On Tue, 18 May 2004 20:05:02 -0700 (PDT)
SHAUN RIPLEY <vax3900_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
> I have a SBC with nonvolatile RAM on it. There are
> DRAM and EPROM too. I guess the nonvolatile RAM might
> be used to hold some important parameters while EPROM
> is used to hold program.
>
> Since nonvolatile RAM has limited life, I wonder how
> you guys deal with nonvolatile RAM in your old
> computers. Reading out the content with a EPROM
> programmer is a solution that jumps into my mind.
> "Burn" a new nonvolatile RAM and wait for another 10
> years? It seems a boring work...
>
> vax, 3900
>
>
If you're careful (and preferrably can back up the contents of the
module first) you can sometimes dremel into the top of the module in
such a way that you can tack on an exteral battery. I wouldn't advise
it as a method of 'preserving' the current contents, as it would be very
likely to be blown during a battery replacement, but it's a reasonable
way to continue to use the module. There's a classic reference on how
to do this with SparcStation NVRAM modules, a conversion I do to almost
every old Sparc box I restore.
I'm not sure how to 'read out' the contents since I've never tried, but
they're often the same SRAM/EPROM footprint. Anybody tried reading the
contents with said EPROM programmer?
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price.
> http://promo.yahoo.com/sbc/
Received on Thu May 20 2004 - 22:41:48 BST