[NTLK] Storage card specifications

[Rusty Miles]

Thanks Dan, I hadn't considered the heap issue.  That's a good point.  I won't be getting anything bigger than a 4MB card for my little MP100.
 
I have seen the site you noted and used it for reference.  Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything about "attribute" memory on that site, and when one goes looking for cards now, like at the synchrotech site, cards are offered as either with or without attribute memory.  From the original post that started this thread, Bradley seemed to be pondering if he needed a card with attribute memory.  From what I understood from your response last month where you quoted PCBMan, the Newton required attribute memory which is information I though Bradley might find useful for his pondering.
 
The site you referred to seems to state that there are three types of RAM cards, SRAM, Linear Flash and ATA; and that all versions of NOS can use SRAM memory but only NOS 2.0 could use Linear or ATA type cards (ATA type with the driver that Paul wrote, thank you Paul).  If you have an older Newton with the older NOS (a MP100 with NOS 1.3 in my case), the only available option was the SRAM card.  The main difference between an SRAM Card and Linear Flash Card was that the SRAM Card required a backup battery, which in my mind would be the main way to tell them apart.
 
Again, if I have this wrong please tell me.
 
One other thing I was pondering while I'm on the subject... I noticed on the synchrotech site that they had cards with replaceable batteries or rechargeable batteries.  The information on the rechargeable battery cards says that the batteries recharge when the card is plugged into a PCMCIA card slot (on a 'powered up' system I assume).  I'm thinking that might not be a good option on the Newton as it would just drain the Newton's batteries faster in order to recharge the cards batteries.  Any other thoughts on that subject?
 
-Dazed and confused in Nashville (Rusty)

>>> Dan <dan at dbdigitalweb.com> 4/7/2011 9:27 AM >>>
All versions of NOS can use flash memory.  Apple made flash cards and
had them available almost since the beginning.  However due to the small
amount of heap (RAM) memory available in the earlier versions of Message
Pads, I would try to get a smaller rather than larger flash card.  I
certainly wouldn't go above 10mb.  The reason being that the card memory
has to be "kept track of" in the newtons heap, and the larger the card,
the more heap it takes.  And you will likely get more "the newton does
not have enough memory to do what you ask..." messages more often with
larger cards.

Just make sure the flash card uses 12v for writing/erasing and it will
work in all newtons except emates.

Btw here is a good site:
http://www.mac3.de/sig/newton/memory_cards.html needs a little updating
since the flash ATA driver is a reality but the other information is
still accurate.

-Dan

On 4/6/2011 5:47 PM, Rusty Miles wrote:
> I had posted a question about attribute memory back in March and understood the response from Tony & Dan to be that the Newton required the attribute memory to hold the CIS (Card Information Structure).  Here is the post http://lists.newtontalk.net/pipermail/newtontalk/2011-March/005873.html 
>  
> I also was under the impression that if one was running a NOS less than 2.0 (i.e. 1.0 thru 1.3) that you had to use SRAM cards, those Newtons wouldn't read anything else.
>  
> Could someone confirm this or correct me if I'm wrong?
>  
> Thanks,
> Rusty


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