A1000 PAL chip wire mod needed?

[blakespot]

So,

I picked up a pristine Amiga 1000 a few years ago and have played with it pretty lightly until recently -- running slideshows, Dpaint, a few demos and games. Recently, however, I've gotten serious about using and enjoying it (based largely on @neko_no_ko's A1000 project of late).

The system is an NTSC Amiga 1000 with a Microbotics Starboard 2 (2MB FAST) w/ StarDrive SCSI module controlling a 40MB Quantum HD. It has one external 1010 floppy drive.

To get the system more fully fleshed out, I have installed JRComm and established a serial link between my iMac and the A1000 to move files over...

https://vine.co/v/hW0lgu9UTQm
https://vine.co/v/h7Mt2hMzMll

I moved a number of ADFs and other files over fine until, one day, as I detailed in a different thread, the Amiga Guru'ed during a transfer in JRComm, as the disk was being written to, rendering it unable to be validated by AmigaDOS' disk validator. (I can still boot the drive, proceeding after the error message that appears, but cannot write to the volume.)

In order to get recovery tools moved over, I've used JRComm to download to RAM: and write tools out to floppy. In doing this, I still experience the occasional Guru in JRComm...

So I ran across this forum post made by an A1000 user that was under the impression that his Gurus under JRComm were due to the apparent PAL chip problem on A1000's. Some feel that all Amiga 1000's should have the PAL chips wired together, and to the bus, to correct signal issues. It's mentioned here:

http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/a1000faq.html
also
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=40974

I have not opened this A1000 to determine if it uses a daughterboard. It does support EHB mode. I'd rather not perform this mod if it is not needed, but is this something I should do to avoid these Gurus? I do not see pattern Gurus elsewhere, in using the machine, so far.

Thoughts? Thanks.

Here she is, by the way:


Amiga 1000 by blakespot, on Flickr


bp

[blakespot]

So, is this mod needed? Perhaps I should do it.

Can someone point me to a coherent guide on the process of wiring the daughterboard PAL chips together and to the bus?

Thanks.



bp

[blakespot]

Still trying to decide if this is needed. Did Commodore ever start doing these before the A1000's went out the door? Thanks.



bp

[blakespot]

So, two Starboard II devices chained together off the A1000 are causing it to reboot to Kickstart screen soon after loading of WB begins. Apparently this is a symptom of the bus noise the A1000 without the grounding mod exhibits.

I can't find a clear drill for doing the grounding mod.

Can someone point me to it? Thanks.




bp

[blakespot]

Ok - I am going to work this mod tonight. While I am in there, I'll take a look at my internal floppy drive that has a broken read/write sensor (always shows write protected). Any tips on how to remedy that / likely case causing a problem?

Thanks.



bp

[blakespot]

I did the mod. It didn't help.

:-(

What now?




bp