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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: madgrizzle on January 21, 2018, 09:47:08 PM

Title: ZipTest on Aminet
Post by: madgrizzle on January 21, 2018, 09:47:08 PM

I've been having what I suspect are memory issues and ran through a bunch of memtest programs with nothing found.  I found what appears to be a fairly new program called ziptest on aminet and it tests all the zip ram on an A3000.  The date is listed as 12-07-17.  I tried it out and it reported back that there was an issue with U875 (Cell 3-1).  I disassembled the amiga and looked at the RAM and sure enough, U875 was a little higher than all the others and pulled out fairly easily.  I noticed one pin was bent wrong, straightened it out and reinstalled it.  Ran ziptest again and everything shows good.  So, this, imo, is an awesome program!

http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/ZIPTest (http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/ZIPTest)

Title: Re: ZipTest on Aminet
Post by: kirk_m on January 22, 2018, 02:35:13 AM

Quote from: madgrizzle;835259

I've been having what I suspect are memory issues and ran through a bunch of memtest programs with nothing found.  I found what appears to be a fairly new program called ziptest on aminet and it tests all the zip ram on an A3000.  The date is listed as 12-07-17.  I tried it out and it reported back that there was an issue with U875 (Cell 3-1).  I disassembled the amiga and looked at the RAM and sure enough, U875 was a little higher than all the others and pulled out fairly easily.  I noticed one pin was bent wrong, straightened it out and reinstalled it.  Ran ziptest again and everything shows good.  So, this, imo, is an awesome program!

http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/ZIPTest (http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/ZIPTest)

great find!  it does indeed look to be a new program, looking at the readme (it states to compile it with a 2017 version of VBCC).

Title: Re: ZipTest on Aminet
Post by: madgrizzle on January 22, 2018, 02:42:58 AM

I'm very happy I found it.  Pointed me right to the exact ram chip that was the problem.  As you likely know, its a royal pita to troubleshoot zip ram (tightly packed, hard to insert without bending pins, etc.)  This eliminated all the guess work.  I emailed my thanks to the developer listed on the webpage.

Yesterday I had thought about giving up on the A3000 and going back to the A2000, but now its running really well..

Title: Re: ZipTest on Aminet
Post by: Motormouth on February 27, 2018, 02:58:32 AM

@Madgrizzle

Thanks for this find!!  I was able to finally find that one bad zip ram.  An thanks to the Author as well!  This program displays the ram chips as they are laid out on the motherboard.  

I finally have 16 megs of 32bit fastram on my A3000 and no more yellow screens!!!!

Title: Re: ZipTest on Aminet
Post by: gregthecanuck on February 27, 2018, 07:25:02 AM

Awesome thread. I have bookmarked this for when I resurrect my A3000.

:)