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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Snoozy on September 22, 2011, 06:40:16 PM
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Hi ppl, i would value ur advice on recommending an accelerator card for my a1200 that i have recently revived. I have purchased a 4gb hard drive card and installed this but my a1200 needs more memory...so bought a 2mb SRam card to install in the pcmcia slot (not received it yet) but i don't think this will be enough for games over 4-5 disks (eg Conquest Camelot or Monkey Island etc)
So i hope this question hasn't been asked many times b4 but what sort of card should i be looking at? 8mb minimum? How do i strike a balance between good value for money and decent working with Whdload? I don't need a super duper mega card!
Is a budget of £50-£80 realistic? There's not much on ebay at the moment but there are a couple of cards..:confused:
Thanks for any help you can give me :afro: wow i'm glad my hair isn't as big as this - i'll keep it spikey :roflmao:
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The AC1230 is nice (and new) and double your budget... supposedly Vesalia has 2 left: http://www.vesalia.de/e_aca1230-56.htm
My guess is for some gaming basically any 030 based accelerator with 4-8MB would be great for running WHDload etc.
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With patience an 030/25 with 8 megs of RAM can probably be had pretty cheap, and that should be plenty for your needs, though I'd look into getting one of the ACA cards. Its a bit more, but they are extremely nice.
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If ALL you want to do is play WHDLOAD games, then 95+% would be happy with 8M RAM. Really, even 4M would probably do it..
(With my 8M card, I had it toggled to 4M for PCMCIA compatibility and I can't remember a game I needed to toggle back to 8M for...)
Now, if you want performance in 3D FPS games (and some others), then you'll want an accelerator.
I have an ACA1230/28 which I think is fine for 3D FPS, but a lot of people might disagree. ;-)
If you want to run things like ScummVM AGA, you'll want at least a 50Mhz 030...
All of those get spendier tho, as you know..
The best value currently is, as has been mentioned, the ACA1230's, which are new and have GOBS of memory. ;-)
desiv
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The ACA's also benefit from faster memory, or so I seem to recall.
I was shocked that on my 030/56, AB3D2 was completely playable.
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IMHO the Blizzard 1230MkIV is the best 'all round' A1200 Accelerator, It has 50mhz 030 and optional FPU. It can take up to 128mb and you can add FastSCSI II which can take another 128mb Ram!
The ACA's are a good choice too, they can Map a Rom from an image (so if you only have 3.0 Rom you can have 3.1 without buying it) Or you can map your own Custom 3.9Rom with updated modules.
Of course, it's new with waranty but bear in mind there is no FPU and you cannot upgrade the Ram or add SCSI, although to be fair 64mb is pobably more than you'll ever need.
Also, the ACA's can bring out timing issues in some A1200's, so you might end up needing to fix the Motherboard.
There are many, many more options to suit all budgets so you can always ask here if you see something you like before taking the plunge.
All the best,
Steve.
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I've got a 50MHz Blizzard 060 card for sale.
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Wow sheesh guys thanks for all your help :) I realise now when i was using my a1200 in the early to mid 90's i was a "software boy" only wit no real knowledge of the hardware capabilities.
I really don't look forward to fitting it cos i know if i get it wrong i could kill the card. I've looked in the trap door and found what i think is the male connectors? hmmm :angry:
how much ram is ur card capable of taking nicholas?
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Wow sheesh guys thanks for all your help :) I realise now when i was using my a1200 in the early to mid 90's i was a "software boy" only wit no real knowledge of the hardware capabilities.
I really don't look forward to fitting it cos i know if i get it wrong i could kill the card. I've looked in the trap door and found what i think is the male connectors? hmmm :angry:
how much ram is ur card capable of taking nicholas?
Dont worry, I was in the same boat when I re-acquired an amiga :)
Fitting an accelerator card is quite safe. It really will only fit one way.
Changing kickstart ROM's was a bit hair raising for me, what with all the tiny little legs and stuff.
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Heard a lot of good about the ACA cards. Had a PPC/040 in my 1200 but sold it not long ago.
Bang for the buck, I'd jump on the ACA if I was in the market for another accel for my 1200.
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I picked up an ACA1230/42 from amigakit.com and I'm pretty happy with it.
I'd read on the internet that some people had issues.
Certain revisions of the A1200 require a couple of caps or resistors to be removed due to a design flaw in the Amiga. I can't remember the exact details but they gave me a sheet with the instructions on it. It wasn't particularly difficult if you know how to solder.I have a 1D4 revision and I haven't had any problems at all so I haven't bothered to do the mod.
Installation was a bit of a pain. It was easier to open the case and remove the motherboard, and install the accelerator from the top side of the Amiga, than try to install it through the trap door on the underside. You might as well remove the metal shield as well because the accelerator won't fit with it in place - alternatively you could just bend the edge up so it doesn't touch the acclerator. From what I've read there's really not much benefit to leaving it on though.
Also, the floppy they gave me had an outdated version of ACATune that wouldn't detect my accelerator so I had to download a newer version from the web before it would work.
