Full Text Searchable PDF User Manual

Apple IIc RamExpress II+
User’s Guide
Copyright © a2heaven.com


RamExpress II+ User’s Guide © a2heaven.com, 22 Nov 2016 Version 1.01
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Table of Contents
Description ...........................................................................................................................................................4
Contents of Package .............................................................................................................................................4
Ram Express II+ Installation ..................................................................................................................................5
Determine Logic Board Compatibility ..................................................................................................................5
Diagnostics and Troubleshoting ...........................................................................................................................7
Using Build in Clock ..............................................................................................................................................9
Boot the Disk ........................................................................................................................................................9
Set the time ..........................................................................................................................................................9
About the RamExpress II+ Battery ..................................................................................................................... 10
Frequently Asked Questions .............................................................................................................................. 12
Where to find further help ................................................................................................................................ 12
About a2heaven.com ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................ 13
Some other a2heaven products ........................................................................................................................ 14

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Description
The RamExpress II+ Memory Expansion Card adds extra random-access
memory (RAM) and Real time clock to your Apple
II
c computer. The standard
memory expansion card comes with 1024K (1Megabyte) RAM.
The RamExpress II+ Memory Expansion Card can be used with any Apple
II
c
and Apple
II
c+(Plus) which has a logic board containing the memory expansion
connector. The clock keeps track of the year, month, day of the month, day of
the week, and time, right down to 1/10 and 1/100. An on-board lithium
battery maintains the RAM content and current date and time even when the
computer is turned off.
Contents of Package
RamExpress II+ – Apple
II
c RamExpress II+ PCB

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Ram Express II+ Installation
Apple
II
c computers with model number A2S4100 and A2S4500 contain the
connector and circuitry necessary to install a RamExpress II+ Memory
Expansion Card.
Apple
II
c computers with model number A2S4000 not have memory expand
connector and
not support
RamExpress II+ board!
Determine Logic Board Compatibility
1.
Turn off the power to the
II
c and disconnect the power cord and any
attached peripherals.
2.
Open
II
c Plastic case.
3.
Remove Keyboard (You cannot unplug connector only flip up keyboard)
4.
Compare the logic board with Figures 1 and 2. If the logic board looks like
the one shown in Figure 1 then a logic board is compatible with
RamExpress II+ .
Fig 1.
Fig 2.
Expansion Connector

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5.
Insert the pins of the RamExpress II+ connector follow the direction into
the
II
c RAM expansion socket and press in until the card is completely
seated.
6.
Reassemble the Apple
II
c.
7.
Turn ON Computer and check if boot up properly.
Mounting Example

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Diagnostics and Troubleshoting
1.
Connect a video display to the
II
c.
2.
Plug the power cord into the power socket and turn on the computer.
The words Apple
II
c will be displayed at the top of the screen.
3.
Simultaneously press the <CONTROL> and <RESET> keys.
4.
Enter
CALL -151
and press <RETURN>.
The machine language monitor prompt (*) will appear.
5.
Enter
C40AG
and press <RETURN>.
6.
The following display will appear. Verify that the card size which appears
is the actual size for the card installed (in our example, a 1024K Memory
Expansion Card is installed). The dots appear on the screen as the card is
tested. The test will repeat until either the <ESC> key is pressed or an
error is encountered.
MEMORY CARD TEST ESC TO EXIT
TEST WILL TAKE 180 SECONDS CARD SIZE = 1024K
…………
…………
…………
…………
PASSES = 0001
CARD OK

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NOTE: A complete card failure is indicated if the internal diagnostics will not
run. In that case, remove the RamExpress II+ PCB check if you mount
property on socket or not have bended pins mount on PCB and try again with
test.
Error Code Interpretation
If an error is found during the internal diagnostic it will be displayed in one of
the following formats:
DATA ERROR XXYYYY – ZZ
(indicates a RAM or card failure)
ADDRESS ERROR XXYYYY - ZZ
(usually indicates a card failure)

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Using Build in Clock
ProDOS does not automatically recognize the clock. However, the ProDOS
compatible drivers on the RamExpress II+ disk allow ProDOS to recognize and
use the clock information. When a ProDOS startup disk is booted, the
operating-system file, PRODOS, is copied from the disk to a protected area of
the computer's memory. The program,
DCLOCK.SYSTEM
, will install the
required clock driver to the image of ProDOS in memory. When executed, the
DCLOCK.SYSTEM
program will first check for the presence of a clock and, if
found, install the clock driver. Then it will execute the next system program (file
type of SYS and a filename suffix of .SYSTEM) in the disk's directory.
Boot the Disk
Boot the RamExpress II+ disk. You should see the message
DClock Copyright
(c) 19— Applied Engineering
in the upper left corner of the screen,
DCLOCK.SYSTEM
installs the proper drivers to the image of ProDOS in
memory and then runs the BASIC program. The BASIC program sends the
message. Loading drivers... and brings up the Time Utilities Menu.
"
Cannot find clock
" Message
If you ever get the message
Cannot find clock
, it probably means that the
clock has been discharged or is improperly installed. If the clock has been
discharged but is properly installed, the program will find it and set the time
and date to zeros. Set the correct time and date as described below, then
choose the option install clock driver in memory.
If the program does not find the clock, check the clock's installation then try
booting the RamExpress II+ disk again.
Set the time
Select the option. Set the Time. Follow the on-screen directions to set the date
and time in the format:
Month (01 - 12)/Day (01 - 31)/Year (00 - 99)
Hour (00 - 23)/Minute (00 - 59)/Second (00 - 59)
❖
Note: To enter PM, add 12 hours to the corresponding

