130XE 320K Upgrade

[dungeonmaster]

Hi Folks,

 

Well, I've just spent my evening installing Scott Peterson's 320K upgrade in my 130XE.

 

Now the fun begins!

 

In testing, the 130XE boots up fine, but SpartaDOS 3.2d (and any other DOS I have floating around here with Ramdisk support - MyDos 4.53, Sparta 3.3a, 3.2g) still only sees the machine as a stock 130XE.

 

I've double and triple-checked my connections, everything looks "by the book" - it's a clean install with no cold solder joints or messes left behind.

 

Any ideas what the problem could be? Do I need to patch the RD.COM file to support the new memory?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Brian

[+Larry]

Hi Folks,

 

Well, I've just spent my evening installing Scott Peterson's 320K upgrade in my 130XE.

 

(snip).... Any ideas what the problem could be? Do I need to patch the RD.COM file to support the new memory?

 

-Brian

 

Have you used an extended memory tester to verify that it can "see" the extra ram?

 

I use MyDos 4.50, but suspect its ramdisk feature is the same as 4.53 -- you must use the "O" command (without specifying the drive number) to tell

MyDos about your ramdisk size. MyDos should respond in the process by telling you what it believes you need. In your case, it should respond by asking if you "default configuration for 256K?". If it does not see the extra ram it will respond with something less, depending on what it finds.

 

-Larry

[BigBen]

The extended memory test program you can get here

http://www.atari.sk/satantronic/xXRAM.htm

 

Bernd

[dungeonmaster]

Thanks for the info. MyDOS's config option is asking if I want to configure a 64K ramdisk, so it's not seeing the memory. If I answer "N"o and proceed to config a 256K RAMdisk it creates a nice fat 16MB ramdisk, which I know is not right (but I could wish!).

 

I need a clarification on the upgrade instructions, and hope someone that's done this upgrade can help me out.

 

At the point where I bend up Pin 15 on the PIA it also advises OR remove R286 (closest to Pin 20) and cut the trace going from Pin 15 to the front of the board. Well - R206 is the closest to Pin 20 on PIA, nothing else is even close in terms of matching to the instructed R286.

 

I've got Pin 15 bent up and soldered directly to Pin 2 on the 74LS158, am I also supposed to cut the trace, or leave it intact.

 

The wording makes it vague....

 

Is it bend Pin 15 or (Remove R286 and cut the trace), or is it bend Pin 15 (or remove R286) and cut the trace?

 

Thanks!

-Brian

[+Larry]

Thanks for the info. MyDOS's config option is asking if I want to configure a 64K ramdisk, so it's not seeing the memory. If I answer "N"o and proceed to config a 256K RAMdisk it creates a nice fat 16MB ramdisk, which I know is not right (but I could wish!).

 

I need a clarification on the upgrade instructions, and hope someone that's done this upgrade can help me out.

 

At the point where I bend up Pin 15 on the PIA it also advises OR remove R286 (closest to Pin 20) and cut the trace going from Pin 15 to the front of the board. Well - R206 is the closest to Pin 20 on PIA, nothing else is even close in terms of matching to the instructed R286.

 

I've got Pin 15 bent up and soldered directly to Pin 2 on the 74LS158, am I also supposed to cut the trace, or leave it intact.

 

The wording makes it vague....

 

Is it bend Pin 15 or (Remove R286 and cut the trace), or is it bend Pin 15 (or remove R286) and cut the trace?

 

Yes, you're right it -- is not very clear. I've done several of these (a few years back), and I've always just clipped (as close to the MB as possible)

and bent up pin 15. I've never messed with the resistor and I don't ever remember cutting any trace. I don't like cutting traces if at all possible. To me,

the docs say bend up pin 15 *or instead* remove/cut.

 

But I did look at a spare MB just now, and on my board R286 is just to the front of 206 that you mention. To me the docs are saying "cut the end of R286 that

is closest to pin 20" -NOT- that R286 is closest to pin 20. (But this step is not applicable since you bent up pin 15.)

 

If the problem is not in the piggyback '158 and it's connections, then I would look closely at extended bank of ram where you removed the chips and replaced them with sockets/41256's. On the first one I did (still in operation), I had one or two lifted traces to repair and I had a bad connection on the piggyback 158.

 

But if MyDos thought it saw a 64K bank of ram for the ramdisk, then that may mean the computer sees at least an extra 64K (regular 130XE ram). I would definitely get an extended ram checker and see what it sees. The best one that I know of is the Satantronic memory tester. If it sees 128K, then your socketing and new chips should be good, leaving only the several '158 connections. Try--- http://www.atari.sk/satantronic/

 

Hope this helps you, and let us know how you do with this.

 

-Larry

[a8maestro]

Hello,

 

If you are using OCRed instructions, then you may have 1 or more wiring errors.

 

Here is my schematic of the Windhover, 1985 (Scott Peterson,?) 320K XE mod...

http://www.a8maestro.com/atari/info/memory/mem130xe1.jpg.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rick D.

Edited August 28, 2007 by a8maestro

[dungeonmaster]

Hello,

 

If you are using OCRed instructions, then you may have 1 or more wiring errors.

 

Here is my schematic of the Scott Peterson 320K XE mod...

http://www.a8maestro.com/atari/info/memory/mem130xe1.jpg.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rick D.

 

Thanks. I had found instructions indicating the Pin 16 connection to PIA, but it did not resolve the issue.

 

I finally decided to replace the 256K chips, and lo and behold, I found a bad chip!

ARRRRGGGHHHHH!!

 

So now I finally have my 130XE up and running with 320K (as of this evening), and I just finished a 256K upgrade to one of my 800XL's. I think I'll save the remaining 800XL until tomorrow night!

 

-Brian

 

PS - Thanks to everyone for their feedback and assistance, I thought that I was about to go crazy.