Apart from that though, it works like a charm :)
The 42MHz model is a bit out of your stated price range but I believe they also make 28MHz versions which are significantly cheaper. They seem pretty thin on the ground at the moment though.
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Stachu (spelling?) occasionally sells 80mhz 060 Apollo's on here. That's what you want. :)
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I had no issues with the metal shield touching, but yeah, trying to fit the card through the slot is basically impossible :) Take the girl apart and put in the card.
The ACA cards are a /really/ snug fit too. Once its in, its there to stay!
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It makes you wonder what the point of the trap-door is?:lol:
So do i def need an accelerator card or is there a way of adding 8mb ram on a board ?
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I wrote this a few months ago:
http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=16681
Sums up pretty much all you need to know about A1200 accelerators.
If you're looking in the £50-£80 region, you're probably looking at anywhere between a plain FastRAM card and a budget '030 accelerator. Best bang-for-buck is probably the ACA1230/28 at £85-ish.
Don't bother with PCMCIA FastRAM on an A1200, it's only 16-bit and will actually make your A1200 run slower. They're great for basic A600s, but a trapdoor card makes far more sense for an A1200.
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Thanks for the heads up andy. So why is nicholas talking about selling a blizzard 060 card on this thread when I am looking 4 a standard acceleerator just 2 use for whdload?!
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*accelerator
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Wow sheesh guys thanks for all your help :) I realise now when i was using my a1200 in the early to mid 90's i was a "software boy" only wit no real knowledge of the hardware capabilities.
I really don't look forward to fitting it cos i know if i get it wrong i could kill the card. I've looked in the trap door and found what i think is the male connectors? hmmm :angry:
how much ram is ur card capable of taking nicholas?
Up to 256mb I think.
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That seems to b slightly higher than my requirements, I expect it about £300\£400:roflmao:
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That seems to b slightly higher than my requirements, I expect it about £300\£400:roflmao:
At least.
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Well then I think u may hav misread my initial post...
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I know shouldn't really link to ebay but what do ppl think of this card... is it enough just for playing whdload games if it had 8mb additional ram (9mb total)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amiga-1200-AlfaRAM-9mb-card-1mb-onboard-tested-NOS-/170691861813?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item27be071d35
I'd value ur opinions :)
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I know shouldn't really link to ebay but what do ppl think of this card... is it enough just for playing whdload games if it had 8mb additional ram (9mb total)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amiga-1200-AlfaRAM-9mb-card-1mb-onboard-tested-NOS-/170691861813?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item27be071d35
I'd value ur opinions :)
Overpriced, like most eBay Buy-it-nows
Keep an eye out on Amibay, there is an 8mb Upgrade selling for $30 but you need to be quick to get those bargains.
You can put a wanted thread for a cheap accelerator and someone might be able to offer you a good deal.
Good luck in your search.
Steve.
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Thanks fitzsteve i find it interesting and useful to hear you guys opinions, so is that card worse than a budget accelerator? By the time the extra ram is added it will be approx £80-100 - poor value?
Also if i buy a low end accelerator do i need to change my a1200 power pack to an a500 power brick? :angry: I would be devestated to see my a1200 melt :roflmao:
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.. By the time the extra ram is added it will be approx £80-100 - poor value?
It's not that it's bad per se. It will probably do what you need. It's just that, for that price and a bit of patience, you can get an accelerator/RAM card.
Also if i buy a low end accelerator do i need to change my a1200 power pack to an a500 power brick? :angry: I would be devestated to see my a1200 melt :roflmao:
Just the 1200 with a 030 would probably be fine.
I've known people to run their 1200's with low end accels fine with the original power brick. However, all these things are older, including the power bricks, so if you start have problems (quirkiness, graphic glitches), it's a main candidate.
More power hungry cards (040??) and you're asking for problems...
Too bad you're not in the U.S. I have an MBX1200z I'd probably be willing to let go (just a RAM card with 8M and an FPU, not an accel). I've been keeping it as a backup but my ACA1230 (which I highly recommend) has been rock solid for me..
desiv
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that ram card on ebay uk is not overpriced
you can get it safety..it is a nice card...will work fine
maybe you can find a ram card 10 bucks cheaper..but will be not very easy
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Have sourced a ACA030@25 64mb fast ram for £85 off amibay, what do you guys think? :)
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Thanks fitzsteve i find it interesting and useful to hear you guys opinions, so is that card worse than a budget accelerator? By the time the extra ram is added it will be approx £80-100 - poor value?
Also if i buy a low end accelerator do i need to change my a1200 power pack to an a500 power brick? :angry: I would be devestated to see my a1200 melt :roflmao:
I have a typhoon 030/40 with 64mb FPU, subway USB, 4GB CF, PCMCIA WIFI. anyway the system would not even boot when I added a svideo adapter. the stock one is pretty weak.
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Have sourced a ACA030@25 64mb fast ram for £85 off amibay, what do you guys think? :)
that one is OK if you are absolutely sure you don't want to do anything that needs a MMU or FPU.
