gsteemso
Experienced Member
Hi all,
First, RAM expansion:
I have looked at various sites online; one even sells NOS 64K RAM upgrades for the 8032, albeit at a high enough price I'd rather try to build my own. Alas, the only expansion header pinouts I was able to find were for the 8296, with a confusing "differences table" to the older 8032 board. According to a site that discussed the four types of PET system board, mine is what that site called a "type 3b" — a modified 8032 board that could support either 40 or 80 columns, 40 in my case.
I have heard that it is possible to add some chips and change some jumpers around to make the 4032 into an 8032, but while I found some schematics describing which jumpers to change, I haven't found anything about what chips to add, or where.
I've also heard rumours of an internal IDE mod where someone put a hard drive in his PET. That'd be seriously cool if it's true. Anyone know more?
If I get all of these changes made it'd be a fun project to try and port GEOS to the PET, using the ersatz bitmap mode provided by the block characters. Woohoo, a 160x50-pixel screen! :¬)
First, RAM expansion:
I have looked at various sites online; one even sells NOS 64K RAM upgrades for the 8032, albeit at a high enough price I'd rather try to build my own. Alas, the only expansion header pinouts I was able to find were for the 8296, with a confusing "differences table" to the older 8032 board. According to a site that discussed the four types of PET system board, mine is what that site called a "type 3b" — a modified 8032 board that could support either 40 or 80 columns, 40 in my case.
I have heard that it is possible to add some chips and change some jumpers around to make the 4032 into an 8032, but while I found some schematics describing which jumpers to change, I haven't found anything about what chips to add, or where.
I've also heard rumours of an internal IDE mod where someone put a hard drive in his PET. That'd be seriously cool if it's true. Anyone know more?
If I get all of these changes made it'd be a fun project to try and port GEOS to the PET, using the ersatz bitmap mode provided by the block characters. Woohoo, a 160x50-pixel screen! :¬)