Blizzard 1230/50 MKIV problem (Black Screen)

[EnyGmaTiK]

(I posted earlier on another thread but i thought i could get more expose creating a new one)

I bought this accelerator off e-bay, but when i plug it to my A1200, i get a black screen and nothing more...

What could cause this?

PSU not delivering enough power?
Dead Blizzard?  :-(

[mikeymike]

Unlikely on PSU.  What PSU is it btw, the stock A1200 one?  If you have an A500 one that is a more powerful one.

I don't know the error colour codes, try searching the net for them, or someone else here will help you out (you might want to change the subject line of the original post to get more appropriate attention).  Are you sure you plugged it in properly?

Could be a dead card.

[EnyGmaTiK]

Thanks. The PSU is from a stock A600.

I've searched the forum and i came up with this:

-Black
Opening screen
Initial Hardware tests passed
Initial system software tests passed
Final initialisation test passed

 :-?

[amiga1260]

Try this:

Take the card out and the put it your expansion port. Now the machine should boot up. I had this problem once.

[x56h34]

Usually happens when the accelerator is not properly plugged in, or when the accelerator doesn't like the on-board memory SIMM.

Make sure that your memory-speed jumper is set accordingly in regards to what your SIMM speed is (e.g. 60ns or 70ns).

Take out the memory simm (if you have it installed) and try booting without it.

[EnyGmaTiK]

As i'm trying now without any SIMM (to narrow down the problem) it's not a incompatibility with the SIMM...

As for the card may not be properly plugged in... i've pressed the card until it ' clicked ' on the port, so it must be right...

Any ideas?

[EnyGmaTiK]

amiga1260 wrote:
Try this:

Take the card out and the put it your expansion port. Now the machine should boot up. I had this problem once.

Could you explained it better?
Take the card out, and put it back again?

[amiga1260]

I mean that you take your Blizzard card out and insert the Blizzard card again. Then switch the power button.

I now hope you know what I mean.

[EnyGmaTiK]

Yes I do  :-D .

Tried no luck.

[patrik]

@EnyGmaTiK:

As the A600 powersupply only can supply 3A on the 5V rail, make sure to try without harddrive, extra diskdrive etc connected to get as much power as possible available for the accelerator.

(edit): Btw, the port is not designed to give any clicking sound when inserting the accelerator. The connector is of the type used for example in PCI-bus connectors which you can find on a normal PC-motherboard. Maybe if you insert it extremely fast it will make a sound when the circuitboard part on the A1200 motherboard hits the bottom of the connector on the accelerator, but thats about it.


/Patrik

[EnyGmaTiK]

Yes I do  :-D .

Tried no luck.

[Brian]

When you power on do the powerled light up twice, blink or it stay in the "dimmed" state constantly?

The 23W PSU you have is not strong enough to power your machine with the card and you can count on it to either fail powering up your machine or at the very least be grilled in short. A 50W A500 PSU should do it.

Are you sure it's a Blizzard1230IV? Those cards did as far as I know only come in 50Mhz versions (earlier revs came in 40Mhz versions) so you might in that case have a card that have been tampered with already.

If a stronger PSU don't do the trick it might be one of many other Ebay "as is/no warranty" sales that most often are dammaged goods. :-(

[EnyGmaTiK]

Yes, i'm sure it's the 1230IV ( is stated on the board itself) and you're right is 1230/50... my bad :-D

When i power on the Powerled lights up, and stays on, it does not blink.

As for the PSU being not strong enough i tried earlier powering up the miggy with only the Bliz, i removed the FD and HDD... and no luck... same black screen.
I don't know if this is prove that the PSU is powerfull enough for the Blizz, but i hope it isn't... and that i just need a new powerfull PSU.

P.S. My PSU is 20w

[patrik]

@EnyGmaTiK:

20W is even less than the stock A1200 powersupply I am afraid. Can you check how much current it gives on the 5V rail? I am pretty sure the stock A1200 powersupply always was a 25W model, atleast everyone I have seen have been. When I got a Blizzard1230IV/50 (without the 68882 FPU) for my A1200, it was enough to just power the A1200 with the Blizzard1230IV/50 with a 4MB simm, but nothing more. If I added a harddrive it just kept guruing (flashing the powerled) when I powered it up.


/Patrik

[EnyGmaTiK]

I was wrong, it's indeed 25W ( i don't know where i've seen 20W  :-P )

230~240V ~ 300mA 50Hz

Output:

+5v ~ 3.0A
+12v ~ 500mA
-12v ~ 100mA

That is the specs of the PSU