Mediator 4000D and Fastlane Z3?

[Heiroglyph]

I've got an Elbox tower for my 4000 that has been working previously.

I got a Fastlane Z3 with 64MB and ROM 8.5 but I can't get them to play nice.

Without the Mediator bridge card, the Fastlane seems to run fine in seemingly any Zorro slot.

If I have the Mediator bridge card installed, depending on the slot the Z3 is in and the jumpers on the bridge, it either doesn't see the Fastlane or it goes into a reboot loop before it hits the startup-sequence.

I've done a clean install of OS3.9, BB1+2 (didn't install BB2 ROM updates), newest Phase5 060 libraries.

The system seems stable without the Mediator bridge card installed.

I have put an ECHO "Startup!" and WAIT SECS=30 in the top of the startup-sequence (another before setpatch as well)

When it can boot, I see these. When it can't, it never displays the message or waits, so it's not making it to the startup-sequence.

In many combinations with each other:
Top, second, bottom and next to bottom slots for the Fastlane.
Set the RAM size to 0MB on the Fastlane.
Change the swap config jumper (normally open in my config)
Change WinSize jumper (normally closed)

I added my Radeon card back in just for kicks, but no improvement.

They just don't seem to get along.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
John

[Heiroglyph]

Getting it to work wasn't really a problem in either system until the Mediator came into the mix.

Both have Buster 11. The slot number didn't seem to matter in either one.

The one with the Cyberstorm 060 REALLY didn't seem to like something in my normal MuTools laden startup (I use a lot of Thor's stuff) so I went the safe route with just the Phase5 libraries for now.

Without the Fastlane, I had been using my MuTools stuff with apparently no problems.

The speed was underwhelming, but far better than Zorro2 and I haven't stopped to really tweak anything until I get it in the right system.

So Duce and Mechy, did you have a Mediator with your Fastlane?

And does anyone know how to identify the revision of the mach chips on the Mediator 4000? I don't see an obvious version number anywhere.

[Heiroglyph]

just installed the fastlane back in my mediator, its working fine. rev 2.2 with 8.5 rom and 64MB. topmost slot(nearest 4k motherboard slot).
did you know about this? the 74hct244 chip change for the fastlanes in 4k's- this chip is usually socketed. the fastlane came with them for A4000's. i forgot to mention this earlier.

http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/a4000hard/flref.html

http://www.mouser.in/ProductDetail/Texas-Instruments/CD74FCT244E/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuiiWkaIwCK2ZiNMAcS1yFo7FjGJfpQ0Ao%3d

That page says for v3.0 68040 (which I assume is the 3640) and those have some known issues.

But I'm not using that card, I've got a Cyberstorm MKII.

I've got a pretty good supply of 74 series chips here at the office, so I'll see if we have one.

[Heiroglyph]

Changing that chip didn't make a difference for me.

Using the same jumper settings as mechy didn't help either.

[Heiroglyph]

Probably more work than it's worth, but do you have a different processor card to try it with?  Might help narrow down the incompatibility issues, anyway...

I do, but I've been hesitant to.

It's a Cyberstorm 060 MKII, so you'd think it would work with their own SCSI card.

I couldn't find a SCSI module for the Cyberstorm, so that's why I got the Fastlane Z3. My Warpengine has a fast SCSI controller, but it's not an 060.

So it's kind of a matched set. If they don't work together, one of them has to go.

Edit: Everything points to it being the Mediator IMHO. Seems to work well without it.

[Heiroglyph]

I had tons of problems using a GVP accelerator at the same time as a GVP HC8+ in my A2000.  You'd think things from the same manufacturer would work well together, right?  *sigh*  Good luck!

Yeah, I know it happens unfortunately.

But, my "fastest storage" thread was to pick up a controller of some kind to go with this CPU card and this was the only one I came up with in a reasonable timeframe.

[Heiroglyph]

Well your Warp engine  could be with one of the adapter things being sold on A1K and AmiBay

In case anyone else is interested, they have a new batch going, but you have to reply and pay ASAP.

I ordered one just now, but I'm still interested in this Fastlane problem.

[Heiroglyph]

Probably more work than it's worth, but do you have a different processor card to try it with?  Might help narrow down the incompatibility issues, anyway...

Ok, tested with my Warpengine 040.

Same result with the Mediator card installed.

Takes FOREVER to boot with all the disconnected devices, but if I disable the warpengine scsi, the Fastlane seems fine until I add the mediator card, then the same reboot loop.

Thanks though.

[Heiroglyph]

I have a Warp Engine 040 and a Mediator DI in my Elbox Tower A4000, Just waiting for the Fastlane Z3 to arrive and I will also do so testing.

Shaf

Cool, very similar setup, that should be interesting.

Do you know how to determine the revision of the Mach chips on the Mediator?

I'm wondering if that makes any difference.

My Fastlane is a rev 2.2 card with 8.5 ROM, but I don't know how to tell on the Mediator.