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Have sourced a ACA030@25 64mb fast ram for £85 off amibay, what do you guys think? :)
Buy it before it vanishes! :)
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that one is OK if you are absolutely sure you don't want to do anything that needs a MMU or FPU.
That was one of my concerns when I got mine.
I wasn't absolutely sure, but I pulled the trigger anyway...
Hasn't bothered me so far..
There are some things that use an FPU. Ray Tracing programs and there's a version of iBrowse, etc...
But I haven't done any ray tracing, and the non-FPU iBrowse works OK for me.
As for the MMU, most of the uses are in the development area.
One use that I think would be nice, but I don't have is Mac emulation.
It's my understanding that ShapeShifter can have improved graphics speed with an MMU? But the only Mac's I'm interested in are 9" b/w, so I'm OK with that too...
Now, I believe that you can replace the 030 in the ACAs with an MMU (non-EC) enabled comparable speed 030 and get an MMU. I think Vesalia was even providing that as a service (selling them with the CPU swapped already) for a bit???
But there is no FPU option...
All-in-all, I'm much happier with my ACA1230/28 without FPU and MMU than I was with my 1200z with FPU. ;-)
I don't regret my purchase at all...
desiv
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I thought I wud just say thanks 2 u all that hav helped me so far, I've been sort of taken off guard wit how friendly u hav all been. I let u know when I get the card :)
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I had no issues with the metal shield touching, but yeah, trying to fit the card through the slot is basically impossible :) Take the girl apart and put in the card.
The ACA cards are a /really/ snug fit too. Once its in, its there to stay!
Hi,
This sounded kinky, but if I took the girl apart, it sure wouldn't be to put in a card, but for that matter why take her apart for that.
smerf
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Yeah. The the MMU does helps external video drivers for shapeshifter. Really makes quite a bit of difference, I don't think I have used it for much else. But yeah, shapeshifter is best B/W as far as speed. It just limps along on my 030-40mhz in 256 color mode even with the MuEVD driver.
The other advantage is that utils can remap the ROM to fast ram and write-protect it which speeds up your system. The ACA may have something similar though.
I doubt it would be worth it to upgrade the CPU to one with a MMU, however if you could upgrade to the 56mhz at the same time, that would be worth it :) You would gain the ability to decode MP3s in real time :)
As far as the FPU, I do know that not having one is MUCH better than having a defective FPU. I had a board with defective FPU and many things that you would not think even would use a FPU would try and access the FPU and GURU. Even Directory Opus :) Pulling the chip fixed that :) Eventually I sent that accel back for exchange. But it seems like a lot of programs will use the FPU if it is present.
That was one of my concerns when I got mine.
I wasn't absolutely sure, but I pulled the trigger anyway...
Hasn't bothered me so far..
There are some things that use an FPU. Ray Tracing programs and there's a version of iBrowse, etc...
But I haven't done any ray tracing, and the non-FPU iBrowse works OK for me.
As for the MMU, most of the uses are in the development area.
One use that I think would be nice, but I don't have is Mac emulation.
It's my understanding that ShapeShifter can have improved graphics speed with an MMU? But the only Mac's I'm interested in are 9" b/w, so I'm OK with that too...
Now, I believe that you can replace the 030 in the ACAs with an MMU (non-EC) enabled comparable speed 030 and get an MMU. I think Vesalia was even providing that as a service (selling them with the CPU swapped already) for a bit???
But there is no FPU option...
All-in-all, I'm much happier with my ACA1230/28 without FPU and MMU than I was with my 1200z with FPU. ;-)
I don't regret my purchase at all...
desiv
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that one is OK if you are absolutely sure you don't want to do anything that needs a MMU or FPU.
To the first approximation, nothing needs an MMU or an FPU. Certainly if you're WHDload gaming, you don't need either.
If you're doing anything that's sufficiently hardcore to need an FPU, you probably don't want to be doing it on an '030 anyway.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it so that WHDLOad actually uses MMU quite lot? At least with very old games?
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it so that WHDLOad actually uses MMU quite lot? At least with very old games?
http://www.whdload.de/docs/en/mmu.html
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http://www.whdload.de/docs/en/mmu.html
My understanding is that WHDload can make use of an MMU, but it doesn't need it. Basically, if you can get a card with an MMU, great, if you can't, don't worry about it.
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The main reason you'd need an MMU is for running MuGuardianAngel to test new software you're writing or if you've got an '040+ with a DMA capable hard drive controller. If you've got an '030 without MMU and you're just going to run games, you're fine.
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Ok i've got an ACA1230 card and i've installed it but am facing problems. I have 3.0 kick rom (and i really can't face changing the roms over unless i have to)
The card is not recognised by the 1200, if i have it pushed flush into fitting i get a green screen :angry: if i switch off and move backwards a touch (as recommended), wb loads but the card is not recognised. Installing the floppy ACAtune is not allowed by the computer as it says the card is not recognised!! so why are the manufacturers providing outdated software :angry:
I can't find the new software on the website...does any one have a link to it. Do i need to save to a usb flashcard and then load from flash to pcmcia ?? Do i need to install rom 3.1 as i understand ACA cards can use 3.1 rom without actually having to change the rom in the computer. And it seems 3.1 is much better to go with this card.
