s9133283@giaea.gi.oz (Noel Ashford) (05/10/91)
I have just purchased some SIMM modules for my GVP Series II A500 hard drive.
However the SIMM's I received are the 1 meg x 9 type, while the manual
recommends using 1 meg x 8. What is the difference between these two types
of SIMM modules.
As an aside, I was a little dissapointed with the manual GVP supplied, as a
lot of the utilities supplied on the drive are not mentioned in the manual.
Thanks in advancemmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) (05/14/91)
In article <1701@giaea.gi.oz> s9133283@giaea.gi.oz (Noel Ashford) writes: > > I have just purchased some SIMM modules for my GVP Series II A500 hard drive. > However the SIMM's I received are the 1 meg x 9 type, while the manual > recommends using 1 meg x 8. What is the difference between these two types > of SIMM modules. > As an aside, I was a little dissapointed with the manual GVP supplied, as a > lot of the utilities supplied on the drive are not mentioned in the manual. > > Thanks in advance The 1Mx9 chips are generally for IBM type systems that require a Parity chip in their RAM setup. The Amiga doesn't use these, and I would suspect that the modules would simply not fit in slots made for 1Mx8's. At any rate, I would suggest that you return them for the proper 1Mx8 module. -- Michael M Morrison /| |\ mmm@reaper.chi.il.us <or> | | Cash, for Cache.. | | reaper!mmm@miroc.chi.il.us \| Hmm.. sounds fair. |/
easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff Easton) (05/15/91)
In article <mmm.1221@reaper.Chi.IL.US> mmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) writes: >In article <1701@giaea.gi.oz> s9133283@giaea.gi.oz (Noel Ashford) writes: >> >> I have just purchased some SIMM modules for my GVP Series II A500 hard drive. >> However the SIMM's I received are the 1 meg x 9 type, while the manual >> recommends using 1 meg x 8. What is the difference between these two types >> of SIMM modules. >> As an aside, I was a little dissapointed with the manual GVP supplied, as a >> lot of the utilities supplied on the drive are not mentioned in the manual. >> >> Thanks in advance > >The 1Mx9 chips are generally for IBM type systems that require a Parity chip in >their RAM setup. The Amiga doesn't use these, and I would suspect that the >modules would simply not fit in slots made for 1Mx8's. At any rate, I would >suggest that you return them for the proper 1Mx8 module. Bzzt. Wrong Answer but thanks for playing. The x8 SIMM's are pinned identical to the x9 SIMM's, with the exception that the x8 SIMM's have a couple of pins marked No Connect that are used for the Parity RAM on the x9's. Check you local TI data book for more info. I have some x9 SIMM's in my GVP series II hard card for the B2000 and they are humming along nicely, thank you. The new x32 SIMM's used in the GVP '030 accelerators are another story. They appear to be proprietary unto GVP and do not follow the JEDEC x32 (x36) standard. How they get a 32 bit wide SIMM in a standard 30 pin SIMM socket is beyond my comprehension. Maybe Ralph can comment on this one? >Michael M Morrison /| |\ Jeff Easton Zenith Data Systems // Systems Engineer \X/ easton%zds-oem@caspian.cs.andrews.edu easton@andrews.edu What? Preemptive Multitasking in only 256K of RAM? :^) :^)
rbabel@babylon.rmt.sub.org (Ralph Babel) (05/15/91)
In article <1098@zds-oem.UUCP>, easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff Easton) writes: > The new x32 SIMM's used in the GVP '030 accelerators are > another story. They appear to be proprietary unto GVP and > do not follow the JEDEC x32 (x36) standard. How they get > a 32 bit wide SIMM in a standard 30 pin SIMM socket is > beyond my comprehension. Maybe Ralph can comment on this > one? 32-bit-wide SIMMs in a 30-pin socket? This would indeed be a nice trick! :-) No, it's really 64 pins. (And I really like the new SIMM sockets used by GVP! Well, I probably have to change SIMMs more often than most people.) I've been told that they designed their own 32-bit-wide SIMM because: (a) there was no accepted standard at that time; and (b) they wanted to include some "sense" pins to get rid of almost all of those memory configuration jumpers. The new "all-in-one" accelerator board, for example, has only two memory jumpers left, mainly to decide whether to configure the SIMMs as Zorro-II or "Extended" (beyond $00ffffff) RAM. I don't know whether or not this is true. I don't know how much of a standard the JEDECx32 SIMMs are or if there are other "standards" around. I don't know if those JEDEC SIMMs also include pins that could be used by the RAM controller hardware to automatically sense the presence of a SIMM. So please correct me if I'm wrong. Ralph
p554mve@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de (Michael van Elst) (05/15/91)
In article <mmm.1221@reaper.Chi.IL.US> mmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) writes: >The 1Mx9 chips are generally for IBM type systems that require a Parity chip in >their RAM setup. The Amiga doesn't use these, and I would suspect that the >modules would simply not fit in slots made for 1Mx8's. At any rate, I would >suggest that you return them for the proper 1Mx8 module. That might be unnecessary. The 1Mx9 use the same pinout as the 1Mx8, it's just that the parity bit signals aren't used on the 1Mx8. It might be even cheaper since there's a larger market for 1Mx9 SIMMs. Regards, -- Michael van Elst UUCP: universe!local-cluster!milky-way!sol!earth!uunet!unido!mpirbn!p554mve Internet: p554mve@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de "A potential Snark may lurk in every tree."
