Buddha 20 Year anniversary issue with media

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Don't Panic. Please wash hands.

    Buddha can read my IDE device configs, but is not reading\writing partitions or data


    Notes:

    This is a brand new Amiga 2000 using Floppie209 motherboard Gerbers
    Buddha 20 year anniversary card is the first Zorro II card installed in this board.

    Buddha bought from iComp one month ago in anticipation of this build

    Board setup: 68000 CPU, ACE2b, KS 3.2 ROM


    Procedure \ Observations:

    I installed the Buddha card into the Zorro II slot nearest the CPU

    Powered-on the computer and it booted from the provided DOM, all good

    Powered-off
    Removed DOM

    Opened the Buddha slot 1 jumper

    Checked the Buddha slot 0 jumper was open

    Plugged in my SwissBit C-500 2GB CF card in adapter with power (partitioned and formatted on my ACA500+, using OS 3.2)

    Powered-on the computer, no boot

    Plugged in my external Gotek

    Powered-on and booted OS3.2 HD Install ADF from my external Gotek

    Changed HDToolBox tool type to buddhascsi.device

    Launched HDToolBox and it scans and finds the CF card's info

    Checked the partitions, they are not being seen and I'm offered to partition the drive in two.
    I figure...okay...maybe it doesn't see the partitions written by another Amiga (I'm still new)
    I agree to the suggestion to partition the drive in two, write to disk, exit, reboot

    I boot from the Gotek again expecting to see the two partitions ready to be formatted, but nothing

    I relaunch HDToolBox, it scans, sees the CF card info, but the partition table is blank again and it's offering me the same option.
    I walk the CF card back to the ACA500+ computer and the original partitions and data are still in tact, like the Buddha wrote nothing to the disk.


    I tried a Lexar card, same, it can not seem to read/write partitions

    I tried a 2.5" 80GB PATA drive, same


    I reinstalled the DOM and its jumper

    Powered-on and booted from the DOM

    Chose to 'install' to the 256MB Lexar CF

    It does so, until it detects that the files are not being copied

    Tried this with the 2GB SwissBit, it stalls when formatting Work partition


    I'm at a complete loss to understand what all this should be telling me.

    The fact that I can boot using the Buddha and the provided DOM 'suggests' to me that 'reading' works, and the Buster and buffer chips are working

    yet, it can not read and boot from a CF card, one that does so on the ACA500+


    Has anything like this been seen before ?

    Am I missing some basic information about how this card is supposed to function ?

    Like maybe it hates FFS partitions, or only works after some special driver is installed ?


    I know one of the first things I'm going to get asked is "Have you tested this card in a known good Amiga that is supposed to have Zorro slots" :)
    And, that is a perfectly fair question...though I don't have such a machine, I'm prepared to go on a long drive to get access to one.
    I'm not pointing at the card and saying "bad card", I'm hoping this is more a user error, before I go digging too much deeper :D

    The one "unknown" in your setup that I have is the 3.2 ROM, so if you have a 3.1 or 2.0x to try, that would be good.


    Other than that, I can only guess. First of all, "reading" and "writing" is practically the same from the hardware side: In order to send a "read" command, this command needs to be *written* to the card, and that's obviously successful. Further, the cards are properly identified at boot time, because if they aren't, the ROM will decide not to load buddhascsi.device in order to save memory. Since you can access buddhascsi.device, that part is already successfull, giving a positive-verify on all parts of the hardware: ROM, reading and writing from/to IDE devices.


    The only thing I can imagine is that the CF cards go into a low-power mode where they inhibit writing to their flash chip. Please double-check that the power connection is good - some CF cards will draw enough power from the data lines to properly identify, but then start behaving weird if you exercise them.


    Quote from ljmarent

    Like maybe it hates FFS partitions, or only works after some special driver is installed ?

    You've tried a card that was formatted with the ACA500plus - that's usually PFS, which is written to the RDB. No matter what filesystem there is in the RDB, it should be properly loaded and used. I'd expect such a basic thing to work also with Kick3.2.

    Just realized that you've built your own A2000. Please check:


    - the complete path of the UDS/LDS signals from CPU through any drivers to the slots

    - proper installation in a grounded metal case: The 2-layer board is *very* sensitive to noise if it's not in it's natural habitat.

    - power supply is NOT an ATX type, as most ATX PSUs do not have the 5V rail as their main regulation rail. Older AT PSUs from the 386 era may have that property. Please read our PSU FAQ.

    Extra info..
    I was able to write files to the supplied DOM, so reading \ writing are now both ticked,

    though I take your meaning that reading and writing to the card in general, was already demonstrated.


    I DVM probed the CF adapter, it is indeed receiving 5V through the power connector


    I've read the PSU FAQ twice, (we agree on many things, except maybe the take-aways)

    I adjust my supply rails slightly hot, like 5.02V and scope my rails looking for signs of overshoot or undershoot, because that would be fertile ground for SCR latch-up.

    I like all my rails independently regulated.

    But...I'm not a stickler on things like PSU box specifications for specs., like ripple...

    For me, PSUs are a component of a system and I like to see them perform in that system, not in the shipping crate.