This is getting more complicated than i was expecting :confused:
Any help would be appreciated :)
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ACAtune is not allowed by the computer as it says the card is not recognised!!
It depends on the problem.
Is the card really being seen by the OS?
I take it you have it jumpered for OS 3.0, so no extra RAM shows up....
Do you have a program like sysinfo so you can see if the CPU is showing up?
While you are booting the computer, hold down both mouse buttons at the same time to go into the pre-boot menu and look at the hardware card list. Is it showing the card?
If it's just a problem if needing the new software, I'm sure someone in the UK can help you if you don't have another way of transferring it over.
Not sure if this is the latest release, but I hope so:
http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=750493&postcount=2021
That is one thing that is driving me crazy. I keep hearing them talk about a support page (either on Jens site or Amigakit) where you can easily find the latest version, but as far as I know when I last checked, you have to find it in the thread on EAB???:confused:
Hoping it's just the software for you...
desiv
p.s.
i really can't face changing the roms over unless i have to
That one of the great things about the ACA1230, you won't need to when you get it working. You can softkick to 3.1.
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Hi desiv,
no its not showing the card on boot sequence (checking under expansion card diagnostics)
I kept the jumper closed (or covered) as per the manufacturer recommendation for rom 3.0.
I am confounded why the computer won't recognise the card :confused:
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no its not showing the card on boot sequence (checking under expansion card diagnostics)
Well, my bad on that one..
Just checked mine and it doesn't show in Expansion Card Diagnostics either..
I just assumed it would...
OK, how about opening up a shell and typing "cpu" and see what it says.
Mine says 68030 (and then some options)..
I am using a ClassicWB install, but I think the CPU command is part of the OS..
desiv
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ok, it says........ 68020 Inst : Cache
Argh!!! :madashell:
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ok, it says........ 68020 Inst : Cache
So, it's not the software..
It's not seeing your card...
I'd try removing it, cleaning the card edge on the A1200 motherboard (pencil eraser first and maybe some rubbing alcohol and q-tips..) and try it again..
Hopefully, it's just a bad connection..
desiv
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i tried that earlier :confused:
should i try spraying compressed air around the connectors?
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i tried that earlier :confused:
should i try spraying compressed air around the connectors?
I doubt it...
A good eraser cleaning and alcohol is going to be more than compressed air can do...
I'd try again, putting it all the way in the slot and see what happens.
And then back it out ever so slowly in really small increments.
That worked for me, but it was just backing it out a tiny bit..
If you got the card from Amigakit, I'd call them. (Well, tomorrow I'm guessing.)
They really know what they are doing...
It doesn't sound like the "timing" issues around. It sounds like a connection problem.
I supposed it could also be power.
A normal 1200 (underpowered) PSU should still be enough for just that, but it's possible your PSU isn't working as it should....
desiv
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@Snoozy
On Ebay untill tomorrow:
New links on Ebay in English :hammer::
BLIZZARD PPC 603/175Mhz 68040/25Mhz:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270823404707
Blizzard 1230 IV:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270823394521
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The strange thing is the card is actually getting slightly warm if i leave it installed and the computer running for a while???
:roflmao:no thanks gajan i'm having enough problems with this card never mind buying more probs!!
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By the sounds of things i need to be altering my Start Sequence in order for the computer to recognise the card (I think this comes back to having rom 3.0?)
How do i get into the Start Sequence (SS) to edit it? And then do i type:
C:ACATune - maprom Devs ROM3.0 -cache on -burst on>NIL:
is this right?? Do i save this into the start sequence somehow? :(
I need a computer wizard or wizardess to advise! :)
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By the sounds of things i need to be altering my Start Sequence in order for the computer to recognise the card (I think this comes back to having rom 3.0?)
Yes and no...
When you tried the CPU command and it said 68020, that meant your computer wasn't seeing the ACA.
I booted my Amiga with no startup-sequence (from the boot menu) and used the CPU command, so there was no acatune loaded...
It said I had a 68030...
So yours should say that also, even without the software.
Once you get your Amiga recognizing the ACA (using the CPU command should show you), THEN you need to add acatune to the startup-sequence.
I usually just use
ed s:startup-sequence
desiv
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But are you using rom 3.1? As i think rom 3.1 auto detects the ACA card, i gather rom 3.0 does not auto detect the card? so do i need to install rom 3.1 into the devs folder and change the SS command line to ROM3.1 hmmmm
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But are you using rom 3.1? As i think rom 3.1 auto detects the ACA card, i gather rom 3.0 does not auto detect the card? so do i need to install rom 3.1 into the devs folder and change the SS command line to ROM3.1 hmmmm
No, I'm using ROM 3.0. I softkick to 3.1 (using ACATune)...
With ROM 3.0, you should see the 68030 with the CPU command..
desiv
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In that case i think i am going to have to remove the metal shielding and have a clean up of the motherboard !
Does all the metal shielding come away in one large piece, it seems slighlty annoying to remove :angry:
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You shouldn't need to load ACATUNE in your startupsequence - mine worked just running it from within a CLI window in workbench. Once its working you can add it there.
