Powerbook Wallstreet Sonnet G3 cpu motherboard compatibility

[ywis]

hi

I managed to acquire a Wallstreet Powerbook on eBay with a Sonnet 500MHz cpu upgrade. It came installed in an original Wallstreet and I decided to try it in the PDQ revision model. Everything I could find said that the sonnet cpu upgrades would work in either motherboard but when I test it the screen remains blank. I have tried several other cpu modules, from the original model with the same result 233MHz no cache, 250MHz, & 292MHz. With a 266MHZ daughter card from a PDQ model the computer starts as normal. I thought perhaps the problem had something to do with the different bus speeds, 83MHz for the 250 & 292, but both the 233MHz and the Sonnet 500Mhz modules have 66 Mhz bus like the PDQ module. After the computer completes startup I can hear the clicking of the OS9 interface when I press the trackpad button but no video. This suggests to me that everything other than the video is working OK. I have tried resetting the power manager and the PRAM with no change.
The reason for all this trouble is that I have observed the upgraded video in the PDQ model is noticeably superior running the OS X Jaguar user interface, such as when moving windows around on the screen.
Was there a sonnet upgrade that only works in the original Wallstreet?

Thanks for any suggestions

[ywis]

I found what I think is the answer: apparently when first installed, the Sonnet cpu module must be flashed with a copy of the original module's ROM. There seems to be an incompatibility between the flashed ROM and the PDQ motherboard.

[erikthefinn]

Hello I was surfing around & I came across this thread. Now I know it says it was solved, but in case it wasn't, I have the solution! I am writing this post from a PDQ revision with the Sonnet G3 500 Mhz processor upgrade. Here's what to do to get it working correctly: 1) First you have to have the flashing software from Sonnet it is easy to find, just do a search on Sonnets website for it. It is called : Crescendo/WS Installer 1.2.1
2) You have to have installed beside the processor , the ORIGINAL HDD (2 GIG) that came with the PDQ from APPLE! NO OTHER HDD WILL WORK FOR THIS! 3) Now run the Sonnet software, (Crescendo/WS Installer 1.2.1) it will flash the Processor upgrade! It will also give you a Sonnet Cresendo Extension for use in classic, put it where it belongs, in the extensions folder. Then power down, remove the original HDD replace with a MUCH larger better HDD and you're ready to go, upgrade to Mac OS X (10.2.8) is the best for use with this model as Panther can be used but is buggy even with Ex-Post-Facto. One small detail, OS X MUST be installed onto the first 8 GB of the HDD ONLY, so partition it first with Disk Utility!

[ywis]

Hello I was surfing around & I came across this thread. Now I know it says it was solved, but in case it wasn't, I have the solution! I am writing this post from a PDQ revision with the Sonnet G3 500 Mhz processor upgrade. Here's what to do to get it working correctly: 1) First you have to have the flashing software from Sonnet it is easy to find, just do a search on Sonnets website for it. It is called : Crescendo/WS Installer 1.2.1
2) You have to have installed beside the processor , the ORIGINAL HDD (2 GIG) that came with the PDQ from APPLE! NO OTHER HDD WILL WORK FOR THIS! 3) Now run the Sonnet software, (Crescendo/WS Installer 1.2.1) it will flash the Processor upgrade! It will also give you a Sonnet Cresendo Extension for use in classic, put it where it belongs, in the extensions folder. Then power down, remove the original HDD replace with a MUCH larger better HDD and you're ready to go, upgrade to Mac OS X (10.2.8) is the best for use with this model as Panther can be used but is buggy even with Ex-Post-Facto. One small detail, OS X MUST be installed onto the first 8 GB of the HDD ONLY, so partition it first with Disk Utility!

thanks for the response. Yes I did eventually find out most of what you mention. The one detail which is not clear from your post is whether it is possible to re-flash the processor or if the process only works when the processor is in its pristine state from sonnet. I ended up sending the cpu back to Sonnet to be re-prepared and then used the procedure you describe. It would have been much easier if I could have just re-flashed but this did not seem to work for me.
thanks again

[erikthefinn]

Yes, you raise a very good question! As I've never encountered having to re-flash this processor, I cannot tell you for sure as to whether or not this is possible. I cannot see why it would not be however. I imagine this is exactly what Sonnet did with yours. I am sorry that you had to go to such trouble. The PDQ is a very versatile PowerBook, so I hope you will enjoy it for many years to come. I know I love mine.