BigRamPlus?

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

OK, I see the connection between the BigRam+ and the OS, but if the board is available in 3.1, then it is working; if unavailable in 3.5, then there is a bad install or something similar going on; I can't figure out how a HDD mask (using default settings) would affect an autoconfig device already in place by the time the HDD is initiated.

Personally I would vote for junking the crappy 3.5 install, format the hard drive and install a fresh copy of 3.9, but maybe that's just me.  

Either way, a boot with no Startup-Sequence and typing avail should show the memory.  It may have some kind of issue that is 3.1 disk is working around, like maybe it's got an AddMem command stuck in there, or something.  May help to analyze further why it works when booting off the 3.1 floppy but not off 3.5 on the hard drive.  Post the startup-sequence off your 3.1 disk?

[danbeaver]

The BigRam+ autoconfigures for KS 2.04 and up, so it should be available before KS turns over control the a boot floppy or HDD.

So I vote to ditch 3.5 and do a fresh install of 3.9 as Mike says.  OS3.9 updates a lot of drivers and with the evolving Boing Bag #4 is being updated by concerned citizens of Amiga township.

At the least work in sequence: Do a fresh HDD install of 3.1 to see if it works, then an Clean upgrade to OS3.5, and finally upgrade to 3.9.

[bjjones37]

You have to type in a new value, press enter, and then save changes.

HDToolbox is funny that way.  If you don't press enter after each field it can act funny.  Known bug.

Thanks for that.  I was able to change the mask, but apparently that was not my problem.  Is anyone known to have a BigRAMPlus board working with Workbench 3.5?  I have no other boards in my system and have tried different slots. My kickstart is 3.1.  I have uploaded the startup-sequence from the WB31 boot disk.  It should be the original unaltered file from the install disks. Nothing special.

I am beginning to wonder if it is the OS patch from a boing bag.

[danbeaver]

It works in a normal install of OS3.5, no additions needed.

Try the suggestions Mike and I have suggested.

In addition, the startup text you posted is for a floppy based WorkBench; try:

C:SetPatch QUIET
C:Version >NIL:
C:AddBuffers >NIL: DF0: 15
FailAt 21

C:MakeDir RAM:T RAM:Clipboards RAM:ENV RAM:ENV/Sys
C:Copy >NIL: ENVARC: RAM:ENV ALL NOREQ

Resident >NIL: C:Assign PURE
Resident >NIL: C:Execute PURE

Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV
Assign >NIL: T: RAM:T
Assign >NIL: CLIPS: RAM:Clipboards
Assign >NIL: REXX: S:
Assign >NIL: PRINTERS: DEVS:Printers
Assign >NIL: KEYMAPS: DEVS:Keymaps
Assign >NIL: LOCALE: SYS:Locale
Assign >NIL: LIBS: SYS:Classes ADD
Assign >NIL: HELP: LOCALE:Help DEFER

BindDrivers ;really unneeded if no drivers in SYS:Expansion
C:Mount >NIL: DEVS:DOSDrivers/~(#?.info)

IF EXISTS DEVS:Monitors
  IF EXISTS DEVS:Monitors/VGAOnly
    DEVS:Monitors/VGAOnly
  EndIF

  C:List >NIL: DEVS:Monitors/~(#?.info|VGAOnly) TO T:M LFORMAT "DEVS:Monitors/%s"
  Execute T:M
  C:Delete >NIL: T:M
EndIF

SetEnv Language "english"
SetEnv Workbench $Workbench
SetEnv Kickstart $Kickstart
UnSet Workbench
UnSet Kickstart

C:AddDataTypes REFRESH QUIET

C:IPrefs

C:ConClip

Path >NIL: RAM: C: SYS:Utilities SYS:Rexxc SYS:System S: SYS:Prefs SYS:WBStartup SYS:Tools SYS:Tools/Commodities

  Execute S:User-Startup

Resident Execute REMOVE
Resident Assign REMOVE

C:LoadWB SKIP ;Skips cuts out any WBStartup items
EndCLI >NIL:

[bjjones37]

With the exception of a few commented lines, that Startup-Sequence is identical to the one I use with WB35 on my hard drive.  

I just realized something.  When I cold boot (power-on), the memory is not seen.  But if I do a warm boot (Ctrl-A-A), the memory shows up.

I noticed previously that when I hold down the mouse buttons on boot up, the board appears in the Boot Menu diagnostic.  But If I wait a couple seconds to hold the buttons (I suspect after AmigaOS ROM Update loads) the memory board no longer appears in the Boot Menu diagnostic.