markv@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (05/15/91)
>>I have just purchased some SIMM modules for my GVP Series II A500 hard drive. >> However the SIMM's I received are the 1 meg x 9 type, while the manual >> recommends using 1 meg x 8. What is the difference between these two types >> of SIMM modules. >The 1Mx9 chips are generally for IBM type systemsthat require a Parity chip in > their RAM setup. The Amiga doesn't use these, and I would suspect that the > modules would simply not fit in slots made for 1Mx8's. At any rate, I would > suggest that you return them for the proper 1Mx8 module. Wrong. The 1*9 and 1*8 SIMMs are compatible. Computers like the Mac and the Amiga that don't need the parity bit just ignore it. Of course 8 chip SIMMs would be cheaper, but probably not cheaper enough to warrent the reshipping/restocking fees of returning them. Where you have to be careful are the plethora of funky non-standard SIMMs floating around (32 bit Laser Writer SIMMs, Nybble mode Simms for GVPs boards, special SIMMs for the Max IIfx, etc). > > -- > Michael M Morrison /| |\ > mmm@reaper.chi.il.us <or> | | Cash, for Cache.. | | > reaper!mmm@miroc.chi.il.us \| Hmm.. sounds fair. |/ -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark Gooderum Only... \ Good Cheer !!! Academic Computing Services /// \___________________________ University of Kansas /// /| __ _ Bix: mgooderum \\\ /// /__| |\/| | | _ /_\ makes it Bitnet: MARKV@UKANVAX \/\/ / | | | | |__| / \ possible... Internet: markv@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) (05/16/91)
In article <1098@zds-oem.UUCP> easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff Easton) writes: >In article <mmm.1221@reaper.Chi.IL.US> mmm@reaper.Chi.IL.US (Michael Marvin Morrison) writes: >>In article <1701@giaea.gi.oz> s9133283@giaea.gi.oz (Noel Ashford) writes: >> [...] >>The 1Mx9 chips are generally for IBM type systems that require a Parity chip in >>their RAM setup. The Amiga doesn't use these, and I would suspect that the >>modules would simply not fit in slots made for 1Mx8's. At any rate, I would >>suggest that you return them for the proper 1Mx8 module. > > Bzzt. Wrong Answer but thanks for playing. > > The x8 SIMM's are pinned identical to the x9 SIMM's, with the exception >that the x8 SIMM's have a couple of pins marked No Connect that are used >for the Parity RAM on the x9's. Check you local TI data book for more info. Well, I checked my local MOTOROLA data book, and you are absolutely correct. I didn't bother checking the book at the time because I don't generally make a habit of using the wrong chips on my hardware. But as someone else mentioned, it's probably not worth returning them since they will work. > I have some x9 SIMM's in my GVP series II hard card for the B2000 and >they are humming along nicely, thank you. I'm very happy for you. > The new x32 SIMM's used in the GVP '030 accelerators are another story. >They appear to be proprietary unto GVP and do not follow the JEDEC x32 (x36) >standard. How they get a 32 bit wide SIMM in a standard 30 pin SIMM socket >is beyond my comprehension. Maybe Ralph can comment on this one? > > >>Michael M Morrison /| |\ > > > Jeff Easton Zenith Data Systems > // Systems Engineer > \X/ easton%zds-oem@caspian.cs.andrews.edu > easton@andrews.edu > What? Preemptive Multitasking in only 256K of RAM? :^) :^) -- Michael M Morrison /| |\ mmm@reaper.chi.il.us <or> | | Cash, for Cache.. | | reaper!mmm@miroc.chi.il.us \| Hmm.. sounds fair. |/
easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff Easton) (05/16/91)
