G-REX PCI 1200 problems

[Painkiller]

I just finished installing my A1200 in a tower with G-REX PCI board. I have a Voodoo 3 card installed in the busboard, should it show on Expansion Board Diagnostig screen? I have tried PCISCAN also but it says Cybpci.library couldn't be opened. Shouldn't that library be loaded directly from BlizzPPC's rom? My BlizzPPC firmware is 26042002 which should have OpenPCI 2.2 support and is the latest firmware update available for BPPC.

[Painkiller]

vittu perkle saatana vitun vittu... Why can't anything just work from the start and where are the tutorials into installing a working OS39 with PPC etc. I'm so {bleep}ing tired of fidling with this BS software, not knowing where the problem lies.

[x56h34]

I've seen this problem in the past. Assuming that you've got everything connected properly (the BPPC expansion connector is making good contact with the Grex logic module and the logic module is making good contact with the PCI busboard) then I would say you are most likely dealing with a defective Grex logic board or a defective BPPC expansion port.

Keep in mind that for proper Grex1200 compatibility, you need a revision 2 BPPC card. Revision 0 might work, but in my experience even if it does work it is very unreliable and system crashes are often experienced.

[Painkiller]

Uhh I'll have to check out what BPPC board I have.

So how should I install my software?

Fresh AOS39
BB 1 and 2
BPPCfix or Blizkick
PPClibemu
WarpOS + Update

Am I missing something or doing things in wrong order? I would atleast like to know if the PPC on my board is healthy and working.   :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad:  :getmad: :madashell:

[x56h34]

That sounds about right.

The quickest test that I know of that proves if your 603e is functional would be by:

- installing OS3.x
- running SysSpeed
- testing out 603e performance within SysSpeed

If your OS freezes during the test, your 603e is most likely defective. If SysSpeed spits out some performance benchmarks then you know that the 603e is functional.

I would recommend the above test before you install BB1 + BB2 + WarpUP, as the built-in PowerUP PPC library will be sufficient for the test and it will work with SysSpeed.

To check the revision of your BPPC board, you need to run a command line tool called "boardtype". It's available for download here. If boardtype detects revision 0, your PPC card is not officially compatible with Grex1200. If revision 2 is detected, your PPC board is fully compatible with Grex1200.

Most BPPC cards out there are revision 0, btw.

[Painkiller]

http://aminet.net/util/moni/sspeed26.readme

Says "- PowerPC-Test added (WarpOS V12+ only)"  :-?  :-?  :-?

[x56h34]

I might have been mistaken about using PowerUP with SysSpeed then. I probably used WarpUP. Anyway, you know what you need to do to test, so...

[tekopaa]

 vittu perkle saatana vitun vittu....tuttujuttu


 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I know its hard i managed to get my old Mediator PCI work almost 100% only SB128 wasnt working good luck  ... :lol:

[Painkiller]

tekopaa wrote:
 vittu perkle saatana vitun vittu....tuttujuttu


 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I know its hard i managed to get my old Mediator PCI work almost 100% only SB128 wasnt working good luck  ... :lol:

You know what is sad I spend like 10h to restore the infinitiv case I got and had to paint it black to look good. Then I spend another 2 hours on the {bleep}ing grex which was supposed to fit right into the infinitiv tower but gues what it didn't fit in my infinitiv tower (wrong version)... Well I went ahead and changed the pins to correct height so that the board would attach to the GREX mothercard that is connected to BPPC and that the PCI slots would be on correct height to allow easy installation of PCI boards. Then I fire up the system all seems to be fine everything works like a charm untill I don't notice any other expansions then BPPC + all the else I have explained earlier. Everytime I try to do something with PPC everything starts to go wrong. I don't have a reliable test to determine wheter the faulth is in the software or hard ware and that pisses me off. I even got a PEG II only to find out that it can't use flash cards as system disk and I had to create a dealy script for it to recognize my HDD. Tutorials are very hard to find if any excist etc. Maybe I'll give a one last try and if I can't get a {bleep}ing PPC program to work then I'll sell all my Amiga stuff and be much happier.  :pissed:

Maybe I'll keep my Peg II since nobody seems to be wanting it and see if Morph team has worked some wonders when MOS2 is released. Untill then I gues my next venture will be Ubuntu linux...