The V102B6 version was linked earlier, that's the one that I'm using with my ACA1230. I'm using ROM 3.0 so that shouldn't be a problem either.
Make sure that the metal heat shield is not touching the accelerator at all; mine wouldn't work if it was touching.
The heat shield is in two pieces which should lift away cleanly, there are small tabs around the edge you have to fold back.
Also make sure its pushed onto the connector firmly, its a pretty tight fit.
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Right now, you could pick up a relatively cheap replacement at:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Phase5-Blizzard-1230-Turbokarte-fuer-A1200-inkl-RAM-TOP-/140612820024?pt=Klassische_Computer&hash=item20bd2d5c38
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Thanks donut king i have tried bending back the metal shield but this has made no difference either....there is just no way this card is being recognised by my amiga (firmly pushed in and its a blank or green screen, move back a touch and it loads wb but no card recognised.
I think i am defeated and will ask in my local retro computer shop if they can install the accelerator for me..
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I'm the one that sold him the card. I've been trying to help snoozy install the card and enjoy every bit of it (as i did with it, which means that the card was and still is working) via PM over Amibay. I suspect that the problem lies in the motherboard revision. it is highly possible that he'll need the PCMCIA reset fix in case he has a moterboard that refuses to collaborate with the card.
So, please inform us about the motherboard revision and we'll see what happens.
I also strongly believe that for the card to be recognized easily he should at least soft kick rom 3.1 or even better buy a pair and install it. I remember that with an A1200 that had rom 3.0, I had to play around a little bit in order for the card to be recognized.
We'll stay in touch m8.
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Thanks donut king i have tried bending back the metal shield but this has made no difference either.
The best place for the upper RF shield is your nearest bin.....
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I'm the one that sold him the card. I've been trying to help snoozy install the card and enjoy every bit of it (as i did with it, which means that the card was and still is working) via PM over Amibay. I suspect that the problem lies in the motherboard revision. it is highly possible that he'll need the PCMCIA reset fix in case he has a moterboard that refuses to collaborate with the card.
So, please inform us about the motherboard revision and we'll see what happens.
I also strongly believe that for the card to be recognized easily he should at least soft kick rom 3.1 or even better buy a pair and install it. I remember that with an A1200 that had rom 3.0, I had to play around a little bit in order for the card to be recognized.
We'll stay in touch m8.
I believe the card should still be recognized regardless of motherboard revision, just the motherboard needs mods if it has stability issues.
The PCMCIA reset is to fix (entirely different) issues with PCMCIA cards not resetting properly on boot. Can't remember if it is cold or warm boot, but it does not matter because its not relevant the the ACA not being recognized.
I would recommend bending the metal RF shielding all the way back and to make sure that you did not damage any traces on the accelerator.
Read carefully what Jens says concerning the timing mod : "Only remove them if you really have stability problems. By removing them if you don't have any problems, you're likely to introduce timing issues. In other words: If it ain't broke, don't fix it"
stability problems - you'd to have the ACA recognized in order to know if you have stability problems :0
At any rate, here is the A1200 timing info:
ACA specific info:
http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=726765&postcount=1359
here is something on general A1200 fixes for 040/060:
http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga/amiga_hacks/A1200_Mobo_fix/a1200_mobo_fix.html
Good luck :)
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Yes right, I meant Timing fix, my mistake. I still believe that this could be a problem as reported by many users. I had issues with a certain motherboard revision which I don't quite remember right now. Snoozy hasn't yet posted which revision is his mobo and I think this cold give us a clue.
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Hi yep soz i should have posted that way earlier :afro:
my mobo is 2B
what a saga :(
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Sorry, I cant really offer any suggestions here as Ive never owned an ACA card. It does sound like more of an ordeal than it should be. Ive never owned an accelerator that didnt just work when plugged in. Not to speak ill of efforts for new classic amiga hardware, but yours isnt the 1st problem Ive heard of for the ACA '030 cards. Having said that though Ive heard plenty of good reports too.
Hope Im mistaken, but so far this sounds a little worrying. The hardware simply shouldnt behave like this. From the contents of the thread thus far Id be inclined to think maybe you got a bad card. Or if the card isnt the problem then my next guess would be the trapdoor connector of your a1200 (although this seems less likely if it was a NOS a1200).
Anyway, good luck with resolving it, and I hope Im wrong with my assumptions, but by now Id be starting to think about returning the card for a new one.
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Please don't jump to quick conclusions since you don't really know anything about it. The card has been working flawlessly in my hands one week ago so we should rule out the fact that the card is faulty!! Snoozy lacks some basic amiga knowledge and I'm trying to help him via PM (on Amibay) with every possible detail. It's highly possible that his mobo doesn't cut the butter with ACA but everything is fixable.
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The ACA cards are so tuned for performance that in some cases timing fixes are needed on A1200 mobos if they aren't there by default.
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Ok so it seems i need timing fixes for my 2B mobo? :hammer:
Who can help me with this?
