hi, i just to ask some information, potentially i can have a 420 version but i have no idea if it is compatible with a G4 Quicksilver and i can’t find any information… can you help me please?

Where does it all end though, if you put an orange in your apple, ppl will want a tangerine in their apricot or a blackberry in their raspberry, and we've just gone down the turducken rabbithole with fruit salad.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-01-01, 20:18:

Where does it all end though, if you put an orange in your apple, ppl will want a tangerine in their apricot or a blackberry in their raspberry, and we've just gone down the turducken rabbithole with fruit salad.

I’m gald I wasn’t drinking a soda. 🤣

AlessandroB wrote on 2024-01-01, 19:49:

hi, i just to ask some information, potentially i can have a 420 version but i have no idea if it is compatible with a G4 Quicksilver and i can’t find any information… can you help me please?

🤷‍♂️ I would guess it would be compatible.

Do you have the cable for it by chance?

Sphere478 wrote on 2024-01-02, 00:06:

I’m gald I wasn’t drinking a soda. 🤣 […]
Show full quote

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-01-01, 20:18:

Where does it all end though, if you put an orange in your apple, ppl will want a tangerine in their apricot or a blackberry in their raspberry, and we've just gone down the turducken rabbithole with fruit salad.

I’m gald I wasn’t drinking a soda. 🤣

AlessandroB wrote on 2024-01-01, 19:49:

hi, i just to ask some information, potentially i can have a 420 version but i have no idea if it is compatible with a G4 Quicksilver and i can’t find any information… can you help me please?

🤷‍♂️ I would guess it would be compatible.

Do you have the cable for it by chance?

yes the cable is provided, but i not yet the card because i have zero knowledge about apple powerpc world, i absolutely do not know if it work or not in a compter much more younger than the card. Do you know something more?

AlessandroB wrote on 2024-01-02, 00:43:

Sphere478 wrote on 2024-01-02, 00:06:

I’m gald I wasn’t drinking a soda. 🤣 […]
Show full quote

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-01-01, 20:18:

Where does it all end though, if you put an orange in your apple, ppl will want a tangerine in their apricot or a blackberry in their raspberry, and we've just gone down the turducken rabbithole with fruit salad.

I’m gald I wasn’t drinking a soda. 🤣

AlessandroB wrote on 2024-01-01, 19:49:

hi, i just to ask some information, potentially i can have a 420 version but i have no idea if it is compatible with a G4 Quicksilver and i can’t find any information… can you help me please?

🤷‍♂️ I would guess it would be compatible.

Do you have the cable for it by chance?

yes the cable is provided, but i not yet the card because i have zero knowledge about apple powerpc world, i absolutely do not know if it work or not in a compter much more younger than the card. Do you know something more?

I believe it probably has more to do with the operating system on the mac. As long as it fits in the slot and the operating system is supported I would think it would work, but I am not sure.

Can you provide a pinout diagram of the cable? I wish to make my own.

I had a thought.

It might be possible to make a pcb that bolts onto that port with screws and offers a breakout of the connections in a way that is more compact than the oem cable. Soldered on pins could tap the connections

By the way, am I correct that the card takes only EDO DIMMS? Not SDRAM?

If so, should not the max addressable be 256mb? Or 512mb? I see specs only list up to 128. I intend to try to beat 128 if possible.

Sphere478 wrote on 2024-01-02, 01:41:

AlessandroB wrote on 2024-01-02, 00:43:

Sphere478 wrote on 2024-01-02, 00:06:

I’m gald I wasn’t drinking a soda. 🤣

🤷‍♂️ I would guess it would be compatible.

Do you have the cable for it by chance?

yes the cable is provided, but i not yet the card because i have zero knowledge about apple powerpc world, i absolutely do not know if it work or not in a compter much more younger than the card. Do you know something more?

I believe it probably has more to do with the operating system on the mac. As long as it fits in the slot and the operating system is supported I would think it would work, but I am not sure.

Can you provide a pinout diagram of the cable? I wish to make my own.

My computer came out with OS 9.2.x. I haven't found any information on whether the control software for these cards (the one I could get is a 420) is compatible with this OS. If you help me understand it I could take the board and once I take it I could find the pinout of the cable whip you need

I’m new to them myself, Try it and see.

Okay, what’s max possible ram?

256mb edo dimm?

I assume sd isn’t supported?

5v only?🤔

https://wiki.preterhuman.net/OrangePC_530

According to this 5v ram modules which makes sense.

But says max 128mb which I want to confirm.

What chipset is under the sticker?
What is max supported by the chipset??

Says 128MB on the archived spec page...

