Apple Techstep I have almost all of the ROMs here and some info!

[jajan547]

Awesome work on the ROMs. So many people are missing all the cartridges. Maybe some cleaver peeps can come up with new ROMs. A SCSI low level formatter would be useful. Or maybe a file duplicator that can copy or image one HDD to another on the same SCSI BUS. That way you could get files off a wonky machine that's having issues booting.

In any event, here're the disks from the SupporTools folders. The Help Stack (useful HyperCard stack with info for Mac error codes, known viruses at the time, etc.) Also attached are the demo disks in the second SupporTools folder. I think these were demos to sell to potential store owners.

Super neat! I'll take a look at these!!!

 

[jajan547]

Weird that they need adobe to open the files.

 

[olePigeon]

@jajan547 They're Stuffit 3 BinHex files. DiskCopy 4.2 image format (set to open with DiskCopy 6.x.) Don't forget to right-click and Save Link As so it doesn't open the file from within your browser.

Here they are again, all in a Zip file.

 

[jajan547]

@jajan547 They're Stuffit 3 BinHex files. DiskCopy 4.2 image format (set to open with DiskCopy 6.x.) Don't forget to right-click and Save Link As so it doesn't open the file from within your browser.

Here they are again, all in a Zip file.

Well these I know but the images for the floppies I uploaded need some adobe software.

 

[jajan547]

Oh my goodness was this a pain! I have included every single document that was on the TechStep Tech Info Library Floppy, the other floppy just contains the TechStep Software for reports and such. All of these have been converted into PDF form, because I know years from now somebody will need this!

 

[olePigeon]

Well these I know but the images for the floppies I uploaded need some adobe software.

OH, ok. I thought you were talking about the files I had just uploaded. Sorry about that.

 

[jajan547]

OH, ok. I thought you were talking about the files I had just uploaded. Sorry about that.

I took a look at yours and one of those programs is like a primitive developmental version of the final techstep software.

 

[elemenoh]

I got the new boards today and put a few together. Everything is working fine, including Volume 4. Yay! Thanks @SuperSVGA and @jajan547 !!

 

[jajan547]

A

I got the new boards today and put a few together. Everything is working fine, including Volume 4. Yay! Thanks @SuperSVGA and @jajan547 !!

View attachment 39732Awesome, awesome work I looked and at the Available ROMs PDF and apparently this was discontinued shortly after the LC520, the replacement was the MacTest Pro. This all happened around September of 1993 so Avery short but effective life. I looked and this will troubleshoot floppy errors as well I believe it do all three types, error codes are in the PDFs, also worth noting is these TechSteps supposedly can test some but not all video cards and expansion cards. Lastly I wanted to ask did the labels for all of the different tests ever get finished, if not what can we do to help? I also wanted to ask you all if there’a a good way to upload the handbooks, it’d take a while but I believe I have three along with a sample pamphlet from a conference describing the CPU Tests Vol.2.

 

[elemenoh]

A?

 

[jajan547]

A?

Sorry "a very", I do not reccomend responding to things on 68kmla on your phone many typos lol.

 

[elemenoh]

I finished making all the carts and labels, yay! I ended up using this laser printer sticker paper for the labels. It came out great and did not smudge at all.

Unfortunately the 512 kilobit carts are not working at the moment. I could have sworn I tested them yesterday, but maybe I got something mixed up.

Today neither the Vol. 1 or Vol2. carts are being recognized. If I swap either EPROM in to an original cart it works fine. And the original EPROM in the new carts does not work. I triple checked my solder joints and didn't find any issues. I'm taking a break and will check again later to see if I was missing something.

Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 work fine though.

 

[elemenoh]

I wasn't able to get the 512KB boards working. @SuperSVGA @jajan547 will you be building those versions too? It'd be great to know your results.

I ended up building two more of the 1megabit boards and burning the 512kilobit images to AT27C010-70JU-T's. Both Vol 1 and Vol 2 worked just fine doing that. AT27C010's should be generally more available and less expensive than NOS AM27C512's.

Still, it'd be nice to have a good working version that supports AM27C512's for those who have them.

 

[jajan547]

I wasn't able to get the 512KB boards working. @SuperSVGA @jajan547 will you be building those versions too? It'd be great to know your results.

I ended up building two more of the 1megabit boards and burning the 512kilobit images to AT27C010-70JU-T's. Both Vol 1 and Vol 2 worked just fine doing that. AT27C010's should be generally more available and less expensive than NOS AM27C512's.

Still, it'd be nice to have a good working version that supports AM27C512's for those who have them.

Yeah I had issues with the AM27C512's not sure why but 1MB chips work just fine, so that's what I used. For CPU Tests Vol.1 and Vol.2 I used the 27C010's and the through hole chip, no issues. For Vol.3 I used a MX271000QC because why not I had a couple, also I used another through hole chip. For Vol.4 I used a 27C010 and the SMD chip @SuperSVGA said was pin compatible and it works flawlessly. Did you add the little resistor to these chips?

 

[jajan547]

I wasn't able to get the 512KB boards working. @SuperSVGA @jajan547 will you be building those versions too? It'd be great to know your results.

I ended up building two more of the 1megabit boards and burning the 512kilobit images to AT27C010-70JU-T's. Both Vol 1 and Vol 2 worked just fine doing that. AT27C010's should be generally more available and less expensive than NOS AM27C512's.

Still, it'd be nice to have a good working version that supports AM27C512's for those who have them.

 

[jajan547]

Also This is absolutely everything and all of the information in terms of Gerbers, 3D printed cases, Parts List, and Information etc.

 

[elemenoh]

To be clear the 512kilobit chips themselves work fine when I drop them into an original TechStep cartridge. The original tech step ROM does not work in the new 512kilobit board. So something is wrong with the board design or my build. Yes I did install the resistor. In the photo below the red board is the 1megabit version and black is 512kilobit.

 

[jajan547]

To be clear the 512kilobit chips themselves work fine when I drop them into an original TechStep cartridge. The original tech step ROM does not work in the new 512kilobit board. So something is wrong with the board design or my build. Yes I did install the resistor. In the photo below the red board is the 1megabit version and black is 512kilobit.View attachment 39758

Two things, for starters let me build one up real quick, secondly please link those sockets you used I like those better than the ones I was going to use.

 

[jajan547]

To be clear the 512kilobit chips themselves work fine when I drop them into an original TechStep cartridge. The original tech step ROM does not work in the new 512kilobit board. So something is wrong with the board design or my build. Yes I did install the resistor. In the photo below the red board is the 1megabit version and black is 512kilobit.View attachment 39758

Yeah weird it says please insert a valid ROM, ROM not found. Im assuming its a board issue but either way both the MX1000QC and AM27C010 can work with all ROM images on the 1MB boards. Maybe @SuperSVGA can take a look at the Berber’s for that board again?

 

[SuperSVGA]

It looks like there's a duplicate pin that ended up on the layout for the 512Kbit chips. I'll adjust it now.

I haven't been able build the 512Kbit boards, I'm still waiting on the panels for the 1Mbit boards to get here...