thunderCachePro on a Color Classic

[mpocciot]

Hello all,

I installed a micromac ThunderCachePro on my CC and nothing really seems to be faster.

I bought this card back in 1997 and decided to give it one more try.

When the CC boots it recognizes the MM TCP V1.0 Extension also the card because it beeps only once. 32-bit addressing is on. Memory on the CC is max (10 Meg). Everything is setup according to the requisites, but Speedometer 3.06 is not given a much higher rate for the CC.

CC is running System 7.5.5

Also, the extra memory installed on the card is not showing on the "about this macintosh", only the 10 Meg shows up.

So, I wonder if anybody has this one or a similar card running. The support email at www.micromac.com gives me "delivery failed".

This forum is my only hope.

Many thanks,

Marcio Pocciotti

 

[Unknown_K]

Is there a control panel installed?

Sounds like you don't have the drivers loaded.

 

[mpocciot]

The ThunderCachePro does not have a Control Panel only an Extension called MM TCP v1.0.

That is very sensitive. If the card is not in place, it will give you a blank screen and won't boot. The fact that the card is installed gives you one beep at boot. So that is covered.

Thanks a lot indeed,

Marcio Pocciotti

 

[Unknown_K]

Could it be the card needs an older OS installed to function? The fact that the extra RAM does not show up and the benchmark app does not seem to show the unit running faster seems to show that the card is non functional.

Do you have the owners manual by chance?

 

[mpocciot]

Hi, Hello,

YEs, that could be possible. It says that it supports 7.5.x but maybe I should revert to 7.1 and test.

I don't have the manual here (I'm not sure if I have the manual anywhere, hehehe, many years have passed). But there is enough info on the website to match the info on the manual as far as I can remember.

It would be nice to get this baby running.

I'll try 7.1 and keep posting.

Cheers,

Marcio Pocciotti

 

[phreakout]

Marcio,

Something in my logic tells me that you could be missing one critical extension. This one is called 'Mode32'. I say this only because you mention more RAM than what the Mac can understand. Some of these Macs based on the 68020 and 68030 processors had a memory address of only 24-bits. In other words, they were crippled from being a true 32-bit system. You can use file extensions/enablers like 'Mode32' to "patch" the Mac into being a 32-bit system. Some benefits, such as system speed and RAM maximum total, can be noticed after installing 'Mode32', but every Mac is different.

If you need a copy of Mode32, let me know and I'll email the file to you. Give it a try and report back to us with results.

Thanks and Best Regards,

Phreakout. :rambo:

 

[mpocciot]

Hello Phreakout,

Thanks for the good advice. I've been wondering about 32-bit access too. Specially because MicroMac is very emphatic on having 32-bit access turned on. Could it be possible that it is not on even after turning it on with the Memory control panel?

In installing the card, if I had the default on 24-bit access the machine would no boot at all, not even the mouse on the screen.

The CC I was trying it on didn't have a PRAM battery, so it would not hold the 32-bit access setting after turning it on with the Memory control panel (system 7.5.5). I installed a new battery and it is holding the settings after boot. When I tried zapping the PRAM, settings went back to default (24-bit access) and I lost access to the OS. I removed the card from the MOBO, booted the CC, changed it to 32-bit access, shutdown, reinstalled the acc card and booted.

I have installed System 7.1 with just the MM TCP extension. It boots really fast, but I still can't see the extra RAM (32-bit is on).

I would like to try Mode32, yes. Please, send it mpocciot@gmail.com. I appreciate it.

thanks a lot,

Marcio Pocciotti

 

[LCGuy]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I can't see how MODE32 would help with a Colour Classic - the Colour Classic, just like the LCII its based on, is a 32 bit clean system, and therefore doesn't need MODE32, and I can't see any way in which a 32 bit clean Mac would benefit from having it installed.

By the way - just to check...are you sure that the extra RAM on the TCP card is compatible? You need four 4MB modules.

 

[Bunsen]

MicroMac went out of business a long time ago. It's a miracle their website is still up.

 

[mpocciot]

Yes, it is true about Mode32 on the CC. I found a copy ate umich and installed (not before reading the README, but decided to give it a try). Didn't work.

About the RAM, it was the RAM that came with the card, so I was suspecting it. To my admiration it turn out to be the culprit right there. I removed the 2 4MBRAM Kingston KTM-4000S that came with it (and you really don't need all the RAM slots filled, you can have the 2 banks close to the edge of the board filled with identical sticks and not have the other two banks filled, it works).

After some experimentation this is the best I could get with the RAM I had available:

bank 0: 4 MB 60 ns

bank 1: 4 MB 60 ns

bank 2: 1 MB 70 ns

bank 3: 1 MB 70 ns

The "about this macintosh" is showing 20MB of Physical RAM now.

I'm trying to determine now which System 7 is best for performance. I'm running Speedometer 3.06 and comparing the results.

In stalling System 7.1 I have attached my Apple external CDROM and so can install various OS versions. When I boot from the CD I have it loads 7.6.1 as default; so I decided to run speedometer in between installations and it surprised me that with 7.6.1 it gives better results for the performance benchmark than with 7.1 installed on the hard disk.

I'm now installing a System folder with 7.6.1 on the hard disk to confirm that it gives better results than 7.1 and will post my findings here, later.

I found an interesting discussion about Accelerators going on now at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs/browse_thread/thread/177e2ccbc3f06149#

Thanks a lot for helping me resolve the first part of the puzzle. I appreciate it.

Marcio Pocciotti