A4000T monitor

[Matt_H]

Yes:

NOPASSTHROUGH should be disabled
PASSTHROUGH should be enabled
The bridge cable should be connected

Then with the monitor plugged into the scandoubler you should see all of your screenmodes on that monitor.

(Unless the previous owner changed the jumpers on the scandoubler. But let's not consider that for the moment.)

Please try the above configuration and report back.

[SirGraham]

Hi again.

NOPASSTHROUGH is now disabled, PASSTHROUGH is enabled and the bridge is on. This way, CyberVision should send the signal to the scandoubler and this one to the connected TV.

Please, note that I can plug the bridge in two ways, with the red line of the grey wide cable to each side. However, I have appreciated no changes between them. In the pic, that line is seen easyly and is now closest to the back of the tower.

Here are my tests:

1.- In order to install the bridge, I had to remove ImpactVision 24 card. Under this situation, I booted the computer and saw better than before: vertical lines are really vertical. This is the best image so far.

2.- I decided to install ImpactVision 24 and switching on the computer. I couldn't believe when I saw that I had a worse image quality: vertical lines had in and outs again. So, I removed again the ImpactVision.

I have uploaded a file containing an image of the card. The half bottom is the scandoubler. You can see the bridge by the center of the image and a couple of jumpers in two red circles.

Scandoubler manual says both jumpers, JP1 and JP2, should be closed for one monitor configuration. They are that way, aren't they?

I've been trying several modes with CGXMode successfully so I can choose now between PAL and Cybervision modes in ScreenMode. I have now my desktop at 1024x768x16 bits. I have PERFECT images on my TV. Wonderful!!!

Now, the question: what ImpactVision 24 is for? A frame grabber? What does that mean? That I can record everything displayed on the screen? How much would people give me for it? 150-200$ or so? I have never seen that card on sale on the Internet.

I have to try to reinsert the ImpactVision to see what happens, but I'm a bit tired. Aren't supposed these cards are independent?

Thank you once more.

[Matt_H]

Looks like you're all set with the Cybervision - congrats!

You can read more about the ImpactVision here. I'm assuming you have the A4000 version. The regular version doesn't use all of the pins in the 4000T video slot. It's definitely more of a video processing card than a display card.

So, you're seeing interference when you have both the CV and IV plugged in. I can think of a few possibilities:
-Faulty IV card
-IV is incompatible with CV or CV scandoubler
-IV is incompatible with 4000T's multiple video slots and is getting confused
-Grounding/earthing issues

You might be able to diagnose most of these issues by trying the card in another Amiga, but otherwise I think it will be a difficult process to figure out what might be happening.

Having recently installed a CV and scandoubler combination, I know that it's incredibly difficult and frustrating to insert and remove them together, so now that they're installed I suggest leaving them exactly where they are. Unfortunately, that makes determining the IV card issues more of a challenge.

[SirGraham]

Hi.

If I plug CV and then IV, the image is not good and moves all the time. If I plug IV and then the CV, the image is better but not perfect with vertical lines having in and outs. I think this is odd.

Because of that, I've decided to have IV unplugged. Everything seems to be OK that way but leaves me the thought of what could be wrong or what with that card.

As far as I know, my Amiga was used at a local TV station and both cards should work well. Seller never told me IV to be broken so I suppose it is not or it is?

By the way, the machine has 64 mb, but I can see three memory banks in the motherboard. I can't see them very well but I think they are all equal, among other things, in capacity. But you can't divide 64 by 3. Any ideas???

Hey, Matt_H, as I said a few posts ago, I bought an A500 in 1990 and sold it in 2000. In 2006 came to my head the idea of owning another and a better one. Auctions on the net are aggresive and a bit expensive. I've been lucky with my machine and you have helped me a lot with the very important issue of the monitor.

I can enjoy again many things, years after like Battle Chess and, of course, I can discover MANY things I missed those years.

Thank you again.

Your friend, Carlos.

[slaapliedje]

By the way, the machine has 64 mb, but I can see three memory banks in the motherboard. I can't see them very well but I think they are all equal, among other things, in capacity. But you can't divide 64 by 3. Any ideas???