(I have no reason to believe there are any probs with the card and i have handled it with due care and it still looks immaculate)
How about if i buy and install the 3.1 rom chips, will this solve the problem??
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I sent my mobo(s) to Amigakit for timing fixes. Also I'd recommend you upgrade to 3.1 ROMs anyway besides for ACA to work more nicely.
EDIT: and no, the 3.1 ROMs themselves don't fix the timing issues with an ACA.
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Ok so it seems i need timing fixes for my 2B mobo? :hammer:
Who can help me with this?
(I have no reason to believe there are any probs with the card and i have handled it with due care and it still looks immaculate)
How about if i buy and install the 3.1 rom chips, will this solve the problem??
Show us a (decent) picture of the card installed in your motherboard, that might help.
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Sorry, I cant really offer any suggestions here as Ive never owned an ACA card. It does sound like more of an ordeal than it should be. Ive never owned an accelerator that didnt just work when plugged in. Not to speak ill of efforts for new classic amiga hardware, but yours isnt the 1st problem Ive heard of for the ACA '030 cards. Having said that though Ive heard plenty of good reports too.
The timing problem is not specific to ACA acclerators, but also effects 040 and 060 accelerator. I think it may be more common with Apollos.
Anyway, the timing mod affects STABILITY. From everything I have read the timing mod is not necessary for card to be recognized...
I would suggest the following:
Remove the top of the 1200 and loosen all screws that hold the motherboard to the bottom of the case (including the ones by the floppy).
This is completely optional but now would be a good opportunity to CHECK (not remove) surface mount components E123C and E125C to see if they are populated. You will have to remove the bottom RF shielding which requires removing all the little screws by the ports. Hopefully you have a suitable tool for that. I used a small socket. FYI: My NOS 1B.4 (From Amigakit) came with the correct configuration requiring no mod.
Bend the portion of the RF shielding over the trapdoor expansion up.
Clean A1200 contacts and inspect for damaged traces on the ACA. Look for any surface mount components that may be missing.
Insert the ACA and make sure it sits flush and not at an angle. My Typhoon sits at a slight angle still but adjusting the motherboard did make it much better.
Power the machine on and check with showconfig if the CPU says 030.
if so, Re-tighten the screws to the motheroard.
Power the machine on and check with showconfig if the CPU still says 030.
Finally, assemble the working A1200.
Good Luck.
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I will see about taking a photo in the next couple of days..
It seems others have had the same probs with this ...
"
HOORAH!!!! E123C & E125C removed this morning and A1200 has been running for over 4 hours with ZERO lock-ups! Thanks FOL, thanks AmigaKit, thanks Jens!
I am one happy bunny." Thats a quote from here http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=55059&highlight=timing&page=38
But my question is did these people have their card work (even momentarily) as mine doesn't even appear to register with the a1200
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HOORAH!!!! E123C & E125C removed this morning and A1200 has been running for over 4 hours with ZERO lock-ups!
YEAY!!!!
But my question is did these people have their card work (even momentarily) as mine doesn't even appear to register with the a1200
I have to admit, yours is the first one I've read about that wouldn't do anything with the card installed.
From what I remember reading before, the fix was for stability. Glitchy graphics, random crashes. Not that the 1200's wouldn't see the card...
So yours presented a bit different....
You're special! Don't you feel lucky!! :roflmao:
Glad it's working!!
desiv
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:roflmao:no i was quoting some one else!!!!!!!
Mine is still as dead as a do-do!!!!!
Help!!!
I will try what bond has recommended in the meantime, maybe my a1200 needs to go in intensive care?:)
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Ok guys i thought i'd let you know straight away that i have taken my a1200 completely apart and finally the metal shielding is off (yes novacoder i hope to see it melted down!) and the card is WORKING!
So i think one of my main problems was getting the card fully engaged on the a1200 board slot - this is pretty difficult to do (especially if you are being gentle with the card) whilst the mobo is still screwed down. Once u got the mobo in one hand and the card in the other its so much easier - i had the card fully enaged and initially..nothing..i switched off and move back a touch and suddenely the menu bar at the top of wb says 55,000,000 memory:)
Bond thank you :) your suggestion was most logical and correct so it seems..
Stability tests to follow..
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Congrats. Glad to hear you got it working :)
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no i was quoting some one else!!!!!!!
Mine is still as dead as a do-do!!!!!
Oh sorry..
and the card is WORKING!
Yeay!..
er.. wait.. are you quoting again?? :-)
Yeah, the fitting of that card is a bit tricky....
desiv
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Yessssssssssssssssssss!!! I was sure that there was something wrong that didn't have to do with the card. Anyway, that's why i have asked you a lot of times about the mobo revision. I tested the card with 2 different amiga's and with the first one worked out of the box while the other needed tweaking. As for the rest we have been talking about on Amibay, i'll PM you shortly and we'll even short out the Workbench configuration.
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A tight fit is always a good fit. :knuddel:
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Timing fixes are required to get rev 2b mobo work with ACA
Details here:
http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga/amiga_hacks/A1200_Mobo_fix/a1200_mobo_fix.html
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Hells bells i hope i don't have to do any of those fixes :confused:
So far the a1200 has been up and running lords of the realm aga for nearly 2 hours with no probs.
