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Offline roMancerTopic starter

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Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« on: May 03, 2017, 04:22:59 PM »
Hi!
I have an old Microbotics / Paravision M1230XA accelerator board, and it's not working properly.
Can you help me debugging it?

For starters, a few screenshots would help: SetXA utility window / running, Early Startup Menu boards listing, "showconfig" output, SysInfo screen with speed test results (each of course with a working M1230XA installed).

I mostly test my board with Kickstart 3.0 - are you aware of any issues regarding KS3.0 and the M1230XA?
(apart from the fact that RAM has to be added "manually" / software-wise)  

Thanks!

Offline spaceman88

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2017, 05:07:47 PM »
Quote from: roMancer;825333
Hi!
I have an old Microbotics / Paravision M1230XA accelerator board, and it's not working properly.
Can you help me debugging it?

For starters, a few screenshots would help: SetXA utility window / running, Early Startup Menu boards listing, "showconfig" output, SysInfo screen with speed test results (each of course with a working M1230XA installed).

I mostly test my board with Kickstart 3.0 - are you aware of any issues regarding KS3.0 and the M1230XA?
(apart from the fact that RAM has to be added "manually" / software-wise)  

Thanks!

I used a 33MHz one for years on a 3.0 setup without a problem. I later upgraded to 50MHz and 3.1 so I no longer needed the software patch for the RAM. Since I'm using a different Kickstart not sure if you want any info from setup, but let me know if you do.
 

Offline Oldsmobile_Mike

Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2017, 05:45:50 PM »
When you say "it's not working properly", could you describe in more detail what exactly it is, or is not, doing?  Have you tried cleaning contacts, reseating RAM (and removing RAM), etc.?

IMHO I'd pay the $15 bucks and get yourself a set of 3.1 ROM's.  They contain a variety of bug-fixes as well as eliminate the need for the additional step to configure the memory, as you already mentioned.  Might help, might not, but at least it would eliminate one line from your S-S.  ;)

Also check the DMS on this site:  http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/mbx1230  looks like it has some RAM-testing utilities and set-up tools.  Maybe something helpful in there?  Good luck!  :)
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Offline roMancerTopic starter

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2017, 12:38:38 PM »
hi everyone,
thanks for your replies :-)

yes, I've already done a couple of things:
- M1230XA disk installed, setup utility, etc.
- reseated and tested five different RAM SIMMs
- replaced all capacitors on the board with new ones
- replaced battery with a new one
- tested in both kickstart 3.0 and 3.1 Amiga 1200s

my M1230XA has a 68RC030@50mhz, no FPU, no RAM
SetXA utility is set to these specs/values.

this is the situation:
- clock works (with a new battery)
- SetXA works: board recognized, "test" jumper recognized
- SetXA says: Hardware version: 0
- eeprom works: SetXA settings remembered
- processor (w. MMU) recognized by "showconfig" and SysInfo
- SysInfo shows 68030, MMU. speed results: ~1.5 times speed of a stock A1200 (~1800 dhrystones)
- board not listed under "Boards" in Early Startup, and not listed by "showconfig"
- so far: same situation on both ks3.0 and ks3.1

now when i install some RAM:
- under ks3.0 "AddXAMem" (or SetXA "Add memory") crashes the machine. new memory shows up for a second in WB title bar, then both chip- and fast-mem go to zero, then machine becomes unusably slow and has some screen corruption.
- under ks3.1 machine does not boot (power-led, keyboard led blinks, no floppy click, black screen)

the speed increase when installing the board is very little (see above).
(note the results at http://amiga.resource.cx/perf/aibb.html : m1230xa without RAM listed with about 4-5 times the speed of a stock A1200)
but I've tested with a (proved working) Blizzard1230 (FPU, no RAM, no maprom), and the results are about the same (~1.5 times A1200 speed), so the missing RAM might slow down the m1230xa (drastically).

currently, I'm drawing this conclusion:
the board works fine, except for anything RAM-related.

still I'd like to see some screenshots from a working M1230XA without RAM installed:
- does it show up in early startup menu -> boards? (kickstart 3.1 only?)
- does it show up in showconfig?
- is SetXA's "Hardware version: 0" info correct?
- what are SysInfos speed results?

