hue@netcom.UUCP (Johathan Hue) (01/09/90)
I found a 1000 for my parents and now I need to expand it to 1MB. I've heard about replacement PALs and PAL grounding fixes. Do I need to replace the PALs with faster ones before I add more memory? If so, where can I obtained suitably programmed parts (or a JEDEC file, if that's legal)? And what's the PAL grounding fix? Does it ground unused pins or something? Also, does anyone have any recommendation for a memory expansion board with a battery-backed up clock? I'd like one that's internal, unless there's a good reason not to. Is there a cheap way to add just a clock, so I could do the 512KB piggyback hack? -Jonathan
terry@helios.ucsc.edu (Terry Ricketts) (01/10/90)
In article <5494@netcom.UUCP> hue@netcom.UUCP (Johathan Hue) writes: >I found a 1000 for my parents and now I need to expand it to 1MB. I've >heard about replacement PALs and PAL grounding fixes. Do I need to replace >the PALs with faster ones before I add more memory? If so, where can I >obtained suitably programmed parts (or a JEDEC file, if that's legal)? >And what's the PAL grounding fix? Does it ground unused pins or something? > >Also, does anyone have any recommendation for a memory expansion board >with a battery-backed up clock? I'd like one that's internal, unless >there's a good reason not to. Is there a cheap way to add just a clock, so >I could do the 512KB piggyback hack? > >-Jonathan I have had my 1000 for 4 years now and have added a hard disk without ever having to replace the PALs. I would recommend not replacing them until you find it necessary due to some expansion device that wont work. They do need to be grounded though; a fairly easy fix you can do yourself if you can solder. I have been using the Insider for several years. It is inexpensive (especially if you install the ram yourself) and solid. It does have a clock. For the first few years that I had my machine I used the Atime module that plugs into the parallel port; I had done the memory hack to add the extra 512K. It worked, but required that the printer be on when the computer booted. Spirit also makes an internal memory board, but it is more expensive. I have heard rumors that Michigan Software (makers of the Insider) are coming out with a larger version of the Insider that will hold many megs. Any body out there have any more info on it, or if it is true?
rjm10838@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (01/13/90)
I have an A1000 that used to contain the 512k hack. Eventually it went berserk (it wouldn't boot up without guruing until the machine had been on for about 10 minutes...) So, instead of trying to fix it, I just ripped it out and bought a Spirit board. True, it is somewhat more expensive than the Insider, but (please correct me if I'm wrong), the Insider has space for 1 meg, but the Spirit board has space for 1.5 meg. (I hope the news about a larger Insider is true - even 2 meg is limiting these days...) Ron Menelli r-menelli@uiuc.edu
paulz@hpspdra.HP.COM (Paul Zander) (01/16/90)
The Spirit inside board is a piggy back board with room for 1.5 Meg. It also has a battery backed clock. I loaded it with RAM chips, put it in, ran the supplied memory test program, and clossed up my A1000. No problem with the PAL's. The "grounding" mod does not sound difficult, if you are comfortabel with a soldering iron. But as someone once said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"