[comp.sys.apple] Ramworks III

ST802148@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU (Evan) (11/15/89)

2 days ago, I had a very frightening experience. My proterm 2.1 and
Appleworks with Ramworks enhancements (To be able to use available
memory in desktop) were both messing up. The proterm flipped up in the
scrollback and aw would hang when I tried to load up large files. After
recopying the programs from backups, still no avail. Then I shuddered at
the idea of a virus, so I used a virus checker, only to make myself
think the program was INSTALLING viruses rather than removing/finding
them.  I hoped I was wrong.  Then I thought that my RocketChip 10Mhz was
failing, but I didn't know what to do about it. I then wondered if the
chip was not accessing the Ramworks due to a bad connection, so I
removed the card, cleaned the connectors and replaced. Still no avail. I
used Copy ][+ to check a ram drive on a ram disk I made on the Ramworks,
when what do you know, it hangs at a certain memory location. So I pull
out my Ramworks III tester disk and the program find nothing, when I
notice it wasn't looking at a whole 64K bank I have myself installed a
year ago that had been functioning fine. After removing the bank, all
was normal (but with only 512K now!). The motto, if anyone has been
transferring old ram chips from other cards to memory cards, watch out
when you accelerate the computer and/or the ram. The old ram might not
be able to handle it after much use!

ericmcg@pro-generic.cts.COM (Eric Mcgillicuddy) (11/21/89)

In-Reply-To: message from ST802148@brownvm.brown.edu

I believe you are mistaken about RAM chip speeds and RC compatibility. The RC
does not accelerate the system, it only speeds the processor inside its
package. All external operations are 1MHz. Thus, if something worked be for it
should continue to do so. The RC caches external data and instructions and
executes them internally whenever possible. If the data or instruction it
fetches into the cache is bad then it will fail. Running a card at slow speed
does not actually keep the card slow, but rather traps the address range to
prevent it from being cached. My humble opinion is that one or more of the
64k chips are bad and need replacement.

The preceding is based on the ZipChip, it seems unreasonable that the RC would
attempt to override the Apple's system clock to accelerate itself. I could be
wrong. 

"Anything useful will be abused until it is useless"

ST802148@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU (Evan) (11/27/89)

The Rocketchip DOES accelerate up to 2 megs of auxiliary RAM, that is one thing
 that differenciates it from the Transwarp which can only do so for 128K.  The
RC not only caches, accelerates, and provides compatability, but also speeds up
 the RAM. Take a look on the package. I will look through my manual and copy wh
at it says