[comp.sys.amiga.tech] 1.3 setclock bug?

hugh@censor.UUCP (Hugh Gamble) (11/17/88)

I think I've run into a bug in 1.3 setclock, here's the story:

I was doing a HD backup with quarterback while reading the 
net news from a host using Handshake 2.10a when a Gomf 2.2
window came partway up on my 2000.  The window was there, but
the text & gadgets never showed up.  Then quarteback started
acting strange, then Handshake started acting strange, then I
rebooted.

When my startup sequence got to the setclock line I got a
message something like "Battery Backed up Clock not found"
I tried a cold boot, same thing.  Everything else was working
fine though.

OK, check the battery and find it's happily putting out 4V.

Then with a briliant flash of lack of stupidity I suspect
S/W rather than H/W trouble.  I checked the setclock
program in my c: was still the same as one on a backup floppy.
Yup.

With "setclock reset" giving the same not found message as
the setclock load in my startup, I then tried the 1.2
"setclock opt load".  It loaded the S/W clock & my system
then thought it was sometime in Dec. 1981.  After that
the 1.3 setclock works fine again!

My analysis:

I think a program running wild messed up the clock (set the
test bits?).  
I think the 1.3 setclock did not like it
that way & the reset option does not work properly.
I think the 1.2 setclock load *did* reset the test bits.
I think I'm happy I don't need to send my box out to get
fixed just after the 90 day warrantee is up.

What does anyone who *knows* something think about what
I think?

-- 
| Hugh D. Gamble  (416) 581-4354  {lsuc, utzoo}!censor!hugh  (Std. Disclaimers)
| I can push any computer to its limits.
| Any computer can push me to *my* limits.

johnf@light.ssl.berkeley.edu (John Flanagan) (11/18/88)

In article <120@censor.UUCP> hugh@censor.UUCP (Hugh Gamble) writes:
>I think I've run into a bug in 1.3 setclock, here's the story:
><...>
>When my startup sequence got to the setclock line I got a
>message something like "Battery Backed up Clock not found"
>I tried a cold boot, same thing.  Everything else was working
>fine though.

	I have just had a similar problem.  For the past week or so setclock
has occasionally failed with "Battery Backed up Clock not found".
Sometimes manually setting the time appeared to fixed it, sometimes rebooting
seemed to help.  Finally last night it failed and stayed that way.
Suspecting 1.3, I rebooted with my old 1.2 setup, and the setclock
still failed (albeit with a differently worded error message, but to
the same effect).  My setup is an A500 with the Microbotics 512k
internal expansion, which is supposed to be identical to the Commodore
expansion.  

	I read the spec sheet which came with the Microbotics
board, and it states that the first time the board is used, it may
have to be left in a powered-up computer for a few hours while the NiCad 
battery charges up.  Since my computer has been off more than usual in
the past few weeks, I decided to leave it on over night to see whether
the NiCad would charge up.  Just before I left for work this morning,
I tried setclock, and it worked!

	So, assuming Commodore also put a NiCad in the A2000, I would 
suggest trying to leave your Amiga on for a few hours to try to recharge it.
Also, you mention that you measured the battery output to be 4V.  I
don't know, but I suspect that it should put out 5V when at full charge.

>-- 
>| Hugh D. Gamble  (416) 581-4354  {lsuc, utzoo}!censor!hugh  (Std. Disclaimers)
>| I can push any computer to its limits.
>| Any computer can push me to *my* limits.

--John Flanagan
  johnf@sag4.ssl.berkeley.edu

jbwaters@bsu-cs.UUCP (J. Brian Waters) (11/19/88)

In article <120@censor.UUCP>, hugh@censor.UUCP (Hugh Gamble) writes:
> I think I've run into a bug in 1.3 setclock, here's the story:
> 
> When my startup sequence got to the setclock line I got a
> message something like "Battery Backed up Clock not found"
> I tried a cold boot, same thing.  Everything else was working
> fine though.
> 
> With "setclock reset" giving the same not found message as

I had something similar happen when I was running AMnews, the disk based
magazine.  It crashed and I reset the machine to reboot and the setclock load
would fail, with the clock not found message.  The setclock reset option would
not fix it.  By powering down to reboot I managed to clear up the problem.  Of
course I had to reset the time on the clock.

 -- 
Brian Waters              <backbone>!{iuvax|pur-ee}!bsu-cs!jbwaters
                                          uunet!---/