Apower desktop PSU for A500/600/1200/cd32 are Back!

[Darrin]

Darrin,
 Your problem is very strange,as i have tested the readers on my own warpengine 040/40 and it worked flawless with both the card in the cf slot and using the pcmcia adapter to CF in the pcmcia slot. I doubt it has anything to do with it,but make sure mask and max transfer are set right for a scsi device,as some hdtoolbox defaults are not right.

Try using the warpengine  scsi tools from the warpengine floppy.Its on amiga resource if you dont have it.

If you have a active terminator,try using it at the end of the cable and unterminating the scsi reader.again doubtfull this is it.

Try using a different version of hdtoolbox ,there are a few versions known to be problematic.

last resort, you can get a pcmcia to cf adapter and use it in the pcmcia slot,this allows you to address the cf as just device "2" and no luns.

maybe try changing cf cards,not sure what cf card you use but i did the testing with the 2gb transcends i have here all was fine.


Mech

Hi Mechy,

Thnaks for the tips.  I'll keep on playing.  Just out of interest, how are your jumpers on your Warp Engine configured (H, J & K) and do you have the termination power enabled or disabled?

I didn't get the floppy with my used Warp Engine so I'll download it and try it.

The main card I'm using is a 2GB Transcend which I ordered from you.  I also ordered the PCMCIA adapter too, and it doesn't work with that.  I also ordered a round SCSI cable from you too which I'm using on the A4000 and I've tried it attached to different connectors.

The only differences between it working on the A2000 and not working on the A4000 are the CPU cards with teh SCSI adapters and the SCSI cables (I'm using a flat one on the A2000 and the round one on the A4000).  Now that you've mentioned cables, I'll try another cable on the A4000.  The A2000 and A4000 are both using the same Classic Workbench OS3.9 based install so they have the same HDToolbox.  Also, I have a really old Commodore 2091 SCSI card which I can shove in the A4000 and see whether that will place nice with the card reader.

If all else fails, I'm just going to leave it installed in the A2000's second floppy bay.  

[mechy]

Hi Mechy,

Thnaks for the tips.  I'll keep on playing.  Just out of interest, how are your jumpers on your Warp Engine configured (H, J & K) and do you have the termination power enabled or disabled?

I didn't get the floppy with my used Warp Engine so I'll download it and try it.

The main card I'm using is a 2GB Transcend which I ordered from you.  I also ordered the PCMCIA adapter too, and it doesn't work with that.  I also ordered a round SCSI cable from you too which I'm using on the A4000 and I've tried it attached to different connectors.

The only differences between it working on the A2000 and not working on the A4000 are the CPU cards with teh SCSI adapters and the SCSI cables (I'm using a flat one on the A2000 and the round one on the A4000).  Now that you've mentioned cables, I'll try another cable on the A4000.  The A2000 and A4000 are both using the same Classic Workbench OS3.9 based install so they have the same HDToolbox.  Also, I have a really old Commodore 2091 SCSI card which I can shove in the A4000 and see whether that will place nice with the card reader.

If all else fails, I'm just going to leave it installed in the A2000's second floppy bay.  

Mine has:
jumper on K
NO jumper on J
jumper on H
this is for LUN scan 100ns synchronous operation with no boot delay.

you may need delays on these if the machines tries to boot before the card reader can initialize.so don't be afraid to experiment.You may try turning off synchronous operation also.

Termpower is on. the scsi card reader does not supply term power,so termination won't work without the termpower.

note on scsi, you always use the ends of the cable,never have a drive in the middle of the cable and the end hanging with free connectors. i.e. plug one end into the controller and the opposite end into the scsi device. termitate that end device.add any other devices in the middle of the cable.scsi device #'s don't matter much,as song as all devices have different #'s.

I suggest you install a clean os3.1 on the card . the 2091 would also be a good test if it has a reasonable newer rom rev. 6.6 or better i recommend,7 is best.Make sure 2091 jumpers are right..

I'm really thinking you have a mask/max transfer problem.Try the warpdrive scsi hdtools to partition and do a quick format and install a fresh wb3.1 (preferrably Commodores and not patched stuff like classicWb etc.). Check the warp engine ram also,a bad simm could cause these problems.a quick and dirty(but not gauranteed) way to check it is boot with your old setup,then copy stuff to ram just short of the 128MB(assuming u have 128MB on it). if it crashes before it gets to say 127MB you know some ram is flakey or not seated well.

[Darrin]

Mine has:
jumper on K
NO jumper on J
jumper on H
this is for LUN scan 100ns synchronous operation with no boot delay.

you may need delays on these if the machines tries to boot before the card reader can initialize.so don't be afraid to experiment.You may try turning off synchronous operation also.

Termpower is on. the scsi card reader does not supply term power,so termination won't work without the termpower.

note on scsi, you always use the ends of the cable,never have a drive in the middle of the cable and the end hanging with free connectors. i.e. plug one end into the controller and the opposite end into the scsi device. termitate that end device.add any other devices in the middle of the cable.scsi device #'s don't matter much,as song as all devices have different #'s.

