Memotech Memopak 32k

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Lardo Boffin
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Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by Lardo Boffin »

I just found myself bidding on and winning an untested 32K Memopak (secretly hoping it would not work so it would form a very cool and numerically accurate home for my ‘spand) which turns out to be working, although no significant tests done yet.

I opened the case to see which caps may need replacing and noted a few things which surprised me:-

No nice little switch box (unlike my 16K)
No obvious caps to replace
Lots of nice little spaces ready for additional chips to maybe make it up to 64K?
6F18720A-02C3-4667-97BD-B8AE7B95D8AD.jpeg
(645.82 KiB) Downloaded 507 times
And a 7805 regulator (UA7805UC)!
95DF1CA2-D74C-4566-8098-877C3414ED1C.jpeg
(1.74 MiB) Downloaded 507 times
Just out of curiosity is it possible to expand one of these to 64k?

Lardo
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1024MAK
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by 1024MAK »

Dunno. I too have various Memotech expansions including a fair number of "untested" 16k byte expansions, all bought only for the cases, but all of which work (so for the time being, they are safe...). I also have at least one of the higher capacity memory expansions, but I forget now which :oops:

I'm busy this week, but will see if I can find time to have a look next week to see which ones I have.

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siggi
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by siggi »

In this old thread you will find a lot of information (and pics) of Memotech modules (incl. ram):

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=865&p=8583&hilit=memotech+ram#p8583

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siggi
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by siggi »

Lardo Boffin wrote: Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:28 pm Lots of nice little spaces ready for additional chips to maybe make it up to 64K?
The board itself may probably also be used for 64K ram modules. But AFAIK the Memotech rams contain a programmed chip (PROM?) for address decoding. So you would need to get the appropriate PROM for the 64K board....

Siggi
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Lardo Boffin
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by Lardo Boffin »

siggi wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 10:34 am
Lardo Boffin wrote: Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:28 pm Lots of nice little spaces ready for additional chips to maybe make it up to 64K?
The board itself may probably also be used for 64K ram modules. But AFAIK the Memotech rams contain a programmed chip (PROM?) for address decoding. So you would need to get the appropriate PROM for the 64K board....

Siggi
Thanks. It was just idle curiosity - I have no idea what I would do with 64k on a zeddy anyway!
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
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Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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siggi
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by siggi »

I have a lot of ideas:
run ZeddyNet and its applications:
- use ram at 8-16K for ZeddyNet system variables
- run ZeddyFox or NFM (network filemanager) in ram 32K-48K
- load/save a BASIC-Program (using ZeddyFox or NFM) in ram 16-32K

Or use IRC-ANSI.P (ZX81 chat program) at 16-32K, having its ZeddyNet system variables at 8-16K and its HIRES image above 48K

:mrgreen:
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mrtinb
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by mrtinb »

Lardo Boffin wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:55 am Thanks. It was just idle curiosity - I have no idea what I would do with 64k on a zeddy anyway!
I have no version of Hot Z (Hi-Z) which runs without 48K.
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Paul
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by Paul »

Here's a photo of my 64k.
For reference of the necessary bridge connections.
IMG_20171010_123223.jpg
(3.29 MiB) Downloaded 405 times
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siggi
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by siggi »

Lardo Boffin wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:55 am I have no idea what I would do with 64k on a zeddy anyway!
Or use ZXPAINT do draw (and print) some nice HIRES pictures: has its HIRES image at 8K-16K and needs ram above 32K to keep a second HIRES picture available:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=260&p=1924&hilit=ZxPaint#p1910

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gammaray
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Re: Memotech Memopak 32k

Post by gammaray »

Looks like maybe all is needed is 4 pole dip-switch, chips (from another 16k, 32k?), some caps
List: classiccmp
Subject: Re: OKI M3732L-20RS ram datasheet?
From: Chris Elmquist <chrise () pobox ! com>
Date: 2008-12-03 13:22:59
Message-ID: 20081203132259.GJ5784 () n0jcf ! net
[Download message RAW]

On Saturday (11/29/2008 at 12:44PM +0000), Pete Turnbull wrote:
> On 28/11/2008 21:41, Chris Elmquist wrote:
>> Does anyone have a datasheet for these parts?
>
>> Although, by the part number alone, one might suspect they are a
>> 32Kx1 device possibly...
>
> I don't have a datasheet but I found several equivalences in a Toshiba 1982
> databook. MSM37xx designates MOS DRAM, MSM21xx is MOS static RAM, MSM51xx
> is CMOS SRAM, and MSM27xx is EPROM. I found the more of the same in an NEC
> databook, but of all the memory databooks I've got, the 1982 Toshiba is the
> only one listing any MSM37xx devices.
>
> OKI MSM3764-xx is an exact equivalent of a 4164, and the 2-digit suffix
> gives the speed in tens of ns. I'd guess that an MSM3732-20 is 32Kx1,
> 200ns access time, and likely consists of an MSM3764 with one half disabled
> or dysfunctional. If so, the 'RS' may signify which half works.

Thank you Peter. That pretty much confirms my suspicions. Can't for the
life of me remember what piece of gear would have used them. Must have
been some memory expansion board for a PC that I had at one time. That's
all I can figure...

Chris

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