    Rest assured, I've scoped the supply rails and they display nothing especially scary, except for the -12V rail, which is actually -13V SPOOKY :D


    In its final resting place, this board will get its full and proper shielding and two insulation layers.
    At the moment, It's on my stainless steel bench, sitting on ESD foam blocks, running sea trials.

    Used it to un-brick my ACA1234 yesterday...
    I was hoping to prove out the Zorro II operation before populating all the really expensive connectors :)

    Buddha was meant to be my first Zorro II test during bring-up, because such a simple modern board, what could go wrong :)


    For today:
    - I'll be probing the UDS\LDS path to see if something is amiss in my work

    - I'm not entirely clear on the whole RDB thing...
    I'm guessing if I use the ACA500+ with KS3.1 ROM and let it install OS3.1
    that CF card will have a 3.1 RDB and then I walk it over to the Buddha and see if it can read the partitions.

    - Buddha in my Checkmate works with included DOM AND all of my CF cards.

    - Buddha in my A2000 works with included DOM, but none of my CF cards.

    - A2091 in my A2000, in the same Zorro II slot 1, works and also passes RAM tests with the 512K FastRAM installed.


    I'm at a bit of a loss to understand what is going on...

    I've swapped the Buster chip, flipped all the 74LS245 buffer chips looking for a bad one.

    probed _UDS \ _LDS signals from the CPU to U605 when they become _BUDS \ _BLDS and then on to the Zorro II slot.

    Tried KS 2.04, 3.1.4, 3.2


    It's always the same in my A2000, the Buddha can see the CF cards and can read their config information, but doesn't see the drives as partitioned and formatted. Oh and it does actually write partition information when you select write to drive... It just doesn't see it on reboot... but if I take the CF over to my Checkmate system, I can see that it has written the partition information...


    My friend is building the same A2000 motherboard, he'll finish his in a few days, and we can compare notes..

    I'm not in a hurry... It's just a puzzle... :D

    Note that Commodore didn't have all-LS driver chips on the original boards. That was in an attempt to distribute the power draw over time when all bits flip at the same time. You have to be creative when you're cheaping out on the board itself (it *should* have been multi-layer!). Again, you may get better results if all screws are tightened to a grounded case. That won't be as good as a dedicated GND plane, but Commodore had this kind of dependency on the case before, with the C128.

    Thank you for that tip, and yes it's perfectly fair to require the shield to be in in place, just dreadfully marginal :)


    I don't want to turn the iComp support forum into the Floppie209 A2000 motherboard support forum, so I won't bring it up again until I've tried my Buddha in a second of these boards to rule out my mistakes and an original' A2000 rev 6.2 to rule out Floppie209's :)


    I'll head over to my local chip monger and get an assortment of older, slower, 74xx245's to try dispersing the switching noise, as all of my 74LS245's in the buffer section (U600 - U605) are actually 74AHCT245's and, 74F245 in U103 & U105, based on the supplied BOM. Fortunately every chip is socketed, making it easier to play mix & match.


    "The SN74AHCT245 is a low drive CMOS device that can be used for a multitude of bus interface type applications where output ringing is a concern. The low drive and slow edge rates will minimize overshoot and undershoot on the outputs. The input switching levels have been lowered to accommodate TTL inputs of 0.8 V VIL and 2 V VIH."

    But of course I don't know what Zorro II devices were tested in the Foppie209 A2000 remake.
    I do see in his test setup, an iComp Buddha in slot 1, looks like it has an IDE cable and an IDE drive.
    I'll see if I can find a small 3.5" IDE drive, as seen in the muddy photo.


    I've got plenty of homework to do :)

    Quote from ljmarent

    all of my 74LS245's in the buffer section (U600 - U605) are actually 74AHCT245's

    That might be a problem with the termination parts at the end of the bus: There's an RC network after the 5th slot that is carefully tuned to the output waveform of the LS245 chips. HCT245 has significantly sharper edges, meaning higher freuencies that might bounce off that RC network.


    I wouldn't even look at the AHCT devices, as you'd still need to re-calculate the termination network. I don't know what magic Commodore used back then to calculate these, but the values are good enough to really cover pretty much all combinations of Zorro cards.


    Note that pretty much all but one A1200-Zorro adapters had trouble with one or another combo of Zorro cards: There have been multiple attempts from Germany, France, Poland and England, and only one of them was truly stable with anything Z2 that you throw at it: The Z4 board by ACT Elektronik. The magic ingredient: True LS drivers and the exact same resistor/capacitor values for termination that the A2000 schematics show. Oh, and it's a multilayer board...

    Well, I managed to get the exact same 74LS245 and 74ALS245 chips listed in the A2000 Rev6 Schematic, so I'll start my changing out to those and give it a try :)


    And Happy New Year !

    Just swapped the specified 74AHCT245's for 74LS245 and 74ALS245 as shown in A2000 Rev6 Schematic...
    Buddha card now sees my CF cards...



    I'll send Floppie209 a note about my findings..


    And if you see any other Floppie209 A2000 users trying to use Buddha, this thread might be helpful :)


    Thank you much,

    Les

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