andrewsr@u2.rutgers.edu (Rich Andrews) (04/01/91)
Hello All! I am debating on whether or not to install my Zipp chips in my A3000 myself. If you have done this yourself, please respond. For a little background: I have been ripping apart IBM clones for a while and am comfortable with replacing bad RAM chips, disk drives, hard drives, controller cards, etc. I have heard that the process with the Amiga is quite involved. In what way? If I take care to (try to :-) remember where everything plugs in, would I have any trouble? EXACTLY how do the chips fit in the sockets (is there more than one way?). Do the chips that are in the sockets now give clues on how the replacements should fit? (I assume that moving the 1Mb of fast to chip is a simple process). From what I gather, the hardest part is stripping the PC down, not putting the chips in. I am comfortable stripping it down, if the actual install is easy, then I'll go for it. Thanks for any input, -Rich -- // Rich | "Like any good philosophical discussion, the conclusion \X/ Andrews | is left unresolved." - B. McLaughlin
brett@visix.com (Brett Bourbin) (04/02/91)
In article <Apr.1.09.06.11.1991.6438@u2.rutgers.edu>, andrewsr@u2.rutgers.edu (Rich Andrews) writes: > Hello All! > > I am debating on whether or not to install my Zipp chips in my A3000 > myself. If you have done this yourself, please respond. > > For a little background: I have been ripping apart IBM clones for a > while and am comfortable with replacing bad RAM chips, disk drives, > hard drives, controller cards, etc. > > I have heard that the process with the Amiga is quite involved. In > what way? If I take care to (try to :-) remember where everything > plugs in, would I have any trouble? > > EXACTLY how do the chips fit in the sockets (is there more than one > way?). Do the chips that are in the sockets now give clues on how the > replacements should fit? (I assume that moving the 1Mb of fast to > chip is a simple process). Well, I guess I can answer since this is what I did this weekend. My dealer told me that he should install the chips for me (I bought 8 1x4 MEG chips), but I informed him that I have worked with RAM chips before (although never ZIPP chips). First thing, you must remove the upper drive plate, which means removing all the drives first. There are about 7-8 screws holding this plate in, including one under that harddrive. Once you have the plate unscrewed, disconnect the power bus from the system board and the SCSI and floppy cables from their drives. Next, what I did was move the 1 MEG DRAM chips from FAST memory to CHIP memory. This is the first row of socketed chips on the lower right hand side of the PC board. Next, it is time to install the ZIPP chips. The name on the ZIPP chip should be facing you and the edge with the 45 degree angle should be on the left side of the chip. You must fill a full bank with chips, so if you have 1x4 or 256x4, you will need multiples of 8. Start with the first chip in the lower right ZIPP socket, with the lable ending with "50". What you want to do now is count 4 chip sockets up and install the next chip. Do this for the 4 chips on the left side, and then the same on the right side. You will be filling bank "..50" thru "..57". Be careful inserting the chips, first place them in the socket and press down from both sides with equal pressure until it is firmly in place. MAKE SURE YOU DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, FOR IT IS VERY HARD TO REMOVE THE CHIPS ONCE INSTALLED WITHOUT BENDING THE LEADS. All in all, it is not a really hard task, you just have to be ready to get down to the system board and work for a few minutes. Oh, and remember to ground yourself and have a clean work area. -- __ Brett Bourbin \ / /(_ /\/ 11440 Commerce Park Drive ..!uunet!visix!brett \/ / __)/ /\ Reston, Virginia 22091 brett@visix.com Software Inc (703) 758-2733
dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) (04/02/91)
In article <Apr.1.09.06.11.1991.6438@u2.rutgers.edu> andrewsr@u2.rutgers.edu (Rich Andrews) writes: >Hello All! > >I am debating on whether or not to install my Zipp chips in my A3000 >myself. If you have done this yourself, please respond. I just did it Saturday. > >For a little background: I have been ripping apart IBM clones for a >while and am comfortable with replacing bad RAM chips, disk drives, >hard drives, controller cards, etc. > >I have heard that the process with the Amiga is quite involved. In >what way? If I take care to (try to :-) remember where everything >plugs in, would I have any trouble? I plugged the floppy drive in wrong, but eventually was able to correct it. > >EXACTLY how do the chips fit in the sockets (is there more than one >way?). Do the chips that are in the sockets now give clues on how the >replacements should fit? (I assume that moving the 1Mb of fast to >chip is a simple process). To move the 1meg Fast to Chip, simply pull the Fast ram and stick it in the sockets at the lower left of the A3000, matching the notch of the Chip DRAMs. Nothing more. I added 1x4 ZIP Static columns. First, after removing the 5 screws for the cover, remove the screw for the floppy drive (at the lower front of the drive bracket). Notice that the red stripe for pin one faces the left of the A3000. The power plug has 4 ridges facing upwards; I think the orange cable is on the right. Next, unscrew the single screw at the front right of the Quantum hard drive. Remove the hard drive, again noticing the red strip for pin one on the left of the interface. The power plug has the orange cable on the left. Remove the screw at the upper middle of the A3000, previously covered by the hard drive. Remove the screw connecting the expansion slot doorways at the back of the computer (you don't have to remove the actual covers for each expansion slot). Remove the screw at the upper middle of the A3000, to the left of the floppy bay. Unplug the big plug at the center of the A3000. It should leave a rectangle of about 12 pins, in a white receptacle. This provides power to the circuit board. Unplug the floppy drive interface