[Info-vax] memory in ALPHAstation 500/500

[Hans Vlems]

On 31 jan, 21:40, hel... at astro.multiCLOTHESvax.de (Phillip Helbig---
undress to reply) wrote:
> Since my ALPHAstation 500/500 (configured as a satellite) doesn't boot
> and someone suggested swapping memory cards (within the box, with each
> other), I've opened it up.  It has 8 memory slots, all with a card.
> They are alternately large and small (in physical size) cards.  I assume
> these correspond to different amounts of memory, and that identical
> cards in every other slot are required.  Since the machine has 288 MB,
> it is very probably 256+32, i.e. 4*64 and 4*8.
>
> What other machines use the same memory?  If the problem is bad memory,
> and swapping the cards doesn't help, maybe I can pull some cards out of
> another machine.  I have an ALPHAstation 255/233 with an
> exploded-capacitor motherboard with 64 MB memory, very probably 8*8
> (half DEC and half third-party memory, but same memory-size cards).
> Would these be usable in the ALPHAstation 500/500.
>
> With PCI cards, disks etc one can usually just hook it up and see if it
> works (being careful to avoid mixing HVD SCSI with other types).  With
> memory, is there any danger in trying something out and seeing if SHOW
> MEMORY at the console recognizes it?  Or can one damage the cards in
> this way?  If the console recognizes it, will VMS?
>
> Is there a chart somewhere of which ALPHAs use which memory, or at least
> which ALPHAs use the same memory?  (For VAX, I have a circular cardboard
> wheel-within-wheel thing, like a sky chart, where one can see which VAX
> uses what memory.)

Phillip, what brand are the memory boards?
If there is a third party board in there then visiting that
manufacturer's site for
more details. Micron offers very good quality documentation.
Hans