GRex PCI + Voodoo 3 3000 16 MB + LAN + Sound

[lordspider]

@x56h34:

Hmm... I'm using flashupdate 2.2 and NOT the 1.3 (both can be found here: http://grex.amigaworld.de/index.php?lang=de&page=15)

There are also CGX 3, CGX 4 and Warp3D drivers I've installed to use my Voodoo 3 3000 card.

About the speed: I also had Mediator 1200 and it was SLOWER than G-Rex. Isn't it strange? According to you're post, my G-Rex should work slower ("crawling") than other solution, but the fact is it works faster. Why? Maybe because of the 2.2 flashupdate. And the card still has revision 0.

So, I have regular, speedy Grex compatibility with the 2.2 flashrom and a revision 0 BPPC card. My eBay description is TRUE, because the BPPC has the newest flahrom.

[x56h34]

@lordspider:

I'm sorry if this offends you but:

A. You are either a liar

or

B. The first one to experience this new phenomenon.

I would suggest doing a google search, or better yet doing a Yahoo! Groups search for the Grex mailing-list and see if there is one single person that in the past or present can confirm your results.

[lordspider]

@StormLord:

I used the flash ver 2.2 from http://grex.amigaworld.de/
Versions of my CGX files are:

cgx3drave.library   1.2   (10/12/01)
cgxsystem.library  42.7   (01/02/02)
cgxvideo.library   42.1   (02/10/00)
Voodoo3             4.3   (01/18/02)

And here are the 680x0 libraries versions:

68040.library      46.5   (10/19/99)
68040new.library   46.13  (10/05/01)
68040old.library   44.2   (07/13/99)
68060.library      46.15  (10/05/01)

First I've installed CGX 3 drivers, than I upgraded them to CGX 4 drivers.

My BPPC has revision 0 according to the boardtype tool (can be also found on http://grex.amigaworld.de/)

[lordspider]

@x56h34:

No, this doesn't offend me

I read posts in the G-Rex mailing list and there are some persons which have BPPC rev0 and working Voodoo 3 card. But there are also persons who have BPPC rev0 and Voodoo 3 doesn't work with their hardware.

No, I'm not a liar, just tell me how can I convience you that all I'm writing is true.

Believe me, I did google/yahoo groups search before I bought Grex and I was affraid if it will work with my card, but it works fine and fast, so I wrote it in description of my auction.

[x56h34]

@lordspider:

So far I've had about 6 BPPC cards in my posession that were revision 0. I've tried a few of them with Grex1200 and they didn't work. One had problems with Voodoo (glitchy graphics...really unusable) and the other would just give me a black screen. The remaining revision 0 cards I never tried as I assumed that they wouldn't work either.

Any revision 2 card that I tried worked fine with Grex (e.g. good Voodoo display).

I don't know...from experience and from other people's testimonials I am convinced that you really need a revision 2 card, but maybe I am wrong. It's not easy to test without obtaining a lot of ppc cards again. :-( I only have two left and I think that both are revision 0. Perhaps when I find some free time, I'll give it another try with the PPC card that I don't use, but my hopes are kind of low.

[lordspider]

@x56h34:

I forgot to mention that I'm using BPPCFix and BlizzKick, maybe it is something important, or maybe not.

I had many BPPC cards because I'm selling them on eBay. All of them were revision 0 cards, I never had the revison 2 card.
Since I have G-Rex I test every BPPC with it. Some of cards refuse to work due to old (pre-Grex) flash rom, but after update to the G-Rex 2.2 version everything run nice.

Maybe it depends on the G-Rex revision? I just don't know...

[StormLord]

@lordspider
Actually I though of a screenshot to prove that grex is working with rev0 :-)
you can post a grab with screenmode showing the resolutions of the voodoo and the selected res, also in the same screen you must show the rev of the ppc and another window showing the ouput of the pciscan!
I thing thats enought! And because I have the same setup with the above problem and I don't know if its my mistake (software) or bppcs prob I'm in need for this grab to have faith and continue messing with software instalations!!!!
So with one grab you help yourself and me :=)
I hope to convinced you!!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[x56h34]

@lordspider:

I remebmer that originally Phase 5 released BPPC cards which they internally referred to as v1.1. These were the first cards released...buggy with BVision usage and Phase 5 offered an upgrade for free to v1.2, in order to fix the problems.

Remember, both v1.1 and v1.2 are only internal Phase 5 names...these are both reported as revision 0 by boardtype.

How does one know that their card is v1.1 (revision 0)? It won't work with BVision without glitches, and in order to work in any way, you must supply power to the A1200 motherboard, through the floppy connector, and you still get bugs and glitches.