...just to confirm what I see with my board.

I dont know how AutoConfigging works, if it's the same process that gets triggered by "AddXAMem" (or "SetXA add memory"), if the board MUST show up regardless of some AutoConfig function is has or hasn't, etc. - but we'll find out when we get there... ;-)
« Last Edit: May 04, 2017, 12:40:17 PM by roMancer »
 

Offline Oldsmobile_Mike

Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2017, 12:59:25 PM »
1.5x the speed of a bog standard A1200 is to be expected of an '030 with no fast ram expansion. If I understand your post correctly you've already tried it with different sticks of ram, and attempting to run the ram config utility (or autoconfig the ram under 3.1) is causing it to crash, correct?

If you've already triple-checked that any jumpers are in the right positions and that everything  is clean, I'd suspect the ram socket might be faulty.
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Offline roMancerTopic starter

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2017, 01:19:38 PM »
Quote from: Oldsmobile_Mike;825372
...you've already tried it with different sticks of ram, and attempting to run the ram config utility (or autoconfig the ram under 3.1) is causing it to crash, correct?


yes, correct.

Quote
If you've already triple-checked that any jumpers are in the right positions


yes. the manual says nothing about jumpers and no FPU installed, so I'm assuming FPU-clock jumper is irrelevant in my case. the test jumper should be more or less irrelevant anyway.

Quote
and that everything  is clean, I'd suspect the ram socket might be faulty.


hm. it looks flawless to the naked eye. do you think it's worth checking with a multimeter? (now a schematic would come in handy...)

Offline Acill

Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2017, 01:37:57 PM »
Check with a meter yes. Its the only way, looking by eye won't help know for sure.
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Offline roMancerTopic starter

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2017, 04:24:11 PM »
hm, the simm socket seems to be fine. checked all contacts to the points where they're soldered to the pcb, and then again from there to the other side of the pcb.

Offline roMancerTopic starter

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2017, 04:52:35 PM »
note to self:
Jerry M. Robinson. found his name in some newsgroup. he designed and coded the M(BX)1230XA.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.sys.amiga.hardware/ARRc3D74GC0

anyone know Mr. Robinson?

Offline roMancerTopic starter

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2019, 10:25:41 AM »
some late feedback, just for completeness' sake:
problem solved - it works again! :-)
MBRTest-2 (memory testing software from M1230XA disk) reported errors - it turned out to be some broken address- or data line. adding a wire fixed the problem.
thanks a lot for your support!

(updated blog article: https://amigaalive.blogspot.com/2017/05/help-microbotics-paravision-m1230xa.html )
« Last Edit: August 12, 2019, 10:27:21 AM by roMancer »
 

Offline larsove

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2023, 07:37:33 PM »
Hi all!
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread here . But I've just got an a1200 with a M1230XA that is showing the same symptoms as above.
Amiga won't boot with card inserted - it just shows a black screen and a small tick from the disk drive.
i've tried pulling out the ram (32mb) but no difference. the board has not been recapped and the previous owner said it worked when he used the Amiga a couple years ago.
I know the expansion slot is working cause I also have a MBX1200z that is working.

Any help or suggestions are welcome!

Cheers from Norway!
 

Offline Vlabguy1

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2023, 02:50:29 AM »
Too bad you are in Norway.  I might be able to help.
 

Offline larsove

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2023, 08:17:38 AM »
Too bad you are in Norway.  I might be able to help.

Hi! Let me know what your steps would be. I am handy with a soldering iron, multimeter and I do own an oscilloscope.
 

Offline larsove

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Re: Microbotics M1230XA accelerator board repair
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2023, 10:21:43 AM »
False alarm... I inspected the card and found som dirt inside the connector - cleaned it out with a tootbrush and some contact/electronic cleaner - seems to work OK no. 32mb of ram found - and Amiga booting just fine.
But I'm not sure where the PIN that looks a bit sketchy is going to - its the 8th pin on the first row closest to the connector(on the right hand side if looking at the card from the bottom).