Should a Disk II interface card work in slot 7?

[dukes909]

New to Apple II Plus  and think I screwed up big time. I bought an Apple II Plus system at an estate sale and it has a u-Sci  (Microsci ?) drive as drive 1 and an Apple Disk II as drive 2. I couldn't get the u-Sci to boot any disk so I thought I would try swapping the ribbon cables on the Disk II interface card. It was easier for me to do this with the card out of the drive. (By the way I had the cases off of both drives to clean the heads and never put them back on while doing the tests.) I took the Disk II card out (of slot 6) and swapped the cables (actually now that I think about it I just put the Disk II cable in the Disk 1 connector and didn't reconnect the u-Sci). My own fault, I put the Disk II card in slot 7 instead of 6 without noticing what I did. I turned the computer on and POP & the magic smoke came out of an IC on the Disk II analog card, which I saw & smelled all too well because I had the case off of it. Chip ULN2003 - I think Darlington Array.

 

So, I can get a new ULN2003 but

1) is there a way to see what other things I blew on there (if any)

2) I guess I should mark slot #7 as "DO NOT USE"...? lol

Cheers

Dukester

Edited September 18, 2023 by dukes909
add a clarification

[nick3092]

Slot 7 can be used for a drive controller. Sounds more like you probably mis aligned a ribbon cable or plugged it in backwards on one end. 

[potatohead]

I believe the same.  Many people have popped a card with improperly fitted cables.

 

If the computer still works, chances are you can either repair your card, or just get another one.  

 

You can use Slot 7, same as 6.  

[dukes909]

10 hours ago, potatohead said:

I believe the same.  Many people have popped a card with improperly fitted cables.

 

If the computer still works, chances are you can either repair your card, or just get another one.  

 

You can use Slot 7, same as 6.  

The computer still works. Which card are you referring to replacing? The one on the Disk II or the interface card itself? 

[potatohead]

Potentially both.

 

It really depends on what got torched and that depends on the cable alignment used.

 

I rarely use mine these days.  Getting a CFFA 3000 card completely changed how I use the machine.  Other disk emulation systems are very similar.

 

 

[dukes909]

21 hours ago, potatohead said:

Getting a CFFA 3000 card completely changed how I use the machine.  Other disk emulation systems are very similar.

Ohhhhh that is cool. I didn't know about these, thanks! I have a Fujinet for my Atari and I see they are working on one IIe (? I think). Don't know if it would also work on the IIPlus when it comes out.

[nick3092]

Fuji net will require some way of getting smartport functionality into your Apple II+. Like getting a Yellowstone disk controller to replace the standard controller in slot 6 (it's a full blown disk II controller with smartport built in, you don't need your existing one anymore).

 

Or, there are add in cards that you can put in another slot to add smartport along side your existing Disk II controller card that augment it. SoftSP or taking a Grappler or Super Serial card and replacing the ROM are examples of this.

 

Personally I prefer the Floppy Emu over a card based solution like CFFA or booti. But that's because I have various models of Apple II and with the FE it's easy to move around from one to the other. No cards to swap, and works with my //c. It also works with my classic Macs. FE also supports more disk formats. booti is ProDOS only, and CFFA can't do WOZ images (last I heard, anyway). 

[potatohead]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:56 AM, dukes909 said:

Ohhhhh that is cool. I didn't know about these, thanks! I have a Fujinet for my Atari and I see they are working on one IIe (? I think). Don't know if it would also work on the IIPlus when it comes out.

I have one for my Atari too.  On the Atari, one can park disks on an SD card.  No problem. 

 

I am going to try the Grappler plus card with changed ROM approach to drive a FujiNET for my Apple.  I am hoping it works the same way.