Lapis ProColorServer VRAM

[iantm]

I came across a Lapis ProColorServer 24, which has less VRAM installed than the 24X. I'm wondering if it's as simple as installing more chips to expand the capabilities of the card.

I'm not familiar with these kinds of chips. I think they are Zip ram? There are four missing from the left bank. 4x256 =1,024 which would be more than enough to run a larger 1152x840 display in 16- or 24-bit color on top of the ram that's already in place.

It might not be this simple, it might require flashing some chip on it with whatever is on the 24X — as far as I can tell it's the most obvious difference between the two. The chips are different manufacturers, but I question how much of a difference that makes. It seems like for product efficiency they might have simply taken the 24X and stripped out the RAM to make it less capable and therefore cheaper, or they made the 24 first with the intention of expanding later.

ProColorServer 24X


ProColorServer 24

 

[zigzagjoe]

An updated ROM would be required at minimum to describe the new depths supported to Mac OS. There might be other changes, but that is the most important. So you'd need a copy of the 24x ROM contents plus the ZIP VRAM.

As there is empty space in the 24 ROM you could possibly try copying some of the sresources and modifying as needed to add the necessary depth information, but this would be involved, not for the faint of heart. Check Designing Cards and Drivers for a description of how DeclROMs are structured.

 

[iantm]

An updated ROM would be required at minimum to describe the new depths

I thought that might be the case.

As there is empty space in the 24 ROM you could possibly try copying some of the sresources

That sounds groovy — but I think if I were to do this at all it would be a wholesale flash of a chip, rather than me picking around in there. I would have zero clue what I'm doing right now, I'm still getting used to reading hex and C, much less assembly… though I'll check out the book at least… gotta start somewhere.

Is it feasible to dump the entire contents of a 24X ROM and flash it to the other? Not that I have any of the tools to do this around me. But if it's possible, I'll put a pin in the maybe someday category and keep reading. This is one of those things that I find technically fascinating as a possibility, even if it's not purely necessary.

 

[zigzagjoe]

I thought that might be the case.


That sounds groovy — but I think if I were to do this at all it would be a wholesale flash of a chip, rather than me picking around in there. I would have zero clue what I'm doing right now, I'm still getting used to reading hex and C, much less assembly… though I'll check out the book at least… gotta start somewhere.

Is it feasible to dump the entire contents of a 24X ROM and flash it to the other? Not that I have any of the tools to do this around me. But if it's possible, I'll put a pin in the maybe someday category and keep reading. This is one of those things that I find technically fascinating as a possibility, even if it's not purely necessary.

That's what I was suggesting - if you can find the contents online, or get someone who owns a card to dump the ROM either via software (SlotROM) or with a reader, then you could use that. Definitely the easier route. You will need to buy a new chip as EPROMs like the original can only be written once, but you can get winbond EEPROM that are drop-in replacements.

 

[iantm]

get someone who owns a card to dump the ROM either via software (SlotROM) or with a reader, then you could use that.

Nice. Yeah. I think I'll do that at some point…I have both cards. Sounds like a fun thing to try! If I can get the ROMs, I'll share them both.