Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: reidster on November 26, 2004, 08:28:04 AM
-
I recently pulled an A4000T off of the shelf to find that my meagre amount of Amiga knowledge cannot get it to start up. I was told by others that had witnessed its operation that it had been working fine when it was replaced with a Videonics board. I connect the keyboard, mouse, power, and a monitor (I tried one connected through the DB-9 RGB connector, as well as one through the DIN RGB connector) Neither monitor displayed anything more than a flicker. The riser with the video output port on it is properly grounded. The hard drive graces me with a suspicious seeking sound after the system has had power for a few seconds. After several minutes, still nothing is displayed. Is this consistent with a failing hard drive? If the hard drive is indeed the cause, what disks will I need to revive this beast with another SCSI drive?
Reid
-
Try holding down both mouse buttons right after power on or reboot, if your video is working you'll get the "early startup" screen. If not, there's something fubar with your display setup.
-
Also, have you tried the machine without the graphic card and the HD (just barebones) ? See if you can get the purple kickstart screen to come up
-
I tried holding down both mouse buttons, that only seems to make the hard drive seek longer. Not even a flash appears on any of the three monitors I've tried (1084S, 2002, and an unidentifiable one with a DIN port) removing the video hardware and SCSI hardware doesn't help. Right now there's a Video Toaster 4000 and two Kitchen Syncs in it, as well as a fourth card with SIMMs on it. I've removed the video hardware, the SCSI hardware, and everything at once. The hard drive definitely sounds like it's dying. If I can get my hands on another SCSI drive to install, what will I need to do to get Amiga OS running? A boot disk?
-
Yes, you will need the Workbench disks, but even with a dying hard drive, or no hard drive, you should be able to get to the "early startup" or kickstart screens.
If you end up needing the Workebnch floppies, I've got an extra new set I'll send ya for a buck or two (cost of shipping).
-edit-
Did you give the composite output a go?
-
if composite output being through that DB-23 to composite adapter that I don't have, no I haven't tried it. If you mean through the outputs on the Kitchen Sync breakout boxes and the Video Toaster, they don't give me any signal. The Kitchen Syncs have external controls whose LCDs light up and display copyright information.
Initially I suspected that the CPU card might be loose. I'm still not certain, but the lighting up of the hard drive and the constant seeking sounds, as well as the floppy drive lighting up seem to indicate some life. What are the other possible causes of this problem? A dead lithium battery?
-
The dead lithium battery won't cause this: I ran my A4000T with a dead battery for more than a year (because it is soldered onto the terminals, I couldn't be bothered to prise it out until recently.)
If you remove the hard-disk and all the other boards except the CPU card, you should hear the floppy drive clicking even if your display isn't working. Does that happen? Does the floppy drive click?
-
Why don't we start with the basics: does the power LED go from dim to bright a second or so after switch on?
Once we've determined that the processor etc. is working we can start on getting a display, then trying to boot it.
-
X-ray wrote:
I ran my A4000T with a dead battery for more than a year (because it is soldered onto the terminals, I couldn't be bothered to prise it out until recently.)
:-x
You do realise that by doing so you have a huge risk of being responsible for murder (well at least computerslaughter) on the A4k!
People don't listen to him! ALWAYS remove the battery immediately!
:-P.
-
@ Odin
:smack:
It is an A4000T: those are coin batteries that don't leak.
-
The power led does go dim momentarily after power on. Regardless of what I've removed, the floppy drive light comes on and it clicks.
-
It seems like you may have a display issue, because if the floppy is clicking it is asking for a disk which says to me that you have the kickstart screen up, but you can't see it. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here.
So...do you have any game disks, so that you can at least see if the audio comes through?
-
seems like I'm in a fix... I have one Video Toaster 4000 disk, and the Video Toaster 4000 Toolkit. Everything else has apparently been lost or discarded. I plan on bringing the whole works home on Monday so I can actually get somewhere with it.
