[comp.sys.atari.st] Hard disk - compiler woes.

rgg@uluru11.ecr.mu.oz (Rupert Graham GOLDIE) (09/06/89)

	I have been using my 1040 (1986 vintage) with a SH205 hard disk and
gulam (1.00) with Lattice C 3.04 for a while now, and about a week ago I 
started getting strange errors. First the compiler would start complaining
about a program in the second phase, with CXERR 28 and other CXERRs as well
sometimes. BUT this was with programs which I had compiled successfully before.
	Then it got worse. Make would bomb out after only printing one 
character on the screen, then using the compiler I would get 2, 3 or even 4
bombs while it was compiling (and it would keep merrily compiling). I tried it
without gulam and still got the same problems. I tried compiling with all the
source files in a ram disk and it did work one time, but the next time it only
worked for about 3 or so files and then it started bombing again. I thought I
might have a virus, but vdu and viruskill didn't think so. I reformatted the
hard disk but still no luck. The only time I can get the compiler to work is
from a ramdisk using floppies instead of the harddisk.
	Most other programs work, while I am using the hard disk,except that
sometimes I get a TOS error #35 when trying to run something. I only have
trouble when I'm using the hard disk, but reformatting the hard disk didn't
help. 
	Does anyone have any idea what it could be ??? I'm going crazy not
being able to use the hard disk for programming.
	Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

	Rupert G. Goldie 	rgg@uluru.ecr.mu.oz.au

hase@netmbx.UUCP (Hartmut Semken) (09/08/89)

In article <2037@munnari.oz.au> rgg@uluru11.ecr.mu.oz (Rupert Graham GOLDIE) writes:
>	I have been using my 1040 (1986 vintage) with a SH205 hard disk and
[...]
>hard disk but still no luck. The only time I can get the compiler to work is
>from a ramdisk using floppies instead of the harddisk.

Sounds like a "lonely" DMA chip to me: the chip does not have the right
contact to its socket.

Maybe the cheap socket, Atari used, is getting old.

It's fixed easily: open Your computer (should not be too hard... the
thick one is the right end of the screwdriver :-), locate the DMA chip
(40 pin, 600 mil package, in socket, close to the harddisk connector and
floppy controller), pull it out (a Swiss army pocket knife blade is just
under 600 mils wide; works perfectly; long live Mac Gyver!) and put it
back in.

If the problem persists, get a gold plated "precision" socket (the
expensive type) and plug it between the chip and the original socket:
the gold plated pins of the socet are more wide than IC pins and
therefore issue more pressure to the old socket; gives better contact.

If the problem still persists, pull out MCU and GLUE (the 68 pin PLCC
chips) and push them back. There sockets can also cause trouble.

(If the problem still is there: call Your dealer or wait for a cheap
used ST show up; they already do here; a lot of STe's are beeing
ordered...)


I had similiar trouble and solved it by replacing all cheap sockets.

My (much hacked) 1985 520ST+ still works perfectly...

hase
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