7100/80 and Newertech 7MX71/81 + display card problem

[ClassicHasClass]

If so, in this day and age, why not just use a PCI Mac?

But of course the same question applies for any CPU upgrade. I sometimes ask myself why I bother having to mess around with settings on the G4 in my 7300, but I like my 7300, and it has nostalgia value (and I want to keep the MDD dedicated to Classilla work primarily).

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I figure if you're going to collect something, it needs to be upgraded to the point I would have pushed it back in the day.

Back then, I never bought a Mac for production use if it didn't have available accelerators with the processor being upgraded to the next level. I couldn't afford cutting edge Macs or upgrading to the next generation each time. The accelerators let me upgrade half as often. The SE came with the Radius16/CoPro, I bought the used IIx/PanaPro_19 with the intention of Rocketizing it ASAP and the refurb 6360 for eventual Sonnetization.

Back on topic:

I'm thrilled with the batch of these Cards, strange mix of functionality to report:

(1) 220MHz/512k - Video PassThru Functional

(3) 238.3MHz/1MB - Video PassThru Functional

(1) 238.3MHz/512k - Accelerator only works great - Video PassThru implemented causes click-clunk in PSU/No Powerup

(1) 238.3MHz/1MBk - Accelerator only works great - Video PassThru implemented causes click-clunk in PSU/No Powerup

(1) DOA - the 81/110 Tries to boot w/no startup chimes - hits HDD and eventually stops -

- - - gives shutdown alert on hitting Power on KBD button, but hangs when enter/return is pressed

I tested one of the good boards with the Sonnet Adapter Cable and it still worked fine over the extended length. It's a much better design w/components on a PCB 1/3 of the way to the Female connector, which is mounted on a PCB/Flex Cable Adapter. The male connector has strain relieving "mounting ears" on the PCB. I'll bet the integrated design of the Newertech cabling with the Female Connector soldered directly onto the Flex Cable is the Achille's Heel of these cards. When I press the Female Socket onto the HPV Card's edge connector it gives me the heebie-jeebies I get from handling KlugeWare.

When the Sonnet PassThru Adapter might fail, the cable is swapped out.

When the integrated NewerTech Cable fails, looks like it can take the whole card down.

Very bad design, IMHO.

 

[trag]

Two thoughts.

1) If you're using the G3 upgrade without a video card installed, you may need to install a PDS terminator in the video card socket. Apple made dire warnings about operating the NuBus PMs without anything in the PDS slot.

2) When I assembled a PM8100/110 with a NewerTech G3 and PDS passthrough, the HPV card gave me a lot of trouble if it had VRAM SIMMs installed. Try the video card without any VRAM SIMMs, if you have not already. I suspect that there's just not enough power available in that slot for the G3 upgrade, and the HPV card and the additional VRAM.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

My NIB from Sonnet 400MHz/1MB didn't come with a terminator, that may be a problem with the Newertech, but I doubt it. Power wasn't an issue either, Crescendo was almost twice as fast and available up to 1GHZ, IIRC.

 

[Bunsen]

Sonnet may have wised up and built termination into their boards, after all the grief Newertech encountered. It still sounds like a valid troubleshooting experiment ... if you can find the said PDS terminator, that is.

Fastest Sonnet Crescendo Nubus was 500MHz - their 1GHz upgrades were for PCI machines and later.

And a small correction to my earlier blatherings above, it was the Crescendo that I recalled having the socketed passthrough, and not any of the Newertech ones.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Yep, I've got the terminator that came installed in PDS of the 81/110. I'll give it a try in the DOA board. I'll also try the VRAM removal gambit along with the VidCap board in the two with non-functional passthru cables.