Apple eMate 300 Expansion Module (Open Source / Open Hardware Project)
- Thread starter Stephen
- Start date
But a new battery pack can be built or replaced. See my thread for more information about the battery thingy for the eMate.
The link is working for me, shows that the Internet Archive captured the URL yesterday. https://web.archive.org/web/20220000000000*/https://marc.info/?l=newtontalk&m=110740915605337&w=2Ah.Um, the link didn't work? Can you check?
Yes, I've rebuilt both my eMate's battery packs with new cells, however I kept/reused the temperature sensor from the original battery pack. I'm not sure I've seen reports of anyone building new packs with new sensors. If they were new sensors it seems they need to be calibrated with with data that's stored in the special flash area.
Works for me:
Code:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220822153530/https://marc.info/?l=newtontalk&m=110740915605337&w=2Does not, note the number/asterisk:
Code:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220000000000*/https://marc.info/?l=newtontalk&m=110740915605337&w=2
Last edited:
Not sure what's going on with the internet archive. That link which has the * in it would show me the archive history page with the calendar view of when the page has been saved. But now it doesn't. Makes me wonder if the IA is having issues.
BTW, the original link to that post on the MARC site is still working:
https://marc.info/?l=newtontalk&m=110740915605337&w=2
Likewise, all NewtonTalk messages going back to June 2001 are also available in the official list archives:
http://newtontalk.net/archive/newtontalk/2005-February/0076.html
Sure, the original link is still available. I like to use the internet archive for things like this to be more certain that data is still available in the future. The IA page contains the original URL, so you can check the original source later.
Much data has been lost to link rot, and hitting things with archive.org just helps keep the data around.
I'm not sure if enough people in the vintage computing community realize the need for volunteers to help pitch in to preserve those sites. It's like the efforts to scan in old instructions, manuals, etc. Many just are like, oh, archive.org has them. Nice Wayback machine. Yet, those links still can be lost due to funding and other infrastructure issues e.g. data center maintenance that affects links.
A quick update, PCBs for the second production round have arrived but I'm still waiting for the DRAM and flash chips to ship. Once everything arrives here, I'll be able to make something like 25 more upgrade modules.
I don't have plans to offer fully unassembled kits unless there's a lot of demand for it.
Something totally unassembled can't be tested at all, and I don't like the possibility of sending something out which won't work even when properly assembled. We're dealing with new old stock parts supplies, so I try to absorb as much of the time cost and risk as possible to be sure stuff works when it arrives.
Something totally unassembled can't be tested at all, and I don't like the possibility of sending something out which won't work even when properly assembled. We're dealing with new old stock parts supplies, so I try to absorb as much of the time cost and risk as possible to be sure stuff works when it arrives.
Main Update:
The DRAM and Flash chips have now arrived, so I can start production of the upgrades again.
Very long secondary update:
I also ordered some of a different DRAM chip to try out and the results are interesting.
These other chips are 8k refresh, 13x9 row and column arrangement, self refresh (I'll call them the 8k chips). The previously tested-working chips are 4k refresh, 12x10 row and column arrangement, self refresh (will call them the 4k chips).
These 8k DRAM chips work too, and report the same 3976k System RAM as the 4k chips. I had hoped that the eMate system would be able to 'pick up' the extra capacity and result in a full 16 megabytes of DRAM - but that didn't work out. Makes me wonder whether a change in the eMate ROM could unlock the extra capacity.
The 8k chips have a row and column matrix which is called out specifically as supported by the CL-PS7110 (successor to the CL-PS7010 in the eMate). The CL-PS7110 datasheet also says that it can support up to 256 megabytes of DRAM. I'd love to update the ROM to make the eMate work with these 8k chips but that's a rabbit hole which might be too deep for me.
The DRAM and Flash chips have now arrived, so I can start production of the upgrades again.
Very long secondary update:
I also ordered some of a different DRAM chip to try out and the results are interesting.
These other chips are 8k refresh, 13x9 row and column arrangement, self refresh (I'll call them the 8k chips). The previously tested-working chips are 4k refresh, 12x10 row and column arrangement, self refresh (will call them the 4k chips).
These 8k DRAM chips work too, and report the same 3976k System RAM as the 4k chips. I had hoped that the eMate system would be able to 'pick up' the extra capacity and result in a full 16 megabytes of DRAM - but that didn't work out. Makes me wonder whether a change in the eMate ROM could unlock the extra capacity.
The 8k chips have a row and column matrix which is called out specifically as supported by the CL-PS7110 (successor to the CL-PS7010 in the eMate). The CL-PS7110 datasheet also says that it can support up to 256 megabytes of DRAM. I'd love to update the ROM to make the eMate work with these 8k chips but that's a rabbit hole which might be too deep for me.
Interesting discovery. It's worth investigation at some point but also begs to question "what can an emate do with 16mb?".
Yeah, what could an eMate do with 16 megabytes of DRAM? I really have no idea, mostly just want to enable other people to do things which I am not thinking of.
Production will start on the DRAM+Flash upgrades probably a little later this week. And I'll update the product page to mention that it does take awhile after first installing the module before the eMate becomes responsive again. Installing the module triggers a factory reset, which is what uses that time.
Production will start on the DRAM+Flash upgrades probably a little later this week. And I'll update the product page to mention that it does take awhile after first installing the module before the eMate becomes responsive again. Installing the module triggers a factory reset, which is what uses that time.
This time while testing the production modules, I measured the wait time. Varies between about 50 seconds and 1 minute 30.