph Wade Phillips, CET #LA-82
ralphp@gcstation.net