Non booting A4000 when PicassoIV installed!!!

[Jose]

Hi. I thought when a card had some problem (as long as it wasn't fried I guess) it just wouldn't be recognized or would work badly. But today I finally took some time to try to install a PIV I won on eBay and the A4000D (the 4000T is waiting for a disks module to arrive...) stopped booting!!! The screen just stays dark grey. The IDE drive seems to try to start spinning a 2nd time but stops right away (as in the 1st). Jumpers are set to ZIII and I see nothing else that could affect it. Card is well pushed in (already also tested with a CV64 that works withoug pushing it into the zorro slot as much).... I also took off the Paloma and Concierto modules just in case... same result. Can't reflash the card as it doesn't boot at all, (floppy drive doesn't start clicking either...)

Any ideas ? :-(

[PhatAgnus]

Try re-seating the PLCC chip on the PIV. Could have become jossled with shipping or worked itself loose from hot/cold contractions. My 2 pennies.

[Jose]

No luck...

[Jose]

Ok, just an update:  Removing the two 8 pined chips next to the Zorro connector, as suggested on another thread, the thing boots again! But the PIV is not recognized.
So that means at least the FPGA is working:)

[Blade]

Ok, this is probably very unlikely, but you don't have an A3640 Commo CPU Board
in this A4000, do you?

[Jose]

@Blade

Actually I do! Why ? It's a Rev 3.1 card.

[Blade]

Ah, well there you have found your Problem then
Those two cards simply won't work together (other revisions of the 3640 do iirc, but not those particular ones)
So you should get either another cpu board, or don't use the PIV in this A4k.
I had the very same problem when my PPC Card died and I tried to replace it with an A3640. No chance to get it work.
the 3630 Board actually did, but hell was that sloooooow! (Had just a fresh Install of my newly bought OS 3.9 back then..
no fun! )

[Jose]

@Blade
That would rule! But in my search I've seen some references to apparently working combinations of those 2 cards.

I'll of course try with a WarpEngine when I get home :-)

[Blade]

Well, they might have used other Revisions of the CPU Board Also, I just can tell from my personal
experience, and that was what I discoverd back then However, good luck (and hopefully the card is still
working btw, I just found the thread with the advice of removing those chips near the zorro conector,
and it seems as there is also an A3640 involved... Another CPU Board might had helped here too

[Oli_hd]

Just an FYI,
That 8 pin chip holds the instructions for the FPGA chip (The big black thing between the GPU and Zorro slot, if you remove it the FPGA doesnt know what to do, and as such does nothing.

[alexh]

I have all the different A3640 cards (3.0, 3.1, 3.2) and they all work with my PIV.

Only thing is my 3.1 has an LC040

[MastaTabs]

If the card blocks the machine with the 8 pinners removed, its a sign that the FPGA is dead.

So just to check that its not. Remove them. Sure, the card wont work without them.

regs
MastaTabs

[Blade]

Well as I said, I just can confirm my own experiences with the A3640 + PIV.
The (officaly) missing FPU might be just enough, also the fact that in some
(rare) cases a 3.1 rev board isn't exactly a 3.1 rev board.

However I have to admit that I am surprised that not more problems with this combo
are mentioned (ok I didn't probably google hard enough) however I think when
two exact combos (with my experince three) give the same non working result,
I guess we have at least a strong evidence here and the change of the cpu card
might be a good starting point

[MastaTabs]

I have no problems with a 3640 either with or without FPU. Well, its a rev. 3.2 card.

And its always a good idea to upgrade older 3640s to that revision.

regs
MastaTabs

[Jose]

Hi. I just tested without the 2 8 pin chips and also with the WarpEngine. The computer does boot with those chips removed. Strange enouph, if I plugged in my 4091 at the same time it wouldn't boot.
As for with the WarpEngine, pretty much same result, except the with the 3640 it seemed to try to boot 2 times, with the WE the screen changes tone of grey in around 2 or 3 seconds interval. I guess the WarpEngine is smarter and tries to boot constantly while the 3640 gives up at 2nd time.

@MastaTabs
Any chance you can check up the card for me ?