If I were to hazard a guess, you've either got a bad chip, or you're not seeing all of your memory.  If you do indeed have a towerized A4000D, and the 68060 accelerator, you should have TWO spots that have memory.  The normal A4000D (and I think the A4000T) was limited to 16mb of ram and 2mb of chip memory.  If you're seeing 64mb of fast memory, it could be that you have two 32mb sticks in the accelerator, with none on the motherboard, and they have to be in pairs, so the third one just isn't detected (or is bad).  Or you could have 3 16mb ones on the accelerator, and the 4 4mb ones on the motherboard would give you 64mb of fast memory, but I am pretty sure you have to have them in pairs...

Stupid memory... mine is failing!    It's funny that SIMMS had to be in pairs, then DIMMS didn't, then all of a sudden they don't HAVE to be, but they SHOULD be in pairs for dual-channel, then now newer systems handle triple channel as well...

Otherwise, I really can't figure out how you have 3 chips with 64mb of ram.  And where is the Chip memory?

slaapliedje

[Matt_H]

@ SirGraham

Happy to help! Sorry the IV is proving so hard to get working. I'm pretty much out of ideas on that front. Maybe if a manual turns up it will provide some other insight. The only other thing I can think of is to try it in the other video slot, but that requires moving the CV and scandoubler, which is a frustrating thing to do.

As slaapliedje says, there must be some RAM on your accelerator if you're seeing 64MB. The motherboard RAM slots max out at 4MB each (16MB total). You can see the various chunks of RAM in your system by running SYS:Tools/ShowConfig. It's just barely human readable, but it will tell you (for example) that you have 8MB at one address, and 32MB at another address, and 2MB at a third address.

If you report back with your accelerator model we can tell you more. Or you can look it up on the site I linked earlier.

[SirGraham]

After a while opening the tower and looking that WEB, here's, a bit better, what it's inside:
 
1.- Phase 5 digital Products CyberStorm Mk2. Those 3 memory banks are inserted in this card. I haven't tried nothing about this.

ShowConfig says:

Node type $A, Attributes $505 (FAST), at $8000000-$BFFFFFF (64.0 meg)
Node type $A, Attributes $703 (CHIP), at $2000-$1FFFFF (~2.0 meg)

A question: if I unplug this card, the Amiga would work? Because it's the CPU what you're removing but, on the other hand, this is an expansion card. Should 68040 work in that case? Do I have two CPU's?

By the way, it should be a 68060@50 mHz. Running the bench SysInfo, it reports me it's 2'05 times faster than a 68040@25 mHz. I think it should be more because the frequency is doubled (25 ---> 50) and my CPU is better (040 ---> 060). What do you think?

2.- Phase 5 digital Products CyberSCSI MK2. Nothing to mention.

3.- There´s something more. Behind the CyberStorm Mk2 and Micronik 6960 cards there's another big one I can hardly see.

Micronik card is screwed to the tower.  By unscrewing it I will be able to see the big card and get more info but this scares me a bit. Everything is working quite fine now and, in that situation, removing it... pufff.... It is supposed this big card has 16 mb leaving 48 to the CyberStorm? I'm a bit confussed with this card because I thought it was the motherboard (CV and IV can be inserted in it) but now, I don't know.

CyberStorm should be plugged to the big card. I see no screws for it but the back side image of that card says so.

[mechy]

After a while opening the tower and looking that WEB, here's, a bit better, what it's inside:
 
1.- Phase 5 digital Products CyberStorm Mk2. Those 3 memory banks are inserted in this card. I haven't tried nothing about this.

ShowConfig says:

Node type $A, Attributes $505 (FAST), at $8000000-$BFFFFFF (64.0 meg)
Node type $A, Attributes $703 (CHIP), at $2000-$1FFFFF (~2.0 meg)

A question: if I unplug this card, the Amiga would work? Because it's the CPU what you're removing but, on the other hand, this is an expansion card. Should 68040 work in that case? Do I have two CPU's?

By the way, it should be a 68060@50 mHz. Running the bench SysInfo, it reports me it's 2'05 times faster than a 68040@25 mHz. I think it should be more because the frequency is doubled (25 ---> 50) and my CPU is better (040 ---> 060). What do you think?

