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Author Topic: Fastlane Z3 upgade??  (Read 2242 times)

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Offline stopthegop

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Re: Fastlane Z3 upgade??
« on: November 11, 2006, 01:30:00 PM »
Not sure if this is useful data, but I have actually seen two Phase5 Z3 cards that are different in signifigant ways.  Supposedly, both of these cards were "upgradeable".  For example, Card-A has an Emulex scsi controller, while Card-B has a Q-Logic.  One card has only three socketed ICs on the whole unit, the rest are surface mounted (including all 5 "GAL" chips).  The other card has about 10 socketed ICs, including the "GALs"; the remainder are soldered.

From what I have read, this upgrade "kit" was something the end-user just bought from dealers and installed himself.  Is this assumption not correct?  The word "kit", to me, implies "user-installed".  Anyway, if this is indeed the case, then can we also assume that the "kit" would NOT require the user to replace surface mounted ICs, and only socketed ones?  I mean come on, this is a PCB board..  what else could this "Kit" possibly contain besides maybe jumpers?

Jumping back to my first point:  looking again at the two boards (neither of which is precluded from being upgraded), I notice that out of all the ICs on the board, only 3 chips are socketed ON BOTH BOARDS.  Can we safely assume that the mysterious "upgrade kit" must be a replacement for one or more of these three chips?  FYI, the "GALs" are not among the three.  

On one of the cards, these three chips are labeled:

1: "Microchip 27C256-12/L 9420 CHA"
2:  "PALCE22V10H-15JC/4 310VT2K"
3:  "Mach110-15JC 310PNP5"
   
Primary:
A4000T. Phase5 PPC604e-233mhz/060-66mhz. Mediator, Z3 Fastlane, Voodoo5, Delfina, X-Surf, AD516, Peggy Plus.

Collection:
A4000D, A1200, A500, Milan060 (Atari clone), Atari MegaSTE, Atari TT030, C64, C128, Mattel Aquarius, (2) HP Jornada....
 

Offline stopthegop

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Re: Fastlane Z3 upgade??
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2006, 06:21:54 PM »
the eeprom contains the version v8.5 firmware, right?   The kit must be more than just a simple firmware upgrade so that narrows it down to only two chips.   I think..  :)  
Primary:
A4000T. Phase5 PPC604e-233mhz/060-66mhz. Mediator, Z3 Fastlane, Voodoo5, Delfina, X-Surf, AD516, Peggy Plus.

Collection:
A4000D, A1200, A500, Milan060 (Atari clone), Atari MegaSTE, Atari TT030, C64, C128, Mattel Aquarius, (2) HP Jornada....