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Little help? Got IIsi, Vidcard & TattleTech . . .
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2017-03-16 20:51:09 . . . to run a little test for me? I still haven't ordered caps yet, so the IIsi fleet remains in mothballs. I'm very curious about the Slot ID status of the vampire video subsystem when the IIsi is running off only a video expansion card. When there's no monitor or adapter connected to the DA-19 on the motherboard, the RAM normally sucked out of the system like blood from a vampire's victim is not buffered from the system for use only by the Video Subsystem. MoBo video is addressed as a PseudoSlot (a pretend expansion card if you will) in Slot Location ID $E. I'm wondering if the RAM's offline, the whole subsystem might be offline? Will it still be reported as occupying Slot $E? If someone could please test a IIsi in this manner: a Video Card in its PDS or a NuBus card in its adapter and nothing hanging off the video port. If you don't have it already (you all need to get it for basic hardware testing) download and install TattleTech to run the NuBus/PDS report. Save the report results as a text file and post it here for me, please?*** My guess is that it will still show up as being in that location because it has the equivalent of a physical Video Card's Declaration ROM as part of its makeup, but you never know until you know. Even if it shows up it still may not matter anyway because it will be dormant, with no memory to address. Since it won't be addressing any memory, there shouldn't be any possible memory conflict with a PowerCache Accelerator. I'm thinking about hacking together a passive IIci Slot/PowerCache adapter for the IIsi as an experiment,. Seeing TattleTech reports before deciding to order the connectors would be a big help to me and some welcome relief to the toy budget. TIA jt ***At the same time TattleTech will tell you the particulars about your Video Card and at which of the three available slot IDs it is located. This is what I've long termed "DeclROM spelunking." It's the way to find out what a NuBus or PDS card is by reading the info off its ROM and without posting one of the many "can you identify this card" threads we've had over the years. If nobody knows offhand what your card might be, you'll be told to go through this to find out anyway! 😉 TattleTech reports on all kinds of neat stuff . . . try it, you'll like it! < /ancient commercial reference >
Posted by: joethezombie on 2017-03-16 22:01:40 Sure thing trash, this is my IIsi with a dual PDS adapter, so it will show two PDS cards installed. SlotReport.txt
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2017-03-16 22:37:39 TattleTech¨ REPORT (Tattle Version: 2.17) (Report Dated: 8/27/56, 12:41:17 PM) >>>>>>>> Nubus/PDS Slots <<<<<<<< ¥ Total Physical PDS Slots Present = 1 ¥ Total Physical Nubus Slots Present = 0 =========================== ¥ Nubus/PDS Slot# = $09 × Board Name = Spectrum/8¥24 PDQ si v1.0 × Board ID = 1004 × Vendor ID = SuperMac Technology × Serial# = × Revision Level = 1.00 × Part# = 1003257-0001 × Functional Resources : + Device sResource Name = Display_Video_Apple_SpecRice - Device Category = 3 (Display) - Device Type = 1 (Video) - Device Software Interface Type = 1 - Device Hardware ID = 707 - Device sResource ID = $81 - Driver Number = -49 ---------------------------------- ¥ Nubus/PDS Slot# = $0A × Board Name = MacNIC II/E × Board ID = 8 × Vendor ID = Asante Technologies, Inc. × Revision Level = Alpha-1.0 × Part# = MacNIC II-0001 × Functional Resources : + Device sResource Name = Network Ethernet_Asante - Device Category = 4 (Network) - Device Type = 1 (EtherTalk) - Device Software Interface Type = 260 - Device Hardware ID = 256 - Device sResource ID = $80 - Driver Number = NA + Device sResource Name = Test ASANTE ET.ROM - Device Category = 2 - Device Type = 1 - Device Software Interface Type = 0 - Device Hardware ID = 0 - Device sResource ID = $81 - Driver Number = NA
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2017-03-16 22:44:26 Well that's a pleasant surprise! Thanks! Now hook the monitor up to the vampire video and let's see if it reports itself as a video card in a PseudoSlot at $0E. Might want to check the other reports to see non-physical slots show up in a different report? Video maybe? Dunno, it's been a long time. edit: NICE video card!
Posted by: joethezombie on 2017-03-17 07:43:18 EDIT: And I just noticed I'm using an older version of TattleTech. I'll run again with the latest, and verify the results. I couldn't find anything, even in the full repot, about non-physical slots. Here's the report with the monitor attached to the vampire video. I added the general and monitors section to the report as well: Spoiler content hidden.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2017-03-17 10:03:02 BINGO!!!!! 😀 >>>>>>>> Nubus/PDS Slots <<<<<<<< • Total Physical PDS Slots Present = 1 • Total Physical Nubus Slots Present = 0 =========================== • Nubus/PDS Slot# = $00 ◊ Board Name = Macintosh A Built-In Video ◊ Board ID = 40 ◊ Vendor ID = Apple Computer, Inc ◊ Revision Level = Macintosh Family 2.0 ◊ Part# = 341S0818/341S0819 ◊ Date = 19-Jun-90 ◊ Functional Resources : + Device sResource Name = Display_Video_Apple_RBV1 - Device Category = 3 (Display) - Device Type = 1 (Video) - Device Software Interface Type = 1 - Device Hardware ID = 24 - Device sResource ID = $86 - Driver Number = -49 + Device sResource Name = CPU_68030_\_MacIIFamily - Device Category = 10 (CPU) - Device Type = 4 (68030) - Device Software Interface Type = 0 - Device Hardware ID = 24 - Device sResource ID = $F0 - Driver Number = NA When it's online Macintosh A Built-In Video is listed as part of the IIsi at ID $00. It sucks out memory located on the mobo, buffering it for exclusive use as a poor excuse for dedicated (proper, specialized I/O configuration) VRAM ICs. According to the DevNote, it (RVB1) addresses that buffered memory as being located within the space allocated to NuBus Slot ID $0E, which has no physical manifestation in the IIsi. Because the IIsi lacks the dedicated VRAM of the SE/30's video setup which is also located at $0E, it can (very likely) use a Passive Adapter for the IIci Cache Slot/PowerCache so long as there's no monitor detected on the mobo's video connector at startup. Daystar had no reason to quibble with such details, the vast majority of PowerCache customers in the IIsi market segment would be using built in video. Those with the need for better video output would have added memory to Bank B, offsetting the vampired (buffered from system memory) mobo RAM and would likely be using onboard video with a secondary display anyway. Me likes quibbling, especially when it offers the opportunity for cheating, me likes that even more! They call this kind of chink in a systems armor a "wedge," an opportunity for hacking something into a system the mfr. decided didn't belong in its feature set. The pins of the 68000 were a "wedge" negating the Steve's insistence on the Mac having no expansion slot, something which had made the Apple II the darling of the early adopters of micro-computing, but offended the design sensibilities of his "vision." HEH! 😉 Be that as it may, back to the pickle plantation.
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