Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!ipso!fawlty!johnmac
From: johnmac@fawlty.towers.oz (John MacLean)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: ASIC and Transwarp
Message-ID: <520@fawlty.towers.oz>
Date: 4 Oct 90 23:42:24 GMT
Organization: Tower Technology, Lane Cove, NSW
Lines: 31

I for one have my money waiting for a 17 MHz ASIC 65816 if they can ever
produce. Given that they are supposed to meet power supply requirements
for the Transwarp, all you need to replace are the processor, the
crystal, and the static RAMs to get upwards of 13 MHz.
According to the article recently posted, 15ns static RAMs are required
at 13 Mhz; does anyone know just how fast you can get static RAMs, how
expensive they are, and just how fast would you have to go to get even
faster speeds out of the Transwarp (say around 15 - 17 Mhz)? 

Is the piggyback board (containing the static RAMs) on the Transwarp
simple enough to replace cheaply by a third (forth?) party (or does it
contain some of the Transwarps logic)? If not, any upgrade will require
soldering (YUK - most people will not do that themselves - especially
with no guarentee).

Some enterprising citizen might like to get together the required parts
(with a socketed piggy back board built up if at all possible) and sell
them as a Transwarp upgrade kit. A few phone calls to some suppliers
with some bulk discounts, an add in one or two of the remaining Apple II
magizines and you could probably make a killing.

Can anyone answer any of these questions (please don't bother responding
with "I want one too" - reading through such responses is almost as bad
as reading through all the bitching {justified or not}).

John MacLean.
-- 
This net: johnmac@fawlty.towers.oz.au                   Phone: +61 2 427 2999
That net: uunet!fawlty.towers.oz.au!johnmac             Fax:   +61 2 427 7072
Snail:    Tower Technology, Unit D 31-33 Sirius Rd,     Home:  +61 2 960 1453
          Lane Cove, NSW 2066, Australia.