A3640 in A3000D

[alexh]

jdryyz wrote:
unless you're saying the guide is incorrect.

The guide is correct.

It might be worth trying to disable static column mode within your Ramsey chip using SetRamsey? But I do not think this affects KS3.1

[da9000]

I agree with joekster. Check your motherboard clock jumpers.

If I recall correctly, you want:

J104 = EXT
J102 = INT
J100 = EXT

I can check my machine later on to ascertain.

EDIT: the card should work fine with your custom chips (DMAC, Ramsey, Buster) and no matter if you have Static Column or Fast Page Mode ZIPs.

[mindprober]

That matches the guide and my current settings.

da9000 wrote:
I agree with joekster. Check your motherboard clock jumpers.

If I recall correctly, you want:

J104 = EXT
J102 = INT
J100 = EXT

I can check my machine later on to ascertain.

EDIT: the card should work fine with your custom chips (DMAC, Ramsey, Buster) and no matter if you have Static Column or Fast Page Mode ZIPs.

:rtfm:

[Lorraine]

/

[da9000]

@jdryyz

OK, I hadn't looked at the posted link in detail (I only saw the A3640 jumper settings). Well, at least I got'em right! :-)

Unfortunately then it sounds like either an incompatibility or a dead A3640.

Here are a couple more things to try:

1) Put up the brightness of your CRT so that it's not black but grayish. Turn on the Ami and note if the color changes to an even lighter gray. If so, the CPU is good. Otherwise, replace the CPU and try again.

2) Assuming in the above test the CPU is good, put your nose very close to the SMD capacitors (5 of them IIRC), and smell them. If there is some nasty stench, they've leaked. Also check to see if their solder pads are fuzzy vs. shiny. If shiny, no leaks. If fuzzy, they've leaked.

3) Desolder and replace the crystal oscillator. It could be dead. Unusual, but it's a possibility. In fact, before you desolder the crystal oscillator, I'd personally get some el-cheapo electrolytic caps and replace the SMD ones. You'll need 22uF @ 16Volts. Here's more info you'll need, because they've been soldered on backwards:
http://amiga.serveftp.net/A3640_capacitor.html


Good luck!

[alexh]

da9000 wrote:
EDIT: the card should work fine with your custom chips (DMAC, Ramsey, Buster) and no matter if you have Static Column or Fast Page Mode ZIPs.

Not true. There is a known problem with A3640 & A3000 with DMAC-02, RAMSEY-04 if you have Static Column ZIPs.

But as I have already said, It appears to be limited to KS2.04 (or at least that is what all the sources say) and as he's got Kickstart 3.1 it is probably not the issue in this case.

It's looking more and more like a dead A3640 board or a broken A3000 CPU slot

[mindprober]

Thanks for the info. I tried the smell test but didn't come across any stench. Some of the solder pads are NOT shiny but neither do they appear fuzzy. Hmmm...it's hard to tell, really. They're just a little dirty looking but so are a lot of other spots on the board.

That is interesting about the polarity of the caps. I do appear to have them all this way.

If I was more daring and had the time and tools, I may have wanted to replace them but not now.

da9000 wrote:
@jdryyz

OK, I hadn't looked at the posted link in detail (I only saw the A3640 jumper settings). Well, at least I got'em right! :-)

Unfortunately then it sounds like either an incompatibility or a dead A3640.

Here are a couple more things to try:

1) Put up the brightness of your CRT so that it's not black but grayish. Turn on the Ami and note if the color changes to an even lighter gray. If so, the CPU is good. Otherwise, replace the CPU and try again.

2) Assuming in the above test the CPU is good, put your nose very close to the SMD capacitors (5 of them IIRC), and smell them. If there is some nasty stench, they've leaked. Also check to see if their solder pads are fuzzy vs. shiny. If shiny, no leaks. If fuzzy, they've leaked.

