Encore/ZIF G3 & G4
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Driver (2)
Firmware (0)
Manual (2)
IDDownload TitleDownload LinkPost Date
269 Encore/ZIF Processor Upgrade User's ManualMay-08-19
270 Encore/ZIF 1.0 GHz Processor Upgrade User's GuideMay-08-19
 
FAQ (13)
IDArticle TitlePost Date
72 The Crescendo/Encore installer hangs, or crashes the system; occurs most often when run from the Sonnet installer CD.May-12-09
78 Why does the Encore/ZIF (700MHz and faster) require that my Blue & White or PCI Graphics G4 bus speed be slowed to 66MHz? Doesn't that slow down my computer?May-12-09
169 May I discard my original CPU after installing Sonnet's upgrade cards? May-07-09
Sonnet recommends that you keep the original processor card even after installing our upgrade cards in case you ever need them.
 
171 The speed indicated on the G3 or G4 chip on my Sonnet processor upgrade doesn't seem to match the speed of the upgrade I purchased. What's the story?May-07-09
175 The Crescendo/Encore installer hangs, or crashes the system; occurs most often when run from the Sonnet installer CD while using Mac OS 9.May-07-09
218 The computer's standard startup process takes noticeably longer after upgrading to any Mac OS 9.x system from Mac OS 8.6 or earlier.May-12-09
This is not a malfunction and is not related in any way to Sonnet upgrade products; this is the result of an additional Mac OS 9.x startup process that did not occur during startup in earlier Mac OS versions. There is a new "hidden" Mac OS 9.x feature called Startup Memory Tests in the Memory Control Panel, which defaults to the "On" setting. This adds time during a startup or restart, as all of the RAM installed in the computer is checked.

This issue affects any machine running OS 9.x (OS X status is unknown as of this writing), with or without upgrades installed. The more RAM installed, the longer the test. (Note that a Mac upgraded with a Sonnet G3 or G4 processor card gets through this process much faster than a "stock" machine.)

Since this is not a malfunction, no solution is required. However, since RAM seldom fails after the first few days of regular use, you may turn this test off if a faster startup cycle is desired. To access this feature you must hold down the Command key and the Option key WHILE opening the Memory Control Panel. When the control panel opens, you will see a setting at the bottom of the control panel. Click the Startup Memory Tests' Off button, then close the Memory Control Panel. Be aware that from now on, when you start up or restart your computer, the Mac OS will NOT check your RAM. If in the future you suspect a memory problem and want to check your RAM, you will need to repeat this procedure and turn the Startup Memory Tests back on.
 
238 System will not start following installation of the processor upgrade card, or may fail shortly after restart. IMPORTANT! Do not continue attempts to restart—immediately unplug your computer.May-12-09
239 Encore firmware updater must be run to allow installation of a G4 processor in these machines, but this software is not available for Mac OS X.Jun-25-09
240 During Crescendo/Encore Install 1.4.6 software installation, the system displays an error message stating "Your computer's firmware does not have the Sonnet G4-enabling patch installed."May-12-09
241 While applying the Sonnet G3 firmware patch on a Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) computer, the updater stops and either: a) The error message, "Assertion (modPtr) failed in firmwareUpdater.c on line 236" appears. OR b) Your system boots to the desktop and a message stating, "Your computer's firmware does not have the Sonnet G4-enabling patch installed" appears.Jul-23-09
Note: Prior to performing any of the solutions provided, confirm if you are using Crescendo/Encore software later than version 1.4.6.

Issue 1: The firmware patch updater's timing may be affected by the presence of a SCSI card and hard drive in the computer, and causes the update to fail.

Issue 2: The firmware patch updater may fail if you do not hold down the programmer's button on the computer long enough while your system boots.

Solution for Issue 1: If there is a SCSI card and drive(s) installed in your computer, you must disconnect them, and boot the computer from the internal ATA drive. After the firmware has been updated, you may reconnect the SCSI card and drive(s).

Note: Implementing the Solution for Issue 1 does rule out the need to follow the Solution for Issue 2.

Solution for Issue 2: Shut down your computer. Then, while holding down the programmer's button, press and release the power button on the computer. Continue holding down the programmer's button until you hear the long single tone, then release it. (Please note, holding the programmer's key for too long will result in failure to update the firmware.)

If the firmware updater fails again, you must zap your computer's PRAM to clear the partial firmware patch code installation. To do this, first shut down your computer. Then, while holding down the Command + Option + P + R keys together, power up the computer. Continue holding down all four keys until you hear the boot chime four times; after the fourth chime, release the keys and the computer will boot to the desktop normally. Rerun the Sonnet Installer, and carefully follow each instruction as it appears on screen.
 
242 After following all of the instructions in the included User's Quick Start Guide and installing the Encore/ZIF G4 upgrade card, the computer freezes at random during boot up or boots to the desktop without any issues, but crashes randomly, and/or programs unexpectedly quit.May-12-09
243 After removing and replacing my Encore/ZIF card during the course of troubleshooting, or after moving it from one machine to another, my computer has stopped booting, or started crashing shortly after booting.May-12-09
244 After following all of the instructions in the included User's Quick Start Guide and installing the Encore/ZIF G4 upgrade card, my computer crashes during boot up. The computer generates the boot chime and video is displayed, however, the boot process stops with just a cursor on screen.May-12-09