In article <07915.AA07915@babylon.rmt.sub.org> cbmvax.commodore.com!cbmehq!babylon!rbabel (Ralph Babel) writes: >In article <1098@zds-oem.UUCP>, easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff >Easton) writes: >32-bit-wide SIMMs in a 30-pin socket? This would indeed be a >nice trick! :-) No, it's really 64 pins. (And I really like >the new SIMM sockets used by GVP! Well, I probably have to >change SIMMs more often than most people.) Its hard to tell how big they are from the pictures in the Amiga World Ads... >I've been told that they designed their own 32-bit-wide SIMM >because: (a) there was no accepted standard at that time; Not true. >and (b) they wanted to include some "sense" pins to get rid >of almost all of those memory configuration jumpers. The new The "standard" also uses 4 pins for determining size. >"all-in-one" accelerator board, for example, has only two >memory jumpers left, mainly to decide whether to configure >the SIMMs as Zorro-II or "Extended" (beyond $00ffffff) RAM. > >I don't know whether or not this is true. I don't know how >much of a standard the JEDECx32 SIMMs are or if there are >other "standards" around. I don't know if those JEDEC SIMMs >also include pins that could be used by the RAM controller >hardware to automatically sense the presence of a SIMM. Yes, see above. >So please correct me if I'm wrong. The Jedec parts are 72 pins, seperated into two sets of 36, on .050" spacings. I'd be willing to bet a accelerator card that the GVP SIMM's are also 72 pins. Anybody can go out and design a small PCB for a SIMM with any odd number of pins they like. The hard part is convincing the connector companies like AMP to custom tool a odd size SIMM socket for your low volume product. We've been using x36 SIMM's in our products for 2 years, so they have been around for a while. Admittedly we use page mode parts where the GVP uses nibble mode but it shouldnt be that hard to find a memory supplier that a) is in the SIMM business and b) manufactures nibble mode DRAM's. I would be interested in seeing the pinout of the GVP parts if you have the info and care to type it in. >Ralph Jeff Easton Zenith Data Systems // Systems Engineer \X/ easton%zds-oem@caspian.cs.andrews.edu easton@andrews.edu What? Preemptive Multitasking in only 256K of RAM? :^) :^)
rbabel@babylon.rmt.sub.org (Ralph Babel) (05/18/91)
In article <1101@zds-oem.UUCP>, easton@zds-oem.UUCP (Jeff Easton) writes: > I'd be willing to bet a accelerator card that the GVP > SIMM's are also 72 pins. Bzzzt - you lost! Where can I get my accelerator board? Let's see ... Zenith? Well, I'll also take a '486. :-) > The hard part is convincing the connector companies like > AMP to custom tool a odd size SIMM socket for your low > volume product. Yup, the sockets are from AMP, and they're 64 pins. > We've been using x36 SIMM's in our products for 2 years, > so they have been around for a while. Admittedly we use > page mode parts where the GVP uses nibble mode but it > shouldnt be that hard to find a memory supplier that a) is > in the SIMM business and b) manufactures nibble mode > DRAM's. Apart from the technical details (there might be others, I'm still investigating), there's also the problem of tech support GVP is providing directly to end-users: you probably wouldn't believe what people would put into their SIMM sockets! And if their 50-MHz accelerator board didn't work with 150ns RAMs, then - of course - they'd call tech support and blame GVP! With their custom-made SIMMs, GVP can much better control the quality of the RAMs that can be used with their products, thereby relieving tech support of a lot of unnecessary work. I'm not defending this decision: taking away freedom of choice is always a sure way of annoying power-users; but hey: how many of these are really out there? > I would be interested in seeing the pinout of the GVP > parts if you have the info and care to type it in. Don't have it right now, but I'll try. Ralph