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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: henribarbu on January 05, 2005, 02:52:44 PM
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Hi,
I have received a fully functionnal A1200 tower with blizzppc, mediator and voodoo3.
After having lay down the tower and inserting a SB128 audio card, the computer became unstable and often refused to boot.
After pluging and unpluging, the Amiga boot again but the 64mb memory module is not detected anymore.
I think I have killed the memory module when rebuilding the tower, the module is very close to the PSU and it touches it when the tower is laid down.
Do you see any other possibility for loosing the memory ?
I've tried to get into the boot menu of the Blizz by pressing esc after a reset, noway, it seems it need to be flashed to support the menu (603e not 603e+).
The showconfig output a list with the ppc card, the 68040, the mediator, the voodoo but no fast memory and no powerpc processor.
Anyway, 2 days ago the WB told me he found 2mb chip and 64 mb other mem.
Joie, the memory was back!
After 2 reboot it was gone again :-<
Now I have ordered a memory module (amigakit).
Does anyone see another explanation ?
Can you confirm me that the PowerPC is not "seen" without memory on it ?
(when it rebooted well, I got back the error message from powerup being incompatible with warpup, so I guess at this time the PPC was used)
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hmm.. did remember to unplug the powercord?
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yes
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k.. sounds strange that you may have damaged the memory/mem-controler.
Have you tried to take very thing out of it, and start over and add firstly the CSPPC then memory then gfx the .. and so on?
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Have you checked the memory slots for dirt and made sure the SIMM itself is clean?
There's also the risk, albeit very small, that removing/reinserting the memory has damaged the contacts between the socket/pcb. A single cracked solder joint is all it takes for random behaviour like this.
You also need to try other memory modules if you have any spare. I always keep a few old 16MB modules lying around for times like this.
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I know I had the same problem in one of my A4000´s, also didn´t accept any Fast Memory. Wanted to throw it away until one of our clubmembers decided to take a look and found some pieces of metal in the memory socket. When it was removed then everything worked again. :lol:
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Nothing wrong for the eyes, the cards seems in perfect state.
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recently i`ve got blizzppc that was said to be dead. it was not detected during boot (neither at autoconfig list). after i`ve flashed the update (which took ca. 10 miutes!!!) the machine stared perfectly. anyway my flash is defective, it crashed absoultely just yesterday, now it shows red screen during poweron and does not seem to change (i`m looking for solution...). I advice you to try to re-flash your blizzard. It helped me. If your blizzy start working, and after few days refuses, you may get identical problem to mine...
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Can you test with a different SIMM? Some of them are easily damaged by static discharge.
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I'm waiting for 2 128 mb memory modules from amigakit.
Even if I can only use one, the other is a backup.
I was tempted to flash the rom, but I want first to test the card with new memory.
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if fails, just flash it. My blizzy didn`t die because of ram, cause the ram is ok (i used it previously in PC and Apollo1240, and use it now in Apollo.) Dont be surprised if flashing process takes 10 minutes...
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Maybe I will try..
Did you use the flash update from amiga-hardware.com(v 44.30)?
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Most 128 Mb modules are double sided ones and you probably can not find both of them on the BlizzPPC because one of them would touch the PPC board which may not be so healthy ... the one that used to work on your card is a 64 Mb double sided module placed in the memory holder with the angle. There is no way to fit that memory module in the other memory holder, it just won´t fit ...
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henribarbu wrote:
Maybe I will try..
Did you use the flash update from amiga-hardware.com(v 44.30)?
no, for the first time i used some old one (the only one i accidentially had in my archives), the i upgraded to propably the newest one (got from my ppc-ed friend), which had pci support.
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All is working now, the flash update has solved my issues.
Thanks.
could not wait the new memory :-)
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So you did flash your PPC card ??? Cool !! Better that than having to replace parts on the card itself, and also a lot cheaper than having the card repaired at a repairshop :lol:
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Have received 2 128 mb double sided memory modules from Amigakit, none of them are working :-(
I've been very carefull when installing them, with my antistatic wirst thing.
