Mosaic 64 Card Manual wanted

[KLund1]

A friend and I both have Mosaic 64 cards. His in a 400, mine in an 800. We don't know how to use them correctly. I think pokes to 106, 741,742 are needed with a GR.0.

Anyone have the manual. I did a long google search and could not find one.

Mine also has this little hack on the power board I am unsure about. The power LEDs do not light on power up. Is this part of the setup for this card?

Thanks

[+Nezgar]

I don't immediately see any installation / operation manuals, but there is a description from Creative Computing:

https://www.atariarchives.org/creativeatari/The_Mosaic_64K_RAM_Card.php

 

Also an interview with Wynn Smith, it's creator:

https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-259-wynn-smith-mosaic-electronics

 

Box cover illustrates access to the last 16K via 4KB bankswitching:

https://archive.org/details/mosiac32kramforatariboxfront

[KLund1]

Thanks, we saw those. good detail in the CC review,

But we really want the manual.

Anyone have one?

[jcbstein]

I recently upload this to archive.org. It is the 32K manual, it may help you.

 

https://archive.org/details/mosaic-32-k-ram-board-instructions

Edited October 5, 2021 by jcbstein

[KLund1]

Many thanks!

I do already have that manual, box, and card in my position. But it does not offer much that is useful for the 64 card.

 

Of note is that it has a jumper labeled 800/1200. A card edge board would have no use in a 1200.

We really need the manual to define this and several other jumps on this board.

 

Anyone else have a line on this card.

 

[Faicuai]

21 hours ago, KLund1 said:

Mine also has this little hack on the power board I am unsure about. The power LEDs do not light on power up. Is this part of the setup for this card?

Absolutely not.

 

In fact, no hacks of any kind recommended on that board, because the day will come when it may need to be replaced or even upgraded with a future version, and off they go (the "hacks").

 

Trying to save you some headaches with Mosaic/64 config

 

1. First, Grab Mosaic test-suite from Incognito's thread.
2. If you have ONE Mosaic/64 board in the system, please, connect main "MMU" ribbon in the LOWER pin-header, and make sure absolutely NO pins are downward-bent or stressed:
   • 
3. Configure top-right jumper to 800-mode, and leave far-left jumper as shown here:
   • 
4. Now, the rest of your work will zero-in on (above pic) bottom-left cross-pin header, where you should also have a 2.54mm jumper.
5. Make sure NO pins are bent on that header. The should all be straight and vertical (pretty tight clearance between them).
6. Remove ALL boards from system, and plug Mosaic/64 in SLOT 3 (last one).
7. Cycle through all four jumper-configs on that cross-header until the system BOOTS to memo-pad.
8. Run test-suite from SIO and ensure you get FOUR x4KB banks tested and OK. (check the banks-map shown in screen).
9. Proceed to add 16KB boards on SLOT 1 & 2... You may add 16KB on Slot-1 and MOVE Mosaic to Slot 2, for instance.
10. Adjust again pin-header (if necessary) until you start seeing an increase of 4x4KB banks, per test-suite, while system boots properly.

Mosaic/64 is a rather exotic RAM-upgrade for the 800 (collector's wise), also special for its unique banking-scheme and overall flexibility (when properly installed).

 

Have fun!

 

 

[KLund1]

Many Thanks!

 Both our boards are installed and working. Through mine has connections on both rows of headers as shown in the upper right of the picture above. With various pokes I can get over 50K free ram in Basic. I would like to read the manual to see why mine is installed this way and to see what all the jumpers are for. Why are two labeled 800/1200? Why two rows of headers? etc.?

Any idea why there is that little circuit on the power board? What is that section of the power board regularly do? Why both in the same machine? Trying to do a some computer forensics.

[Faicuai]

4 hours ago, KLund1 said:

Both our boards are installed and working.

Mosaic/64 works differently on the 800.

 

Does your board boot on SLOT-3 with no other board present on SLOTs 1/2?

