The RamWorks Piggyback² breathes new life into RamWorks-style RGB piggyback cards by allowing them to be combined with modern Apple IIe RAM cards.

(RAM card and RGB card are not included).

Less heat, larger capacity

By using the RamWorks Piggyback² combined with a modern memory card, you can finally do away with the original power-hungry RamWorks cards from the 80's and 90's. Fully populated, those cards easily exceeded Apple's power recommendations for the entire system. That translates into more heat and potentially a shorter lifespan for your Apple II.

Modern RAM cards use a fraction of the power, plus, they are available in larger capacities. But until now, you couldn't use them if you wanted to have a RamWorks-style RGB piggyback card in your system, like an Applied Engineering Digital Prism or Color Link, or a2heaven's VGA Extender. Now you can have the best of both worlds!

Easy to use

Just insert your RAM card into the 60-pin slot on the front, connect your RGB card to the headers on the back, and install the entire "sandwich" into the auxiliary slot on your Apple IIe. There's nothing to configure!

Construction

• Gold-plated contacts (ENIG) to resist corrosion.
• High-quality EDAC edge connector.

Options

USB-A power tap

• A USB-A connector may optionally be added to the board. The connector is intended to provide 5V power to small accessories, such as a WiModem232.
• Do not use the connector to power devices that draw a lot of power.

Two-pin power tap

• A two-pin connector may optionally be added to the board to tap 5V power more directly.
• Do not use the connector to power devices that draw a lot of power.

FRCTXT filter

• A 220pF capacitor may optionally be added as a filter on the FRCTXT line.
• The Applied Engineering family of RGB cards use the FRCTXT line as the clock for a flip-flop, so small bits of electrical noise on the line can cause the card to behave erratically (most often in DHGR modes).
• Recommended.

Compatibility

System

• Apple IIe
• In an NTSC IIe, the card may interfere mechanically with long cards in slot 1, though it should generally be fine.
• In a PAL IIe, the card will likely block slots 2 through 4.

RAM card

• Must be no more than 2 inches tall.
• Garrett's Workshop GW4203B card is suggested.
• Must not use pin 47/H0 (I know of no cards that do).
• Cards wider than the slot may interfere mechanically with the USB option.

RGB piggyback

• Tested with Applied Engineering Digital Prism.
• Also expected to work with Applied Engineering RGB Card and Color Link.
• Tested with a2heaven VGA Extender.