Iifx Manual

An email has been sent to verify your new profile. Please fill out all required fields before submitting your information. Apple Guide to the Macintosh Family Hardware, Second Edition, from Apple Computer. For Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, Macintosh SE/30, Macintosh Portable, Macintosh II, Macintosh IIx, Macintosh IIcx, Macintosh IIci, Macintosh IIfx.

Six months after moving from 16 MHz to 25 MHz with the IIci, Apple introduced the “wicked fast” 40 MHz IIfx. This was the Mac of choice for graphic designers, offering nearly three times the performance of the IIx – thanks to a lightning fast CPU, a new type of RAM, and special SCSI DMA and I/O chips which relieved the CPU of much of its burden. A built-in 32 KB static RAM cache also helps boost performance.

The IIfx was built on a 40 MHz motherboard and had the fastest clocked CPU that Apple used until the Quadra 840av of 1993. NuBus cards still ran on a 10 MHz bus, which is one reason Apple announced its first accelerated video card, the 8•24GC, along with the IIfx. Regular video cards were simply overshadowed by the rest of the system.

With a nod to it’s Apple II ancestors, the IIfx had two 6502 CPUs to manage the floppy drive(s), ADB port, and serial ports (see Technote HW 09 for more details). Unlike the 1 MHz Apple II computers, these CPUs ran at 10 MHz.

The IIfx introduced latched read/write RAM to the Apple lexicon. Using a 64-pin SIMM different from that in any other Macintosh, the IIfx could overlap read and write operations. (Byte, 4/90, p. 112)

The IIfx requires a special “black” SCSI terminator to accommodate its unusual architecture (see Termination Explained for more details).

  • Got a Mac II or other vintage Mac? Join our Vintage Macs Group or Vintage Macs Forum.
  • Our System 6 List is for those using Mac System 6.

There is a ROM SIMM slot on the Mac IIfx that must be filled with a IIfx ROM. Without this ROM, the computer will not function.

Although appearing identical to the Mac II and IIx, the IIfx power supply has a variable speed fan to better control noise and cooling.

Dash 30fx, a IIfx on Steroids

A company known as 68000 repackaged the Mac IIfx logic board in a huge, heavy metal case, overclocked the board to 50 or 55 MHz, replaced the 40 MHz CPU and FPU with the 50 MHz version, installed even faster RAM, and turned the “wicked fast” IIfx into something 25-35% faster!

Upgrade Advice

Accelerators are almost unknown for the IIfx, so many years after it was discontinued.

Iifx manual 2017
  • IIfx RAM is relatively costly, but you should have at least 8 MB. When upgrading, consider putting as much in one bank as possible, leaving the other bank for future expansion.
  • An accelerated video card can make a world of difference, particularly if you use 16-bit or 24-bit modes or a monitor larger than 640 x 480 pixels. See our NuBus Video Card Guide for lots of information.
  • A newer hard drive will be larger and faster than the one Apple shipped with the computer, but you won’t be able to take full advantage of that speed on the IIfx without a SCSI accelerator.
  • More RAM plus Speed Doubler equals improved hard drive performance through intelligent caching.

Because it uses oddball memory and has some unusual circuitry, we label the IIfx a Limited Mac.

Details

  • introduced 1990.03.19 at $9,900; discontinued 1992.04.15
  • code names: F-16, F-19, Stealth, Blackbird, Zone 5, Four Square, IIxi, Weed Whacker
  • model no.: M5525
  • Gestalt ID: 13

Mac OS

  • requires System 6.0.5 to 7.6.1
  • addressing: 24-bit or 32-bit

Core System

  • CPU: 40 MHz 68030
  • FPU: 40 MHz 68882 FPU
  • Bus: 40 MHz – fastest until Quadra 840av
  • ROM: 512 KB
  • RAM: 4 MB, expandable to 128 MB using both 4-SIMM banks of 80ns 64-pin memory; can use 1 MB, 4 MB, 8 MB, and 16 MB SIMMs (the IIfx was the only Mac to use 64-pin SIMMs)
  • L2 cache: 32 KB

Performance

  • 6.8, relative to SE
  • 4.60, MacBench 2.0 CPU
  • 11.45, Speedometer 3.06
  • 0.71, Speedometer 4
  • 10.0 MIPS
  • see Benchmarks: IIfx for more details

Graphics

  • video: requires video card – see our NuBus Video Card Guide for more information.

