CHRIS@MSUS1.BITNET (10/12/89)
I've been talking to reps, and I can't get any straight answers about if or when certain things will be available for the GS. First, is a faster Trans Warp comming our for the GS? Are there any plans for a Zip chip GS? If yes to either of these, will they be slot selectable for speed (ie, one slot fast, another slot normal). Chris
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (10/14/89)
In article <8910121202.aa09835@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> CHRIS@MSUS1.BITNET writes: >First, is a faster Trans Warp comming our for the GS? Yes, when faster chips are available. Apparently 7MHz upgrade kits are now shipping for those lucky 6.25MHz owners who got upgrade cards to mail in. 10MHz and maybe even 12MHz upgrades have been promised (not necessarily for free!) when enough working chips are available at those speeds. >Are there any plans for a Zip chip GS? Dunno about this one. >If yes to either of these, will they be slot selectable for speed >(ie, one slot fast, another slot normal). I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but the TransWarp GS always slows down to 1MHz when any slot device is addressed, just as the IIGS itself does. I haven't heard any plans to change this.
CHRIS@MSUS1.BITNET (10/16/89)
> I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but the TransWarp GS always > slows down to 1MHz when any slot device is addressed, just as the IIGS > itself does. I haven't heard any plans to change this. I don't think your correct there. I have a device that will only operate with the GS at normal speed. If it always does that, why would me device work. Chris
dale@pro-colony.cts.com (System Operator) (10/16/89)
> Network Comment: to #11202 by CHRIS%MSUS1.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu > > CS-ID: #11202.apple.ii/info-apple@pro-colony 364 chars > Date: Mon, 16 Oct 89 01:16:57 CST > From: CHRIS%MSUS1.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Unknown User) > Subject: Re: Speed options for the GS > >> I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but the TransWarp GS always >> slows down to 1MHz when any slot device is addressed, just as the IIGS >> itself does. I haven't heard any plans to change this. > > I don't think your correct there. I have a device that will only operate with > the GS at normal speed. If it always does that, why would me device work. > > Chris I believe the IIGS only slows down for slots 4,5 & 6. As a result, if you have a card that requires 1 mhz to run, try installing it into one of those slots and see what happens (this should work fine with a TWGS as well). Dale ============================================================================== proline: dale@pro-colony uucp : crash!pnet01!pro-colony!dale inet : crash!dale@pro-colony.cts.com arpa : crash!pnet01!pro-colony!dale@nosc.mil ============================================================================== >>> pro-colony 214/370-7056 24 hours <<<
brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian Willoughby) (10/17/89)
In article <8910152111.aa20779@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> CHRIS@MSUS1.BITNET writes: > >> I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but the TransWarp GS always >> slows down to 1MHz when any slot device is addressed, just as the IIGS >> itself does. I haven't heard any plans to change this. > >I don't think your correct there. I have a device that will only operate with >the GS at normal speed. If it always does that, why would me device work. > >Chris A little clarification is needed. The Apple Bus transfers data in 1 MHz cycles. Most Apple peripherals don't have their data ready any quicker, and when you are writing data to a peripheral, they will certainly ignore data that doesn't stick around for the full cycle. Therefore, all Apple II accelerators operate at 1 MHz FOR THE SINGLE INSTANT THAT THE DATA TRANSFER CYCLE IS HAPPENING. This is true for the TransWarp II Plus, TransWarp GS and the 2.8 MHz standard GS. Fine. However, some peripheral drivers execute in fast RAM, but were written to execute on the 1 MHz Apple. For this reason, all Apple II compatible systems which operate above 1 MHz need a method of executing this timed software at the proper speed, especially for direct CPU controlled hardware like disk devices. The IIgs designers implemented a defeatable feature where accessing the 'motor on' address causes the CPU to run at 1 MHz, and 'motor off' resumes the speed selected in the control panel. Unfortunately, this doesn;t work if: A) The device doesn't even use Disk ][ -style 'motor' control signals. B) The device is in a slot other than 4,5,6 or 7. C) The 'motor' sense for that slot is turned off (I don't have a IIgs, so I don't know if this can happen under normal situations). The TransWarp designers at AE have implemented a different solution (at least for the II Plus version). If ANY slot address is accessed (not just the 'motor' switches), AND the slot is switched to slow on their special slot speed DIP switch - then the card stays at 1 MHz for a pre-determined number of cycles. AE must have done a little research om determining what the minimum time would be for the worst case, because it is a long time even by the slow computing speed of humans (i.e. I have enough time to type a Ctrl-G 'Bell' character three timess at the 1 MHz speed, after accessing a card manually from the monitor, before the TransWarp returns to 3.58 MHz). This is a very confusing point, which even the Tech Support people at AE, Laser and other Apple II product companies have a hard time understanding. The $Cxxx space is ALWAYS accessed with a 1 MHz clock cycle. The only choice allowed is whether to switch back to high speed or not while executing the driver software. On an interesting side note, my UDC card (almost) works with the switch at full speed. That's because ALL of the UDC SmartPort driver software is in the $Cxxx space, so the TransWarp has to slow down to read it. Every access - both code and data - are on 1 MHz cycles. Except, of course, when the sector is copied to/from fast RAM. But the UDC buffers each sector in on-board RAM which is in the $Cxxx space also, so the timing critical routines still execute at 1 MHz. The only thing the slow setting would do in this case is delay the switch back the full speed AFTER the SmartPort driver is exited. In case you're wondering, I say it -> (almost) <- works because I can't get the UDC to live with my TransWarp, so when it eventually fails in the fast position I'm assuming that its for the same reason that it eventually fails in the slow position (try explaining that to a Laser or AE Tech Supportee - I tried with both and only accomplished a sizable donation to MCI, but no help with the hardware). You've heard that GS/OS generated drivers can be faster than the ROM-based drivers? I've just explained why. P.S. I've received many doubting responses concerning the information in my IIgs -related postings (since I'm a Plus owner) but if the curious IIgs owner would simply purchase the A.W. tech refs, they might know as much (perhaps more) about their machine as I do. Hey, I don't work for Addison Wesley, but since I'm researching into the purchase of a IIgs, I have found that the manuals are the best way to find out about a machine. Brian Willoughby UUCP: ...!{tikal, sun, uunet, elwood}!microsoft!brianw InterNet: microsoft!brianw@uunet.UU.NET or: microsoft!brianw@Sun.COM Bitnet brianw@microsoft.UUCP
matthew@sunpix.UUCP ( Sun Visualization Products) (10/17/89)
In article <8910152111.aa20779@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> CHRIS@MSUS1.BITNET writes: } }> I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but the TransWarp GS always }> slows down to 1MHz when any slot device is addressed, just as the IIGS }> itself does. I haven't heard any plans to change this. } }I don't think your correct there. I have a device that will only operate with }the GS at normal speed. If it always does that, why would me device work. } }Chris Because its probably depending upon between slot access timing. Unlike most non-gs specific accelorators, the //gs only slows down for the slot access itself. The first cycle after the access is at the speed selected at the control panel. -- Matthew Lee Stier | Sun Microsystems --- RTP, NC 27709-3447 | "Wisconsin Escapee" uucp: sun!mstier or mcnc!rti!sunpix!matthew | phone: (919) 469-8300 fax: (919) 460-8355 |