2.- Phase 5 digital Products CyberSCSI MK2. Nothing to mention.

3.- There´s something more. Behind the CyberStorm Mk2 and Micronik 6960 cards there's another big one I can hardly see.

Micronik card is screwed to the tower.  By unscrewing it I will be able to see the big card and get more info but this scares me a bit. Everything is working quite fine now and, in that situation, removing it... pufff.... It is supposed this big card has 16 mb leaving 48 to the CyberStorm? I'm a bit confussed with this card because I thought it was the motherboard (CV and IV can be inserted in it) but now, I don't know.

CyberStorm should be plugged to the big card. I see no screws for it but the back side image of that card says so.

From what you show, there is 64Mb on the cyberstorm accelerator(you cannot remove this,it IS the cpu and without it the machine will not run).
judging by the sysinfo output there is no ram on the 4000 mainboard(which is correct,its best to remove this ram and use only cyberstorm accelerator ram because its quicker).
There is 1 simm on the 4000 board for the 2MB chip ram,which is different from fast ram.

The cyberstorm also can be upgraded to 128Mb with 4- 32MB simms.

Technically you don't have a real commodore A4000t. you have a desktop A4000 motherboard in a micronik tower with their custom slotboard.
Generally "A4000t" refers to the commodore/AT/quikpak towers.
but we knew what you meant

Doubling MHZ does not necessarily mean double the performance. this is normal.There are more factors in performance you have to consider.
Sysinfo was written before 060 cards were common or popular and generally is not going to give a good reading.

Take sysinfo results with a grain of salt, we often nicknamed it "sys(MIS)info"
Its good for quick and dirty tests but i wouldn't bet the farm on it.

try "WhichAmiga" from aminet to find out the exact cpu and revision.

the "large" card under the micronik board is the main amiga motherboard.

Mech

[SirGraham]

Technically you don't have a real commodore A4000t. you have a desktop  A4000 motherboard in a micronik tower with their custom slotboard.
Generally "A4000t" refers to the commodore/AT/quikpak towers.

Let's say I have a Frankenstein Amiga. :laugh1:

I've downloaded WhichAmiga. With ImpactVision 24 out and here's the report:

Central Processing Unit: MC68060 50.0 MHz (rev 5)
    Floating Point Unit: 68060 fpu
 Memory Management Unit: 68060mmu running
   Custom graphics chip: AGA Lisa 4203 (rev 0)
  Custom animation chip: AGA PAL Alice 8374, rev 3-4
   Other custom chip(s): Paula 8364 (rev 0), Ramsey (rev 15), Gary (rev 0)
        Graphics system: CyberGraphX
      Graphics board(s): CyberVision 64/3D
         Hardware clock: clock found
 Max. Chipmem available: 2048 K
 Max. Fastmem available: 65536 K
       Rom chip version: 40.68 (Kickstart 3.1)
      Workbench version: 40.42 (Workbench 3.1)
       SetPatch version: 43.6
     Expansion board(s):
8512/67: Phase 5 Digital Products CyberVision 64/3D (@$40000000 256M)
8512/25: Phase 5 Digital Products CyberStorm 64/3D (@$00EA0000 128M)

Your computer is an Amiga 4000

64 mb and three memory banks... hum... I opened the tower yesterday, removed a bank, booted and saw I had 48 mb. Therefore, the removed bank was 16 mb and the other two, I think (because I can't see them), are equal to the first one so I suppose they are 16 mb each. That gives 16*3=48 mb. Where's the rest? The only thing I came up with is that they must be inserted in the motherboard, which I can't see. Perhaps 4 4mb banks giving 16 mb. Perhaps only one 16mb bank. Don't know.

How can I know the manufacturer? Being 68060@50 MHz makes me discard Commodore and think about Escom. The thing is that CyberStorm Mk2 could have been inserted any year and that makes possible to be Commodore.

I also tried the ImpactVision, with the same results. Workbench desktop is ok, but when I load BattleChess, vertical lines are not, having in and outs. As far as I remember, a testing program said this card needs drivers but that's odd because the seller, I suppose, had all installed. Definitely, I'll leave it removed. It's a pity.