-
Floppy clicking is a good sign. I'd connect A520 RF modulator to check the picture. BTW, you meant DB23 and not DB9, right?
-
@reidster:
An A4000T should not have a DB9 RGB connector nor a DIN RGB connector if not a third-party addon is fitted. The only DB9 connectors it has as standard are the mouse/joystick-ports and the only thing it has resembling a DIN RGB connector is the keyboard connector. The port for the A4000T's native RGB-output is the DB23 female.
If you can take a picture of the back of your A4000T and post it here, I am sure you will get help with identifying all the connectors.
/Patrik
-
If you have an Amiga RGB monitor (not SVGA), make sure the A4000T's monitor output is working, I'm not sure what these DB-9 or DIN connectors are that you speak of, my A4000T doesn't have them. Perhaps they're some video editing cards that aren't usable for the OS Workbench/desktop display?
If an Amiga monitor works this way, you should be good, and find out what the heck those other connectors are coming from. Once you know what card that is you can start finding out if you can use Cybergraphics or Picasso96 drivers with it to possibly run the OS display instead of through the A4000T's monitor output.
If the Amiga monitor don't work, you may need to reseat the A4000T's video riser card. I used to have a problem with that and/or the SCSI riser coming loose as they'r eboth on pin headers, and I eventually got sick of it wacking out every time the tide came and went and used some hot glue to hold them in place better. I always hated PCs that used hot glue and I wanted to change something, but my A4000T really needed it! (Now I build my own PCs instead of taking on old hand-me-downs from crazy older manufacturers)
-
The DB-9 connector I speak of is the RGB connector on the back of the monitor. I am using the DB-23 connector on the A/V riser. I have already tried reseating it. The two video cables I have available are the DB-23 to DB-9 cable and a DB-23 to DIN cable. Two of the Commodore monitors I have have DB-9 RGB connectors, the other has a DIN RGB connector.
-
Is it possible that when you tested the barebones system, you took out too many cards? By that I mean that a barebones A4000T system still has the following cards/daughter boards installed:
1) CPU card
2) Ports module (connected by two ribbon cables to the motherboard)
3) Disks module (the one with the internal floppy and SCSI connector and the Micro-D external SCSI connector)
4) AV Module (D-23 video, L + R RCA audio, and 3.5 headphone jack)
If you haven't already tried that barebones configuration (minus any hard-drive and other cards), then try that first. If still no luck you could try to get hold of an RF modulator and see if you can get a display through your TV set. If you want to make sure the whole AV module isn't broken, you could ask a US member to send you a public domain game on a floppy (something with loading music), and you can see if you at least get audio out of the RCA connectors on the AV module.
-
Does the harddrive seeking continue indefinitely? After the several minutes you speak of, do you have a "stable" system? I.e. does power led remain constant and floppy keep on clicking? What is the reaction to putting in any floppy disk?
-
ok, I've tried the "barebones" setup as described. nothing new. with the hard drive disconnected, the clicking continues indefinitely. Inserting a floppy causes the light to come on momentarily, then the computer just sits there.
With the room finally quiet, I discovered that the hard disk seeking continues for about 20 seconds, stops, hard disk light goes out. Inserting a floppy at this point does nothing.
I found a bunch of disks today, nothing useful I'm afraid. I have a driver disk for the DKB 3128 ram board and 46 Video Toaster 4000 disks.
cable wise, I have a DB-23 to DB-9, a DB-23 to round 6 pin connector. I do not have any sort of composite or RF adapter. I've tried 4 Commodore monitors now.
-
That sounds promising. Basically, aside from the blank screen the computer seems to be doing all the things it sould be as a barebones system. If nobody closer to you volunteers, I will send you a floppy disc that plays music so you can verify that this is a display issue alone. I also may have a spare AV module that I can lend you for the purpose of testing. Give it a day or two and if nobody offers, PM me your address and I'll send the disk to you (and the AV moduloe, if I can find it).
You must get that baby working, it is a fine classic Amiga.