[comp.sys.amiga.tech] what does flashing green at boot mean?

jojo@astroatc.UUCP (Jon Wesener) (11/09/88)

	When my amy gave up the ghost recently, the system no longer
booted and flashed a green screen on the monitor.  Could someone
in the know tell me what this means and have any idea what it
would take/cost to fix?

--j
-- 
... {seismo | harvard } ! {uwvax | cs.wisc.edu} ! astroatc!jojo
"The younger bums quit school at seven, words total seven;
    to who can they speak when their words total seven?"

eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) (11/10/88)

In article <1286@astroatc.UUCP> jojo@astroatc.UUCP (Jon Wesener) writes:
>	When my amy gave up the ghost recently, the system no longer
>booted and flashed a green screen on the monitor.  Could someone
>in the know tell me what this means and have any idea what it
>would take/cost to fix?

Green = bad RAM.  Make sure any expansion RAM boards you may have did not come
loose.  And make sure contacts are clean.
-- 
Eric Cotton
Commodore-Amiga                                               (215) 431-9100
1200 Wilson Drive                              {rutgers|allegra}!cbmvax!eric
West Chester, PA 19380            "I don't find this stuff amusing anymore."

wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (11/16/88)

Could someone sumarize the other diagnostic screen colors too?  I'd
also be interested in finding out the significance (if any) of the
LED flashing upon reset.  Ie: does it blink some interesting
pattern if the other diagnostic routes are too messed up to show
something on the screen?  I know the audio at boot-up is from one
of Wagner's operas, although out of context is a bit tough to
recognize (extra points awarded if you know which one :-) ).

--Bill

bjc@pollux.UUCP (Betty J. Clay) (11/18/88)

In article <1410@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes:
>
>Could someone sumarize the other diagnostic screen colors too?  I'd
>also be interested in finding out the significance (if any) of the
>LED flashing upon reset.  Ie: does it blink some interesting
>
>--Bill
Here are some of the most likely colors to be displayed:
	Green - there is an error in a RAM chip
	Red   - an error was found in a ROM chip
	Blue  - something is wrong in one of the custom chips
	Yellow - a 68000 error was found before the guru was available

For the keyboard, these were true of the 1000, and I assume are still valid:
	One blink - keyboard ROM check failed
	Two blinks - keyboard RAM check failed
	Three blinks - watchdog timer test failed
	Four blinks - a short exists between two row lines or in one of
		      the seven control keys

Hope this helps.

Betty
=============================================================================
Betty Clay                                           .....killer!pollux!bjc
SYSOP/CompuServe AmigaForum                                  CIS: 76702,337
=============================================================================

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zlhb0a@apctrc.uucp (Lawrence H. Brown) (11/22/88)

In article <13147@pollux.UUCP> bjc@pollux.UUCP () writes:
=In article <1410@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes:
=>Could someone sumarize the other diagnostic screen colors too?  I'd
=>also be interested in finding out the significance (if any) of the
=>LED flashing upon reset.  Ie: does it blink some interesting
=>
=>--Bill
>Here are some of the most likely colors to be displayed:
>	Green - there is an error in a RAM chip

Ok, disclaimer first, I am not a hardware technician, and don't
do this if your system is still under warranty.           

Now, my Amiga 500 started acting funky a while back and finally
it locked up with the green screen displayed.  Bad RAM, I thinks.
I call our nearest hardware repair center (8 hour drive away!) and
moan on the phone.  I describe the problem and he says "Well, it could
be bad ram and then again maybe not,  I'd have to look first.

Hmmm.  I've seen lotsa notes about a chip (agnes) getting unseated,
and since I haul my amiga around at least once a week (designed a 
carryall rig out of a steamer trunk. (WORKS GREAT)) perhaps I've
jarred something loose, so just before biting the bullet, I take the
Amiga 500 apart (nice modular job, no sigs :< ) I press on every 
socketed chip, and plug it in.  Bingo, she's back to life!  Can you
say amen brother! Amys been healed!

Check the chips before shelling out the bucks.

P.S.  Jerry P. said something nice about the Amiga in BYTE!  Thanks
jdow! Now I see why there are rumours of a Amiga 3000 (68030/2meg/80386)
after seeing the MacIIx specs...get 'em C-A!!  ;')
    // You've heard of CATS, DOGS, & GOATS?  *NOW* TRY GERBILS!
   //   "Gladly Educating Real Beginners In Latest Software!"
\\//   Lawrence H. Brown       USENET: ...!uunet!apctrc!zlhb0a
 \/      (918-660-4389) USmail: 7325 E. 50th, Tulsa, OK 74145