PowerPump"ACCELERATOR" from NewerTech: is it worth cloning?

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Dunno how many Apple 601 cards are out there or how many are in these three machines. But this looks pretty handy for pushing the limits on both sides of the dual processor setup. If there aren't enough of the PowerPump out there to go around, might make for an interesting project?

Other than the right angle header interboard connect setup, loooks simple enough in terms of PCBs. Cool fan setups included for both processors can be fabricated in one case (fan mounted on blank FRP panel) or sourced outright.

If there's interest, I can do a serious photo session with my new toys. Never snagged a 601 for my Q950, so no worries about loaning this bit of the hoard out for a cloning project.

 

[Mk.558]

I'd argue no. How many people still have 601 accelerator cards?

It's a very curious thing. Why don't you show us a bit more of it?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Dunno, that's exactly what I was asking. Seems pretty cool if you have one though! Looked like a bunch of cool bits so I bought one. Almost bought another one just for the parts included.

Kitting out a brand new camera for just this sort of thing! Off for three days, we'll see what I can come up with.

 

[nathall]

I had a 601 in a Centris 650 some years ago. The power supply blew up at one point and I ended up junking the machine— something I still regret, as I’m sure it was fixable.

 

[jeremywork]

Here's a couple pictures of the kit and a scan of the manual. Probably less practical than an oscillator swap in most permanent installations, but these are fun and pretty nifty for benchmarking.

 

[Unknown_K]

I'd argue no. How many people still have 601 accelerator cards?

It's a very curious thing. Why don't you show us a bit more of it?

I think I have 2 of the Apple PPC cards and one has a cracked CPU, plus the Daystar PowerPro 601 with RAM and cache and I am NOT overclocking that thing (good luck finding a replacement if you screw it up).

If you're going to clone anything on a 950, I would suggest the 68040/50 with cache parts (or has that been done?).

 

[mdeverhart]

Very cool! It’s considerably more complicated and full featured than I expected. Here’s my guess about how it’s working after reading the manual (but I haven’t tried looking up the IC part numbers, this is all speculation):

1. The clips on the oscillator force the enable low, disabling the onboard main oscillator. Then the other clip injects a new clock into the clock buffer next to the oscillator.
2. The NuBus card provides the bridge between the Control Panel and the clock generation logic, allowing the user to change the desired clock frequencies. My theory is that the clock generation is actually on the ROM SIMM part, and that the NuBus card sends configuration commands over the wire harness between the NuBus and ROM cars.
3. The ROM SIMM actually generates the CPU clock, and maybe handles some dynamic behavior? Sitting on the address bus, I’m thinking that maybe it can detect when on-board peripherals, ROM, or RAM are being accessed and adjust the clock speed as needed.

But as I said, these are just idle musings

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

@jeremywork Thanks for those pics of the stetup in action and dissection! The small B&W pics and diagrams in the manual don't come close to what you've done. The overall view is most fascinating in both cases.

Not worth cloning the whole thing, thanks for making that clear gang. But that cooling fan setup for the 601 card looks a very interesting proposition? The standard card was passively cooled by that massive heat spreader? Might could be a preservation upgrade worth pursuing?

That ROM(less) SIMM card is what I find most interesting about the rig. I take it the host system boots from ROM on the 601 Card? Does it never really boot at all, acting as a semi-rational host unless the 601 is shut down and host booted from the 601 ROM superset? Is the host ROM SIMM disabled by standard 601 card installation?

The passthru(?) thruholes on that SIMM are most intriguing.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

If you're going to clone anything on a 950, I would suggest the 68040/50 with cache parts (or has that been done?).

Interesting, haven't heard of that unit, linkage? I don't clone anything myself, I just find something interesting, note possibilities, make a hamfisted attempt at mapping traces in AI and then hand my Performer off to @Bolle.

Man's gotta know his limitations.
/Charles Bronson

 

[Unknown_K]

It just sits in the 68040 socket runs a 40mhz CPU at 50 and adds some cache plus has a fan.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Sweet, mo betta!

Three GALS and an SRAM pair is a very good hand! That'd be a great place to hang the heatsink/fan in this kit off the CPU from my CAPitulated 840AV. I bought this contraption for all the interesting parts with no plans to get a 601 card at all. Though I should probably think about passing the boxed kit on to some other lunatic . . .

 

[Mk.558]

I should probably say Trash80, don't let me be a downer. Considering the current age of that thing, a full archival and image dump is probably the least we should do.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Yep, I guess you're right. I'll post it off to anyone who can test it and wants to do the documentation. After that I'll pass it along to someone who wants to do a trade for something interesting or buy me a new toy.

edit: PM if interested, I'm not one for flat out sales from my hoard of toys as yet . . . maybe one day.