FastlaneZ3 Modification for 256mb RAM

[mechy]

If its a revision 2.4 board its ready to go. You need the 16-16MB 30 pin simms.. The latest rom is 8.5(just version the scsi.device to find out).
Set the jumpers as needed and your off.
I have tried this with 3 different boards and the most they seem to take reliably is somewhere around 192MB.
No one i know of has managed 256MB.

Fastlane z3 ram is likely no faster than the cyberstorm PPC UWSCSI when setup right, the z3 is at the mercy of the zorro3 bus.

The ppc scsi should do around 25-30MB/s with a good drive setup.Not sure how the fastlane compares. It would be a interesting test.

mech

[mechy]

The Fastlane needs a new ROM and new PALs which allow using 16 meg SIMMs. If your Fastlane is working with 40 megs, that implies that the PALs are not the ones which support 16 meg SIMMs because they ONLY support 16 meg and 4 meg. The non-16 meg SIMMs ONLY support 4 meg and 1 meg SIMMs (40 megs would be 8x4 meg and 8x1 meg).

Since I don't know how new 16 meg PALs would handle 1 meg SIMMs, I can't say I know this for sure, but my advice would be to get four 16 meg SIMMs and test them before getting the other twelve.

from my experience the 2.2 revision boards need the pal upgrades+rom and possible some jumper wires, the 2.4 has these pal upgrades from the start,some still need the newer rom on the 2.4.Do you know otherwise? i have not seen a fastlane z3 ever work with more than 192MB and i do mean the upgraded ones..
upgraded boards only support the 4 and 16MB simms.


mech