[comp.sys.amiga.hardware] Motherboard revision differences

akcs.clemon@wcbcs (Craig Lemon) (06/27/90)

>Rev 3.x motherboards are the orginal "Dealer Demo" units
>Rev 4.x are the production boards with 256K DRAM chips.
>Rev 6.x are the production boards with 1M DRAM chips.
>-- 
>George Robbins - now working for,     uucp:  
>{uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
>but no way officially representing:   domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
>Commodore, Engineering Department     phone:  215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)

   I'm also interested in the question and answer previously stated.  I have
heard of the 2620 and 2630 not working on some 4.x motherboards due to some
sort of bus capacitors or some such thing.  I'm particularly interested in
4.2.  If the only difference is SUPPOSED to be the capacity of each DRAM,
why do the _Commodore Built_ accelerators fail to function (as I said, this
is what I've been told)?

--                            _
 Craig Lemon              // |_|               
 Kitchener, Ontario     \X/  | |  M  I  G  A   
                                               
 Amiga 2000 -- 2400 bps -- AmigaUUCP 1.03D     
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           ^^ Not Reliable Yet                 
         "Yes, it's my real name!!"

olson@donald.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Olson) (06/29/90)

In article <[2688b902:593.2]comp.sys.amiga.hardware;1@wcbcs> akcs.clemon@wcbcs (Craig Lemon) writes:
>   I'm also interested in the question and answer previously stated.  I have
>heard of the 2620 and 2630 not working on some 4.x motherboards due to some
>sort of bus capacitors or some such thing.  I'm particularly interested in
>4.2.  If the only difference is SUPPOSED to be the capacity of each DRAM,
>why do the _Commodore Built_ accelerators fail to function (as I said, this
>is what I've been told)?

	My 4.3 with a 1-meg Agnus works with my 2630..sorta.
Upon guru the screen will go blank, no guru message, just a blank screen,
when I then three finger salute, I  get the guru, then one more three
finger salute to get back to working order.  This is a slight pain at
times, but I can live with it unless there is a quick easy fix.

	So does anybody have any suggestions?

						Todd

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
   olson@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu     |   "Life SUCKS, but death doesn't    
   olson@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu     |   put out at all."                  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

dylan@cs.washington.edu (Dylan McNamee) (06/29/90)

In article <8439@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> olson@donald.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Olson) writes:
>	My 4.3 with a 1-meg Agnus works with my 2630..sorta.
>Upon guru the screen will go blank, no guru message, just a blank screen,
>when I then three finger salute, I  get the guru, then one more three
>finger salute to get back to working order.  This is a slight pain at
>times, but I can live with it unless there is a quick easy fix.

>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>   olson@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu     |   "Life SUCKS, but death doesn't    
>   olson@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu     |   put out at all."                  
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

What Todd describes is exactly the behavior I have experienced with
my _brand new_ 2500/30.  (6.x I forget the rev.)  I have been 
assuming this had something to do with the '030 cache or something.
(I do use SetCPU.)  Does anyone know the official word on this?

It is pretty annoying, but I'm sure people with rev 4.3 motherboards
are a bit happier that it isn't the age of their 2000 that causes it.

dylan mcnamee
dylan@cs.washington.edu

ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) (06/29/90)

In article <8439@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> olson@donald.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Olson) writes:
>	My 4.3 with a 1-meg Agnus works with my 2630..sorta.
>Upon guru the screen will go blank, no guru message, just a blank screen,
>when I then three finger salute, I  get the guru, then one more three
>finger salute to get back to working order.  This is a slight pain at
>times, but I can live with it unless there is a quick easy fix.

I see from this you're using SetCPU FASTROM.  The explanation for this
effect is that when you guru, the system performs a RESET operation,
which un-configures any auto-config devices or memory you have.  This
includes the RAM on-board the A2630 card.  But, when you use SetCPU
FASTROM, some of this RAM has been used to store a ROM image.  Now,
RESET doesn't affect any of the 68030's own state, meaning that the MMU
is still turned on and translating ROM addresses to that RAM area, but
now the RAM has disappeared.  So the CPU gets hung.  When you use the
three-finger reset, the MMU is then reset, the ROM image is properly
located, and the system proceeds.  It finds the GURU information and
reports it.

There is no fix for this, aside from not using FASTROM.

-- 
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" Seaman) (06/30/90)

dylan@cs.washington.edu (Dylan McNamee) writes:
< olson@donald.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Olson) writes:
< >	My 4.3 with a 1-meg Agnus works with my 2630..sorta.
< >Upon guru the screen will go blank, no guru message, just a blank screen,
< >when I then three finger salute, I  get the guru, then one more three
< >finger salute to get back to working order.  This is a slight pain at
< >times, but I can live with it unless there is a quick easy fix.
< 
< What Todd describes is exactly the behavior I have experienced with
< my _brand new_ 2500/30.  (6.x I forget the rev.)  I have been 
< assuming this had something to do with the '030 cache or something.
< (I do use SetCPU.)  Does anyone know the official word on this?

I have also noticed this same behavior on my 2500/20, since I started
using SetCPU (last fall).  I never had the problem prior to that.  I also
believe Dave Haynie had something to say about this.  Does Dave know Guru's?
BTW, I think my motherboard is rev. 4.4, but I can't be sure (it's been
a while since I opened up the box).

