hueyjones70 Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 The screen is black, I get two pops when I turn it on. It worked after I socketed the extended RAM bank. Would a problem with the extended RAM keep it from booting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 only if it was shorted badly, otherwise no. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 I am a little embarrassed to admit this but the problem with the 130XE was my failure to solder all of the socket pins. I had added a socket and just tacked a couple of pins to hold it in place then forgot to finish the job. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 6 hours ago, hueyjones70 said: I am a little embarrassed to admit this but the problem with the 130XE was my failure to solder all of the socket pins. I had added a socket and just tacked a couple of pins to hold it in place then forgot to finish the job. I am sure we've all done something similar at some point. Glad you've resolved the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TZJB Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 (edited) 13 hours ago, hueyjones70 said: I am a little embarrassed to admit this but the problem with the 130XE was my failure to solder all of the socket pins. I had added a socket and just tacked a couple of pins to hold it in place then forgot to finish the job. You are welcome. It's very easy to miss something. As @Beeblebrox said, we have all done it, that's how I knew! Glad that you found the problem and that it is all is now working. As a suggestion, an easy and cheap upgrade to a 130XE is to swap the standard 130XE 64MB expansion for a 256MB expansion which gives 12 extra 16K banks over the existing 4 16K banks. The Windhover SuperRam 130XE Upgrade method just requires 8x 41256 DRAM chips, a 74LS158 logic chip, a 33R resistor and a few wires in a 130XE if you feel the inclination. Windhover SuperRam 320K.txt Edited January 19, 2023 by TZJB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Peterson 320K plus ANTIC following, I always add a switch to select different modes. Extension can cause certain programs to fail. An extra 64K when in 130XE mode (64+128), and of course 320K total in full extension mode(64+256). Antic following allows for ANTIC banked software to run, as of yet I haven't seen a program that banks in a way it doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TZJB Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 5 hours ago, _The Doctor__ said: Peterson 320K plus ANTIC following, I always add a switch to select different modes. Extension can cause certain programs to fail. An extra 64K when in 130XE mode (64+128), and of course 320K total in full extension mode(64+256). Antic following allows for ANTIC banked software to run, as of yet I haven't seen a program that banks in a way it doesn't work. I just checked and they are the same design. I found a diagram:- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 but still needs the switch and antic following support in the switching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Where does rhe switch go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 (edited) @hueyjones70 search me, no really... my content and post... it's there as well as the switch diagram... +++++++++++edit maybe this one? https://forums.atariage.com/topic/281132-atari-130xe-4164-best-replacement-or-upgrade-ram-chips/?do=findComment&comment=4079782 Edited January 19, 2023 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 I just installed the 320 RAM upgrade and I get this when I execute the choice for RAMDISK directory. I have not installed a switch. Anyone have an idea as to what is causing the extra screen characters. Also, I did not mount the 74LS158 on top of the 4050 because I have a UAV installed. I glued the 158 chip to the top of the 61618I ran a wire from pin 16 of the 158 to what would be pin 14 of U21 and another wire from pin 8 of the 158 to what would be pin 7 of U21. I was also wonder If the 74LS158 could be mounted on top of the 25953 chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 (edited) bad connections or ram check the dead bug portion closely and run xram to check it are you using standard 2.5 and it's ramdisk? you can also try other ramdisk drivers. MyDOS has some nice ramdisk options. (is that what you are using?) Edited January 21, 2023 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 This is MYDOS 4.54. I haven't tried 2.5 yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TZJB Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 10 hours ago, hueyjones70 said: I just installed the 320 RAM upgrade and I get this when I execute the choice for RAMDISK directory. I have not installed a switch. Anyone have an idea as to what is causing the extra screen characters. Also, I did not mount the 74LS158 on top of the 4050 because I have a UAV installed. I glued the 158 chip to the top of the 61618I ran a wire from pin 16 of the 158 to what would be pin 14 of U21 and another wire from pin 8 of the 158 to what would be pin 7 of U21. I was also wonder If the 74LS158 could be mounted on top of the 25953 chip. Some obvious data corruption there. The 74LS158 can be mounted anywhere convenient, so long as you supply power to it which you have. The RAMdisk is generally set to D8: Did you change it with option S and format it? What are the results of running XRAM0220.XEX attached? XRAM0220.XEX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Changed to D3, don't remember if I formatted or not, wrote DOS files. I will check the format and run the