Drives

  • Hard drive: 40, 80, or 160 MB SCSI
  • floppy drive: 1.4 MB double-sided
  • internal bay for second floppy drive

Expansion

  • ADB ports: 2
  • serial ports: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
  • SCSI ports: DB-25 connector on back of computer
  • sound: 8-bit stereo
  • NuBus slots: 6
  • one PDS slot (inline with a NuBus slot)

Physical

  • size (HxWxD): 5.5″ x 18.7″ x 14.5″
  • Weight: 24 lb.
  • PRAM battery: 3.6V half-AA
  • power supply: 230W

Upgrades

  • Output Enablers 46.5-50 MHz clock accelerator
  • MicroMac Speedy variable speed oscillator (to 50 MHz)

Discontinued accelerators (all are 68040) include the Applied Engineering TransWarp (25, 33 MHz 68040), Fusion Data TokaMac FX (33 MHz 68040), and Radius Rocket (25 MHz 68LC040 to 40 MHz 68040).

Online Resources

  • Guide to the Macintosh II Series, an overview of the Mac II family.
  • Clock Chipping the Mac IIfx, Marc Schrier. If you upgrade to the 50 MHz 68030 CPU, you may be able to reach 60 MHz, and you can usually overclock to stock 40 MHz chip to 50 MHz.
  • Know Your Mac’s Upgrade Options, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2008.08.26. Any Mac can be upgraded, but it’s a question of what can be upgraded – RAM, hard drive, video, CPU – and how far it can be upgraded.
  • Creating Classic Mac Boot Floppies in OS X, Paul Brierley, The ‘Book Beat, 2008.08.07. Yes, it is possible to create a boot floppy for the Classic Mac OS using an OS X Mac that doesn’t have Classic. Here’s how.
  • The Compressed Air Keyboard Repair, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.07.24. If your keyboard isn’t working as well as it once did, blasting under the keys with compressed air may be the cure.
  • Why You Should Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. “At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the ’emergency’ partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.”
  • 10 cult Macs adored by collectors, Tamara Keel, Digital Fossils, 2008.05.13. Macs are not only noted for their longevity, but also by the passion which collectors have for some of the most interesting models ever made.
  • A Vintage Mac Network Can Be as Useful as a Modern One, Carl Nygren, My Turn, 2008.04.08. Old Macs can exchange data and share an Internet connection very nicely using Apple’s old LocalTalk networking.
  • Too few USB ports in too many Macs, developer Leopard ran on Yikes, Mac IIfx RAM heaven, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.01.16. Also Macworld Expo disappoints, Pismo a great field computer, using flash memory in vintage Macs, and Word vs. Pages for academic writing.
  • 512 MB in tray-loading iMacs, partitioning iBook (FireWire) hard drive, value of Kanga, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.01.03. Also a source for Mac IIfx SCSI terminators, ongoing problems with a Rev. B iMac, and need to match screen size to printed output.
  • Vintage Mac Networking and File Exchange, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2007.12.19. How to network vintage Macs with modern Macs and tips on exchanging files using floppies, Zip disks, and other media.
  • Vintage Mac Video and Monitor Mania, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2007.12.17. Vintage Macs and monitors didn’t use VGA connectors. Tips on making modern monitors work with old Macs.
  • Getting Inside Vintage Macs and Swapping Out Bad Parts, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2007.12.14. When an old Mac dies, the best source of parts is usually another dead Mac with different failed parts.
  • Solving Mac Startup Problems, Adam Rosen, Adam’s Apple, 2007.12.12. When your old Mac won’t boot, the most likely culprits are a dead PRAM battery or a failed (or failing) hard drive.
