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Mac IIx ram
Posted by: zackl on 2013-10-15 00:03:54
I just picked up a large bag of IIx ram.

I'd like to test the Simms and figure out size etc

Problem is I do not have a IIx 🙂

I do, however have an lc and LC II - would they work in that?

I've heard there is a 10mb limit for the lc so if the Simms are larger than the 2 slots allow I'm out of luck or a wAy around this?

Posted by: uniserver on 2013-10-15 00:29:58
i believe the only mac that had odd ram was the IIfx

pretty sure the II / IIx were pretty normal simms.

i could be wrong.

you could at-least test for 2's and 4's 🙂

Posted by: volvo242gt on 2013-10-15 03:20:54
Pretty much what Charles said. IIRC, the II and the IIx used PAL SIMMs in the 4MB or larger capacities, but, those are still useable in other machines that use 30-pin SIMMs. The only II series machine that can't use 30-pin SIMMs is the IIfx. Even the IIvx and IIvi used 30-pin SIMMs.

-J

Posted by: zackl on 2013-10-15 07:55:31
Excellent - thanks for the info will report back 🙂

Posted by: zackl on 2013-10-15 11:07:07
PS - any way to get a LC or LCII to recognize more than the 10mb total?

Posted by: uniserver on 2013-10-15 11:49:31
no ways that i know of. 10mb is the most.

Posted by: volvo242gt on 2013-10-15 12:08:36
Probably only by swapping ROM chips from a Mac IIsi or something similar.

-J

Posted by: uniserver on 2013-10-15 12:26:37
you might be on to something there.

Rom's from a IIcx????????

2 - 16meg simms ?

Ah, but then again its just a lc1/2 --- haha not that amazing 🙂

+ the limitation might also be in the VLSI chip as well.

Posted by: zackl on 2013-10-16 11:24:49
Ok, update to this thread.

I would estimate that there are ~50 different SIMMS in this goodie bag I got (see pic @ end of thread).

I got the bag from a guy that upgraded a number of IIx's to IIfx boards.

So in theory these are all standard-era simms, but upon further investigation there seems to be a lot of other stuff mixed in.

Adding to the fun is that when I did a search online to determine what some of these SIMMS are, several appear to be special 4MB 120ns PAL SIMMS (which were required to take a II or IIx over 8mb of ram) (1)

Anybody know if these PAL simms are also compatible with the other standard macs - namely LC / IIsi (which I'll be using to test the simms)?

Untitled.png

(1) http://www.fenestrated.net/~macman/mirrors/Apple%20Technotes%20(As%20of%202002)/hw/hw_25.html

Posted by: volvo242gt on 2013-10-16 13:57:11
Probably the LC. The IIsi won't like the slow speed, since it requires at least 100ns or faster RAM.

-J

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