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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Flashlab on October 24, 2005, 05:19:38 PM
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Hi,
I recently acquired an A4000. It's a totally different beast to tame than the A1200...
After finding out the Chip RAM is on a SIMM I also found out that without any Fast RAM the machine wouldn't boot. Now I got a HD with it that I can only read when I use the early startup-menu boot without startup sequence option. I guess this is because the startupsequence on the HD wants to boot from a SCSI card that came with it. I just installed the IDE HD and the DF0: floppy. Booting from floppy however freezes the machine. Also when I start without startup-sequence and use the loadwb command the machine crashes when I insert a floppy in DF0:. It's going to be hard to install a frsh WB on this machine without a working DF0:
I've got an external floppydrive but the same happens when I use that one.
Am I missing something? Is the A4000 different or do I need to change jumpers?
Help!
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What kind of processor is in there ? Sounds like a 68060 without the appropiate software installed. Or there was a 68060 and now it is a 68030 or such and the clock jumpers on the motherboard are still set wrongly.
Bye,
Thomas
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It's an 030 that should have been an 030 all its life. But I don't know which jumper I should check for this problem.
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The clock jumpers (J100 and J104) are both on Internal.
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Strange thing is that my external drive is recognized as DF2: and not DF1:
They are both visible in the early startupmenu though!
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It's normal I think; A4000 can handle 2 internal drives.
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you have set jumper for indicating DD df1: is present. turn it into position for 'no df1: or HD df1:" and your second drive will become df1:
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When I remove all harddisks I do get the kickstart insert disk screen and the floppy drive is making the clicking noise to check for disks.
It's just that when I insert one it freezes on both DF0: or DF2:
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Could that also solve the freezing problem?
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maybe its power problem? (because the floppy draws more power when rotating) check PSU connector to see if +5V wire is overheating. (at least I had that problem with A4000D)
(nope, its not freezing because of that jumper)
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Unplug the internal floppy. Try with the external only, no hard drives.
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@FlashLab:
If it a stock A4000 floppy cable, the internal floppy drive should be connected to the middle connector of the floppy cable and the floppy cable itself should be connected to the motherboard with the connector that is farthest apart from the other two connectors (the end connector which doesnt have a bit of the cable twisted just before the connector). Make sure that is the case.
On an A4000, DF2: is the first connected external floppy drive as DF0: and DF1: are reserved for internal drives.
Try some other disks too, so you are sure it isnt something with a wierd bootblock or similar crashing the machine.
Btw, the A4000 works fine without fastmem, albeit not overly usable and very slow. You need the doublesided 2MB chipmem simm to be present though (the one closest to the Zorro daughterboard).
/Patrik
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The cable is installed correctly to your specification Patrick. I've tried different disks; they work on my A1200.
I've installed the doublesided Chipram simm and one Fastram simm at the moment. Like I said booting without startup-sequence gives me access to the harddisk and I can get to workbench by using the loadwb command.
I'm testing the motherboard now without the front panel attached. Could that be the problem with the lock on the panel? I test that this weekend along with powering the drives with a different PSU.
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The problem is getting weirder...
I can't get the Amiga to boot from any source.
The only way I can get to the harddisks is by using the early startup-menu and boot without startup-sequence.
I also installed the SCSI board and that is stated as working in the early startup menu also the harddisk connected to it is detected. All drives are detected and have a boot priority number.
What could this be?
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I testes differen drives and cables but no luck...
@orange
How can I check for overheating?
Or should I use a multimeter and check the output of the PSU? How do you do that exactly?
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Yet another update:
I inserted the HD from my A1200 and it boots!! I could install a fresh WB on a HD in my A1200 and then install it in my A4000. But that is really an impractical solution. Will do that tomorrow.
So the goods news is that is 'just' the floppy part that is broken... I'd really like it to work though...
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(1)The A4000 wants an EIDE drive first. It will wait 30-70 seconds (frustrating) until it can not find the EIDE drive, before the "insert disk" screen will appear.
EDIT from my technical folder:
Even when an A4000 is configured without one, the system will still look for an IDE hard drive on power-up or reset. To allow IDE drives time to spin up. The only currently-known way to completely disable this delay is by obtaining a small piece of hardware hack (avail on Aminet).
(2) What SCSI card are you using. Do you have the driver disk?
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The SCSI card is the A2091 and the HD that is attached to it is detected in the early startup-menu.
I know about the long wait for IDE drive detection; this is a 3.0 machine though so the waiting is not that long :)
Only problem is that the floppy drives are freezing the system when they get a disk inserted...
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I've got a HD working with WB3.1 and softkicking 3.1.
Now I can''t install OS3.9 because you still need a floppy drive for that?!
I guess looking for a replacement motheboard is the way to go?
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@Flashlab,
Could it be a problem with Paula or a CIA? Look at this old newsgroup conversation about strange floppy problems on a 4000:
Clickety-click (http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.amiga.hardware/browse_thread/thread/37ca15d5f709a6cc/d29fce13ae6435db?lnk=st&q=amiga+4000+floppy+problem&rnum=14&hl=en#d29fce13ae6435db)
-David
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Thanks guys!
I also found out that the sound is completely gone too...
So I read all the stuff and as I don't have all the equipment 9and the guts:))to do the soldering on the board myself I contacted AmigaCenter and they will look at it next week.
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@Flashlab,
So it was Paula then? Hope it's not too difficult (ie expensive) for AmigaCenter to fix it for you.
-David
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I don't have the diagnosis yet...
Keep you posted!