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SE30 cd 68mb Diimo 50 Radius color Full recap Complete almost..

JDW

Well-known member
But even if Von performs a ROM-dump, will that version 2.6 ROM work on all board revisions?  Consider the board in my Flickr photo here.  Note the Radius chips is dated 1990 and has 297-0309 printed on it.  Now consider that the same chip on Von's board is dated 1991 and has 297-0587 printed on it.  How are we to know what ROM versions work with what chips and board revisions?  It would seem trial-and-error would be the only way.

 

superjer2000

Well-known member
You used the stock C15 holes without drilling, superjer2000?
For sure...  no reason to drill. I just bent one of the leads of the capacitor back against the bottom of the capacitor and then at 90 degrees to parallel to the other lead with the right spacing  as noted I put some heat shrink tubing around the bent lead (but didn't "shrink" it. I've done this on probably 6 boards now. 

 

JDW

Well-known member
That's the part I've used on my SE30 recaps and it fits fine (it looks just like the pictures in this thread)...  no reason to drill... 
Thanks for the confirmation!  I'm prepping to go on a recapping frenzy, doing three SE/30 analog boards and a couple SONY PSUs (even though my SEASONIC PSU swap was a success -- I'm putting the finishing touches on a video I made about that now, actually).  Here's my Mouser Cart (choose English if it displays in Japanese -- I'm in Japan).  I'm also planning a recap of my DiiMO 50MHz 68030 accelerator, which has 5pcs of 22uf 6.3V aluminum electrolytics that are over 20 years old. I'm considering using a 10V 22uF Niobium Oxide cap, which is a solid material like tantalum (i.e., it will never leak even 25 years hence) and it won't burn due to over-voltage like a tantalum and it won't fail shorted either.  The body is small enough to fit easily onto the existing PCB pads too.  Anyway, thanks!

 

Paralel

Well-known member
But even if Von performs a ROM-dump, will that version 2.6 ROM work on all board revisions?  Consider the board in my Flickr photo here.  Note the Radius chips is dated 1990 and has 297-0309 printed on it.  Now consider that the same chip on Von's board is dated 1991 and has 297-0587 printed on it.  How are we to know what ROM versions work with what chips and board revisions?  It would seem trial-and-error would be the only way.
Essentially. It doesn't seem like there would be any harm in trying though. Plus, I suspect a high degree of success. If his board could make the jump from 1.0 to 2.6, it seems as though it would work for any version before 2.6

 
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JDW

Well-known member
So long as we can all find an easy way to get our ROMs updated and give it a try, I'm all for it!   :)

Also, what amount of VRAM is required?  As you can see on my board I have only 2 of the 8 VRAM slots filled.  I would assume that my board could support monochrome or perhaps grayscale whereas a full set of VRAM chips would be required for color?  In any case, where would we find these?

 

Paralel

Well-known member
Should be as easy as programming a new EPROM. Just have to match the type, program the image, and you're off to the races.

Any hits if you do a parts search number for that VRAM?

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
I'm mixed up in two different threads, do bear with me:

Radius DeclROM revision should be backward compatible for any given card. I tested backward compatibility and even a clock change for TylerEss across two different NuBus card models with no problem. The incompatibility was determined to be RAMDAC capability limitations of the (older?) less capable card we were trying to goose up.

I can't imagine having trouble with updating the ROM to any version along the line for any given card, but also I don't see any reason to do so. They're incremental improvements for compatibility with other hardware /software. As far as the amount of VRAM goes, that has to do with grayscale/color depth, not grayscale OR color.

JDW, snag one of macmetex's cheap RCPII/IIsi cards and install that ROM in your problematic SE/30 card.

If anyone has a dead card, soldered ZIP VRAM can be harvested and installed in empty sockets.

TL/DR:




 

Paralel

Well-known member
The reason to upgrade ROM, which is why Tact did so, was an issue with software compatibility, if I'm not mistaken. So, there is definitely a reason, its just an edge case.

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
The reason to upgrade ROM, which is why Tact did so, was an issue with software compatibility, if I'm not mistaken. So, there is definitely a reason, its just an edge case.
I guess I'm not understanding. Any incompatibility fixed by a specific ROM upgrade should still be supported by any later ROM revision. Whenever documentation states that Version x.x.x is required that's describing the state of developments at that particular point in time. Versions y.y.y and z.z.z will have remained compatible unless there really is an edge case where overlapping OS and driver compatibility may have come up. Can't say as I remember that ever happening, but it's something I would definitely have remembered if I'd read it.

@BadGoldEagle uploaded the 2.6 ROM if you want to burn it yourself.  I haven't seen Macmetex list his stock on eBay for quite some time now.  I wonder if he finally ran out?
That would be very sad if his buckets full of the things are indeed emptied at long last.

 

Paralel

Well-known member
I guess I'm not understanding. Any incompatibility fixed by a specific ROM upgrade should still be supported by any later ROM revision. Whenever documentation states that Version x.x.x is required that's describing the state of developments at that particular point in time. Versions y.y.y and z.z.z will have remained compatible unless there really is an edge case where overlapping OS and driver compatibility may have come up. Can't say as I remember that ever happening, but it's something I would definitely have remembered if I'd read it....
For some reason his 1.0 ROM did not work with his software, but the 2.6 ROM fixed it. I think it had something to do with 32-bit compatibility?

