Re: MACH chip question

From: Magnus Kollberg <Magnus.Kollberg_at_emw.ericsson.se>
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 08:58:12 +0200

Hi,

> Back to the Mach chip issue and speed on the A/B card, can someone give
> some details about them?

Maybe....
 
> My card has a total of 8 surface mount Mach chips. I have found
> a higher rated replacement, but 8 is way to many for me to consider
> removing them and installing sockets.

Not something you would like to do.
 
> I assume these do some bus/address decoding. Does each chip contain
> different code, or are there 8 of the same to handle all the lines?

99% chance that they all differ in some way. It could be that there are
4 types and that there is 2 of each, but only Gero knows.

> If they are the same, I could desolder one, copy it, and just piggyback
> a socket ontop the rest (disabling the power to the smt ones).

As they most certainly isn't the same you would probably not be able to do
this. It's not even certain if you can "copy" one as most PLDs has a copy
protection, so there is no way to read the contents. You could ofcourse
read all the possible cobinations and that way figure out how they work
but then you first have to know which pins are inputs and outputs.

God Luck!!

The esiest (and not very easy that either) way would be to contact Gero and
ask for the JEDEC files and burn a new set. You might also have to change
a few equations if they are still to slow.

It's a pitty that noone could get hold of the AB040 docs and fix the bugs
and make a new design with fewer parts and a PCI bus. :-)

//Magnus Kollberg


 
Received on ma. juni 15 1998 - 00:15:00 CEST

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