I've a 80 column card for the Apple II+ and I don't have video on a videomonitor. Does someone recognize this card and does know how this card works.There are twoconnectors at the top left corner, does someone know which of them is the video output and what is the purpose of the other connector? There's a UM6845 video controller and CXK5816PN (2048 word x 8 Bit High Speed CMOS Static RAM) on the card. It seems it is not a standard Videx card.
There are two cables available with the card, one with a female rca connector and one with a male rca connector.
The male RCA plug connects to the female RCA socket on the back of the Apple II, and one of the connectors on the card. The other connector on the card connects to the female RCA lead, which then goes to the monitor. The idea is that the regular Apple II video is passed through unmodified, until you type "PR#3" at which point the card replaces the Apple II video with its own 80-column generated signal, until you type "PR#0" to turn it off again.
That doesn't help figure out which connector on the card is which, but hopefully it makes the theory of operation a little clearer.
J2 looks like the standard videx 6-pin connector, of which only the first two are needed for the video out, therefore that's the video out, and the other one is the video in. It's probably fully videx compatible.
Thank you, this makes sense: I connect the connectors as you told : at J2 the video monitor, at the other connector the video output of the Apple II+. I have video in normal mode but when I type PR #6 the screen becomes black. When I type PR #0 the computer turns back to normal mode and the cursor is back. So the card needs more attention. I tested all 74xx and 40xx chips with my Retro Chip Tester and according to the tester they're ok. The tester can read the two eproms and gives a crc value. I can try to compare with files of a standard videx card but I don't know if they're the same. I cannot test the CXK5816 ram chip and the UM6845 ctr controller and don't have spares. I will make additional measurements to see if the oscillator runs and the signal round the crt controller.
I think it might be the other way around. I think J1 is the video monitor. Just to be safe, connect only J1 to the video monitor and then type PR#6. If it works and you see the 80-column text, then you can connect J2 to the back of the Apple II.
I agree with CVT on this one. This looks like a pretty common later type of Videx compatible card which has the "soft switch" functionality built in.
Oh, yeah. My theory doesn't make as much sense when softswitch is built-in, since pins 1 and 2 of the 6-pin connector normally go TO the softswitch.
The card should be installed in Slot 3 and the command should be PR#3 not PR#6.
When I connect J1 to the videomonitor and J2 to Video out of the Apple II, I see the same behavior.: I have video and the cursor, when I type PR#3, the screen becomes black and no cursor anymore. Then PR#0 and the cursor is back. I 've tested the RAM and is also ok.
I understand that this probably is a late Videx card or clone, does someone know where to find the documentation of this card with a 6845 crt controller and maybe a softswitch?
ps. I've Apple II plus machine with PAL, is it possible that this card doesn't work with Pal and only with NTSC?
You are right, I made a typo in my message, at the Apple, I typed PR#3.
Almost all the Videx type cards I've ever seen only output NTSC, as do non "Europlus". If you are trying to connect to a monitor that is PAL it probably won't work. Also, there are a lot of monitors, especially modern ones and NTSC->HDMI converters I've run into that will not accept the signal from an 80 column card and generate an image even though they will display the 40 column output from an Apple II.
If you are typing PR#3, the card needs to be in slot 3. If you are typing PR#6, then it needs to be in slot 6. It doesn't really matter which slot you put it in.
What kind of monitor do you have?
Ok, I will describe the setup:
- Apple II plus with 220 V input and PAL video output
- Clone Videx card as describe above in slot 3
- LCD monitor that's support both PAL and NTSC
When I power on the Apple II plus and I connect the video monitor to the video output of the Apple, the monitor detects a PAL signal and I see the startup screen. CTRL-Reset -> I get a cursor
Then I connect the Video monitor to JP2 of the clone Videx card and connects JP1 of the clone Videx card to the video output of the Apple II plus -> I have again a PAL signal -> then type PR #3: the screen becomes black (the video monitor detects no video signal anymore -> PR #0 -> I have again a PAL signal.
When I exchange the connetions of the Videx card:
I connect the Video monitor to JP1 of the clone Videx card and connects JP2 of the clone Videx card to the vidoe output of the Apple II plus I get the same behavior so no difference .
I have another Videx card with only one connector and that's working in the computer, but I need to disconnect the monitor from the video ouput of the computer and connects it to the connector of the Videx card and with the command PR#3 I have a video signal and see the 80 column card is working.
But I like to have this card also working for another machine Apple Europlus.
My questions:
- Is it possible to use this Videx card with a PAL machine?
- Does someone know where to find the documentation of this card (schematic or technical description) with the UM6845 crt controller on it?
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All software that detectsand uses it expects it only in Slot#3. I bet you haven't disassembled / reversed its firmware to be sure it is not slot dependable ;)
Yes, the card can work in "PAL" computers. Get rid of that LCD monitor.
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/80%20Column%20Cards/Videx%20Videoterm/
A lot of software expects it in slot 3, but that is beside the point. In Basic it works from any slot from 1 to 7 and it can be tested by typing PR#n, where n is the slot number. This is true for this and every other Videx clone.
I can't say this is true of every 80 column card but most Videx clones ROMs are slot independent and they will actually work in slots 1-6 even though software expects it in 3. It is even possible to put one in another slot besides 3 on a //e and tun a separate display from it. Some people did this with the Videx UltraTerm card to get 132 column output in a //e, which they loved for spreadsheets like VisiCalc and for displaying text reports and stuff. Not all monitors can display 132 column, but the Apple Monitor /// produced a very readable display from an UltraTerm. If I recall you needed special "pre-boot" software to enable the other display before booting VisiCalc.
And yeah, that LCD monitor probably won't display 80 columns from that card even if it is fully working. I've had very hit or miss results with 80 column video on LCD NTSC devices or with NTSC->HDMI converters. Some will work with some cards and not with others. And some will work with a //e or IIgs in 80 columns but with no ][+ 80 column card I've tried. Others will produce a picture from just about anything.