Yesterday, I received the boards for my SE/30. I put together my SE/30. It took me a while. By the time, I turned it on I was greeted with a checkered screen:
Last edited:
Taming the ROM in my SE/30!
- Thread starter retr01
- Start date
Here is what the process went:
Did it hang while it was checking memory? The weird thing is, I am using BMOW's Rominator, which I should see happy pirate Mac, and it skips memory check. Perhaps it never arrived, hung up, and froze somewhere during the startup process?
My IIci has BMOW Rominator II and Keystron 128 MB of RAM with BlueSCSI. No issues.
I want some assistance. Please let me know.
I am going to sleep. I have been awake for over 36 hours or so.
Cheers,
- I returned to the original ROM SIMM and RAM SIMMs that came with my SE/30.
- The SAD MAC Error was complaining about RAM Bank A.
- I swapped the two RAM SIMM groups between banks.
- Another SAD MAC error. I realized the SE/30 didn't like something about the BlueSCSI.
- I popped in my red emergency disk with FWB Toolkit.
- The SE/30 booted fine.
- Set up the SD for BlueSCSI with the Apple 1999 Recovery CD image.
- My SE/30 could not boot up. It keeps restarting itself with the happy Mac coming up.
- Put BMOW Rominator II ROM SIMM back on the logic board.
- The SE/30 booted to System 7.6.1 but hung. I figured maybe not enough memory. The original RAM SIMMs were 4 1 MB SIMMs and four 256k SIMMs for a total of 5 MB.
- I maxed out to 128 MB RAM again.
- Now, my SE/30 boots up and does not do anything beyond just a normal crosshatch "grey" screen. No Happy Mac, nothing.
Did it hang while it was checking memory? The weird thing is, I am using BMOW's Rominator, which I should see happy pirate Mac, and it skips memory check. Perhaps it never arrived, hung up, and froze somewhere during the startup process?
My IIci has BMOW Rominator II and Keystron 128 MB of RAM with BlueSCSI. No issues.
I want some assistance. Please let me know.
I am going to sleep. I have been awake for over 36 hours or so.
Cheers,
Attachments
Last edited:
New SIMM sockets. Professionally done. Test passed. But I indeed could double-check. I want to rule out bad RAM SIMMs, although that's rare.
I doubt the ram would be suspect, those new modules are using the appropriate PCB thickness (I'm assuming here).
Reproductions like the ones I built are only available in 1.2mm (1.6mm is too thick) so adding solder to the pads is the only guarantee even new sockets will touch the pads.
For the screen to boot as such though I'd think the ROM, unfortunately BMOW ROM also has the same thickness issue.
Yeah, BMOW Rominator II is about 1.2 mm thick. I noticed the ROM SIMM 64-pin socket has a mechanism that pushes the contacts from the left side to be snug. 
Still, need to solder on the Rominator contact pad on one side?
Cheers,
Still, need to solder on the Rominator contact pad on one side?
The 16 MB Keystron RAM SIMMs are about 1.2 mm thick as well. I noticed that the 30-pin sockets have a mechanism that will hold the SIMMs snugly. Still, solder a bit on the SIMM contacts on one side?
Cheers,
Still, solder a bit on the SIMM contacts on one side?
The 16 MB Keystron RAM SIMMs are about 1.2 mm thick as well. I noticed that the 30-pin sockets have a mechanism that will hold the SIMMs snugly.
Cheers,
Wanted to quickly show you how I do it, there's nothing wrong with you trying this, most solders have a bit of give with insertion so it will ensure at least that THIS isn't the issue.
Thank you for showing me @Drake. I wonder, is that method ensuring the solder is applied evenly across all contacts on the bottom of the SIMM stick?
I discussed this with Steve at Big Mess O' Wires (BMOW). He pointed out options as listed on pages 6 and 7 in the BMOW Rominator II Instructions under section 6 from numbers 1 through 4:
So, I noticed that the Rominator SIMM isn't pushed all the way in, even with the new metal clipped 64-pin socket. I noticed there is a gap from the chip side of the stick to the inside edge of the slot while the SIMM stick is still not upright vertically 90 degrees perpendicularly to the logic board:
I wonder, is that method ensuring the solder is applied evenly across all contacts on the bottom of the SIMM stick? I discussed this with Steve at Big Mess O' Wires (BMOW). He pointed out options as listed on pages 6 and 7 in the BMOW Rominator II Instructions under section 6 from numbers 1 through 4:
Hi @retr01, …..
Maybe you have tried it already…..the board works
% with the old original parts?
I would try and upgrade step by step, then you know where it goes wrong.
As for the thickness difference…..
Cant you slide in a strip of plastic to the back. For example from some thin blister package?
my two cents…..
Maybe you have tried it already…..the board works
% with the old original parts?I would try and upgrade step by step, then you know where it goes wrong.
As for the thickness difference…..
Cant you slide in a strip of plastic to the back. For example from some thin blister package?
my two cents…..
I tried the rubber bands. That did not work out. So, I am looking for a paper clip that I have somewhere.
Rubber bands are not a very durable solution.
Just try some thin strips behind the pcb.
It helps to create more presure to the comtacts.
Blister package can be very thin 0,1 to 0,3mm or so.
Just give it a try.
Just try some thin strips behind the pcb.
It helps to create more presure to the comtacts.
Blister package can be very thin 0,1 to 0,3mm or so.
Just give it a try.
Well, I could not find the heavy-duty paper clip at my place. So, I attempted shimming black thin plastic pieces on the back of the Rominator SIMM stick on the sides. Added rubber bands to push it a bit more upright. That did not work out, either. 
I asked a friend of mine to print the plastic clips by @PotatoFi.
That would be two weeks since my friend is on a business trip. Well, it's a work in progress!
I asked a friend of mine to print the plastic clips by @PotatoFi.That would be two weeks since my friend is on a business trip. Well, it's a work in progress!
Last edited:
So, I put the original ROM SIMM back in my SE/30. I left the 128 MB RAM SIMM sticks there. I booted the SE/30 from my red emergency disk to see. It booted fine to System 7.1 without the Mode32 INIT file. Then I reviewed the computer information. I noticed the FWB Toolkit program reported 134217728 bytes. That is 128 MB.
I am unsure if the ROM is Apple ROM for SE/30 that is not 32-bit clean, tweaked, or from IIsi? If it was tweaked, then the ROM is not masked. Or someone could have put IIsi ROM there?
I am unsure if the ROM is Apple ROM for SE/30 that is not 32-bit clean, tweaked, or from IIsi? If it was tweaked, then the ROM is not masked. Or someone could have put IIsi ROM there?
I have confirmed that the original 512k ROM SIMM stick, Apple part 638-4339, is definitely for the SE/30. AFAIK, some 24-bit code in there makes it "32-bit dirty." It will not address more than 8 MB of RAM. So, for now, I will use Mode32 INIT by Connectix.
Now you know at least what is causing this fault……
Right. I went back to the original ROM for now. The problem is that the BMOW Rominator will not seat well in that 64-pin SIMM socket even though the socket is brand new. The original Apple ROM stick is thicker than the BMOW Rominator ROM stick, so it seats fine.
Once I get the printed clips, I hope to seat BMOW Rominator better.
Cheers,
Those "slots," the 64-pin ROM socket and the 30-pin RAM sockets, are brand new.
The RAM sticks seats adequately. The original Apple ROM seats satisfactorily.It is the BMOW Rominator II ROM stick that will not seat well.
Cheers,