XRAM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 The disk was formatted and the results were the same with DOS 2.5 and MYDOS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TZJB Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/21/2023 at 5:22 PM, hueyjones70 said: The disk was formatted and the results were the same with DOS 2.5 and MYDOS Something seems wrong. Did you definitely separate U23 PIA pin 15 from the motherboard? Pin 16 isn't connected to anything so does not need separating. Also something that just occured to me and you could try, did you test the 130XE with the 41256 DRAM before the upgrade as the 256K DRAM would be detected as 64K without the DRAM A8 connection. Could you send some pictures please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 I did separate pins 15 and 16 from the MB. I don't remember if I tested the 256 Drams but I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 I tested the DRAMS in another 130XE computer and they checked out OK. I completely removed the RAM upgrade and the RAMDISK worked OK. I can't imagine what was wrong with the upgrade, I even unsoldered all of the wires from the LS158 and replaced the LS158 with no change in the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 I have seen instructions that call for pin 1 of the 256 RAM chips to be bent up and connected by wire. I have also seen instructions that call for the pin 1s to be connected on the bottom of the board. Does it make any difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TZJB Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, hueyjones70 said: I have seen instructions that call for pin 1 of the 256 RAM chips to be bent up and connected by wire. I have also seen instructions that call for the pin 1s to be connected on the bottom of the board. Does it make any difference? Hi @hueyjones70. Electrically there is no difference except for the danger of breaking the pin off of the DRAM chip when it it's bent up. Pin 1 (A8) of the DRAM chips are completely isolated on Atari 130XE PCBs, so running the wire for pin 1 underneath the board is much safer and neater. The 33R resistor can also be run in line underneath the board so that it's not visible, with just the A8 wire showing above. With the Atari 800XL, pin 1 of the DRAM are linked up and connected to R32 so it's easier to connect 256KB DRAM to a RamboXL uprade. It just occured to me regarding your problem. Have you changed the PIA? Pin 16 was previously unused so is otherwise untested. They are standard components with the Motorola MC68B21P (2MHZ) variant considered to be the prefered. Edited February 3, 2023 by TZJB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 No, I haven't changed the PIA, I tested it in another computer and it worked OK but the other computer didn't have a memory upgrade and I didn't know about the unused pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 I removed the upgrade and everything seemed to be working OK. MYDOS booted, the RAMDISK showed more than 32K sectors with no strange characters showing up. Then I experienced some other unusual results. When I boot with DOS 2.5 the computer shows the RAMDISK being set up; then when I get the READY prompt and type DOS, I just get the ready prompt again. I tried several different DOS disks with the same result. Another thing, when I run the self-test, the computer doesn't recognize the extra RAM. I switched ROM chips and the PIA and got the same results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TZJB Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 (edited) 16 hours ago, hueyjones70 said: I removed the upgrade and everything seemed to be working OK. MYDOS booted, the RAMDISK showed more than 32K sectors with no strange characters showing up. Then I experienced some other unusual results. When I boot with DOS 2.5 the computer shows the RAMDISK being set up; then when I get the READY prompt and type DOS, I just get the ready prompt again. I tried several different DOS disks with the same result. Another thing, when I run the self-test, the computer doesn't recognize the extra RAM. I switched ROM chips and the PIA and got the same results. Looks like you have lost the second 64K RAM bank. Turn off the power and check that R111 the 33R CAS line measures correctly with an ohmmeter between MMMU U34 pin 10 and Bank 2 DRAM pin 15 and that all of the DRAM pin 15s on that bank are connected to one-another. Edited February 5, 2023 by TZJB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjones70 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 I crossed the resistors (110 and 111) and the computer wouldn't boot so I used SYSCHECK and it showed 3 bad DRAMS. I replaced them and got the computer to boot. I switched the resistors back to stock position and the computer would not boot. SYSCHECK doesn't do anything. By turning the computer on and off repeatedly, I did get SYSCHECK to show up one time and it showed all DRAMS as being bad. I know that is not correct because they were all good before I crossed the resistors. I crossed the resistors once again and the computer boots but it exhibits the same odd behavior as before. No extra RAM, won't respond to DOS command. Both resistors show 33 Ohms and both resistors have approx 5 V on each end. I have switched out the MMUs so it must be a bad connection to PIN 10 of the MMU. I just remembered something, while I had the resistors in stock configuration, R111 showed a slight negative voltage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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