"Model 530: 7"card; PCI Interface: 64-bit Pentium design for PCI based Macintosh; 2 MB video DRAM; user expandable RAM up to 128 MB (includes internal video cable for use in "All-In-One" 5400/5500 Macintoshes)

Your choice of processors for OrangePC 530:

Intel Pentium MMX 200 and 233 MHz; Intel Pentium classic 100-200 MHz; Cyrix 6x86 PR166+. Pentium Pro and Pentium II processors are not compatible.

Memory Specifications:

Two DIMM sockets on Models 550 and 540, one DIMM socket on Model 530; configurations allow any combination of 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 MB Macintosh compatible; 2K refresh, non-composite, Fast-Page Mode, 70ns or faster, 5 volt DIMM, Max. 1" height."

The model I have seems to only have jumper settings listing up to 200 mhz

As we know though, the 1.5x and 2x can be handy for later processors.

However there seems to be a total lack of voltage options on the board. Leading me to think that my particular one might be single plane.

Peeling the sticker back that says 166 cyrix I can see it does say socket 7 however we have seen many a single plane socket 7 board.

There is a very simple linear regulator on the back of the pcb, I’m going to guess that these old macs had 5v pci standard and that lone regulator on the card is the 3.3v supply meaning that this card really doesn’t support pentium mmx.

A k6-233 ANR might be happy here but that might pull a bit of power for that linear reg.

Another fun thing I noticed was the presence of a mr bios sticker. Not sure where that leaves us with getting Jan’s help adding k6-+ support 🙁

Yes, not all hope is lost for mmx and above. A interposer should be able to be used here.

Hopefully I’m not missing something, as the ad clearly says supports mmx maybe it isn’t a 3.3v reg but a 3v one trying to make all sub 233mhz chips happy? Or maybe I’m wrong about 3.3v being present on mac pci? But if so where is the voltage adjustment jumper block?

Anyway,

I’m noting a connector near the bottom of the card, is that for a missing vga connector? How did these transmit video to the mac?

Pics

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_VIA_chipsets

According to this,

The chipset supports 512mb of ram.

So if they ran the address lines for it, It may actually max out at 256 or 512mb

I’m going to guess probably not 512mb with only a single socket though. Probably 128 or 256 is where I’ll end up.

I did some more investigating today.

Turns out the unit is indeed a dual plane socket. The regulator at the back seems to step 3.3v (which I assume comes from the pci slot) down to 2.8v

Again, don’t see any jumpers to change it,

The two planes in the socket are indeed separated verified with ohm meter.

Looks like when a single plane cpu is installed it probably just shorts the 2.8v to 3.3 and calls it a day.

Anyway, this means for any fun cpus I have to either hack the linear regulator to supply a lower voltage, (if it can do that at all…) or use a interposer.

The logical first choice that comes to mind for 2.8v would be a pentium 233 mmx.

However, the socket 5/7 ecosystem was quite diverse,

Rise made a 366 which I believe was 2.8v and later ones that were 2.2v or 2.0v however if memory serves, it was a PR rating, actual clock was 250mhz? Its performance may be comparable to a 233 mmx. (Maybe)

Winchip had a 266 mhz part that ran at 3.3v it however would probably be slower than a 233mmx

K6 chips had the 233mhz ANR that may work, but again, the 233 mmx might be as fast, certainly a easier pick to find. And from the looks of it, this orange pc would undervolt a ANR by about 0.3v

Cyrix however….

They made chips with 2.9v ratings forever it seems.. all the way to 366gp which is a PR rating. They had a 4x multiplier that was able to be selected, and at 66mhz fsb would be a 266mhz part. That chip would probably be a bit more snappy at most things than a 233mmx. But perhaps not wiping the board.

I’m going to say a overclocked 366gp is certainly worth looking into for those reading this looking to upgrade their own.

I however, will likely use a interposer or modify this card to get down to 2.0-2.2v where the king is the k6-3+ 400 (@66fsb)

Edit:
Rise cpu voltage and multiplier settings

Re: Cyrix 400gp multiplier settings

Idt Winchip 1, 2, 2a and 2b differences

So to get 4x bf2 needs a pull up resistor, the orange pc only seems to have settings for bf0,bf1. An easy socket mod to be sure.

At this point I think I am basically dead in the water on this project.

Without the cord this is nothing more than a curious brick.

If anyone can help mapping the pinout of the cord, that would open up some possibilities.

If anyone has a cord, that would be even better,

I kind of expect that I am going to end up making a cord.

Baby steps.

Db-62 looks a little familiar

Looks like it supports 4mb of memory, swapping out those memory chips should be easy enough. If the address lines are there, and they come in 2mb

http://www.bitsavers.org/components/s3/DB018- … rator_Jul95.pdf

If someone with a PC can rehost that pdf here that would be awesome.