Annoying.  It may be some reset circuit on the MB not functioning properly.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I'm just grasping at straws at this point.  You said this is the only expansion board you have, right?  Do you have any other boards you can test with to see if maybe the problem is with your expansion bus?  Have you cleaned and re-seated the backplane connector?  Is there any possibility of testing this board on another system?

[danbeaver]

I may be grasping at straws as well, but have you thought that a bad "setpatch + ROM update" is changing your vectors and a clean ipartition with a fresh install might fix it?  At least disable the ROM update by renaming it or "C:Setpatch NOROMUPDATE" in your S:S-S file.

[bjjones37]

I pulled out the daughterboard and cleaned out the motherboard slot and the daughterboard connector and slots with 91% alcohol.  If I disable the ROM update, most of my hard drive partitions will be inaccessible.

 I use a 120GB HD and only the first two partitions are within the 4GB limit.

The RAM board is the only Zorro III board I have.  I have an A2620 and an A2630 but those would not help at all.

I am kind of saving wiping the hard drive as a last resort.  Don't really want to lose all that effort.


I am relieved to know that it works correctly after a warm boot.

[Acill]

So I picked up one of the 256MB versions of this. I cant get it to work in my A4000T. I have a mediator and have read it works fine with one, but when the card is installed my mediator doesnt show up and I get no RAM from the bigramplus. If I pull it out I get my mediator and cards back.

I have tried it with the winsize jumper open and closed as well as the swap config open and closed. Any help would be appreciated.

[Acill]

So after moving some cards around and making sure the swap jumper is open on my A4000T mediator I decided to try this BigRamPlus once more. Amikit asked me to see what it shows in early startup, and in every ZIII slot it shows as defective. Here is an example picture. Is this a bad card or a bad config? In anycase I am stuck with a board I am not sure works.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Well, that Expansion Board Diagnostic screenshot you posted seems pretty straight-forward.

Probably a dumb question, but do you have any other systems you can test it in?

[mechy]

I pulled out the daughterboard and cleaned out the motherboard slot and the daughterboard connector and slots with 91% alcohol.  If I disable the ROM update, most of my hard drive partitions will be inaccessible.

 I use a 120GB HD and only the first two partitions are within the 4GB limit.

The RAM board is the only Zorro III board I have.  I have an A2620 and an A2630 but those would not help at all.

I am kind of saving wiping the hard drive as a last resort.  Don't really want to lose all that effort.


I am relieved to know that it works correctly after a warm boot.

I may of missed this, but what revision of 3640 are you using(or accelerator?). are you using custom modified roms?
I have heard of cases where the term resistors on the slotboard were installed backward- may be something to check.

[mechy]

So after moving some cards around and making sure the swap jumper is open on my A4000T mediator I decided to try this BigRamPlus once more. Amikit asked me to see what it shows in early startup, and in every ZIII slot it shows as defective. Here is an example picture. Is this a bad card or a bad config? In anycase I am stuck with a board I am not sure works.

The 4000t with mediator is super picky on the card order,it could be you are running out of zorro3 space with the particular order. i will check with a friend who runs a 4000t,i think he uses a zoram but i am not sure.

Can you try it in a A3000 or A4000 and see if it shows ok?

[Acill]

Well, that Expansion Board Diagnostic screenshot you posted seems pretty straight-forward.

Probably a dumb question, but do you have any other systems you can test it in?

The 4000t with mediator is super picky on the card order,it could be you are running out of zorro3 space with the particular order. i will check with a friend who runs a 4000t,i think he uses a zoram but i am not sure.

Can you try it in a A3000 or A4000 and see if it shows ok?

I'm trying to get ahold of someone in the area I know with an A4000 but havent got a reply back. I suspect he is gone for holiday. I have tried every free slot with the memory window jumper (SWAP) in both positions. It returns the same defect error on all attempts in early startup.

[AltRN8]

Did you ever get this resolved? I was about to try the same thing but wanted to see if you learned anything first.

[spudje]

Sorry to revive this thread. I have no real problem using my BigRAMplus in my A4000 with Mediator 4000Di MK III (3,3v) being recognised in both AOS 3.x and AOS 4.1. However it is not running all too stable in AOS3.x. So now I'm wondering (amongst other things) what is the Mediator jumper settings needed.

I have:
A4000D
2Chip + 16 FastRAM
Buster 11
CSPPC + 128 MB
Mediator 4000Di
Voodoo 3
PCI NIC
Highway USB
BigRAMPlus 256 MB

If I follow this guide https://mediators.github.io my mediator jumpers would be:
Master: Closed
Winsize: Open (since my voodoo has much less than 256 MB)
Swap: Closed since the BigRAMplus supports DMA, correct?