  • Better and Safer Surfing with Internet Explorer and the Classic Mac OS, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.11.06. Tips on which browsers work best with different Mac OS versions plus extra software to clean cookies and caches, detect viruses, handle downloads, etc.
  • Simple Macs for Simple Tasks, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.10.19. Long live 680×0 Macs and the classic Mac OS. For simple tasks such as writing, they can provide a great, low distraction environment.
  • Interchangeabilty and Compatibility of Apple 1.4 MB Floppy SuperDrives, Sonic Purity, Mac Daniel, 2007.09.26. Apple used two kinds of high-density floppy drives on Macs, auto-inject and manual inject. Can they be swapped?
  • The 25 most important Macs (part 2), Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.02.17. The 25 most significant Macs in the first 25 years of the platform, continued.
  • Golden Apples: The 25 best Macs to date, Michelle Klein-Häss, Geek Speak, 2009.01.27. The best Macs from 1984 through 2009, including a couple that aren’t technically Macs.
  • Macintosh IIx: Apple’s flagship gains a better CPU, FPU, and floppy drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.09.19. 20 years ago Apple improved the Mac II by using a Motorola 68030 CPU with the new 68882 FPU. And to top it off, the IIx was the first Mac that could read DOS disks with its internal drive.
  • Vintage Macs provide a less distracting writing environment, Brian Richards, Advantage Mac, 2007.09.18. A Mac OS X user finds an old Macintosh IIsi and discovers the joy of writing undisturbed by music, messaging, and streaming content.
  • Mac System 7.5.5 Can Do Anything Mac OS 7.6.1 Can, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.06.04. Yes, it is possible to run Internet Explorer 5.1.7 and SoundJam with System 7.5.5. You just need to have all the updates – and make one modification for SoundJam.
  • Appearance Manager Allows Internet Explorer 5.1.7 to Work with Mac OS 7.6.1, Max Wallgren, Mac Daniel, 2007.05.23. Want a fairly modern browser with an old, fast operating system? Mac OS 7.6.1 plus the Appearance Manager and Internet Explorer may be just what you want.
  • Format Any Drive for Older Macs with Patched Apple Tools, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.04.25. Apple HD SC Setup and Drive Setup only work with Apple branded hard drives – until you apply the patches linked to this article.
  • Making floppies and CDs for older Macs using modern Macs, Windows, and Linux PCs, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2007.03.15. Older Macs use HFS floppies and CDs. Here are the free resources you’ll need to write floppies or CDs for vintage Macs using your modern computer.
  • System 7 Today, advocates of Apple’s ‘orphan’ Mac OS 7.6.1, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2006.10.26. Why Mac OS 7.6.1 is far better for 68040 and PowerPC Macs than System 7.5.x.
  • 30 days of old school computing: No real hardships, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.10.11. These old black-and-white Macs are just fine for messaging, word processing, spreadsheets, scheduling, contact management, and browsing the Web.
  • Jag’s House, where older Macs still rock, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2006.09.25. Over a decade old, Jag’s House is the oldest Mac website supporting classic Macs and remains a great resource for vintage Mac users.
  • Mac OS 8 and 8.1: Maximum Size, Maximum Convenience, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.09.11. Mac OS 8 and 8.1 add some useful new features and tools, and it can even be practical on 68030-based Macs.
  • Vintage Macs with System 6 run circles around 3 GHz Windows 2000 PC, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.07.06. Which grows faster, hardware speed or software bloat? These benchmarks show vintage Macs let you be productive much more quickly than modern Windows PCs.