3) Desolder and replace the crystal oscillator. It could be dead. Unusual, but it's a possibility. In fact, before you desolder the crystal oscillator, I'd personally get some el-cheapo electrolytic caps and replace the SMD ones. You'll need 22uF @ 16Volts. Here's more info you'll need, because they've been soldered on backwards:
http://amiga.serveftp.net/A3640_capacitor.html


Good luck!

[redrumloa]

A3000s can be finicky, even 25Mhz versions. Back in my anachronism days i had at one time 2x A4000ds and 3 A3000ds for testing. One of the A3000d (25mhz) refused to take a Prometheus, period. It would work with every other zorro card I'd throw at it except prometheus. The prommy works with everything, including early 16mhz A3000d with oldest custom chips, so this was odd. Of all the prommy I ever sold, probably more than half went to A3000d owners. Yet I only ever heard of 1 other instance of this happening with a prommy.

That is probably why Commodore never offered the A3640 with A3000s :-(

[da9000]

alexh wrote:
Not true. There is a known problem with A3640 & A3000 with DMAC-02, RAMSEY-04 if you have Static Column ZIPs.

He said he has a A3640 (v3.1). As far as I know the problems with Static Column chips were with v3.0.

Where is the A3640 & DMAC-02/RAMSEY-04 documented?

[da9000]

jdryyz wrote:
it's hard to tell, really. They're just a little dirty looking but so are a lot of other spots on the board.

A picture (hi-res) is worth a thousand words :-)

jdryyz wrote:
That is interesting about the polarity of the caps. I do appear to have them all this way.

Not sure what you mean by "to have them all this way". What's "this" mean? Reversed or corrected?

jdryyz wrote:
If I was more daring and had the time and tools, I may have wanted to replace them but not now.

I thought you were in Canada, but I see you're in California. Not sure where Torrance falls, but if you're coming to AmiWest, then I can take a look and replace the caps for you (I posted about this someplace on the forum).

Good luck!

[T3000]

da9000 wrote:
but if you're coming to AmiWest, then I can take a look and replace the caps for you (I posted about this someplace on the forum).

That's awesome, can I bring my A3640s in for a checkup and tunning too? Ya ought to set up a table!  :-D

[da9000]

@T3000:

Sure! Check this post of mine for details:
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=38302

[alexh]

da9000 wrote:
He said he has a A3640 (v3.1). As far as I know the problems with Static Column chips were with v3.0.

Are you sure you are not getting your confused with your 3.1's? Using kickstart 3.1 is documented as a fix to the problem, not read anything about A3640 v3.1 being a fix.

da9000 wrote:
Where is the A3640 & DMAC-02/RAMSEY-04 documented?

Everywhere? Even the website listed earlier in this thread.

http://l8r.net/technical/t-a3640.shtml

KS2.04 ROMs will work with the A3640, execept if you have the combination of a RAMSEY-04 chip (which almost any A3000 has) and static column Fast-RAM. In this case, you need to exchange the SCRAM at least in bank 0 with page mode RAM chips or (even better) upgrade to AmigaOS 3.1 ROMs.

[Argus]

Three simple things to remember when using the A3640 in an A3000 (other than making the jumper settings on the m/b):

1) With Kickstart 3.1 roms, you can use either static column or page mode zips or a zip-to-simm adapter.  The problem with static column vs. page mode zips only surfaces with 2.04 roms.

2) Rev3.0 A3640s won't work in any A3000.  You need at least a version 3.1 or 3.2 A3640.  Either will work with Rev2DMAC and Rev4 Ramsey combo (no need to source Rev4DMAC and Rev7Ramsey).

3) Because of the low drive bridge, you need to source a low-profile heat sink for the A3640, especially if you plan to overclock it.

[mindprober]

Thanks for all the help, folks. I have actually returned the card to the party I bought it from. My A3000 will be going up for auction soon also....whenever I get around to pulling off some files and restore the original OS.

[da9000]

@Alexh:

yes, you're right, I got my 3.1s corn-fused :-)

@jdryyz:

:-( Hope you can get one that's working!