Crystal Computer Products 256K RAMCARD

[ColleenLover]

Fellow Colleen lovers;

I was fortunate enough to win this "NEW" Crystal Computer Products 256K RAMCARD on eBay.

This product was intended to be a direct functional equivalent, of the AXLON 128, but with 256K and a streamlined design.

I notice that info for this card is very hard to come by anywhere, in fact, the software is NO WHERE to be found and the only copies of the documentation online are the older versions, or outright incomplete!

So it is my pleasure to offer the FULL-complete and latest package to everyone.

Original Docs, pictures AND the impossible to find ORIGINAL Software.

Unfortunately, the card only lasted 3 power cycles, before something blew out and now it needs repair.

I have replaced most of the chips, with NO change in the symptoms, the few I did not have in inventory, (have to buy them), but I will keep all  of you informed.

Comments welcome.

CrystalComputerProducts256KRAMCard.pdf CrystalComputerProducts256KRAMCARD_SIDEA.atr CrystalComputerProducts256KRAMCARD_SIDEB.atr

[+MrFish]

Thanks for the docs and disks. Nice stuff, and neat board/card (really like that blue). 

 

Did you try cleaning all contacts (edge connector, chips legs, sockets) with contact cleaner yet? Also, the slot in your 800 itself might need cleaning. That edge connector has some pretty dark looking lines on it...

 

[ClausB]

Did you check the caps for shorts?

[ColleenLover]

Mr.Fish Yes Sir, the contacts are clean, sure of that.

ClausB I have only a standard multi-meter, how can I check the caps on this board without removing them?

 

BTW, the 4 support chips on the bottom that I did swap out, just so happen to be the same as on a standard 16K board, I took them off that board temporarily and transplanted them on this one, no change.

Put the 4 chips back in the original 16K board tested --100% zero change in the CCP boards malfunction.

 

Really hoping that I hit it with one of the last 5 chips I have not swapped out yet.

 

[ColleenLover]

OH, you know it might be nice If I actually described the problem.

 

The board's entire bank switching blew out. You can boot standard DOS, any attempt to initialize / bank the extra RAM results in a garbled screen crash.

The boards OWN diagnostics software (disk #1 listed above) dies within the first 6 sectors to a black screen with a horrible buzzing noise!

 

Its not the software disk....if you swap out the CCP board for both a standard 16K board or an original AXLON 128K board the CCP diags disk loads and you get exactly what you would expect, the 16K boards comes up ALL extra banks missing and the AXLON board comes up with 1/2 the banks missing.

Edited May 24, 2020 by ColleenLover

[ClausB]

To check the caps, remove all the chips and then use your multimeter to measure resistance between +5V and Gnd lines. It should read high resistance, > 10 kOhm.

[ColleenLover]

OK, it will take me while to get that done,,, you wouldn't know off the top of your head which of the connector contacts is a +5V and Gnd lines?

[Faicuai]

16 hours ago, ColleenLover said:

Fellow Colleen lovers;

I was fortunate enough to win this "NEW" Crystal Computer Products 256K RAMCARD on eBay.

This product was intended to be a direct functional equivalent, of the AXLON 128, but with 256K and a streamlined design.

I notice that info for this card is very hard to come by anywhere, in fact, the software is NO WHERE to be found and the only copies of the documentation online are the older versions, or outright incomplete!

So it is my pleasure to offer the FULL-complete and latest package to everyone.

Original Docs, pictures AND the impossible to find ORIGINAL Software.

Unfortunately, the card only lasted 3 power cycles, before something blew out and now it needs repair.

I have replaced most of the chips, with NO change in the symptoms, the few I did not have in inventory, (have to buy them), but I will keep all  of you informed.

Comments welcome.

CrystalComputerProducts256KRAMCard.pdf 7.92 MB · 14 downloads CrystalComputerProducts256KRAMCARD_SIDEA.atr 90.02 kB · 10 downloads CrystalComputerProducts256KRAMCARD_SIDEB.atr 90.02 kB · 10 downloads

So it was you!!! :-))

 

Had it on my watch list and got distracted (last-minute) and slipped away! I knew it would fly out quickly... And we may never see another one (!)

 

Not just a very nicely (and thoughtfully) designed board, but a testament of the 800s architecture and flexibility! Slide one of these babies on second RAM slot, and you could boot latest version of SDX 4.49 on extended RAM (along with key supporting drivers), all with essentially a stock 1979-1983 800 (!)

 

THANKS for those disks, I could only imagine having access to them, during the auction! 

 

??  ??

 

 

 

 

[_The Doctor__]

The Crystal card won't work with Bit 3 80 column cards or 32k cards and certain mods, that being said, there
were hack and mods to make it play nice with other kids in the slots.
on with it so ROM slot then...