I suggest you install a clean os3.1 on the card . the 2091 would also be a good test if it has a reasonable newer rom rev. 6.6 or better i recommend,7 is best.Make sure 2091 jumpers are right..

I'm really thinking you have a mask/max transfer problem.Try the warpdrive scsi hdtools to partition and do a quick format and install a fresh wb3.1 (preferrably Commodores and not patched stuff like classicWb etc.). Check the warp engine ram also,a bad simm could cause these problems.a quick and dirty(but not gauranteed) way to check it is boot with your old setup,then copy stuff to ram just short of the 128MB(assuming u have 128MB on it). if it crashes before it gets to say 127MB you know some ram is flakey or not seated well.

Cheers.  I'll give it a whirl and see what happens.  

I checked my 2091 and it has an old 6.1 ROM which (I believe) doesn't support drives larger than 1GB and has other bugs too.  It came out of an old A2000 back in the days when 128MB was considered to be a large hard drive.  

[mechy]

darrin,
   did you ever find a solution to this trouble you were having??

[Darrin]

darrin,
   did you ever find a solution to this trouble you were having??

No, not yet.  I had to return to work (typing this from a hotel in New Mexico), so I'll play with it again when I get home (in about 3-5 weeks).  What's worse, my FPGA Arcade is also sitting in my house and I can't get to it.  I might ask my wife to mail it to me.  

[CloakedAlien]

w00t! Glad I found this thread, I've been searching far and wide for a replacement PSU for my desktop A1200. It's expanded with a Paragon Turbo 1230 Mk2, CF-IDE and Ethernet (and the stock PSU doesn't seeem tobe able to handle it).

Already ordered and from what I've gathered it'll have enough juice for my setup and a bit more!

But what about the wattage of this thing? If I'm not misinformed then stock 1200/600 PSU's can do 25Watts, the old A500 can do 60W.

[rdolores]

I got one of these a couple months ago for my A1200 with Blizzard IV accelerator 64-MB RAM board.  It is great.  Nice compact and quiet.  Looks like a laptop power supply.

[CloakedAlien]

Wow! Got mine yesterday! That's super-quick delivery since it was shipped Thursday night (CET) and I've never had anything arrive from the states under 7 days before, and I've bought quite the few retro games on ebay over the years.

PSU works like a charm, but at first it didn't work at all despite re-seating the connector. I measured it with a multimeter and everything looked fine, next time I connected it it just worked =S

Now my rig works without any random crashes, finally I can use my Amiga to it's fullest without any random crashes or reboots <3

[golem]

PSU works like a charm, but at first it didn't work at all despite re-seating the connector. I measured it with a multimeter and everything looked fine, next time I connected it it just worked =S

Mine did the same first time I turned it on. But its been faultless ever since. I wonder if it has to switch to 240V first time you turn it on from receiving it from mechy?

[CloakedAlien]

Mine did the same first time I turned it on. But its been faultless ever since. I wonder if it has to switch to 240V first time you turn it on from receiving it from mechy?

That was my thought as well, even though the miggy never lit up the tv-set behaved as if it got some kind of signal. That's why I brought out the multimeter in the first place.

Mind you I turned on/off a few times and re-seated the plug, I even used electronics spray on both ends in case it had some kind of residue or whatnot. It was after measuring it that it started to work so something tells me the moron factor isn't the answer =P

At any rate, been working fine since then so I doubt there's an issue but could be noteworthy in case anyone else has any troubles.

I'm really glad I got this rather than a rebuilt ATX PSU!

[A4000Bear]

darrin,
   did you ever find a solution to this trouble you were having??

I had exactly the same problem, but managed to partially solve it by making sure the SCSI card reader was ID 0. (I have a CD-ROM at ID 1 and a hard drive at ID 2).

It is still not perfect, I have to boot the system with the flash card I want to use inserted, and I cannot change the card unless I reboot, but it's better than nothing!

Incidentally, my warpdrive.device version is 40.66

[amigadave]

I had exactly the same problem, but managed to partially solve it by making sure the SCSI card reader was ID 0. (I have a CD-ROM at ID 1 and a hard drive at ID 2).

It is still not perfect, I have to boot the system with the flash card I want to use inserted, and I cannot change the card unless I reboot, but it's better than nothing!

Incidentally, my warpdrive.device version is 40.66

It is my understanding that these SCSI card readers do not support "Hot Swapping" when installed in an Amiga.  They are still useful additions to most big box Amiga systems.  I have thought about getting one for my A4000D in Power Tower.

The PSU's that Mechy puts together are real nice.  I have one for my A600 w/ACA630 and thought about getting another for my A1200, but don't know if they output enough wattage for my Blizzard 1260 w/256mb RAM & SCSI-2 controller, plus IndivisionAGA & Subway USB controller.