 

If not, you have a problem with the install and/or the jumper config. It's not just seeing 52KB of RAM. It's also effectively banking through the initial 4*4KB = 16KB ram in that specific $C000-$CFFF window.

 

Just FYI.

[KLund1]

Thanks Faicuai! & Everyone else !! Much appreciated!

 No my 800 does not boot with the 16K's out of slot 1 and 2, 64 card only in slot 3

Here is how it is connected. See pictures. I think you can see all the jumper if you look close enough.

I do not see 52K, but just over 50K when i poke

741,255

742,159

106,208

GR.O

These were the numbers attached to labels on the top of the case when I got it. I know these are all memtop pokes, but I am unsure if they are the correct values.

 

I am still looking for the actual install/user manual for this card. Seems like lots of you smart guys know about how to use the card, but no one has the real manual. It would be good to archive it.

[Faicuai]

20 minutes ago, KLund1 said:

Seems like lots of you smart guys know about how to use the card, but no one has the real manual.

It is not really needed.

 

You do have to watch jumper on LOWEST-right corner of the board (forgot to mention). Make sure it stays at S3 position, for now. Here's a quick-start formula you can immediately test:

 

1. Set cross-header jumper to C3 (3:00pm) position. Make sure all other jumpers are on "800" positions.
2. Move all top-right headers to bottom-row, Make sure all pins are straight, and headers FULLY inserted, so the do not rest "pressed" against the shield-cage.
3. Remove ALL cards from S1 and S2, and plug Mosaic/64 on slot three.
4. System should boot with 48KB base ram and 4x4KB on $C000-$CFFF (need to run test-suite to verify bank map).

 

As for the main headers on the top-right, mine came ALL in same-row (top) but it turns out that the only row where the card shined and gave its very best in terms of addressable RAM and freedom-of-movement on the expansion bay was the BOTTOM row, and ALL headers there. You can experiment yourself, methodically. As for me, I spent 1-2 weeks (little-by-little) discovering how it works, how to set-it-properly, and testing tons of variants on its (very flexible) configuration.

 

In short, a one-of-a-kind RAM upgrade, that's for sure. Sort of the swiss-knife of the bunch. The most important thing here is a test-suite to address and verify available banks. Without it, you can't do that much, for certain.

 

(NOTE: the manuals posted on the other thread are pretty good and are more than enough to verifying its correct operation. I've just read them, this afternoon).

[KLund1]

19 minutes ago, Faicuai said:

(NOTE: the manuals posted on the other thread are pretty good and are more than enough to verifying its correct operation. I've just read them, this afternoon).

Which thread?

I saw a thread that had 2 pages from the manual, and 2 notice green pages. But no t the whole manual.

 

The C0,1,2,3 pin was set to CO to Center. Now moved to C3 & center.

The B0,1,2 pin set to B0 and center pin

The S1,2,3 pins set S3 to center pin

Other two pin set for 800. (I have a 1200, no need to emulate one on an 800)

The top right headers are soldered. Need to rework and will take a little time to move then down to the lower row.

 

"First, Grab Mosaic test-suite from Incognito's thread"

Which thread?

Thanks for the hand holding.

[Faicuai]

11 minutes ago, KLund1 said:

The top right headers are soldered.

sOlDeReD ? OMG, that's f-crazy... 

 

Anyhow, your initial setup-above seems right and you may have to start, as is. 

 

Boot this directly from SIO (SDrive, etc.) or move to a DOS 2.5 disk, and load from there: tstmos64.xex

 

Let's cross our fingers!...  

 

[+warerat]

@KLund1

Best I can do without a scanner.  This the manual for the 400 version but it covers things not in the newsletter and errata sheets.

Mosaic 64K.pdf

[KLund1]

warerat  !!!!!

Great Thanks!!! That is amazing. I did not know there were two versions. Good to know, and now we have the 400 manual available for everyone!

 

Anyone have the 800 version? It would be interesting to see how the 1200 emulation might work.

 

Still working on moving my headers. Busy today with other stuff.