-- 
Chris (Insert phrase here) Seaman |    ___-/^\-___          qatul batlh.
cseaman@sequent <or>              |  //__--\O/--__\\        qatul Huch.
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The Home of the Killer Smiley     | `\             /'

grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) (07/02/90)

In article <[2688b902:593.2]comp.sys.amiga.hardware;1@wcbcs> akcs.clemon@wcbcs (Craig Lemon) writes:
> >Rev 3.x motherboards are the orginal "Dealer Demo" units
> >Rev 4.x are the production boards with 256K DRAM chips.
> >Rev 6.x are the production boards with 1M DRAM chips.
>
>    I'm also interested in the question and answer previously stated.  I have
> heard of the 2620 and 2630 not working on some 4.x motherboards due to some
> sort of bus capacitors or some such thing.  I'm particularly interested in
> 4.2.  If the only difference is SUPPOSED to be the capacity of each DRAM,
> why do the _Commodore Built_ accelerators fail to function (as I said, this
> is what I've been told)?

There is a pullup resistor that is added various versions of the motherboards
as a pre-requisite for installing an A2630.  Adding this resistor is supposed
to be part of the dealer installation of the A2630, otherwise you need to get
in touch with a service center.  For those unofficially inclined, the details
have been posted in comp.sys.amiga.* more than a few times...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing:   domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
Commodore, Engineering Department     phone:  215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)

ammrk@swpyr2.sbc.com (Mike R. Kraml) (07/03/90)

In article <8439@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> olson@donald.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Olson) writes:
>In article <[2688b902:593.2]comp.sys.amiga.hardware;1@wcbcs> akcs.clemon@wcbcs (Craig Lemon) writes:
>>   I'm also interested in the question and answer previously stated.  I have
>>heard of the 2620 and 2630 not working on some 4.x motherboards due to some
>>sort of bus capacitors or some such thing.  I'm particularly interested in
>>4.2.  If the only difference is SUPPOSED to be the capacity of each DRAM,
>>why do the _Commodore Built_ accelerators fail to function (as I said, this
>>is what I've been told)?
>
>	My 4.3 with a 1-meg Agnus works with my 2630..sorta.
>Upon guru the screen will go blank, no guru message, just a blank screen,
>when I then three finger salute, I  get the guru, then one more three
>finger salute to get back to working order.  This is a slight pain at
>times, but I can live with it unless there is a quick easy fix.
>
>	So does anybody have any suggestions?
>						Todd
--> Nope: Sorry Todd, I have the same problem with my 4.2 rev motherboard.  
I have just lived with it for the last couple years or so.  Oh, by the way, 
mine does it with or without the 2630 or the super fat Agnus installed.  
    However, I would like to comment on the 2630 & 4.2.  I did have a strange
reboot problem. If I rebooted from the 2-button mouse screen, I would loose 
all my expansion cards.  The fix was to remove C909 over by the 8520s on the
mother board, (evidently it was causing noisy resets, preventing autoconfig
devices from autoconfiging), that did the trick.  All is fine now, except 
for the double 3-key from a guru to reboot syndrome.  

P.S. Thanks Dave Haynie for the info on C909, I was getting pretty desperate.

>
>--
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>   olson@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu     |   "Life SUCKS, but death doesn't    
>   olson@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu     |   put out at all."                  
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

   Good luck guys, Mike...

 =============================================================================
  Mike Kraml - Manager-Separations MECHANIZATION - SWBT - (The Techies)
  UUCP: {uunet, bellcore, texbell}...!swbatl.sbc.com!ammrk   
 =============================================================================

daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (07/04/90)

In article <12414@june.cs.washington.edu> dylan@june.cs.washington.edu (Dylan McNamee) writes:
>In article <8439@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> olson@donald.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Olson) writes:
>>	My 4.3 with a 1-meg Agnus works with my 2630..sorta.
>>Upon guru the screen will go blank, no guru message, just a blank screen,
>>when I then three finger salute, I  get the guru, then one more three
>>finger salute to get back to working order.  

>What Todd describes is exactly the behavior I have experienced with
>my _brand new_ 2500/30.  (6.x I forget the rev.)  I have been 
>assuming this had something to do with the '030 cache or something.
>(I do use SetCPU.)  Does anyone know the official word on this?

This isn't a problem with your A2500, either old or new.  It's the effect of
a crash upon the system when you're relocating the system ROM with SetCPU.

The deal is this.  SetCPU starts up, allocates a big chunk of memory, moves
your ROM image into it, builts the appropriate MMU table, turns on the MMU,
and all of a sudden you're hauling butt with a 32 bit ROM.  Good deal, eh?
Only, along comes a system error of some kind.  Along with system errors
come system resets, via the 680x0 RESET instruction.  The problem is here --
when the OS resets the system, that's a CPU-generated reset that only will
reset system devices, not the CPU.  While the MMU registers are a member of
the CPU set, the memory that your really fast ROM image runs from is a 
member of the device set.  So the RESET yanks the OS out from under itself
by resetting your autoconfiguring memory.  The three-finger reset is a hard
reset, which will kick both devices and CPUs back to their reset state, and
so the system wakes up then, finds the GURU it wanted to tell you about, and
reports it.

The 2.0 system handles this situation better, by providing a Reset() call
in exec.  This allows a program such a SetCPU to create it's own Reset()
function that will safely shut down the MMU prior to issuing the soft
RESET.

>dylan mcnamee
>dylan@cs.washington.edu


-- 
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