  • Floppy drive observations: A compleat guide to Mac floppy drives and disk formats, Scott Baret, Online Tech Journal, 2006.06.29. A history of the Mac floppy from the 400K drive in the Mac 128K through the manual-inject 1.4M SuperDrives used in the late 1990s.
  • Moving files from your new Mac to your vintage Mac, Paul Brierley, The ‘Book Beat, 2006.06.13. Old Macs use floppies; new ones don’t. Old Macs use AppleTalk; Tiger doesn’t support it. New Macs can burn CDs, but old CD drives can’t always read CD-R. So how do you move the files?
  • System 7.6.1 is perfect for many older Macs, John Martorana, That Old Mac Magic, 2006.03.24. Want the best speed from your old Mac? System 7.6.1 can give you that with a fairly small memory footprint – also helpful on older Macs.
  • MpegDec: Play MP3s and streaming audio on 680×0 and old PowerPC Macs, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.03.14. 680×0 Macs can play anything short of 128kbps stereo MP3s, and even the oldest PowerPC Macs have no trouble at all with those recordings.
  • System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6: The beginning and end of an era, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.02.15. System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 introduced many new features and greater modernity while staying within reach of most early Macintosh models.
  • System 7: Bigger, better, more expandable, and a bit slower than System 6, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2006.01.04. The early versions of System 7 provide broader capability for modern tasks than System 6 while still being practical for even the lowliest Macs.
  • Web browser tips for the classic Mac OS, Nathan Thompson, Embracing Obsolescence, 2006.01.03. Tips on getting the most out of WaMCom, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, iCab, Opera, and WannaBe using the classic Mac OS.
  • The Joy of Six: Apple’s fast, svelte, reliable, and still usable System 6, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2005.12.06. System 6 was small enough to run quickly from an 800K floppy yet powerful enough to support 2 GB partitions, 24-bit video, and the Internet.
  • Which system software is best for my vintage Mac?, Tyler Sable, Classic Restorations, 2005.11.22. Which system software works best depends to a great extent on just which Mac you have and how much RAM is installed.
  • Apple Macintosh IIfx, Justin Mayrand
  • Macintosh II Family Technical Overview, darknerd, Angelfire. Some excellent, rarely discussed technical details on the whole Mac II lineup.
  • Macintosh IIfx, Dev68k. All sorts of technical details on the “wicked fast” Mac IIfx.
  • Benchmark: Mac OS 8.1 on the “wicked fast” Mac IIfx, 2000.08.31. Not only does it work, but performance is excellent.
  • Run Mac OS 8.1 on your ‘030 Mac, Charles W Moore, Applelinks, 2000.08.08. “Born Again enables certain 68030 Macs to support Mac OS 8.1.”
  • Holy grail: The Mac IIfx, Chris Lawson, 2000.06.06
  • Games for ‘030s, Brian Rumsey, Low End Mac Gaming, 2000.05.26. A look at games that run nicely on the old 68030-based Macs.
  • Troubleshooting My Mac IIfx, Steve Wood, View From the Classroom, 2000.04.10. The trials and joys of bringing a Mac IIfx back to life.
  • Apple Macintosh IIfx, Justin Mayrand
  • Mac IIfx, Steve Wood, Busman’s Holiday, 1999.05.11
  • Macintosh IIfx: The Inside Story, Apple Developer Technotes, 1990.04
  • Why Should I Choose System 6 for the Mac II Family?, Manuel Mejia, Mac Daniel, 1999.12.13. If they can use System 7, why use System 6?
  • System 6 for the Macintosh, Ruud Dingemans. If you have an older, slower, memory-limited Mac, System 6 is fast, stable, and still very usable.
  • Easter Eggs, MacKiDo
  • Information on 32-bit addressing
  • Email lists: Classic Macs Digest, Vintage Macs
  • System6, the email list for those who choose to use System 6.0.x.
  • Macintosh IIfx Technical Specifications, Apple Knowledge Base Archive

