> Parker Beeson wrote:
> > 
> > I have an old MacSE (no 30) that I'm thinking of getting a Sonnet
> > 68030w/fpu accelerator card for that fits in the PDS slot.  Will 1.3 port
> > of NetBSD for 68kmacs work with this accelerator card??
> 
> Well, anything is possible, but we've had real trouble with accelerators
> that upgrade to different processors in the past.  I suppose that you
> could always try to boot a kernel (just download the Booter, a kernel, and
> probably a copy of mode32).

I think you'd run into a lot of problems. I haven't looked lately at my
GttMFH, but I think the SE had a slightly different hardware layout than
the MacII. I know the + and the original mac certainly did. If the hardware
layout's different, NetBSD will need a lot of work to function.

Depending on how much the accelerator costs, it might be worth it to just
buy a different used mac. I've seen a number of the machines on our
supported list going for 100 to 200. Then you would have much fewer hassles.

> > I want to use it
> > for a generic ftp server of something.  Will the accelerator speed up the
> > disma 9600bps port speed limit??  Thanks. 
> 
> No, (well, I doubt it, anyway).  I beleive that's a hardware limitation of
> the serial chips.

I think it's actually an interrupt latency problem. The clocking itself
(which baud rates can be generated) didn't change from the original
mac until the PowerMacs, I think. Maybe the Q/AV ones. But the clocks were
stable for at least 8 years. The 68000, however, probably can't handle
many interrupts per second. :-(

Take care,

Bill