[A4000Bear]

It is my understanding that these SCSI card readers do not support "Hot Swapping" when installed in an Amiga.  They are still useful additions to most big box Amiga systems.  I have thought about getting one for my A4000D in Power Tower.

I tried the card reader on a DKB Spitfire SCSI controller card, and that combination supports hot swapping.

[AmigaClassicRule]

Hi all,
  I have been toiling away and searching the world for connectors and have managed to finish building and testing 51 new heavy duty power supplies for the A500/600/1200 and cd32! I have them listed with different color labels(they are all the same psu,just a choice of label colors). I have managed to setup a shopping cart to automate this.

PLEASE make sure your PAYPAL account is verified/confirmed before ordering,failure to do so will delay your order and cause me major headaches! - thanks!

http://www.amiga.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1250&stc=1&d=1302220256

Here are the specs:
------------------
Much smaller than the original.

Works on any voltage from any country 100vac to 240vac. 50 or 60hz

Much more powerful than the original power supply (7AMPS on +5v,1.5Amps on +12v,and .3Amps on -12v).

Uses a standard IEC power cord from any printer or computer(ships with USA cord only).

Completely quiet and no fans.

Lighted power switch - know when its on or off,unlike the original!

Overload Protected - Auto reset when overload is cleared up

Short Protected - Goes into a pulse mode until the short is fixed.Auto reset when short is fixed.

These are intended for desktop machines only, NOT towered machines with zorro/pci expansions!

http://www.amiga.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1251&stc=1&d=1302220329

The second surprise is i have secured a boatload of brand new 3.5" scsi 5-slot card readers!.so what you say? Well these are great for adding compact flash,sdhc,smartmedia,or to your amiga with scsi to use as a hard drive,or even using all 5 slots filled with different cards(a different os on each? mac/pctask partitions?hmm). i have tested them in the A590,gvp A530,HCII+8,on old trumpcards,warpengine,gvp A2000 cards/accelerators,ivs vector,fastlane z3,A4000t scsi,A3000t scsi.these also work on some atari and apple and sampler scsi! they have the latest firmwares and you can hook them right to your 50 pin scsi without any adapters.The bolt anywhere a floppy drive will in most cases.can be put internal in place of the hard drive.all 5 slots fall under 1 SCSI ID with luns..i also have some scsi cables and assorted stuff there,when its gone its gone.

I have set up a online shopping cart with SSL to avoid EBAY this time and the crazy fee's. this also automates the shipping etc and saves me alot of headaches.The price for the power supplies is $42+ shipping(sorry,after the first batch,i tallied the stuff up and made almost nothing after fee's!). Actual shipping is calculated on the shopping cart.Shipping to most of europe/uk etc is around $14 via USPS flatrate small BOX. USA shipping is also calculated.Payment is by PAYPAL only and the cart passes you off to the secure paypal site.
Please understand,i can't control customs and such,but i can guarantee you i shipped the stuff the next morning after you order it!

Oh,you can find these power supplies at http://www.a4000t.com or https://a4000t.com/store  they both go to the same place

if anyone has any questions,please feel free to ask.
Mech

I have questions about the SCSI card reader:

• I have an Amiga 500 with kickstart 1.3, 512 KB of RAM and 8 MB fast ram, will this work on this Amiga setting or do I need to also upgrade my kickstart from 1.3 to 3.1?
• If this works on number 1 setting, I own an Amiga A500-HD+ does it work on this device? If so, how do you install it? Does it work as an external device and fits on the DB 25 SCSI or needs to be fit inside? If it needs to be fit inside, can the case of the A500-HD+ fit correctly and close well with this CF card reader inside?
• Where would I get the cable for the card reader so it works on my Amiga A500-HD+, thanks in advance?

[mechy]

It is my understanding that these SCSI card readers do not support "Hot Swapping" when installed in an Amiga.  They are still useful additions to most big box Amiga systems.  I have thought about getting one for my A4000D in Power Tower.

The PSU's that Mechy puts together are real nice.  I have one for my A600 w/ACA630 and thought about getting another for my A1200, but don't know if they output enough wattage for my Blizzard 1260 w/256mb RAM & SCSI-2 controller, plus IndivisionAGA & Subway USB controller.

Thanks for the psu cudos,i am out of them but there are some cd32 versions left. I also have 5 pin dins if you want to buy one of the cd32 psu's and a DIN connector and change the din yourself(its the same basic psu as the Apower 500/600/1200 ver) just with different a connector.


You shouldn't hotswap the card you booted from,but the other cards/slots can be hotswapped.All this depends on a scsi controller that can use reselection and has luns implemented properly. Some don't. Some only tolerate the card reader as device 0. the 2091 really needs rev7 roms to work flawless,but 6.6 does work for the most part.

mech

[Xanxi]

Indeed i own two APowers and they are awesome.
Now i would like APowers for big box amiga as a reliable replacement for the weak A4000 PSU.