Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Posts: 63

Prism/Platinum/Edge 16 mb upgrade discussion...

I'm looking for the Hitachi EDO DRAM to upgrade my Prism to 16mb. (Part no. HM5113165LTD-6). I've done over thirty palm units of various types...just finished four palm V's (to 8mb). If anyone knows where I can get this part, I'll upgrade your Prism for the cost of the chip. (That, and be eternally greatful!!)

I'm not looking to make a buck--just want to do my own Prism!!

Last edited by StiMPy on 03-29-2001 at 08:54 PM

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 90

stimpy,

I've been looking all over too and haven't found it yet. I was even trying to find a DIMM module that used the chip to canibalize....
I'll let you know if I find a source... I'm assuming here that the guy who runs palpilotupgrade.com won't name his source or sell bare chips at cost (rather than the $150 for the soldering service....

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 293

I found it!
Go to this link http://www.imminenttech.com/offrs.htm.
Good Luck

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I Love My Prism!

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: mass
Posts: 56

If we have to aggregate orders to meet a minimum quantity, count me tentatively in.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Posts: 63

Nope...he won't discuss the upgrade, sell the chips, or name his source. Guess if he's just in it for the cash, why would he? Anyway, it would be nice to have a photo of the upgraded board itself, and then someone could make the upgrade details part of the public domain. Until then, I guess we're stuck shelling out. As for the chip, I tried to get a quote from the company above, but I'm guessing they probably want to sell 2 or 3 THOUSAND chips, not just one or two. Think we can find 997 other interested people??

Thanks,
-Stimp.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: mass
Posts: 56

$150 is not all that unreasonable, considering the chip alone costs the better part of $50.

I think if I were to do the upgrade myself, it would be more for fun and the challenge of it than to save money.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 90

quote:

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Originally posted by pjs
$150 is not all that unreasonable, considering the chip alone costs the better part of $50.

I think if I were to do the upgrade myself, it would be more for fun and the challenge of it than to save money.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: mass
Posts: 56

mr. fubar-

The $150 cost I mentioned is what "Tony" charges to perform the upgrade (chip included). I think he is justified in charging between $50 and $100 for his time, rework equipment, insurance, and shipping. He chooses to charge $100, bringing the total to $150. You and I may pass at that price, but folks without the experience to tackle this job themselves may not.

If I could get my hands on a new 16MB chip, I would consider doing the job myself. I agree that the chips would be less expensive if salvaged from a DIMM, but I personally feel that this introduces a few additional hurdles that I'm sure you are familiar with, but for the sake of discussion:

1. Do you know which DIMMs have the correct chips? Ordering and returning until you find the right one could get expensive in time and money.

2. Do you have access to a full SMT rework setup? Otherwise, the chips may suffer a bit in the removal process. Also the Visor's pcb pads could get damaged in the process of removing the 8MB part from it.

Removing the 8MB chip from the Visor and cleaning up the pads would not be hard. Soldering down a *new* 16MB chip would also not be hard. It's the clean removal of the chips from the DIMM that gives me a slight pause.

So if you're comfortable with my #1 and #2 above, how about salvaging and selling 16 of the 16MB chips. What would you charge?

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Posts: 63

...and to add to the fray...regular SDRAM dimms are not good enough...you need 50 pin edo drams capable of 4k self-refresh. You will not find this chip on a 256 mb SDRAM. Hence the reason you must pay about $43 USD just to get your hands on one chip (assuming some electronics retailer will sell you ONE chip). Furthermore, the chip I mentioned in my post above (the Hitachi edo DRAM) has been discontinued. NEC and Hitachi have merged to create a company named Elpida...their products are not yet available.

To make matters worse...a 16mb edo DRAM is not an easy thing to come by. It is actually a stacked chip of two 8mb DRAMs in a specifically "pre-wired" format. Now I know what you're thinking: Why couldn't I just slap another 8mb DRAM on the one I already have (afterall, these 8mb edo's are SLIGHTLY easier to come by) and just do the "re-wiring" myself?? The answer is this--if you know how to, then you go, girl! However, re-routing all the memory addresses and such is the crux of the problem--the very problem that is solved with the 16 mb chip, and the very problem that Tony has somehow figured out how to tackle--16 mb chip or not. This is why we are stuck paying $150. De- and re-soldering are the least of our problems gentlemen...The know-how and the CHIP(s) are the bees in our bonnets. At the present time, Tony has what experts would call (especially those at Microsoft) a MONOPOLY.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: mass
Posts: 56

I feared that it might be compicated, but I was hoping it would only get as bad as wiring the most significant address line to CS on one 8MB chip, and to /CS on the other.

Wishful thinking?