800XLF

[Beeblebrox]

@hueyjones70can you elaborate? The only essential difference is it has a Freddie chip and no delay line and its chroma is hooked up. So U1MB mem upgrade works fine, just has slightly different hookup points (see my signature for a link to these). Other RM upgrades that work with stock 800XLs I would imagine would work with an XLF.

 

EDIT: Forgot to say it's worth me mentioning this. The only other related consideration for Freddie 800XLFs and adding for example the VXBE video upgrade is detailed here  and here https://youtu.be/coO3iFeFW4Y  regarding small power mod relating to a potential issue with Freddie chips. Mod was devised by Tf_hh.

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Beeblebrox

[hueyjones70]

I was considering adding a Rambo or Wiztronics 256K. I don't want to bother with the U1MB because I honestly don't want to spend the time learning how to use it.

[+mytek]

4 hours ago, hueyjones70 said:

I don't want to bother with the U1MB because I honestly don't want to spend the time learning how to use it.

It pretty much works out of the box using the default settings if you have @flashjazzcat's BIOS onboard. And if you want to change any of those settings, or change OS and language slot selection it's pretty easy peasy with the menu system he employed - everything is pretty well spelled out.

 

Installation is also rather easy, only requiring 4 wires be soldered. And if your system has the OS and BASIC ROMs already socketed, it's plug'n'play from that point forward.

 

[hueyjones70]

I have installed one before in a 1200XL but I didn't have flashjazzcat's BIOS.

[Beeblebrox]

There is significant difference between the original 2011 Candle U1MB firmware and FJC's Firmwares in terms of functionality, not to mention age.  Mytek sums it all up. ?

Edited April 2, 2022 by Beeblebrox

[hueyjones70]

I have found that I must do a significant amount of work before doing any mods. I hadn't done any testing of the computer. The first time I turned it on, it booted to BASIC, I typed a few keys and saw that the KB needed work, then I checked S-video and saw that I had color so I decided to take it apart.  I noticed it had a socketed FREDDIE and 6 of the 8 RAM chips were socketed as well as the OS ROM. I socketed the other two RAM chips and went to test it again. It booted to BASIC and after a couple of minutes some of the letters in READY changed and random characters began to appear on the screen. I rebooted and the computer went to self test and again, random characters began appealing on the screen. After that, I couldn't boot to anything and STAR RAIDERS wouldn't boot. I tried SYS CHECK and it appeared to be working but the characters would randomly change. Sometimes syscheck would show some of the ram chips to be defective and sometimes it goes directly to display all ram failure. I am going to have to socket all of the chips so that I can do some troubleshooting. I think I have a PAL 600XL that will provide a test computer.

[Beeblebrox]

Sounds like the ram has a problem somewhere if sys check is constantly displaying alternating issues. Worth socketing all ram chips as you say and possibly popping new ram in. Also check mmu. I spent days trouble shooting my XLF and aside other issues it came down to one bad trace topside which meant a line of traces weren't connecting top side of the pcb down the ram chips. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Beeblebrox

[hueyjones70]

Should all of the ram chips have similar voltage on corresponding pin numbers?