Macintosh IIci

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The IIci is a popular model from the Macintosh II line due to the small form factor and upgrade options. Unlike the IIcx, the IIci features on-board video so you don't have to use up one of the NuBus slots for video. The IIci is a 32-bit clean Macintosh.

The case design is shared with the Macintosh Quadra 700 though altered to stand upright as a mini-tower computer.

General Information

The Macintosh IIci is the first in a new series of Macintosh computers compatible with the Macintosh II family (Macintosh II, Macintosh IIx, and Macintosh IIcx), and offering improved performance and flexibility. The new architecture is based upon the Memory Decode Unit (MDU) and RAM-based video chips (RBV). Key new features are a 25 MHz clock speed and on-board video; most other features are the same as the Macintosh IIcx.

The IIci was introduced in September 1989 and discontinued in February 1993. Codename: Aurora II, Cobra II. Originally shipped with system software 6.0.4.

CPU

Powered by a 25MHz Motorola 68030 processor with Motorola 68882 math co-processor. The data bus is also 25MHz.

Memory

There is no onboard memory on the IIci, but you have 8 slots available for 30-pin SIMMs with a maximum capacity of 128MB.

Physical memory is not contiguous, as it is on the Macintosh II, IIx, and IIcx. The 68030 on-chip MMU is used to join the discontiguous blocks of physical memory to present contiguous logical memory to application software. RAM must be 80 ns access time (or faster), fast page mode.

Video

On-board video support for 12” B&W, 13” RGB, and 15” B&W Portrait monitors.

If the on-board video is used, RAM must be installed in Bank A because the frame buffer is maintained beginning at physical address $00000000. The RBV’s frame buffer is variable in size, depending on the currently selected bit-depth and on the size of the video monitor plugged in to the on-board video port. The RBV will require only the amount of memory to hold the contents of the screen; no additional memory is used for the frame buffer by the RBV. Software will determine the maximum (default, or previous selection by the user)video bit depth to be made available at startup, and set aside that memory for video.

Cache Card

 

The IIci has a special slot on the board for a cache card. No other Macintosh II model had this cache slot, though third-party cards such as the Applied Engineering QuickSilver offered cache via PDS. Similar to the board itself, the cache card will need to be re-capped due to the original ones failing from age.

The cache card provides 32k of L2 cache and is recommended for achieving maximum performance.

Overview

The Macintosh IIci personal computer offers high perform­ance and enhanced functionality in a system with the same small footprint and flexible design as the Macintosh IIcx. People who require high-speed program execution for large spreadsheets, databases, and graphically intensive applications will appreciate the performance delivered by the Macintosh IIci.

A 25-megahertz 68030 micro­processor makes the most significant contribution to the dramatic performance improve­ment offered by the Macintosh Ilci. Increasing the clock speed of the 68030 enables the system to perform up to 45 percent faster than the Macintosh IIcx and Macintosh IIx computers. To speed the processing of complex mathematical functions, a 68882 math coprocessor comes standard with the Macintosh IIci. By installing an optional cache memory card, users can improve system performance by an addi­tional 20 percent to 30 percent, for an overall performance improve­ment of up to 75 percent over that of the Macintosh IIx and IIcx.

The Macintosh IIci also comes with built-in video capability that enables the system to display up to 256 colors or shades of gray simultaneously on a variety of Apple color and gray-scale monitors.

The Macintosh IIci includes three internal NuBus expansion slots, space for a 3.5-inch internal hard disk drive, seven standard external ports to accommodate peripherals, and the capability of expanding RAM to up to 8 mega­bytes. The Macintosh IIci uses the 1.4-megabyte Apple FDHD SuperDrive which allows it to read from and write to 3.5-inch Macintosh floppy disks, as well as the 3.5-inch disks used by many other personal computers.

The Macintosh IIci is compat­ible with virtually all Macintosh applications, and comes standard with Apple's MultiFinder operat­ing system and HyperCard a tool for custom software solutions.

Upgrades

List of some potential upgrade cards usable in the IIci:

Notes

  • Set the system date to 9/20/89 (the release date of the IIci), and set your monitor to 8-bit color. Restart while holding Command-Option-c-i. You'll see a color picture of the IIci design team. Click the mouse to continue.
  • As the video system in the IIci is said to be the same as found in the Macintosh IIsi you may need a sync-on-green compatible monitor.

Diagrams/Schematics

 

 

Troubleshooting/Repair

Capacitor replacement (power supply unit)

The capacitors inside the PSU are at the age where they have a higher probability of failing and/or leaking. See below for a list of capacitors you may want to replace.

NOTE: these values may differ if there happens to be multiple revisions of a certain model.

ASTEC

  • 2 x 470uf 200v
  • 1 x 10uf 25v
  • 1 x 10uf 50v
  • 1 x 2200uf 25v
  • 1 x 47uf 100v
  • 2 x 2200uf 10v
  • 2 x 1000uf 16v
  • 1 x 2200uf 16v
  • 1 x 470uf 16v
  • 1 x 2.2uf 50v
  • 1 x 47uf 16v
  • 1 x 0.22uf 250v film
  • 1 x 0.1uf 250v film
  • 1 x 0.047uf 250v film
  • 2 x 4700pf 250v film
  • 1 x 3300pf 250v film
  • 1 x 2uf 250v film

Photo Gallery

Documentation

See Also

External Resources

The Macintosh II Series from Apple Computer
Macintosh II -- Macintosh IIx -- Macintosh IIcx -- Macintosh IIci -- Macintosh IIsi -- Macintosh IIvx -- Macintosh IIvi -- Macintosh IIfx