The Holy Grail for CD32 users - The SX32 Pro

[PaSha]

Matt_H wrote:

It was designed for the European market and I have NTSC units. One's a Rev 3 motherboard, don't know about the other. Maybe there are timing differences that cause them to fail? Even so, booting into PAL doesn't help.

Rev 3 is the most common revision, rev 2 was IIRC a proto, and rev 4 is the French version (with RGB output and no RF output because of SECAM).

[Matt_H]

@ PaSha

Well, I think I have an appropriate PSU - genuine bigfoot model. As to the switch, does the "bypass" on the linked page mean that if the CD32's plugged in, it's on? Or does it just offer an additional route for current to compensate for the crappy switch?

Oh, and thanks for the motherboard revision info. :-)

[Stedy]

Hi,

To get my SX32 to work more reliable, I had to do something in addition to the mods on my website, I wired directly from the CD32s power input to the underside power pins of the IDE interface, this cured all my intermittent boot problems. A poor picture of the mod is here
I used 28 AWG? (7/0.2) wire for this mod.

I also regularly clean the edge connectors with Isopropyl alcohol.

The SX32 pro is not the most reliable bit of kit I have owned but it is neat :-)

Ian

[PaSha]

Matt_H wrote:
@ PaSha

Well, I think I have an appropriate PSU - genuine bigfoot model. As to the switch, does the "bypass" on the linked page mean that if the CD32's plugged in, it's on? Or does it just offer an additional route for current to compensate for the crappy switch?

Oh, and thanks for the motherboard revision info. :-)

The links are instead of the switch, so yes, this means that when the CD32 is plugged in, it's on. (which is why A500 PSUs are nice). The switch itself is removed.

[leirbag28]

I have an SX32 pro as well................and even with a 450 Watt Pentium 4 power supply, it still does not get enough current.  I remember an Article on one of the Amiga Magazines mentioning this...................so I did that Hack Stedy has on his Website and it helped............but still having crashes.............I find its best if you have GOLD Contacts on all your connectors and that they are super tight so that they almost scratch each other.....clean the contacts with alcohol and a brush.

Havign a TVI with remote card help you to know when the power has gone down, as the 2 lights on the TVI start blinking....this is when you know your not getting enough power.  As soon as I wiggle the cables.it powers up or reboots actually, as the machine is half on.


Nevertheless...I love the SX32 Pro

there is no more powerful expansion for the CD32 than this..........the neat thing is you can fit a SLimline Laptop CDROM drive right under the SX32  (Im working on it soon!)  all you have to do is cut a hole on the right side of the CD32 just under the SX32 Pro board, and slide the thing in and connecto to IDE port and your SET like Joan JET :-)

[PaSha]

Hehe, no problem at all. I was just kidding around. It's obvious one way or the other that this baby will go to someone willing to shell out 400EUR or more. I'd be suprised if it got sold for less than that.

Man, this was insane.
In the last 3 minutes of the auction, the price rose from 212 EUR to a whopping 451 EUR!

I myself stopped at 329 EUR.... :boohoo:

Anyways, a piece of advice for people spotting nice things on ebay.de:
Even if the item is listed as "Germany only", most sellers will happily ship elsewhere if you ask them kindly (preferably in German).

Congratulations and the best of luck to mr eisfrei, the winner of the auction.

-Paul
A4000D: CS-PPC, Grex blablabla...
CD32: FMV