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
For some reason his 1.0 ROM did not work with his software, but the 2.6 ROM fixed it. I think it had something to do with 32-bit compatibility?
ROM 1.0 from 1990 would for be a year prior to not only System 7, but 6.0.8 as well. You're talking 6.0.6 of 6.0.7 compatibility for the Rev.1.0 ROM. I'm surprised the card worked at all running under 7.anything.

 
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tact

Well-known member
It's been about 1 year since the last post was made to this thread, but I came across it today while pondering a recap of my own DiiMO 50MHz accelerator card.  From what I understand those 5 silver electrolytic capacitors on the chip side of the board are 22uF 6.3V.  Mouser has drop-in replacements for about $0.5 each in 5pc quantities (Panasonic EEE-FP0J220AR).  They are rated at 2000h at 105°C and have a rather low 0.85-ohm ESR.  I thought about tantalum (to avoid future leakage issues), but they are expensive and could go up in flames if you don't voltage spec them at 10V or 16V.  That's why I pondering 10V 22uF Niobium Oxide replacements now.  Mouser has them for $0.75 each in 5pc quantities.  They won't burn, have only a 20% voltage derating (versus 50% for tantalum), and a low (but not too low) ESR of 700m-ohms.  The only potential caveat is the small 1210 (3528) package size, which is a mere 3.5mm long.  I've not yet removed a stock cap to see how close the pads are, but if they are close enough for a 3.5mm body then these Niobium caps may be the perfect replacement solution.

By the way, tact, I see you recapped your analog board too.  The film cap you are using for C15 fits quite nicely.  What part number did you use?  I am considering recapping my own analog boards using the 25.3mm long (Panasonic ECW-FD2W395J) but it looks to be a tight fit.


@tact where did you get ROM chip for your Radius card?  I need one for my NuBus Radius PrecisionColor 8-Xj discussed here.

THs






Sorry its been so long since I have been on this site and I didn't notice the recent posts, hope you all got it figured out ok since then ><

JDW as far as the capacitor I used they were not an exact fit but  depending on the rev of analog board you have the leads on those film capacitors can be bent to fit in the existing holes.

and VON I took the ROM chip from a Nubus version of the same card that had 2.6 on it and it was apparently cross compatibl, got it cheap on ebay and saw in the picture the rom chip. As was mentioned they did dump the 2.6 and a couple other versions for download if someone wanted to burn their own rom chip for their cards =)

 

tact

Well-known member
Just thought I would finally update this post after all these years! Finally made some more progress on my good ol se30.
I came across a asante maccon ethernet se30 model with the removable AUI daughter-board to fit a monitor port and decided to modify the radius pivot card for the iisi with a new right angle 120 pin euro din connector I got from digikey so I could stack them all on top of the Diimo 030 50mhz board.
Also with that order I also finally re-recapped the diimo board with the Proper 22uf 16v solid tantalum polymer capacitors so hopefully they will never need to be replaced again!
I'm so glad it all worked because de-soldering all 120 pins was not an easy task and took a couple hours to do it all and put on a new connector I'm glad I got the right one that fits and one of the pins bent a little when I tried to put it in one of the holes wasnt completely clear of solder, and I almost lifted a pad off the diimo! but it didn't break and works great!
I also still have more work to do, I still have the occasional random grayscale issue with both the radius cards that I have as you can see about in the other posting, it only happens when the back of the case is on and the only way I can fix it back to color mode is to switch the slot address on the radius pivot card with the jumper settings so I added a couple micro switches on the card so I can easily do that without having to take the whole card out to get to the jumpers and it all barely fits in the space between the crt and the monitor.
I also found the tiniest spark on the flyback transformer that I could only see in the dark and it goes away after a couple minutes of warmup time.
Soooo I have a little more work to do! it never ends! XD

I'm going to get or find a new/ish flyback transformer I might shell out to 140$ for a nos one _-_ . also I'm going to print some proper clips for shimming the rominator in place and hopefully willy hold it tight in there! Also going to try and get another set of 16mb simms x4 to finally max out the ram at 128mb soon!

See all the photos of my latest progress with the se30! More to come someday!


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Internet and color screen!!

Also here's that tiny arc on the flyback I have to replace. If you can see it.
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tact

Well-known member
I spent the money and got a NOS replacement flyback transformer to replace my good ol sparky stock one, model 157-0042C was replaced with a 157-0026C. After some extensive testing no sparks or arcs I could see and no smell of smoke or anything so I put the case back on and so far there has been no flicker or color issue from my radius card. that may have been the culprit was a burnt out flyback transformer doing who knows what to the radius cards. I will report if the problem ever returns.
The only adjustments I had to turn down the brightness cutoff, this "new" flyback was much brighter than my old one.
oh and the hole for the back pin had to be drilled out just a tiny bit to fit the different model transformer. but it all went well.
Pictures!
=) happy mac once again

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I will also order the other set of 64mb (16mbx4) ram sticks to finally max this se30 out to 128mb of ram soon! =)
 
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