RAM Module Slot 1 (front RAM slot; 800 only):
   A  B  C  D  E  F  H  J  K  L  M  N  P  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z    Edge
   -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  Connector
   -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -    22/44
   1                                                              22
 1. D0 Data bus line 0                  A. D1 Data bus line 1
 2. D2 Data bus line 2                  B. D4 Data bus line 4
 3. D3 Data bus line 3                  C. D5 Data bus line 5
 4. D7 Data bus line 7                  D. D6 Data bus line 6
 5. A0 Address bus line 0               E. A2 Address bus line 2
 6. A7 Address bus line 7               F. A9 Address bus line 9
 7. A1 Address bus line 1               H. A13 Address bus line 13
 8. A8 Address bus line 8               J. A4 Address bus line 4
 9. A5 Address bus line 5               K. A11 Address bus line 11
10. A3 Address bus line 3               L. A12 Address bus line 12
11. A10 Address bus line 10             M. Select line input from Slot 2 pin N
12. A6 Address bus line 6               N. Select line output to Slot 3 pin U
13. R/W Late 1                          P. Select line input from Slot 2 pin R
14. Phi2 Phase 2 clock                  R. Select line output to Slot 3 pin 18
15. RASTIME Row Address Strobe Time     S. Select line input from Slot 2 pin T
16. R/W Early                           T. Select line output to Slot 2 pin 18
17. /REF RAM Refresh                    U. /S1 Select $2000-$3FFF
18. /S0 Select $0000-$1FFF              V. NC Not Connected
19. Vcc +5V                             W. Vcc +5V
20. Vbb -5V                             X. Vbb -5V
21. Vdd +12V                            Y. Vdd +12V
22. Vss GND Ground                      Z. Vss GND Ground

RAM Module Slot 2 (middle RAM slot; 800 only):
   A  B  C  D  E  F  H  J  K  L  M  N  P  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z    Edge
   -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  Connector
   -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -    22/44
   1                                                              22
 1. D0 Data bus line 0                  A. D1 Data bus line 1
 2. D2 Data bus line 2                  B. D4 Data bus line 4
 3. D3 Data bus line 3                  C. D5 Data bus line 5
 4. D7 Data bus line 7                  D. D6 Data bus line 6
 5. A0 Address bus line 0               E. A2 Address bus line 2
 6. A7 Address bus line 7               F. A9 Address bus line 9
 7. A1 Address bus line 1               H. A13 Address bus line 13
 8. A8 Address bus line 8               J. A4 Address bus line 4
 9. A5 Address bus line 5               K. A11 Address bus line 11
10. A3 Address bus line 3               L. A12 Address bus line 12
11. A10 Address bus line 10             M. /S5 Select $A000-$BFFF
12. A6 Address bus line 6               N. Select line output to Slot 1 pin M
13. R/W Late 2,3                        P. /S4 Select $8000-$9FFF
14. Phi2 Phase 2 clock                  R. Select line output to Slot 1 pin P
15. RASTIME Row Address Strobe Tie      S. /S3 Select $6000-$7FFF
16. R/W Early                           T. Select line output to Slot 1 pin S
17. /REF RAM Refresh                    U. /S2 Select $4000-$5FFF
18. Select line input from Slot 1 pin T V. NC Not Connected
19. Vcc +5V                             W. Vcc +5V
20. Vbb -5V                             X. Vbb -5V
21. Vdd +12V                            Y. Vdd +12V
22. Vss GND Ground                      Z. Vss GND Ground

RAM Module Slot 3 (rear RAM slot; 800 only):
   A  B  C  D  E  F  H  J  K  L  M  N  P  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z    Edge
   -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  Connector
   -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -    22/44
   1                                                              22
 1. D0 Data bus line 0                  A. D1 Data bus line 1
 2. D2 Data bus line 2                  B. D4 Data bus line 4
 3. D3 Data bus line 3                  C. D5 Data bus line 5
 4. D7 Data bus line 7                  D. D6 Data bus line 6
 5. A0 Address bus line 0               E. A2 Address bus line 2
 6. A7 Address bus line 7               F. A9 Address bus line 9
 7. A1 Address bus line 1               H. A13 Address bus line 13
 8. A8 Address bus line 8               J. A4 Address bus line 4
 9. A5 Address bus line 5               K. A11 Address bus line 11
10. A3 Address bus line 3               L. A12 Address bus line 12
11. A10 Address bus line 10             M. /EXSEL External Select
12. A6 Address bus line 6               N. Not connected
13. R/W Late 2,3                        P. D6XX /CS Chip Select $D6xx
14. Phi2 Phase 2 clock                  R. Not connected
15. RASTIME Row Address Strobe Time     S. Not connected
16. R/W Early                           T. Not connected
17. /REF RAM Refresh                    U. Select line in from Slot 1 pin N
18. Select line input from Slot 1 pin R V. D5XX /CS Chip Select $D5xx
19. Vcc +5V                             W. Vcc +5V
20. Vbb -5V                             X. Vbb -5V
21. Vdd +12V                            Y. Vdd +12V
22. Vss GND Ground                      Z. Vss GND Ground

Edited May 24, 2020 by _The Doctor__

[StickJock]

Just use the power & ground pins on one of those TTL chip sockets.  Top left, bottom right.

[ColleenLover]

WOW!  

[ColleenLover]

15 hours ago, Faicuai said:

So it was you!!! :-))

 

Had it on my watch list and got distracted (last-minute) and slipped away! I knew it would fly out quickly... And we may never see another one (!)

 

Not just a very nicely (and thoughtfully) designed board, but a testament of the 800s architecture and flexibility! Slide one of these babies on second RAM slot, and you could boot latest version of SDX 4.49 on extended RAM (along with key supporting drivers), all with essentially a stock 1979-1983 800 (!)

 

THANKS for those disks, I could only imagine having access to them, during the auction! 

 

??  ??

 

 

 

 

OOO.. Faicuai sorry Brother!   

But I see what you talking about!

 

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by ColleenLover