My original 64mb module works perfectly,
but when I try the amigakit ones, the Amiga do not even boot.
Weird, I hope they will replace them.
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Try to change the RAM settings, in the Flash menu (ie with or without precharge, waistates, 60-70 ns and so).
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I'd like to know how ESD actually damages a PCB and whether it can be
reversed. If microchips are solid material with contacts how can
static electricity damage a chip that would lose electrical data
anyway on power-down!?
I ask this because I bought a 64Mb FPM from the US and it didn't work
at first (last 4Mb crashed the machine).
On pulling it out and leaving it for a few days and re-inserting it I
get all 64Mb and it's worked flawless ever since.
Can you earth any electrical charge in a device and repair it or did I
just get lucky by scratching off some oxidised deposits on the SIMM
contacts?
Anyway, if you have trouble use a fibreglass pen to scratch your SIMM
contacts shiny before re-flashing the board.
I have a 1260 not a PowerPC and my memory came good without too much
fiddling!
:-)
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> I'd like to know how ESD actually damages a PCB and whether it can be
>reversed. If microchips are solid material with contacts how can
>static electricity damage a chip that would lose electrical data
>anyway on power-down!?
ESD doesn't damage the PCB, it damages the chips. It's nto repairable without replacing the defective chip.
Basically, it fries transistors. Transistors are made from a few layers of different things sandwiched together. On the bottom is :diffusion" area, which isn't great at conducting. The two ends of this area are connected to wiring, one is the input, one is the output. If left like this, the two ends would electrically not be connected to each other.
On top of this diffusion layer is a thin layer of silicon oxide. On top of that is the transistor gate made out of polysilicon.
When the poly gate is charged, an electical field gets pushed down into the diffusion layer below, and this field makes the diffusion able to conduct electricity, turning the transistor "on". If you discharge the poly gate, the electrical field goes away and the diffusion below again is unable to conduct electricity, turnign the transistor "off".
Now, I haven't said much about that middle silicon oxide layer. Really all it does is insulate the poly gate from the diffusion below it. If these twothings touch, they cause a short and things won't work anymore. ESD problems apply so much voltage between the gate and the diffusion that the thin silicon oxide can no longer withstand the pressure, and it breaks down, allowing the poly and diffusion to short together. Bam, your chip is fried and needs replaced.
I hope we've all enjoyed this afternoon's CMOS lesson. Be prepared for a quiz next Thursday. :) :)
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yes u are correct the BLIZZPPC can not take some double sided simms,but i have found a way around this by getting a nail clipper & cutting the legs just above the soldering on the BLIZZPPC CPU simms side & useing a small file to get to the inner legs...
my BLIZZPPC now can take any simm module...
both my simms are fitted with akasa heatsink..
overclocked BLIZZPPC..
also disabled regulater so processors can be powered directly from powersupply 3.3v... bvision also powered directly...
useing antec truecontroll powersupply..
DO NOT TRY & COPY MY MOD.. VERY DANGEROUS..
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it works now, thanks for your help
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Still don´t know how you fixed it. Can you tell about it please ??? Have got a PPC 233/060 here too and I was also thinking about upgrading it with 256 Mb instead of 64 Mb and I would like to have some info first before I start losing more hair when I get the same problems that you had :lol:
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@henribarbu
The SIMMs were fully tested before despatch. We generally put all memory through a Pre-Delivery Inspection which tests the integrity of the memory. We don't want memory to go all the way to Belgium untested and turn out to be faulty. In this case the memory passed the PDI- so you know they are 100% OK.
The 2x SIMMs were tested in a Blizzard '040/210Mhz- ensure that you change the wait states to ON and precharge to ON in the Early Menu on the BlizzardPPC. Then test the SIMMs, one-by-one in your BlizzardPPC. Also test them one-by-one in each slot separately.
You should find that the memory then works OK. Any queries, please contact us.