Cautions

  • Serial port normally restricted to 57.6 kbps; throughput with a 56k modem may be limited. See 56k modem page. For more information on Mac serial ports, read Macintosh Serial Throughput on the Online Tech Journal.
  • Apple discontinued support and parts orders for the IIfx on 1998.08.31. You may be able to find dealers with parts inventory either locally or on our parts and service list.

Keywords: #maciifx #macintoshiifx

Iifx Manual Online

Short link: http://goo.gl/FyVGJV

searchword: maciifx, macintoshiifx

Iifx

Introduced in 1990, Macintosh IIfx was the fastest Mac in its time, outperformed by later (late 1991) Quadra lines containing Motorola 68040 processor. IIfx has earlier 68030 CPU, but it is clocked to 40MHz, while early Quadras ran on 25 or 33MHz. Internally the 'fx' designation was deciphered as 'f..n eXpensive' and indeed, it was sold in a quite high prices even as for Macs - while most professional Macs these times were sold under $6000, price of maxed-out IIfx could be larger than 10000. Comparing to PCs, most 486s until 50/66MHz were slower in pure computational terms. However, the fast CPU required new solutions and some were used in IIfx.
A new type of RAM was used, replacing the 30-pin SIMMs with a proprietary 64-pin Apple's modules which were dual-ported. It was theoretically possible to expand IIfx to 128MB of RAM, but usually 8MB was more than enough in 1990. There were versions with 80 or 160MB SCSI drive, as well as with one or two floppy drives. The mainboard has specialized chipsets based on 6502 cores responsible for floppy and ports I/O. By default even ROM is in separate SIMM to be easily replaced if a fix would be needed. The IIfx could run not only Mac OS, but also smoothly perform in A/UX 2.0 - Apple's implementation of UNIX operating system. With UNIX which was widely used in government and research centres Apple could offer their computers not only for home, office and educational market.
There were non-Apple versions of IIfx-compatible computers called DASH 30fx which could clock the CPU even to 50MHz on the same mainboard, yet they were using more complex cooling solutions and could cost up to 40000$ .

Model No:M5525
Year:1990
Discontinued:1992
CPU:Motorola 68030 40MHz
RAM:8MB
Max. RAM:128MB ?
RAM Type:64-pin SIMMs
Hard disk:80MB SCSI, 3.5' SL
Floppy drives:1 1.4M 3.5'
Other drives:None
Graphics:640x480 max, upgradeable with NuBus boards.
Sound:Speaker, phones
Display:External (15-pin connector)
Dedicated OS:Mac System 6.0.5
Maximum OS:Mac System 7.6.1
Expansions: - ADB.
- NuBus slots
- Peripheral card slot
- RAM in 64-pin SIMMs
- ROM SIMM connector
- VRAM expandable to 512K in SIMMs.

Peripherals in collection:
- None

Connectors: - 15-pin video conector
- External SCSI connector
- 2 RS-422 serial ports (for printer and modem)
- 2 ADB connectors for keyboard and mouse
- Sound output

My unit comes from Germany, and that's all I know. It was previously opened and video board has been upgraded, as well as hard disk controller for some external drive.
The mainboard is quite strange. It works, and replacing bad capacitors made it work more stable, but it has a strange RAM sockets - all of them are black except one, which is white. In most photos there are mainboards with a complete set of sockets in a single color. And it has not been made by service - it is factory-soldered. The mainboard is the one with most decoupling capacitors made on tantalum, but earlier revisions could have a small SMD electrolytic caps which could leak. It is recommended to inspect capacitors before running this type of Mac.

