To: Steven Hirsch Steven Hirsch wrote:
I took the plunge and modified my ZipGSX to 64k cache and 12.5Mhz. CPU clock. Polymorph's howto was extremely helpful with respect to locating the parts. In particular, I did not realize that WDC would sell small quantities directly to individuals!
Yes, I was a bit surprised that WDC sold to hobbyists in small quantities, but I guess it shows true dedication.
Instead of cutting the sockets, I tool the plunge and used my aging OK Industries desoldering station to remove the originals outright. Went very smoothly. The Zip PC board seems to have fairly heavy cladding and robust plate-through on the vias. Managed to do the job without (God forbid) tearing any traces or lifting pads. My 55-year-old eyes are not up to this task without a good magnifier between them and the PCB :-).
If only I had such a desoldering station....<sighs>. Anyone recommend a good one that doesn't cost the bank?
When first fired up, it crashed repeatedly. After some shameful language, I calmed down and went through the cards one-by-one, reseating chips and taking a pencil eraser to the edge connectors. That seems to have taken care of things, and it's now been running for about 20 minutes without problems.
One thing that can happen with Zip GSX's is poor contact with the slot connectors. I actually went through all the slot contacts using a jewellers screwdriver and prised them out a fraction to make sure that there was good contact between the board and the slot. I picked this tip up from somewhere (source unknown for now). Apparently Zip GSX's have a slot connector susceptible to this poor contact phenomenon.
I'll keep my fingers crossed, but so far, so good!
Congrats and glad my previous experiences were of use to you. This is the sole reason I posted it on my web site. :-)
cheers, -p --- Synchronet 3.14a-Win32 NewsLink 1.85 A2Central.com - Your total source for Apple II computing.