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Press Return to set the time or use the ESC key to return to the Clock Utilities
menu without changing the clock.
If you enter a value outside the range of a particular setting (ex: Month = 13),
you will receive an error message and be returned
Load the Driver to Your ProDOS Boot Disks
To automatically install the proper clock driver each time the computer is
booted, install
DCLOCK.SYSTEM
on your ProDOS
•
Note: DCLOCK.SYSTEM requires 4 blocks of disk space.
To patch any ProDOS boot disks to recognize the clock, insert the write-enabled
disk to be modified into any disk drive and choose the option Install clock driver
on disk. The installation program will scan the system and display a list of
volumes currently on-line and their location. Select the target volume and press
the Return key. The
DCLOCK.SYSTEM
file will be inserted as the first system
program in the patched disk's directory. Each time the modified startup disk is
booted,
DCLOCK.SYSTEM
will be executed, displaying
DClock Copyright (c)
19— Applied Engineering
in the upper left corner of the screen; then the next
system program file in the disk
Whenever you create or modify ProDOS files under the modified operating
system, the files will be automatically tagged with the current date and time.
Also, any application programs which read the time and date directly from
ProDOS will now be .
About the RamExpress II+ Battery
What it is
The RamExpress II+ battery is a 3 volt, 20 millimeter lithium battery type
CR2032
with a life of about 1-2 years. You can order these batteries directly
from your local computer parts store or camera supplies store.
Replacing
To replace the battery, remove the memory expansion board. Remove the
battery by pushing on the top edge of the battery with a flat blade screwdriver.
Do not bend the clip up. The battery should pop out the bottom of the
connector.
Insert the new battery, positive (+) side up.

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Now reconnect the RamExpress II+ memory card (refer to the directions in this
manual). Boot the RamExpress II+ disk to set the correct time.

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Frequently Asked Questions
Q.
Who makes the RamExpress II+?
A.
The adapter was designed and built by Plamen Vaysilov from a2heaven.com.
This includes the software(VHDL design)/firmware, circuit design and the PCB.
Q.
Can I use RamExpress II+ on other computers?
A.
Almost certainly no, you can use RamExpress II+ only on Apple
II
c and
Apple
II
c+ (Plus) with build RAM Expansion slot .
Q.
How much does the RamExpress II+ adapter cost?
A.
At the time of writing this document (Late Nov 2016), the price was
US$69.99 which includes shipping to anywhere on the planet.
Q.
I Want to Add more that 1MB RAM is this is possible?
A.
No , this card not designed to support more RAM.
Where to find further help
Phone:
+359 888 810 993
Email:
info@a2heaven.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/a2heaven/
About a2heaven.com
A2Heaven is a small company that implements new technology for use on
vintage computer hardware.
About this User Guide
This User Guide was written by Martin Crockett and Plamen Vaysilov, use
materials of RamExpress User Manual from Applied Engineering.

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Version 1.01, 22
th
Nov 2016, 1
st
public release.
Warranty
A2Heaven.com warranties the RamExpress II+ adapter for 6 months or 180
days, from the date of purchase. This warranty assumes the RamFactor8M
adapter has not been tampered with in any way.

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Some other a2heaven products
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A high quality speech synthesizer.
Mockingboard-T:
A sound card for all Apple II computers, no speech chip.
ALF MC1 Clone:
A music synthesizer that allows you to program music into
your apple using standard musical notation.
Ramworks III Clone:
Comes with 64k, expandable to 1M or 3M with 2M
expander board. For apple IIe only.
Ramworks III VGA adapter:
Option board for the Ramworks III Clone.
Generates VGA compatible video, only for NTSC, 60Hz Apple IIe.
dClock:
Clock option for Ram Express or Apple
II
c Memory Expansion card.
Senior PROM IIe:
Add debugging commands to your Apple IIe, such as entry
to System monitor at any time, copy memory to and from auxiliary memory,
plus much more.
Trak Star II:
Gives constant digital read of any 5.25” Apple II drive, great for
seeing what that pesky protection scheme is up to. Supports full, half and
quarter track movement.
SDFloppy II:
Store up to 36 “DSK” images on an SD card, replaces 5.15”
floppy drive.
RamWorks8M :
RAM memory Add 8MB RAM to Apple IIe .
RamFactor8M :
RAM memory Add 8MB RAM to Apple II+ .
For more products check
www.a2heaven.com