Batteries and power-up

The IIfx has two sockets for 3.6V lithium batteries and both of them are needed to start a computer. These batteries power a flip-flop which allows to feed some voltage to power supply unit which, in turn, flips a relay and starts up. One battery is used only to maintain NVRAM. This is quite complicated start-up circuit and it is quite probable that it may cause some problems. The power supply has its power-on line and it needs some voltage on it to start.
So batteries are crucial for this thing to start up. It is possible to start it up from two CR2032 batteries with adapter, but don't insert batteries when power is connected or it may unexpectedly start up.
The question that goes on by itself is WHY? This circuit, described in many places over Internet (Gamba's site, Startup explanation blog post in links section of this page) is certainly overengineered. I have no idea why they had to use such thing, especially that they already had a nice ground-only working version of power supply used in earlier Macs. There are however several explanations:
- They already had the power supply unit made this way and it was needed to use it,
- The primary design of the casing was for some expansion box for other Macs which powered up when Mac fed its power there,
- They, like Olivetti, considered a machine which could be remotely turned on by phone line and send the data at night to some computer center. However with Apple's ideas in their modems it's not much probable - Although quite reluctant in developing networking in the beginning of Macintosh line, Apple finally got a nice idea around their interface and transceivers.
- They wanted to prevent starting up without NVRAM good. This is also possible as video board in this Mac tends to crash the computer if proper monitor definition is not stored in NVRAM.
So here is only to guess.

Easter egg

To see the picture:
- Set the system date to 19 March 1990 (Mac IIfx's release date)
- Restart with Command-Option-F-X pressed

From here. The picture is in ROM, so it's not dependent on installed or booted operating system, only the date is important. Clicking will retry a normal system startup.

Disassembly

Quite simple. One screw on the rear, press levers, open the top cover towards front and after quite large angle it should unlatch. The drive shelf is kept with a few screws. RAM and batteries are under it. If you unplug HDD it is possible to just flip it onto power supply. Hard drive is located on the shelf and it is usually belly-up, so if you upgrade remember about possibility to mount HDD with electronics on top. Also, some chassis have their mounting holes not exactly in standard alignment - literally 2-2,5mm.

Supermac video board

Iifx Manual 2018

The video board - SuperMac Spectrum 24 IV, is quite nice accelerator capable of 24-bit color in high resolutions, but has one problem: It relies on computer's PRAM to keep display settings. So it starts, by default, in some incompatible resolution and it is needed to set the proper one. You may need drivers and manual too.

To set the proper resolution, boot the computer (doesn't matter hard disk or floppy) and hold OPTION key during boot. In some stage, and it's quite late stage after 'Welcome...' screen, the screen will change to a keyboard image with blinking space, sometimes with resolution shown above. The resolutions and screen modes will change, depending on ROM slower or faster (in my ROM 1.7.2 it's quite fast). When the resolution is OK, press space. The board will write value into PRAM and restart. This of course becomes forgotten when battery runs out or you zap the PRAM. The monitor switch settings are interpreted weirdly and if a VGA converter with jumpers/switches is used, it's better to select 'Multi Res' type monitor. This may fallback to monochrome (can be set from control panel), but will give some certain resolution.

Macintosh Iifx Manual

Links

Iifx Manual 2017

https://www.swiat-owocow.pl/?issue=komputer.7.90&article=sprinter - Review in Polish from KOMPUTER Magazine
http://www.storiesofapple.net/the-mac-iifx-apple-enters-the-workstation-market.html - According to this info they designed it as UNIX workstation.
http://www.mathdittos2.com/columns/bh/bh990511.html - Description from Mac IIfx owner
https://www.oldcomputr.com/restoring-an-apple-macintosh-ii/ - Restoration of Mac II with nice photos.
https://www.downtowndougbrown.com/2015/03/explanation-of-the-macintosh-iiiix-power-onoff-circuit/ - A description of power circuit
http://web.archive.org/web/20131031134159/http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/ - Gamba2's page with technical information
http://lowendmac.com/video/spectrum24siv.html - SuperMac Spectrum 24 IV information.
http://web.archive.org/web/20180103184539/http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2/vid-mon-matrix.html - SuperMac information from Gamba, unfortunately download links gone.
http://radius.vintagebox.de/RadiusQA/Spectrum.html - Spectrum video boards Q/A.