from the motherboard, or feed te cable through the heat shield/platform. When lifting up the platform, be careful of the fan and the 'lip' around the case. Find the jumper in the upper middle section that has 1x4 and 256x4 marked on it, and move it to 1x4 for static ZIPs. Remove the DRAMS first! Otherwise, they will be very hard to remove after the ZIPS are in. Place the ZIPS in the sockets with the notch facing the left. Start at the DRAM sockets and work your way upwards, using every 4th socket. (front of A3000) (rear of A3000) DRAM sockets Z---Z---Z---Z--- DRAM sockets Z---Z---Z---Z--- Z = ZIP chip - = empty socket Be careful to place the ZIPs in correctly; they are very hard to remove by hand. > >From what I gather, the hardest part is stripping the PC down, not >putting the chips in. I am comfortable stripping it down, if the >actual install is easy, then I'll go for it. > >Thanks for any input, >-Rich >-- > // Rich | "Like any good philosophical discussion, the conclusion >\X/ Andrews | is left unresolved." - B. McLaughlin :) -- David Tiberio SUNY Stony Brook 2-3481 AMIGA DDD-MEN -- Any students from SUNY Oswego? Please let me know! :)
jseymour@medar.com (James Seymour) (04/02/91)
In article <Apr.1.09.06.11.1991.6438@u2.rutgers.edu> andrewsr@u2.rutgers.edu (Rich Andrews) writes: >Hello All! > >I am debating on whether or not to install my Zipp chips in my A3000 >myself. If you have done this yourself, please respond. > Here ya go Rich. I would have emailed it, but this question has come up before. One hopes that everyone who plans on installing ZIP RAM will save this for future reference (of course, I never do!). INSTALLING ZIP (SC)RAM IN YOUR A3000 - Things They Don't Mention The instructions for RAM installation are in the thin book (I don't remember the title) that came with your system. They start on something like page 4-8. There are a couple of things they either don't tell you or are a bit unclear (either that or I didn't read the manual thoroughly :-)). I will attempt to clarify them for you. 1) Go out an buy (or borrow) an anti-static wrist-band and *use* it! I cannot emphasize too greatly how pernicious static can be. You don't have to feel it for damaging static to be present (and ruin your investment!). For the price, the insurance is well worth it. 2) Before attempting to remove the "platform" that has the drives and power supply on it (as described in the manual), remove the expansion board (the vertical board with slots to the left of the "platform". 3) Unless they moved it, the jumper mentioned in the manual (for "setting the RAM size) is near the center of the main PC board (you shouldn't need to mess with this if you are installing 256*4 parts - as per the manual). 4) Unless they changed the board, the orientation of the FAST RAM is with pin 1 pointed toward the center of the main PCB (to the left, if you're facing the front of the computer). The pictorials of the RAM location were not clear in my manual. As an aid, I developed this: FAST RAM Physical Locations (ZIP) in A3000 socket number "bank.number" u881 u879 4.8 4.6 u873 u871 3.8 3.6 u865 u863 2.8 2.6 u857* u855* 1.8* 1.6* u880 u878 4.7 4.5 u872 u870 3.7 3.5 u864 u862 2.7 2.5 u856* u854* 1.7* 1.5* u877 u875 4.4 4.2 u869 u867 3.4 3.2 u861 u859 2.4 2.2 u853* u851* 1.4* 1.2* u876 u874 4.3 4.1 u868 u866 3.3 3.1 u860 u858 2.3 2.1 u852* u850* 1.3* 1.1* Double-check this against your manual, but it's correct for mine. I have marked the locations that comprise the first bank. You can see how the other banks follow. A last note: when re-assembling your A3000, make *sure* that you have the vertical expansion slots board correctly and fully inserted. The A3000 will not work well (or at all) if this is not done. Hope this helps and good luck. -- Jim Seymour | Medar, Inc. ...!uunet!medar!jseymour | 38700 Grand River Ave. jseymour@medar.com | Farmington Hills, MI. 48331 CIS: 72730,1166 GEnie: jseymour | FAX: (313)477-8897
jafo@miranda.UUCP (Sean Reifschneider) (04/06/91)
In article <1991Apr1.164127.2393@visix.com> brett@visix.com (Brett Bourbin) writes: >In article <Apr.1.09.06.11.1991.6438@u2.rutgers.edu>, andrewsr@u2.rutgers.edu (Rich Andrews) writes: >> I am debating on whether or not to install my Zipp chips in my A3000 >> myself. If you have done this yourself, please respond. >> >> For a little background: I have been ripping apart IBM clones for a >> while and am comfortable with replacing bad RAM chips, disk drives, >> hard drives, controller cards, etc. Bascially the same background I had before I installed my chips. Before you tear your machine apart, read the manual about installing more RAM several times. It tells you exactly what you have to remove, how the chips fit in, etc... I read this 2-3 times until I could visualize every step. >Once you have the plate unscrewed, disconnect the power bus from the system >board and the SCSI and floppy cables from their drives. Next, what I did was >move the 1 MEG DRAM chips from FAST memory to CHIP memory. This is the first >row of socketed chips on the lower right hand side of the PC board. Next, it >is time to install the ZIPP chips. You have to relocate the 1MB of fast RAM (if you have a 2MB system) unless you're installing 256x4 ZIPPs. >Be careful inserting the chips, first place them in the socket and press down from >both sides with equal pressure until it is firmly in place. MAKE SURE YOU DO IT >RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, FOR IT IS VERY HARD TO REMOVE THE CHIPS ONCE INSTALLED >WITHOUT BENDING THE LEADS. I placed the pins in the sockets, grasped them by their middle, and kinda wiggled them into place. I tried to just push them into place, but it took too much force to get anywhere that way. Just kind of exerting a steady pressure on the chip, and wiggleing it forewared and back seened to work well. I did the same only gently pulling, and they came right out (when I was checking for some problems with the chips). Sean -- From the desk of Sean Reifschneider. Isn't Amiga UUCP great? Thanks Matt. uunet.uu.net!ccncsu.colostate.edu!ncuug!miranda!jafo