[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Radius Rocket SIMM configurations

brod@jessica.Stanford.EDU (Brodie Lockard) (05/07/91)

In response to some Rocket questions:

Yes, 6.0.7 will boot with 1 meg.  The Rocket requires 1 meg on the motherboard,
and 2 meg on itself.  There are 8 slots on the Rocket, in 2 banks of 4 (just
like on the motherboard).  Each bank must have 4 SIMMs in it, or none.  You can
fill them as follows.  All SIMMs in a bank must be the same size (of course) and
the same speed (at least 120ns).  The manual says the Rocket "uses a special
interleaved memory configuration.  Due to this configuration, the greatest
performance will be realized when both banks (all eight) of the SIMM sockets
are filled with SIMM cards of the same memory size."

256 means NEW 256K SIMMs (2 chips per SIMM)
(old 8-chip 256K SIMMs aren't compatible with the Rocket)
 16 means 16MB SIMMs
  4 means 4MB SIMMs
  1 means 1MB SIMMs
  _ means empty


256 256  (total of 2MB)
  1   _  (total of 4MB)
  1 256  (total of 5MB)
  1   1  (total of 8MB)
  4   _  (total of 16MB)*
  4 256  (total of 17MB)*
  4   1  (total of 20MB)*
  4   4  (total of 32MB)*

*4MB SIMMs require "special software," which is mentioned mysteriously several
places in the manual.  One sentence reads, "To access memory greater than 8
megabytes, special software must be installed.  This software is not included
in the Rocket kit.  Information about how to install and use such software is
provided with that software."  Hmm.

I am curious about having >1MB on the motherboard (does it do anything?),
and whether the Rocket's RAM is usable with the Rocket turned off.  I bought
a Rocket last week, but have been having some problems getting it to work.

Brodie Lockard
brod@jessica.stanford.edu

fdm@WLV.IMSD.CONTEL.COM (Frank D. Malczewski) (05/08/91)

I'd also be curious to know specifically what software is being referred
to with respect to the 4MB SIMMs.  Additionally, in the flyer, it is 
mentioned that either parity or non-parity SIMMs may be used.  Are
parity SIMMs the (exact) same thing as 9x4MB SIMMs that one might install
in PC-clones?

--Frank Malczewski                        (fdm@wlv.imsd.contel.com)