What i would say is this: there doesn't seem much of a chance of installing the aca1230 without removing the mobo and physically pushing the two together (significant amount of gentle force required!) There are plastic runners on the a1200 plastic casing near where the card sits that protrude and prevent proper fitting if the mobo remains screwed into the lower outer 1200 white casing. I used some industrial strength (fiskar) scissor to chop away nearly all of the white plastic runner of the a1200 casing and then the aca1230 card JUST fits snuggly. I think i was on a hiding to nothing with fitting this card and trying to prevent the card touching metal shields etc without actually chopping and removing the plastic. The A1200 survived the surgery :)
Anyway now that the upper metal shield has deparated the CF card is plugged in and laying freely on some chips !! Is this safe and stable for the system, it worries me slightly..
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OK mate! Don't worry about either the rf shield that won't be there or the CF lying on the mobo. I would suggest that you put a small piece of paper or even better some tape under the CF adapter just in case. I have been running my amiga with a CF like this for years and never had a problem. As for the fact that you have to disassemble all the parts of the amiga in order to install properly the ACA, this isn't true. Never had to do this in the past. I also told you that you might have not pressed the card enough so that it wasn't seated properly. It seems that is the first accelerator that got in your hands and you weren't sure about the force you had to apply on the card in order for it to slot in properly. I had the same concern some years ago when I first bought a magnum 030 and I thought that i could damage it easily. This is not the case anyway and of course ACA is a splendid piece of hardware that will give you lots of enjoyment with your miggy. Especially with Classic WB ADV SP and/or 3.9 you'll experience a nice classic OS surprise.
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Ok guys i thought i'd let you know straight away that i have taken my a1200 completely apart and finally the metal shielding is off (yes novacoder i hope to see it melted down!) and the card is WORKING!
Cool, another happy customer :)
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What i would say is this: there doesn't seem much of a chance of installing the aca1230 without removing the mobo and physically pushing the two together (significant amount of gentle force required!) There are plastic runners on the a1200 plastic casing near where the card sits that protrude and prevent proper fitting if the mobo remains screwed into the lower outer 1200 white casing. I used some industrial strength (fiskar) scissor to chop away nearly all of the white plastic runner of the a1200 casing and then the aca1230 card JUST fits snuggly. I think i was on a hiding to nothing with fitting this card and trying to prevent the card touching metal shields etc without actually chopping and removing the plastic. The A1200 survived the surgery :)
Anyway now that the upper metal shield has deparated the CF card is plugged in and laying freely on some chips !! Is this safe and stable for the system, it worries me slightly..
Hiya,
Yes I thought the plastic runners might be the problem (which is why I asked for a picture), I had the same issue with both of my 1200 cases and had to cut the runners back to get my ACA nice and snug.
As for your 'loose' CF don't just lay it on the chips because you might get a short, go for something snazzy like this instead -> CF Extender (http://kipper2k.com/cfextender/CF%20Extender.html) :)
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Ah thanks novacoder i'm glad it wasn't just me that had to do that fix...i think if i had tried installing the card with those plastic runners in place i would need to have been He-man and would have eventually risked damaging the card as it abutted the runners and may have ended up cracked or snapped!! When your pushing tha card in you are pushing it from the edge with the least components on the card (where the board feels more flimsy) so it doesn't instill much conifdence in pushing really firmly on it :)
Maybe portarinos has a different mobo or revised outer a1200 casing?
I hope my saga may help other ppl (esp beginners) when they come to install their aca card in the a1200 :roflmao:
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Yeah, I was worried about the timing fixes and fits with mine when I ordered it, because I'm almost always the one that something fails for if there's a possibility.. ;-)
But I got lucky (this time)...
I had to take my 1200 apart to install it, but I only had to pull it back just a tad to get it to work(I had that problem with my 8M RAM card, so I was prepared for that) and it fit without even removing the RF shield (that everyone hates and I probably should have removed anyway....).
I think you'll love your ACA...
I think it's awesome.. ;-)
Enjoy!
desiv
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hi guys i'm just coming to the final stage of installing my aca card, i've edited my wb start up sequence to this:
C:ACATune - maprom Devs kick31 -cache on -burst on>NIL:
and this replaced my previous command line which was something like WBPatch <> NIL:
so now when my 1200 boots up it doesn't quite boot up properly first time, but boots up properly if i do a soft reset. Is this right? Is there any way i can get it to boot up properly on first attempt? Maybe i shouldn't have deleted the initail command line and added the above directly underneath it?!
So High Priests and High Priestess's of ACA can you please advise? :)
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Kual!!
...i've edited my wb start up sequence to this:
Quick question:
What do you mean when you say your "wb start up sequence?"
You mean s:startup-sequence?
C:ACATune - maprom Devs kick31 -cache on -burst on>NIL:
I don't think that is quite right. More like:
C:ACATune -maprom Devs:kick31 -cache on -burst on >NIL:
(Not at my Amiga now, so not positive. That is assuming that there is a file called kick31 (no extension, just kick31) in the DEVS: folder.)
and this replaced my previous command line which was something like WBPatch <> NIL:
Generally, you don't want to "replace" anything.
