Series 7/7Book RAM compatibility

[RainKap]

I have just received a Netbook personality module which I bought from Christoph Pulster, and installed it. It works fine, *but* the 16MB RAM expansion module which I was using in my Series 7 now doesn't work any longer. I guess that this might be because the clock rate for the processor is now higher... Does anyone have experience of this?

If my guess is correct, I'll be advertising in the free classified listings: one Series 7 16MB RAM module, works fine in a Series 7 but not in a 7Book! Which brings me on to the next point: does anyone know whether Netbook RAM modules are still available (other than on eBay)? The usual suspects (Clove, Christoph Pulster, Liquid Silicon, Expansys) don't admit to having any. There's one up for auction on ebay, but that has a while to run yet...

Cheers

[RichardQvS]

Hi RainKap,

What will you charge for this item?
P&P for the Netherlands?

Regards,

Richard van Stappershoef

[KvdS]

Hello Ian,


You are right.
The 16Mb extra workspace, works only on an S7
You need the 32MB (http://www.pulster.de/d__netbdimm__Speicher_Upgrade_32_MB_netbook465.htm ) version, that's about 32 Pounds

[cshandley]

32 pounds (49 euros) - wow, that's CHEAP for a 32MB memory module!

[KvdS]

Hello Chris,

An other cheap one, the Personality Boot ROM Netbook (http://www.pulster.de/index.htm?d__netb_bootrom__Personality_Boot_ROM_Ne tbook559.htm) also for 49 Euro by Pulster (http://www.pulster.de/).

[RainKap]

I'm afraid Chris is a bit optimistic on the exchange rate for GPB -> EUR. I got €1.40 to £1 when I bought the NetBook personality module from Christoph Pulster. That would make the base cost £35, then you have to add shipping and the cost of getting Euros from a UK bank account (Christoph will take payment by PayPal, which is rather less hassle than a transfer from my bank to his). Even so, it's still a good deal!

[donkeyontheedge]

The technical reason the RAM no longer works is that the netBook module and 16Mb RAM module are physically the same thing. The netBook module has an additional 2Mbit EEPROM soldered into the blank space on the RAM module.

These modules are mapped into the same area of RAM which is why they can't both be used at once.

Note that the 32MB RAM module can be used quite happily on both a Series 7 and a netBook, giving a 48Mb and a 64Mb RAM machine respectively.

Series 7 RAM configurations can be 16Mb, 32Mb or 48Mb.
netBook RAM configurations can be 32Mb or 64Mb.

Regards

John

[RainKap]

Thanks very much for the explanation, John. However your explanation raises another question in my mind: I found (by trial and error, because the instructions which I received with the Netbook personality module were for the *32MB NetBook RAM module*...) that the Netbook personality module has to go into the right hand DIMM slot, to replace the original Series 7 module, which (I thought) had RAM on it. I guess my thought was wrong - maybe it has flash memory on it?

[cshandley]

Apparently you can use either slot. But you MUST remove the old Series7 module, which contains a 16MB ROM chip (supposedly flashable, but this was never really used). The Netbook module has a larger 32MB RAM chip, of which half gets used as a fake ROM.

[RainKap]

Ah, *now* it becomes clear! I hadn't removed the old Series 7 module before I put in the Netbook personality module, which is why there was a distinct lack of boot...

BTW, I found that I *was* able to flash the ROM in the Series 7 - I upgraded the OS from v754 to v756 a week or so beefore I bought the Netbook personality module.

Any road up, I'm off now to order a 32MB DIMM from Christoph Pulster; there's one going on ebay, but the current bid on it would make it more expensive than buying from Christoph!

[cshandley]

Don't you just love ebay? There's nearly always someone willing to pay second-hand more than it's actually worth new! Guess that's why people actually bother to sell stuff though :-)