[doctorq]

Wow, somebody needs a chill pill.

If you can't be bothered banging your head in, then Amiga is certainly not for you.

[keropi]

if your BPPC is not a DCE one, then u have slim chances of a working g-rex... as it is said before u need rev2 BPPC.
I have a dce bppc in the past, and g-rex was rock solid

[keropi]

if your BPPC is not a DCE one, then u have slim chances of a working g-rex... as it is said before u need rev2 BPPC.
I have a dce bppc in the past, and g-rex was rock solid

[CLS2086]

Hi,
I might help you
My setup
So please tell me :

0 - Go to the Grex unofficial site and use the LASTEST Firmware without pluggin any card on the PCi bus !! Put 64mb at least.

1 - how do you power it ? AT or ATX PSU or by the floppy connector on the motherboard (don't do that !!!), or by the old amiga power connector (don't do that too !!!). Try to check the psu connectors when the machine is 'loaded'.

2 - Is the link between the BPPC/module/GREX are all 3 perfect ?

3 - Is the link between the BPPC/module done by metalic screews ? (ground + securities for the connector)

4 - Does your PCi cards are deeply plugged in theirs slots ?? I had a joke with cards in time even on PC  :crazy:

5 - What kind of Grex1200 do you have ? do you have the label "Neue Edition" with red wires like mine ?

or is it an updated model with some green wires ?

6 - which cards did you try and which order do you put them ?
My suggestion :
PCI control menu
On the 1st slot (closest to PSU connectors), Network card, then Sound Card, and in the last slot the Voodoo3

But when you press the ESC at startup you must get the BPPC menu with a voodoo3 and permedia2 card.

[Painkiller]

if your BPPC is not a DCE one, then u have slim chances of a working g-rex... as it is said before u need rev2 BPPC. I have a dce bppc in the past, and g-rex was rock solid

This bit of info really bothers me as there is no mention about this at grex.amigaworld.de nor is it mentioned at Amigakit.com who still sell these boards.

0 - Go to the Grex unofficial site and use the LASTEST Firmware without pluggin any card on the PCi bus !! Put 64mb at least.

Been there done that.

1 - how do you power it ? AT or ATX PSU or by the floppy connector on the motherboard (don't do that !!!), or by the old amiga power connector (don't do that too !!!). Try to check the psu connectors when the machine is 'loaded'.

I'm powering the board trough the ATX connector and also have hooked up additional powersupply to the floppy connector.

2 - Is the link between the BPPC/module/GREX are all 3 perfect ?

Should be I even used contact cleaner before I connected them.

3 - Is the link between the BPPC/module done by metalic screews ? (ground + securities for the connector)

Yes.

4 - Does your PCi cards are deeply plugged in theirs slots ?? I had a joke with cards in time even on PC

My only PCI card (Voodoo 3) is quite firmly fitted to the first PCI slot on the busboard. Only about 1mm showing of the card's contacts should be deep enough.

5 - What kind of Grex1200 do you have ? do you have the label "Neue Edition" with red wires like mine ?

Yes I made sure that I get the "Neue Edition", but the wires are green

6 - which cards did you try and which order do you put them ?

I have only tried my Voodoo 3

I'll get back to this thread on eastern. I will pack away my Amiga now for awhile to get it out my mind.

[x56h34]

I'm powering the board trough the ATX connector and also have hooked up additional powersupply to the floppy connector.

And there is your problem. The ATX connector is inactive unless you get a rare IC which plugs into the small empty socket on the PCI busboard. It turns out that your Grex does not get any power. Solution...use an AT power supply or obtain an ATX-to-AT power supply adapter, with a power switch.