Re: VGC Chip

["Bryan Parkoff" <nospam@nospam.com>]

"Henry" <apl2research(.a.t.)comcast.net> wrote in message 
kuadnROFp7cF3iTZnZ2dnUVZ_oydnZ2d@comcast.com">news:kuadnROFp7cF3iTZnZ2dnUVZ_oydnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Hello Bryan.
>
> I too have often wondered what was in some of the Apple IIgs IC's.  A 
> buddy of mine recommended the DigiView Logic Analyzer ($500).  It's an 18 
> input analyzer that is PC based.  Although it won't produce a schematic 
> like you're looking for, it will let you logically 'see' what the signals 
> are going to and from the IC.
>
> Other possibility would be to send a few of the IC's to a company I found 
> based in China.  They have some pretty good equipment over there.  They 
> can hook up your IC, analyze it and should be able to recover enough code 
> to produce a suitable replacement.  The drawback?  The price!  The service 
> starts around $4000.  I looked in to it for the Sandwich II and SWIM IC's 
> for my projects.  I may also post a message on some freelance sites. 
> Seems you can get really good guys working in third-world countries for 
> just about nothing an hour.
>
> Probably in the future the machines that are used to 'brute force analyze' 
> these types of controllers and customs IC's will come down in price. 
> Since we're dealing with 20 year old IC's most basic analyzers will work 
> just fine.  Now we just need to wait about 7-10 years and pick one up one 
> on eBay for cheap!  Once that happens then most if not all the 'secrets' 
> of the IIgs will be unlocked and anyone will be able to use the info. 
> Sooner or later I'll probably start sending stuff off to be cracked 
> anyway.
>
> I know that doesn't help much, but I hope it helps some.
>
> -- 
> Henry S. Courbis
> www.GSE-Reactive.com
> Apple II Series Legacy Hardware - Come take a look at what we have to 
> offer!
>
> "Bryan Parkoff" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message 
> news:fL5ug.4804$2v.2309@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
>>    Do you have idea what is inside video graphic controller chip of Apple 
>> IIgs?  Is there a way that you can build schematic inside VGC chip?
>>
>> Bryan Parkoff
>>
>>
>
>
Henry,

    Hi, I know what you are talking about.  I know Logic Analyzer for $389 
on www.nci-usa.com.  It has 34 channels.  It has limit size of data to 
capture, but other expensive Logic Analyzer ($10,000 or so) have more than 
200 channels and can capture up to billion size of data.  I can tell that 
Logic Analyzer is not very worth to analyze what is inside VGC chip.  It 
does the same as Mega II chip.  It would take couple months to years by 
capturing all possible data.
    Huge possible data requires you to spend more time to study.  Often, it 
does not make sense.  Look at Apple IIgs' motherboard schematic from Apple 
IIgs' Hardware manual.  It gives the information about pinout of VGC chip 
and Mega II chip.  Pinout information helps to analyze possible data while 
attempts to construct schematic inside chip.

Bryan Parkoff