Nooo, strong electronic burning smell...

[slaapliedje]

Turned on my Amiga 4000D today to try to get my new mouse to work (the new one from Amigakit that is optical) and this horrible electronic smell.  

The Indivision AGA splash screen shows on the monitor, but the kickstart that I'm usually welcomed with (I have the noIDE and the drive generally takes a bit to boot up) doesn't show.  So at least there's that.

I realize that I'm most likely going to have to go through each component and remove it to see if I can get at least a kickstart boot, but anyone have any hints on what it could be based on that information?

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Wow, never seen this happen in the 32 years I've used computers.

[slaapliedje]

Just a black screen?
Try it without the Indivision.
Get the motherboard out and get your nose right down into it. Scan methodically from one side to another, top to bottom.
Has the motherboard been re-caped?
Get it down to basics; no Mediator, 2MB chip RAM only.
Is it still running on the original Commodore PSU?

Started the process off, unplugged everything, pulled out the FastATA board, sniffed, was fine.  Sniffed in on the right hand side of the mediator, and that's where it smelled the strongest, then pulled out the memory board from the Cyberstorm and... not sure if you can see it in that picture very well, but that blackened chip is bubbled up and split in the middle.

Going to reconfigure the Cyberstorm back to 64MB of memory and try booting it again.

To answer your questions, yes it was recapped,. and it is using the original PSU.  Gonna sniff it some more after removing the memory stick.

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

For the record, the PSU is fine.  The memory module I posted was on the Cyberstorm MK1, I was looking the other day into finding a PPC board... I think it knew... After pulling it out and re-configuring the memory on the board to 64mb, it did the same thing.  But after pulling the whole board out and putting in the A3640, it booted into the kickstart config screen.

Weird thing is, invidision posts image, then black screen, but the reset (control+A+A) still works, as does the capslock.  I've tried it without the memory module and with.  Still no such luck.  

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Nah, I only see the one that is physically burned, but yeah even without the memory board installed, it doesn't boot, so it sure does sound like the accelerator board died.  Anyone know of a good place to get it repaired (assuming it can be?)

slaapliedje

Derp, you mentioned Stachu.  I'll see if I can track him down.

[slaapliedje]

Is this probably a 3.3v memory module designed for the PC run at 5V in the Amiga? This would explain the problem. Most of the 3.3v modules do accept 5V, at least for some time, until they die from the high voltage.

Interesting, I have been running these modules for a long time, several years in fact.  

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009OP8G7Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I ordered these on Oct 10th 2013, and they do state that they are 5v.

[slaapliedje]

So the question is what should I do here...

Stachu told me;

"Each defect is different. Sorry, but I cannot give you any quotation.
In general after such accident the repair is
1) quite easy (burned track).
Or
2) Impossible to repair - programmable chips are gone.

Case one repair is roughly 30 to 200EUR + postage back
Case 2 is not repairable at all."

So the question is, should I A) call it dead, and try to search out a PPC (whether there is a new product, or find one on Amibay (looks like there are a few on there in the 1100 Euro range... ugh) try to find an 060 to replace this one (almost as much from what I can see), or B) go ahead and see if he can bring it back to life.  I inspected it semi-decently and didn't see any other burn marks on it, but I'm not exactly an expert.

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Oh my god, forgot how slow the 68040 is.  The whole system takes 4 times as long to boot, and I can actually see the parts of the screen where things are going to load.

AmikitReal is definitely meant for something more than the stock 68040/25.

Still wondering if I should try to get this fixed, wait until maybe someone will pop up and say "Hey buy this project that has been in the works for 15 years!" or try to find a PPC and/or another 68060 to replace this one....  I do have a copy of AmigaOS 4.1 FE for classics that I could install on it if I got the PPC (been playing around with it in FS-UAE, and it's pretty nice, reminds me of an extremely patched version of 3.9.

Suggestions?

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Yeah, losing the 128mb of ram on the accelerator hurt as well.  Though oddly it was only showing part of my ram, I should have 272mb or so (128mb Zorram, 128mb radeon, and 16mb of fast).  I'll have to look again and see what's up with that.)

Worse part is, I started this whole process by trying to get the mouse wheel working on my new amiga mouse... and it still doesn't work!

Bah, no luck for me this month.

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Many simms are 5v tolerant even thought the datasheets dont list them as so, I have run a 128Mb 3.3v simm in a csa derringer for almost 6 years now. The simm doesnt show any heating and has always worked flawless, but as you say,buyer beware. I still think he had a chip short and draw excess current since only one of them fried and it took so long.

That'd be my guess as well, or that it shorted out further down and went up and dissipated through the burned chip.  Everything except the accelerator is still working fine.  Stachu should have it in a few days.

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Why not get a nice PPC Mac and install MorphOS, setup UAE for the classic stuff to run. I have a perfect system and have it running better than even my CSPPC A3000 ever ran. The plus side is you can pick up a Powerbook and have a fully portable Amiga like experience.

Probably the same reason why I didn't do that in the first place, the hobby to me is about the hardware, not some emulation layer.  I can already run OS4 on FS-UAE, it's much more entertaining for me to play with the direct hardware.

slaapliedje

[slaapliedje]

Exactly!  I figure it's the same reason I'd much rather have an old 1960's Mustang that I could work on and tweak myself than I would a modern one.

I mean I do have a MiST as well, that is kind of the between real hardware and emulation, and I have tons of emulators as well, but it really isn't the same.

The camp that says 'just run MorphOS, with UAE' never made much sense to me, because I already have plenty of computers that will run UAE.

slaapliedje