CSPPC & A3000 desktop?

[billt]

OK, I just got me my CSPPC for my 3000 desktop today, and tonight I'm fumbling with it. I suspect I'm suffering from a missing INT2 hack, but I'd like to verify what's happening would be caused by that. I had been using a CSMK2 card with 060 and no problems, but did not have the SCSI module for that card, just using the 3000 motherboard's SCSI for hard drive and a DKB Spitfire SCSI card for CDROM/Zip/Jaz drives.

With the CSPPC (128MB RAM, PPC/200, 060/50), I can get into the Phase5 early-early boot menu and look at the SCSI, memory, etc. settings there with no problem. But if it tries to boot from either floppy or hard drive, I shortly get a blinking power light and red guru.

I've checked the board is seated well, and also reseated the RAM that shipped with the board.

I'm planning to do the INT2 hack by this weekend and try again, but would appreciate any reassurance that this is the expected problem before INT2 is done. I may also hack it into a tower case while I've got the thing ripped apart. Here's hoping I can work out a way to fit my prometheus and Video Toaster together... (I've got more than one PCI card so slot risers won't save me any room, I've already got a couple of those anyway)

Also, any pointers to the INT2 hack description?

[x56h34]

Yes, you need the INT2 hack. :-)
It says so in the manual too. ;-)

p.s. the card may not work so well if:

- you are using some devices on the native A3K SCSI chain.
- you have DMAC 4 and Ramsey 7 chips (yes, the newer revisions)

Phase 5 never really tested CSPPC in A3000 units with newer DMAC/Ramsey revisions, but only with the old ones.

Also make sure that you set the jumpers correctly on the A3K motherboard (info available in the manual).

It may be possible to still use the native A3K SCSI, however usually there are conflics between it and the CSPPC card.

Go to http://amiga.serveftp.net for some very clear instructions on how to easily do the INT2 mod.

[Azryl]

Hello, depending on the accelerator, you might have to remove any motherboard fast ram, if you havent already done so.

Az

[x56h34]

@Azryl:

Good call, but since he is actually able to boot the system to the early-boot-menu I doubt it that it's the problem.

RAM on the motherboard that's conflicting with the accelerator usually immediately crashes the system after power up.

[billchase]

I just setup up the same config.  The INT2 makes a huge
difference.  Also fiddle with some of the ROM patches
pertaining to the SCSI stuff in the CSPPC boot menu.
I don't remember what I did, but my fiddling also help.
Now, if someone knows of any AT or ATX PSU hacks for the
3000 desktop, that will be great.  I feel that the board
seems starved on the original PSU.

C Snyder

[billt]

Thanks for the tips! I don't have any real reason to continue using the motherboard SCSI, just need to dig out some terminators to tie it up... I don't have any of them fancy SCSI cables/active terminators/adaptors required for the CSPPC on-board SCSI yet, I'll get some next paycheck. Anyone know if the DKB Spitfire SCSI card can work right with the PPC card?

As for DMAC/Ramsey, I honestly don't know which ones I've got in there. A different 3000 I had I ordered as many new chips as I could get, but I didn't move them to this machine when that one got unreliable. I'll have to check these as well, and dig out the old ones fromthe other machine if needed.

And I do have some ZIP RAM on the motherboard, I'll rip that out if needed as well, no real need for that with the CSPPC card being full.

Man, I really do have some tinkering to do here, don't I?

[x56h34]

After you patch everything up it should run great.
Unfortunatly, A3000 requires some work done on it in order to play along nicely with accelerator cards that carry on-board SCSI controllers on them, and usually the SCSI on the accelerator cancels out the A3000 native SCSI.

Installation in A4000 is easier.

Please be extra cereful with all the fitting/refitting of the memory and accelerator card itself in the CPU slot.

[billchase]

I think you will be OK with leaving the onboard ram
in the machine.  The CSPPC memory is suppose to be accessed
first before the motherboard memory is accessed.

C Snyder

[billt]

Discoveries so far, the motherboard jumper settings aren't exactly the same as for the CSMK2. At least not when I did not have the SCSI module, but my MK2 manuals are long-bueried somewhere so maybe this was wrong anyway but still worked well enough. Anyone have A3000 docs showing the proper jumper configurations for the QUADCLK one? BOARDCLK and CPUCLK are pretty self-explanatory, but QUADCLK needs to be external and I can't read that one on the board. It looks like 4 pins together, some jumper on the left two, and the right two closer to the QUADCLK label have no jumper currently. This stuff along can be most if not all of my problem. And me of course not even having any A3000 manuals...

Motherboard memory - 3 of 4 banks of ZIP memory filled.

DMAC - rev 02.

WD33C93A-PL SCSI chip rev 08.

Ramsey - rev 04.

Buster - rev 11.

[x56h34]

I'll try to illustrate how the QUADCLK EXT position looks like (note the angle-sign on the far left as printed on your motherboard):

<=empty-pin 1, empty-pin 2, jumper cap over pins 3 and 4=]

Basically, pins 1 and 2 are the ones closer to the daughterboard connector and pins 3 and 4 are the ones closer to the on-board 68030 CPU.

[Castellen]

I've been working on lots of new HTML technical guides and stuff for the site, and while I haven't intended them to be released just yet, I've made these two accessable here:

http://amiga.serveftp.net/A3000INT_2/a3000_INT2_mod.html

That's the HTML version of the same guide, re-written slightly and tidied up.


A3000 technical hardware guide here, I've converted it to HTML and tidied it up a bit:

http://amiga.serveftp.net/A3000_HardwareGuide/main.html


They will probably contain a few broken links at the moment, so don't complain :-P


Lots more information to come including slightly better site navigation, guides on A4000D audio repair (capacitor replacement, etc), guides on SMD soldering, and more.
New changes should go live in about a week if things go well.

[Castellen]

My apologies, try this:
http://amiga.serveftp.net/A3000-INT_2/a3000_INT2_mod.html

Should work now.
As you can see I'm in the process of sorting it all out properly... :whack:

[x56h34]

@Castellen:

Your instructions are simply the best there are. I used your INT2 guide on several A3000 motherboards now, and it makes a much neater job afterwards as the wire distance is considerably shorter than with the "traditional" way of doing it, through one of the CIA chips. Keep up the good work.

[Castellen]

Thanks, glad to hear you're finding it useful   :-)
I wrote that after working out how to do it myself, thinking there wasn't any documentation on it, then afterwards found a web page on it...

Anyways, the new HTML version should be even easier to use now, with in-document images and the likes.

If you have any suggestions/requests for new amiga (repair/faultfinding) guides, let me know.
Might have to get more creative with replacement floppy drives one of these days.  Anyone know where I can find protocol/timing details of the Amiga floppy drive control signals??

[patrik]

@Castellen:

If you have the Amiga Hardware Reference Manual, you will in the "Interface Hardware" section find a description of the protocol and example timings when using a Chinon drive.


/Patrik