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Getting from 64KB to 128KB on a stock Apple IIe the HARD way.

VERAULT

VERAULT

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I have a question for you all. IS there a card which DOES NOT use the AUX slot to take a stock 64KB Apple IIe to 128KB?

The reason I ask is I have a proprietary card in the AUX slot which doesnt have any addtional RAM and I cannot use more advanced IIE programs which require 128KB.

So are there other cards for the standard slots (slot 1 to slot 7 but I am assuming it would be used in slot 3) which can give me that RAM bump?
 
short version - No. The memory bank switching scheme of 50 pin slot RAM cards is very different from that of Auxiliary slot. Software coded to work with auxiliary RAM will not work with RAM cards for 50 pin slots.
 
Ahh thats terrible news. Noone has a made a new device replacing ROM/RAM on the apple II like on the Commodore PET and c64?

Obviously only the system RAM being relevant here...
 
VERAULT said:
Noone has a made a new device replacing ROM/RAM on the apple II like on the Commodore PET and c64?
Click to expand...

The AUX slot isn't just for memory, it has a bunch of signals related to the video output. Most critically it has access to a completely separate data bus that allows the video hardware to access memory in the AUX slot at the same time as it accesses the RAM on the motherboard. (When an Apple IIe is running in 80 column text or double-hi-res modes it's pulling 16 bits at a time; to keep up with a 14mhz pixel clock they had the choice of doing that or doubling the clock speed of the computer, and the latter would have at the very least broken expansion slot compatibility with the original II.) There's no way to do what the AUX slot does with a card plugged into the CPU socket or whatever, short of essentially replicating the entirety of the computer's chipset on it and connecting your monitor to that.
 
Eudimorphodon said:
The AUX slot isn't just for memory, it has a bunch of signals related to the video output. Most critically it has access to a completely separate data bus that allows the video hardware to access memory in the AUX slot at the same time as it accesses the RAM on the motherboard. (When an Apple IIe is running in 80 column text or double-hi-res modes it's pulling 16 bits at a time; to keep up with a 14mhz pixel clock they had the choice of doing that or doubling the clock speed of the computer, and the latter would have at the very least broken expansion slot compatibility with the original II.) There's no way to do what the AUX slot does with a card plugged into the CPU socket or whatever, short of essentially replicating the entirety of the computer's chipset on it and connecting your monitor to that.
Click to expand...
Well that just rains on my parade.
 
Alas, yes.

I dug around because I was kind of surprised that anyone would have made an RGB card for the AUX slot that didn't have at least 64K on it but, no, I stand corrected. Looks like both Amdek and Video-7 made AUX RGB cards that only had the 1K of RAM that you'd need to use 80 column text *only*. Your only realistic option is probably to deep-six the card you have and look for an Extended version that has the full complement of RAM. (Those came in at least Video-7 and Apple flavors.)
 
Probably why the Applied Engineering RAMWorks was so popular. Came with a few expansion ports so you could add on things like RGB cards. There's even a homebrew VGA card for the RAMWorks, as well as a "Piggyback" card that lets you use any RAMWorks compatible video card with any other standard RAM card.
 
Man this just stinks. Maybe Ill put it in my early model IIe (painted model) and just call it a day. IT will bother me forever.
 
Eudimorphodon said:
Alas, yes.

I dug around because I was kind of surprised that anyone would have made an RGB card for the AUX slot that didn't have at least 64K on it but, no, I stand corrected. Looks like both Amdek and Video-7 made AUX RGB cards that only had the 1K of RAM that you'd need to use 80 column text *only*. Your only realistic option is probably to deep-six the card you have and look for an Extended version that has the full complement of RAM. (Those came in at least Video-7 and Apple flavors.)
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Mine is a video-7 clone made by Princeton Graphics. PGS-80 Has ALL the options the video 7 board with 64kb has but just no additional RAM.

Look at this. It references a rev a and B board so this may be really early in the iie run. Maybe adding additional 64KB wasnt a thing or a common thing yet.IMG_20230613_171828.jpg
 
VERAULT said:
It references a rev a and B board so this may be really early in the iie run.
Click to expand...

The main thing of significance, I'd say, is that it doesn't mention the "Enhanced" IIe. The IIe came out in early 1983, and the first few months of production had the "A" board which didn't support the double-high-res graphics mode. When Apple "discovered" how to do the DHR with minimal changes to the circuitry they called the (first) "fixed" version the "Rev B", and offered a free upgrade to A-board customers that asked for/needed it. (In addition to needing it to support DHR/make full use of the 128K upgrade card the board also apparently fixed some compatibility glitches with certain old expansion cards.)

Anyway, the "Enhanced IIe", which came out in March 1985, was basically a "Rev. B" but with ROM changes and a 65C02 CPU swap to make the IIe more compatible with the new IIc. (It upgraded the IIe to have the "Mousetext" character set, allowed BASIC to support lowercase, etc.) This is probably the point at which 128K became the "official" minimum IIe configuration, therefore effectively rendering an RGB card like this effectively obsolete. So... yeah. Strictly speaking if you have an early IIe with the "old" case that's where this board belongs, I guess? Although if the board in that machine has been upgraded to the "Enhanced" configuration it's probably not *technically* a correct configuration.
 
I dont make the mistake of "upgrading" or "ehansing" any iies i have or find that dont have the enhanced roms and 65c02.. I personally think those are fewer and should be left alone. So yeah my iie is unenhanced... but its a rev B. i have never ever come across a rev A.
 
Eudimorphodon said:
... splitting hairs here, it does actually have more RAM; a whopping 1K of it. (IE, enough to shadow the 40 column text region so it can display 80 columns.)
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i have 3 of those early 80 col cards for the iie with 1kb ram.. i have no idea what to do with them. I dont want to throw them away but they dont really serve a purpose.
 
But I dont need it as I have plenty of Apple IIs and thats the thing. Storing those IC's . I ahve already lost too many ics to severe rust from sitting in foam for years. I just see not need to change them.
 
I go for the enhanced upgrade then I put the old chips in a small bag and fasten it to the power cable. Only see them when I lift the cover and they're never lost
 
Yeah I get it, I just have no need to do that as I have other enhansed Apple IIe's and Platinums. I have no need to change it.
 
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