A1200 video problem, please help! :P

[Amiduffer]

Someone else help Spordan here please.

If you take the HD off, does it do that?

[Spordan]

I have only been able to get that 'software failure' screen twice, other times it just sits at a grey screen or reboots.

The same seems to be true without the hard disk connected.
 
It is a shame because the actual motherboard is surprisingly clean and new looking, but I can only guess there must be a bad solder somewhere, or one of the chips is damaged :0(

[Garrett]

Hi! Be sure you press and hold the two mousebuttons as you switch the computer on. It is possible (i guess- I'm fairly new to the Amiga myself) that the start-up sequence contains instructions that require expansions that have been removed prior the sale. Good luck!

[Garrett]

Hi! Be sure you press and hold the two mousebuttons as you switch the computer on. It is possible (i guess- I'm fairly new to the Amiga myself) that the start-up sequence contains instructions that require expansions that have been removed prior the sale. Good luck!

[Tomas]

Should the A1200 output a video if I power up just the motherboard with no disks attached?

Yes. The amiga should boot to the instert disk screen without both floppy drive and hard drive and i suggest that this is what you do. I believe the led blinking pattern is a error code, but i sadly do not know the error codes myself. I am sure there are plenty of people here who do though?

I dont know if you are good with voltage meters and such? Because it could just as easily be the PSU that is getting old and is not outputting the right voltage anymore. So checking this with a voltage meter might be a good idea.

Also if you try it without both HD and floppy, then also make sure you also disconnect power cables as well as the ide cables.

The software failure can be either due to buggy software or a hardware problem.

[Spordan]

Thanks for the reply guys.
Does anyone know if the error message I saw means the ROMs are okay?
If the chips were damaged, I wouldn't have been able to get that message, right? :0\
I will give the PSU a look at tomorrow morning with the 'meter, failing that, i'm not sure what to do!
If anyone knows where I can find information about the error codes, please let me know :0)
the power flashes 6 times and one long time.

If I can't repair it, i think i'll probably end up ebaying another one, as this one came with a lot of software, etc.

Cheers guys!

[leirbag28]

@Spordan

I think there may be some metal making contact with the Motherboard.......and NO I dont think that Software failure screen means the ROMS are bad.

I think maybe even you connected the Hard drive incorrectly.
I would totally remove it for now...make sure the floppy connector is fully attached and make sure there is no wires making contact with the motherboard in anyway............its quite possible that after testing it on the RF TV, you did something to kill it.  Who knows.

But I have had a similar problem..and it meant that something wasnt connected right or that there wasnt enough Power from the Power supply.

[Garrett]

Check out this link for info about the flashing.

http://main.aminet.net/hard/misc/errormessages.txt

[jasper]

Hi

That link is dead (at least for me)

try this instead  -  http://de5.aminet.net/hard/misc/errormessages.txt

[Spordan]

Thanks for your replies, guys.

I have tried powering up just the motherboard with nothing connected, and I still face the same problem, I will check again today to make sure there are no visible shorts.

I have found a couple of web sites via google that describe using a PC ATX power supply to replace the Commodore PSU.

How easy is this? I have a spare 400W ATX PSU, is it simply a case of snipping the A1200 connector a few inches down and attaching the wires directly from the ATX PSU motherboard?

Does the A1200 use the same voltages a ATX PSU delivers? 12, 5, etc. Or is it different and i'll have to make up a PCB or something with resistors?

Thanks again! :0)

[Tomas]

Does anyone know if the error message I saw means the ROMs are okay?

Here is a site that tells you what these errors means: http://main.aminet.net/hard/misc/errormessages.txt
I sadly cannot see 6 power flashes there though.

One blink      The keyboard ROM check failed
Two blinks   The keyboard RAM check failed
Three blinks   The watchdog timer test failed
Four blinks   A short exists between two row lines or one of the
               seven special control keys

Red            If there is an error in ROM
Green          If there is an error in the Chip RAM
Blue           If an error was found in the custom chips
Yellow         If the 68000 found an error before the error      
               trapping software (the guru) was up and running

[Tomas]

I do not know about ATX, but i believe they sell amiga convertors for AT psus. But can you first try messauring the amiga psu using a multimeter? And the voltages is the same as a PC psu.

http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga/amiga_hacks/Amiga_Power_supplies/body_amiga_power_supplies.html
You can find some info here regarding making a normal psu into a amiga one.

[Akiko]

Since you already disconected the hard drive and floppy with still no change, I would say it's most likely a problem with the power suppy or perhaps the mainboard itself.

You said the power led is flasing which might also indicate the 1200 isn't geting enough power.

You should first try converting your old ATX and see if that makes a difference.

If your in the UK and still in diffs PM me.. I have a spare power supply and mainboard you can have for free  :-)

[DrDekker]

I agree with Akiko here as the error messages (as far as I can remember) are output to the Caps Lock LED - not the Power LED.  Incidentally, my power LED flashes too - but that's down to a faulty LED.

Have you connected your audio up?  One of my A600's PSU's went faulty which resulted in all sorts of graphical/boot problems and also a 'machine gun' cracking noise through the speakers.