gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) (09/05/90)
I've been offered a very good deal on Live! for the 500. Problem is, I've got a 1000. I might be able to talk the fellow into letting me hook it up to test it, if he can be very reassured that nothing will fry. I've heard that the 500 and 1000's expansion buses are the same (you just have to turn your peripherals upside-down) How true is this? Are there any timing or (Eris forbid) power differences between the buses that might keep this from working? -- <------------------------------------------------------------------------------> < FRANK BRANHAM | Currently at work on a VERY deranged > < Georgia Institute of Technology | RPG. No dice needed. Ever. Nasty > < Internet: gt4662b@prism.gatech.edu | things, worse than hobbitses. >
swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren) (09/07/90)
In article <13352@hydra.gatech.EDU> BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN writes: >I've been offered a very good deal on Live! for the 500. Problem is, I've >got a 1000. I might be able to talk the fellow into letting me hook it up >to test it, if he can be very reassured that nothing will fry. > >I've heard that the 500 and 1000's expansion buses are the same (you just >have to turn your peripherals upside-down) No, it is *not* upside down! In fact, there is only one way to plug it in. Whatever you do, *don't* try to plug something in upside down! The only difference is that the slot on the 500 is on the left side of the computer instead of the right side. So that means when you move the peripheral to the other side of the 1000, with the connector still pointing toward the computer, the front of the peripheral box will be facing the wall instead of facing forward. Any power cables or other cabling that comes out the back of the box will be facing forward. In addition, on the 500 the expansion slot is at the bottom of the case, while the 1000 motherboard sits elevated on stilts above the table (to leave room for the keyboard garage). So the peripheral case will need "shims" (a book of appropriate width will probably do fine) under it to keep it from hanging awkwardly out of your slot. The signals available on the 1000 slot are the same signals available on the 500 slot, including all voltage levels. -- _. --Steve ._||__ DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own. Warren v\ *| ---------------------------------------------- V {uunet,sun}!convex!swarren; swarren@convex.COM
terry@helios.ucsc.edu (Terry Ricketts) (09/08/90)
In article <105886@convex.convex.com> swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren) writes: >The only difference is that the slot on the 500 is on the left side of the >computer instead of the right side. So that means when you move the >peripheral to the other side of the 1000, with the connector still pointing >toward the computer, the front of the peripheral box will be facing the wall >instead of facing forward. Any power cables or other cabling that comes out >the back of the box will be facing forward. >In addition, on the 500 the expansion slot is at the bottom of the case, while >the 1000 motherboard sits elevated on stilts above the table (to leave room >for the keyboard garage). >So the peripheral case will need "shims" (a book of appropriate width will >probably do fine) under it to keep it from hanging awkwardly out of your >slot. >The signals available on the 1000 slot are the same signals available on the >500 slot, including all voltage levels. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is not quite true. The A1000 has -5v available on the bus while the A500 has -12v on that same pin. We have taken several Live units made for the A1000 and modified a connector to allow them to plug into a A500. What is needed is a short extender board to get the A500 bus a little further out. Then you need to break the connection to pin 8 and insert a 7905 regulator between the A500 and Live. This will change the -12v from the computer to the -5v expected by Live. If you take any peripheral made for the A1000 & try to plug it into a A500 you run the risk of blowing it up. If the peripheral is using the -5V from the A1000 you MUST change it before plugging it into the A500. Live is one of the peripherals that uses this voltage!!! In case anyone is interested we have also modified a number of Live units to replace the 4 bit ADC with a 6 bit ADC. | Terry Ricketts | Internet: terry@helios.ucsc.edu | Senior Electronics Engineer | loel@helios.ucsc.edu | Lick Observatory Electronics Lab | Phone: 408-459-2110 | University of Calif, Santa Cruz |