Date   : Thu, 15 Jul 2004 14:18:55 +0000
From   : Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...>
Subject: 32016 copro issue differences

Calling all 32016 copro owners...

I'm just trying to get to the bottom of the differences in 32016
coprocessors for the BBC (the 1MB board, not the 4MB board as fitted in
the ACW).

So far I've found two different board issue numbers - issue 2, and issue
H. No sign of an issue 1, and no idea why one board release has a
numerical issue number and the other a letter. Any ideas?

All the ones with issue 2 boards seem to have cases badged as "Cambridge
Coprocessor", whilst all the ones with issue H boards are badged as
"32016 Second Processor"

There seem to be no obvious differences between the boards though, apart
from the types of IC decoupling capacitors used.

Serial numbers are pretty random - some carry 'R&D' numbers whilst
others carry the usual ANCxxx numbers, but there seems to be no
correlation between that and the case/board type.

Oh, I've also found one copro with a linear PSU - all the others are
switchmode. Any ideas why this single one has something different? Did
Acorn originally ship copros with linear PSUs and change to switchmode
later (or the other way around), or is there no obvious reason for this?

I wonder if marketing is responsible for the difference in case badging,
and there was a change made at the time when the ACW was released?
Anyone know? I don't know what explains the seemingly random R&D and
'public' serial number stickers, though...

cheers,

Jules