How does one know that their card is v1.2 (revision 0)? It works with BVision fine. You could supply power to the A1200 motherboard through the floppy connector, but only if your overall usage seems unstable (system crashes after a while).

How does one know that their card is the revision 2 (latest)? I guess if boardtype reports it as revision 2. Other than that, these work fine with BVision, and no power to the A1200 motherboard floppy connector is required (unless you really want to make sure, but even without it I've had a very excellent, stable usage), and are Grex compatible.

Now...it could be that v1.2 which Phase 5 calls internally (still reported as revision 0 by boardtype) is actually the missing link in our little dilema here, which may sometime work with Grex, or may even perfectly work with it.

It could be that DCE simply wanted to avoid overall confusion and they stated that revision 2 is needed.

It's a guess. Nothing more. :-)

[Effy]

x56h34 : how come you know all this ?? Are you that old and wise or just highly intelligent  :-?

No offense of course, I just love Amiga freaks do so much explanation here on this forum, it convinces me every time how much I like it here :lol:

[doctorq]

Well, bottom line must be that the G-Rex isn't a good choice if the goal is to run OS4. If OS4 is the goal, either go BVision, Mediator or Zorro busboard.

For OS3.9 or lower the G-Rex is a nice expansion, and will surely boost the performance of the computer, enabling the world of cheap PCI cards. The problem would be the rev. of the Blizzard PPC board.

Is it possible for someone to make a programme that can surely determine which rev. the BPPC board is, so both rev 1.1 and 1.2 is included? Maybe a suggestion for Pirus WhichAmiga tool...

I'm just glad my BPPC 060/200/SCSI is rev. 2; I'm hoping my new board will be rev. 2 as well...

[x56h34]

@Effy:

Hehe, well it's a hobby. It's fun to mess around with Amiga hardware so you learn the tricky parts as you go. I guess I learned it through testing, reading, beign around when  cards were comming out, etc. The previous post was speculation in some parts. I can't guarantee that I am right. It's just a big extremely well educated guess. :-)

It's not so hard to pick up the clues about Amiga hardware. Just use google groups, get a cup of coffee, and read away. You can read interesting articles written by commodore staff/amiga hardware & software companies themselves, during the late 80s and all the way upto present time.

[x56h34]

Another thing to consider (more educated speculation :-)) is that there are so many different versions of BPPC cards out there.

Some have 040 and 603e.
Some have 060 and 603e.
Some have 040 and 603e and SCSI.
Some have 060 and 603e and SCSI.

603e power requirement varies depending on the type, e.g. a 160Mhz requires less power than a 240Mhz.

040 requires more power than an 060.

SCSI on-board eats up even more power, especially if used together with an 040 and a 240Mhz 603e chip.

Maybe this is why the logic update to revision 2 by DCE is the only guaranteed way of using Grex? Could it be that it's all down to the power management? Maybe DCE figured that a certain power need is in order, so that Grex could work stable, so they recommend revision 2, but on the other hand cards that don't eat up much power due to a certain combination of on-board features (low power usage) can get away with it, and work with Grex? :-)

[lordspider]

@StormLord:

StormLord wrote:
@lordspider
Actually I though of a screenshot to prove that grex is working with rev0 :-)

Here they are:

[lordspider]

x56h34 wrote:
@lordspider:

I remebmer that originally Phase 5 released BPPC cards which they internally referred to as v1.1. These were the first cards released...buggy with BVision usage and Phase 5 offered an upgrade for free to v1.2, in order to fix the problems.

Remember, both v1.1 and v1.2 are only internal Phase 5 names...these are both reported as revision 0 by boardtype.

[...]

Now...it could be that v1.2 which Phase 5 calls internally (still reported as revision 0 by boardtype) is actually the missing link in our little dilema here, which may sometime work with Grex, or may even perfectly work with it.

It could be that DCE simply wanted to avoid overall confusion and they stated that revision 2 is needed.

It's a guess. Nothing more. :-)

Yes, this can be solution to our dilemma, but how to check this revisions??? Maybe cards with serial numbers above certain figure are revision 1.2?

[lordspider]

@doctorq:

I know G-Rex is not good solution for those who want to run OS4.

As you wrote, it is nice expansion for AmigaOS lower than OS4, and maybe for MorphOS in the future?

Yeah, programme to determine the exact revision of BPPC would be nice, but is there someone who can write it?

[doctorq]

Maybe the key to the solution is the rev. of the PPC CPU reported by WhichAmiga.... I see WhichAmiga reports your PPC CPU as v2.1.

Well, the screenshots convinced me, even though I myself have tried to connect a G-Rex to a BPPC without getting it to work.