Very Computer

Can anyone e-mail me John Snow's (of SnowTerm) address where I can reach him
during the summer?  His account at cs.utah.edu as listed in the SnowTerm
documentation is no longer valid.  Thanks in advance.

- Brian

(It doesn't look like this message got out the first time, so here it is
again... apologies if you've read this already!)

For all the GS hardware types out there: how difficult would it be to patch in
another 64K worth of RAM to the Ensoniq DOC?  Can the memory softswitch on the
DOC be used to "bank-switch" the extra RAM?  Please don't remind me of how my
warranty will magically disappear if I attempt any of this (I probably
won't)... I just want to know if it is technically feasible.

- Brian

It's technically feasible, although it is not something to try unless you
know what you're doing. If no one does it over the summer then I might try it
when I get back (I'll want my roommate's oscilloscope) and then I can give
people cookbook instructions. In any case, it requires some permanent warranty
killing modifications to the motherboard unless you want to invite disaster,
so caveat usor.

According to the schematics, all the signals are available (but you'll have to
figure out which of the two unconnected DOC pins to use, and what -- if any --
timing requirements it has). Practically, however, it'd be a * unless you
want to desolder the DRAMs and replace them with sockets (get nice machined
ones that can be soldered to the motherboard on both sides). You'd also need
a test clip or two to get the bank-select signals from the DOC and elsewhere.

To figure out which DOC pin is being used as the bank select (I suspect that
one of the unconnected DOC pins, probably "BS", is the bank select bit and
that you can pick from two pairs of DRAMs with it), find an oscilloscope and
write some test programs with the DOC (not for the squeamish) and watch the
outputs while comparing them to known ones like the DOC's RAS and the GLU's
CAS line.

To hook up the real test setup, replace both DRAMs with machined sockets and
make a test board that plugs into them and has room for four DRAMs (wire a
pair of DRAMs to each socket in parallel, except for the CAS and OE lines
which will probably need to be decoded according to which bank is being
accessed). Use test clips to get the necessary signals from the DOC and
elsewhere (you may have to use something cheesy like an announciator output
if the Sound GLU bank bit is not available in the hardware (and it is a PLCC
so attaching a jumper to it could be * in any case). It would be nice if
the extra bank were enabled by the reserved bit in the Sound GLU, but don't
count on it. The sound tools don't have any way to specify the extra bit anyway
so you'd have to set it between DOC RAM loading calls or write your own sound
software anyway.

Todd Whitesel

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Salt Lake City, Utah                 America Online: JohnSnow  GEnie: J.SNOW2

Quote:>The sound tools don't have any way to specify the extra bit anyway
>so you'd have to set it between DOC RAM loading calls or write your own sound
>software anyway.

Quote:> It's technically feasible, although it is not something to try unless
> you know what you're doing.

Quote:> The sound tools don't have any way to specify the extra bit anyway
> so you'd have to set it between DOC RAM loading calls or write your
> own sound software anyway.

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        What would be the benefits of an extra 64K of RAM?
----


UUCP:     crash!pro-nbs!asong

    Well, there's someone named Harold Somethingorther on America Online
who figured out how to expand the Ensoniq's RAM to 128K, and he was going
to sell it as a package, but I think he decided not to.  However, if you'd
like, I'll forward E-mail to him, and ask him if he'll give you the
instructions on how to do it.  Remember, though, it'll be at your own risk.
This is probably highly unstable and may cause cumbustions or explosions,
or other * things that make your insurance skyrocket. :)

    It's certainly technically feasable.  It's been done.  The guy's just
not sure whether he'll be able to market it.

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