XTend Renaissance

@7FAE.ADF XTEND Renaissance Expansion Board - CPU Upgr.
C7FAE.ADF Init file for @7FAE.ADF

Renaisance Utility Disk

Still looking for information on this card!


Renaissance Base Card

JP1-JP4 Receptacles for daughtercard headers
JP5-JP7 72-pin SIMM sockets
U20 IDT 6116
U23 Signetics 74F1762A

This card is an oddity, most "accelerator" or "associate" processor adapters that fit into the MCA slot depend on the host CPU to boot the system, then hand over control to the associate CPU.

In this case, if you have installed the XTend card -with- the CPU daughtercard, the XTend flex plugs into the planar. You can remove ALL planar memory as long as you use the XTend memory. Wow. This is not the usual thing, where the PS/2 needs a minimal amount of planar memory to run... BUT... The XTend 486SLC plugs into the planar socket...

I am guessing that the memory supported is 1, 2, and 4MB SIMMs. Remember, the 50 was a 286 system- max addressable memory would be 16MB.

Signetics 74F1762A FAST 74F1762 Memory Address Multiplexer

486SLC Daughter Card 8550 CPU "Flex Cable"
P/N 301-128919

Side View

JP1-JP3, JP5 Headers to Base
JP4 60-pin header to flex cable
U13, U14 BIOS?
U19 TI TX486SLC (25MHz?)
U24 68-pin PLCC socket (Co-pro?)

I have the tape "CPU flex cable" that fits JP4. It extends towards the rear of the adapter, where it connects to a PLCC header that fits into the 50 Type 1 board's CPU socket. The outline above is the 8550 version, where the planar CPU socket is in-line with the MCA slot. The 8560 flex is at right angles to the XTend card.

From Frank Sawchuck:
   The XTend card works with the 16 bit bus of the Model 50Z, but it also doubles as a 16 bit memory only card or a 32 bit memory only card with the 486 daughter card removed The 486 upgrade CPU complex is a optional XTend daughter card for the main XTend board. I hope that I'm making sense, anyway it is a card that I've used in the 50Z as a CPU / memory upgrade and on 386 and 486 IBM models as a memory only upgrade card.

From Xtend's Utility Disk

The Renaissance System upgrade significantly accelerates the CPU functions, including accesses to main memory and to the motherboard resources (unlike CPU-only modules).

Some of the older 286 PS/2 models may experience problems with some software due to the processor outrunning motherboard peripherals. If you are experiencing unusual behavior with your system, the following utility programs will help you identify whether the problem is speed-related by changing the speed of the 486SLC processor.

ARB.COM - slows down the processor's cache
OFF.COM - turns off the processor's cache
ON.COM - turns the cache back on (it is always on after boot-up)
ENSRVR.COM - run this before running the Novell SERVER


AdapterId 7FAE "XTEND Renaissance Expansion Board"

Onboard ROM Location
   Renaissance CPU upgrade installed, <Segment C000>
   No Renaissance CPU installed, <ROM Disabled>.
       <Segment C000-C1FF>,  Segment C800-C9FF, Segment D000-D1FF, Segment D800-D9FF, ROM Disabled

Content created and/or collected by:
Louis F. Ohland, Peter H. Wendt, David L. Beem, William R. Walsh, Tatsuo Sunagawa, Tomáš Slavotínek, Jim Shorney, Tim N. Clarke, Kevin Bowling, and many others.

Ardent Tool of Capitalism is maintained by Tomáš Slavotínek.
Last update: 24 Mar 2024 - Changelog | About | Legal & Contact