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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: doctorq on April 15, 2006, 06:48:58 PM
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Since I'm a huge fan of the A1200, I have never wanted to get rid of my A1200T. Previously I had a Blizzard PPC 060/240/SCSI with Mediator installed in the tower, but since I only use the tower a couple of times during a month I decided to sell the high spec Blizzard PPC card and Mediator and getting another Blizzard PPC with lower specs.
I got my new Blizzard PPC board recently (actually got two, but one have SCSI issues). It's a 040/160/SCSI with a BVisionPPC added. Both cards works as intended as I have been using PPC datatypes and PPC libraries under OS3.9 and MorphOS. However, that's only when the cards run stable :-(
The tower has a rev. 1D1 motherboard, and gets power from the original power connector, as well as power from the floppy power port on the motherboard. The Blizzard PPC gets power directly from the PSU. The PSU is a 350W one. I reckon the power side is OK then?
The tower has a 80x80 fan mounted in the middle of the tower, moving cold air from the bottom of the tower up and over the BVision PPC graphics card. The 68040 has been mounted with a heatsink with built-in fan, and the fan on the PPC board is also spinning. I reckon the heat issue is OK then?
I'm using the rev. 1D1 motherboard after reading on an Eyetech webpage (http://www.eyetech.co.uk/SUPPORT/S1200/AMIGA001.HTM) that this would be the best board to use, since it should already have all bugs fixed before leaving the factory. Can anyone confirm this, or is there another rev. motherboard that is better to use with a Blizzard PPC with BVision?
The problem is that the system is rather unstable. It can lock up when loading the OS (correct libraries are installed), when doubleclicking icons, when playing around it the settings menu of the BPPC, etc, etc.
What do other Blizzard PPC users recommend to get a stable system?
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The ppc cards aint know for their stability :( but to me this sounds like a heat issue more then anything else.
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clean both sides of the cpu conector of your a1200 mobo with water and replace the original 68040 fan for another big one,
Use only the original 68040 library v37.30 that comes with WB 3.1 disks
also checks for correct voltage of your psu
bye, Laser
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I'll second the heat issue make sure the little fan on the card is spinning. Mine stop and i couldnt use the amiga for any longer than 5mins without a lockup!
Just my two pennys :-D
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Hello doctorq
First of all, if i remember correctly, the 1D1 revision is pointed as the best one by Eyetech, because it can have all the known issues easily fixed.
Further revisions, had different board layouts, because Commodore intended to have newer revisions of the chipset, correcting these issues. But as we already know, these improved, bug free chips never came out. So despite the boards with a different layout, the same chipset was used.
For this reason, the bugs are still there, but as the boards are different, the patches are more difficult, and in some cases impossible to apply.
But still, your board need patches ! It didn't have had all the problems corrected on the factory.
That pointed, i would like to comment that i have a 1D3 revision board, with a BPPC (060@70MHz, 603e@270MHz) that's very stable. In fact, most of my problems come from my Mediator, and not from my BPPC.
I think your problem can be a power issue.
Even if the power supply is rated at 350W, it doesn't means it really is. Nowadays is more and more common to find low quality power supplies out there. If you can, try another power supply. Preferably the newer, RMS rated power supplies.
Also, if you have the space, try a fresh system install. Try to not copy old files from a previous setted partition.
I had a problem once, that came exactly from that practice.
I installed the OS several times, but then i copied over some files, that was in my previously configuerd problematic partition. In the end i found that the problem was exactly in these files that i copied over every time.
Good Luck.
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Use only the original 68040 library v37.30 that comes with WB 3.1 disks
Let's give an end to this 68040.library myth, shall we? :-)
The BPPC will always use the library which is stored in the flash rom of the card. Any 68040.library in the LIBS: will be ignored.
I will agree that the biggest enemy of the card's stability is heat. I have applied active cooling in the 2 CPUs and the GPU, and my BPPC/BVision combination is fairly stable.
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But still, your board need patches ! It didn't have had all the problems corrected on the factory.
Is there anywhere I can see a list of these patches, and how to do them?
I think your problem can be a power issue.
Even if the power supply is rated at 350W, it doesn't means it really is. Nowadays is more and more common to find low quality power supplies out there. If you can, try another power supply. Preferably the newer, RMS rated power supplies.
I tried to replace the PSU yesterday, with the one from my A4000 in custom tower. The schematics on both PSU indicates that the new PSU deliveres a lot more amps than the old one. It helped a bit at least, but I still experience lock ups.
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being an BPPC+040, have you tryed to tie the +5volts even to the fan connector? (i heard that some users do it)
not a "clean" approach but...
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Hi,
350W PSU ? it's an ATX, take care ! these aren't so good as they should be !!!
Most of ATX psu don't give 5V, but a lower value under 4.86v that makes hang your system... (PC can support now 4.68v because the 5v is not very need today (but it's transformed in 3.3v or 1.5v !).
Take a voltmeter, and tell me what you read for +5V / +12V !
I had a similar problem due to this kind of PSU !
Take time to use the GREX 2.2 firmware, which work well with Bvision (i know that, i tested it, it's OK !).
Amiga are very stable with 4.96v for 5v... more than with big cooling systems (take care also to check the solder on the 68k, some like mines were bad !! )
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Turns out the problems weren't related to neither power or heat.
I did the timing fixes aimed for the 1D4 motherboards, since the sites I have seen only mentioned the timing fixes for 1D4 and 2B motherboards. All instability problems went away, I have had the tower running for 1 1/2 hour without any lockups. Most likely my other Blizzard PPC works just as well after the timing fixes, as it showed the same kind of errors.
I never in my wildest dreams imagined that the timing issues could have such a major impact on the stability of the computer.
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Which instructions did you use (URL)?
Which components did you use (URL)?
Been meaning to do this myself for ages.
Cheers
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I used the instructions on this site (http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga/amiga_hacks/A1200_Mobo_fix/a1200_mobo_fix.html).
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So, which are the A1200 mobo revision(s) that doesn't suffer from timing problems? I am a little confused about this.
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At least 1D1.
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At least 1D1.
Ok, but not according to what doctorq said in this thread. :-)
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Correct. I couldn't get a stable system with my 1D1 motherboard, but after doing the timing fixes the system has been running without any problems for a couple of hours yesterday and a couple more today.
If I just could get MorphOS running now...
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I have a query about the fix on the Stedman site. I have tried to Pmail Ian, but he doesn't seem to be around.
The instructions for ID4 boards say to remove 123C and 125C, but then the picture included circles 125C and 123R. As there is a 123R and a 123C and a 125R and a 125C, just need to be double sure - it should be the 2 Cs, right? Both capacitors?
Cheers
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correct remove E123C AND E125C
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Most users have pointed out stability issues and most have been captured and pointed out in other thread.
Depending on set-up stability can also be memory heat issues. The problem is not the memory itself but the regulators sitting on the other side of the board.
Some memory module can withstand a lot more heat before slowing down,this is where lock-up,crash happens.
Too much focus has been put on CPU,chipset cooling where its the regulators that may need cooling.
Regulator cooling is not required as long as memory can operate correctly in a hotter environment.