You want to add the ACATune line as the first line in your s:startup-sequence.
desiv
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Oh no what have I done!
Can u give me ur s:start up sequence!
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Hi guys,
i need a little more help with my s:start up. I have edited s:start up by inputting C:ACATune..etc command line into the first line of my s:startup and my aca1230 card is recognised fine once wb loads..problem is wb doesn't load from cold start..it starts up but the screen goes blank (as if going into a reset mode) and then the system hangs on black screen. So i then do a soft reset and it works normally with ACA card recognised. Anyone know what is happening here? FYI my s:startup is very standard apart from the ACATune line i inserted at the beginning.
Another question! My PCMCIA port recognises my 2mb pcmcia ram card but no longer recognises my PCMCIA CF adaptor :cry:
Why is my 1200 so tempermental :smack:
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Oh no what have I done!
Can u give me ur s:start up sequence!
the s:startup-sequence is specific to your configuration.
My statrup sequence contains a bunch of stuff for my pcmcia network board, fast ATA, Poseidon USB, MMU, etc... stuff you probably don't even have.
Maybe you should just post yours so we can have a look...
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If i can get my pcmcia sorted i will copy and paste my s:startup onto my cf and then paste it onto here if that is possible :)
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Hi there! Forgot to answer you on Amibay so i'm doing it here. I suppose there were some typo's, so the right line to add to your SS is indeed this one:
C:ACATune -maprom Devs:kick31 -cache on -burst on >NIL:
You already have a "kick31" in your DEVS drawer as far as i know so this is just fine
As for the cold/soft reboot "problem", i must admit that this happened also to an A600 (with ACA630) and quite the same startup sequence configuration. I think that this has to do with the 3.1 remapping but i couldn't think of anything else and of course i don't know if there is any way of avoiding the soft reboot So, i couldn't actually answer to this and propose a solution but i suppose it's no big deal so you could live with it as long as the board is working fine
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Maybe i should just buy the 3.1 rom chips and put on a surgeons mask and gloves and attemp the transplant ? :laugh1:
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If you are soft kicking a different ROM, I think you'll always get a soft reboot, ala how OS 3.9 does it.
3.1 ROMs are cheap to get, so I'd go for it.
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Do you think i would need one of these...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IC-Extractor-Tool-IC-Removal-Tool-IC-Remover-Tool-/270508640829?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3efb924a3d
or would a long flat bladed screwdriver be ok? hmmm do you think i would need to remove the motherboard again ? :nervous:
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I was able to do it without any special tools. Just be careful and patient. THere's a lot of tiny little legs
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What did you use to remove them? Maybe i could try my chrome wheel nut cover remover from my car :roflmao:(it has little lips at the end to help pull off!!)
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A screw driver and a thin knife. Just wedge it out very carefully and gently.
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I have a better solution:
stick with the soft reboot and live with it. It's cheaper and less fussy. It's not a big deal in the end of the day. On the other side you haven't written a word about your new and working board. Is it a nice boost for your A1200? Which OS are you running? Are you enjoying WHDLOAD with it?
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There's a significant improvement in the speed of the 1200 :) But i haven't had as much time to play WHDLoad because of other committments ;)
Do you think the problem could be the jumper on the accelerator board, ie. now that i am kicking to a 3.1 rom i should now remove the jumper?:confused:
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TDo you think the problem could be the jumper on the accelerator board, ie. now that i am kicking to a 3.1 rom i should now remove the jumper?:confused:
Nope, you need the Jumper still when you softkick to 3.1...
desiv
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If you are soft kicking a different ROM, I think you'll always get a soft reboot, ala how OS 3.9 does it.
3.1 ROMs are cheap to get, so I'd go for it.
That's how OS 3.9 does it normally you mean ;)
With an ACA it's very easy to build a custom 3.9 ROM (eg the 3.1 ROM + the 3.9 updates and the Boing Bags), you can then use this with the ACA without the soft reboot :)
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That's how OS 3.9 does it normally you mean ;)
With an ACA it's very easy to build a custom 3.9 ROM (eg the 3.1 ROM + the 3.9 updates and the Boing Bags), you can then use this with the ACA without the soft reboot :)
Anything you can help with ?
It does annoy the heck out of me, to have it do the soft reboot, particularly if trying to access the boot menu.
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Anything you can help with ?
It does annoy the heck out of me, to have it do the soft reboot, particularly if trying to access the boot menu.
Here ya go -> Guide: How to burn a Custom Kickstart 3.9 (incl. 1MB ROM) (http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=11935&highlight=guide)
:)
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Here ya go -> Guide: How to burn a Custom Kickstart 3.9 (incl. 1MB ROM) (http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=11935&highlight=guide)
:)
Amiga spirit indeed :)
I'll have to mess with that this weekend.
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Runequester, why would you need to do the soft reboot if you have the 3.1 roms already installed ? :)