Posts by Jens

This forum is fine, but I need a way to match this thread to an ACA500plus. I only know that one card arrived, but it may not be yours, that's why I'm asking for the warranty ID. You write as a guest, so I don't even know your eMail address - otherwise I'd have a chance to search the shop system for your order. In other words: You're making it as difficult as possible for me to provide good service

The OS install files archive is also updated now. Same procedure as with the archive that I've sent to you via eMail yesterday: Unpack to a FAT-formatted card, insert in AUX, boot slot empty, launch with F1.

This will bring back your card to the exact state that it was shipped in.

I have tried to update one of our ACA500plus cards yesterday with the new menu and installer with the exact files that are available in the Wiki (in fact, I downloaded them from the Wiki to be sure that I got the exact same files that you got). First I updated the menu, then I ran the Installer update (which, admittedly, is a bit tedious, as you need to change CF cards twice and replace the UPD500p file). This worked without problems, so nothing has changed between our last test and upload to the Wiki.

Your PSU is a good one, but it may need re-capping after all these years. Please remove any unnecessary components while flashing - the Gotek is something we've often had trouble with, as it appears to add ripple to the 5V rail. Combined with ageing caps in the PSU, this may already be the cause for the malfunction during/after flashing.

Quote from Postmaster

Q1 Do I run this from AUX port F8 F (Flash) ? Or like the OS Installation files AUX (Nothing in Boot and F1 from main menu)

You unpack the archive to a FAT-formatted card and insert that as your only card into the AUX slot. Then you launch the computer using F1.

Quote from Postmaster

Q2 Do I need to load these again after the zip archive that you sent me ? (Photo for reference)

Maybe - it may be better to run that re-flash as well, just to be sure that all parts of the flash are good.

Quote from Postmaster

Q3 Do you mean put "Unlock500p" command in the OS Installation zip that holds the KIckstart and WB disks ? (Photo for reference)

Yes - I'm about to update that archive, so it will really work when launched with F1. It was created for a customer who obviously never needed it: It couldn't have possibly written to the flash, and the customer reported success back when we've published it. I'll add the Unlock500p command to the archive and update the startup-sequence accordingly.

An ACA500plus arrived, but do you have any identification, a name, warranty ID? Also, please note that workshop staff does not access this forum. I always have to talk back with them, and it's already past working hours.

Quote from Renato

I pushed near the socket, but it's giving a lot of issues, the image freezes, bad image, only image by the vga port. I think it's faulty. Can i send the indivision for repair?

That does sound like a bad connection of one of the chips. Please read this article before you send anything back.

Quote from Tanino

Are there any news on my case?

Sorry for cluttering this thread, it has nothing to do with your case (customer just appended here, waiting for Tobias to separate the two).

In your case, I guess we can really take the chance to check both the flicker fixer and the ACA1234 if you're returning that for the CPLD upgrade anyway. Same message for you, please read the article about returns.

The "original" PSU, is that with a 2.5A rating? If so, it might be a little weak for all of the expansions. Would be interesting to see the specs of that PSU. If you have a multimeter, it would be interesting to see the voltage that arrives in the computer. This might be a simple under-voltage problem.

Still have a bunch of things on the list, but will make that zip archive before the end of the day.

Did you push near the socket or some other part of the flickerfixer?

Quote from Postmaster

So with the archive you are talking about do I need the nullmodem cable to put it back to the same state that it was shipped with ?

No - that's just a zip archive that will re-flash the menu and other parts of the flash.

The Nullmodem connection will be interesting when you're starting the automatic installer. When enabled in the settings, the debug output will (hopefully) show in real-time what the software is doing, even if cryptic.

Quote from Postmaster

So can I ask who is reponsible for ensuring that the the firmware updates are without issues in regard to warranting those updates

We do test things before uploading them to the Wiki. Also, our products are designed in a way that the user always has the possibility to pull himself out of the swamp by his own hair, that means: We always have a de-brick mode that will give a de-brick software access to the flash. Since the standard downgrade methods didn't show any improvement, my next step is to re-flash the whole chip, just in case something went wrong.

May I ask what power supply you are using, and what other components are connected to that A500?

This is a different case - Tobias please separate this into a new thread.

Does the red come back if you move the board (gently push on the flickerfixer) in operation?

I'm very convinced that the hardware is not at fault, so the expense of shipping it back to Germany from downunder is something we can spare. Since you've reported that it did work before you updated, I'll prepare an archive for you that will take the unit to the exact same state that it was shipped with.

In terms of nullmodem - do you have a second Amiga, or any other computer than the Laptop? You can surely get a cable that will let you use a USB port for the nullmodem connection, but that will be more expensive than a normal serial nullmodem. I could also look up if there are other customers near your place who would be willing to help - I will of course wait for the OK of all sides to share any personal information.

I never wrote that there can be damage "per se" to the C64RMK2 with the Lumafix. I do remember that there was a customer who damaged his board because some tool dropped into the computer while it was running, causing a short.

Haven't tried the Lumafix myself, so I an't answer your question in more detail.

Quote from Phil

I don’t know when it will available. Maybe Jens knows 🙂

I can't say when it'll be available. The prototypes were working OK when I built them, and both lost their MCU programming over time - the one that's left here does not work any more, and the one I have shipped to Finland for inclusion of the functionality into the ACA500plus menu system also does not work any more.

So far, there is no answer from the MCU manufacturer about the possible cause of the memory loss. Without that, I can't ship a product, because it's very likely that they will all fail in the field.

Quote from E-Penguin

That'd be great. I'll see you in Mönchengladbach and trade you an upgrade board for some space stickers!

You know how to motivate a nerd

Quote from Jurassicc

Sounds great. Are you able to post them out to owners if they pay the postage cost. If they are free, which is a nice gesture btw, it shouldn't pose a problem to the UK.

Soldering these to the board will be tedious, as you need to remove the three old transistors and possibly other SMD components. Not sure how many people can solder 0402 components with their home equipment? I can certainly mail a PCB to the UK, or include it with a normal order.

Great - marked as "resolved".

Quote from Postmaster

So you can say at the moment I am not a happy customer as this has been going on since the 5th July

With the amount of work we've put into this case, you should of course see that we're doing all we can to help you.

We've verified that the hardware is not at fault, and you can do flash updates. The final step is to reset the NVRAM settings as Timm described. After that, I'd like to continue remote debugging if you have the required tools: A Nullmodem cable. Since what we're looking at is a software error (software deciding to not unpack the install files), we may get to the bottom of it with the debug output. This will require a second computer near the A500 - do you have that?

The ACA1221LC does not offer the possibility to soft-switch-off the CPU. Only the ACA1233n and ACA1234 can do that.

What the installer does include is the relocation files for Kickstart, and since we have licensed the older Kickstart versions with the ACA500plus, it would not be a problem to also extend the installer to create these Kickstart files from data that is available in the ACA500plus flash. That, however, is feature-creeping for a future update.

What remains now is to find out why the automatic installer does not launch on a card that was tested good when it left here - at this point, we have to include just everything into the search. Can you please take high-res pictures of the CF card slots without any card inserted? I'd like to see if all pins are properly aligned.

Danke - dann ist ja das Heraussuchen der alten Version nicht nötig.

Quote from Postmaster

2nd scenario. Success The disks are upacking and at the finish it says "No a DOS disk in Unit 0.

Looks like it trying to write to DFO floppy disk. Is that correct as I have a CF in the boot drive

This is not using "trackdisk device" and real floppy disks, but virtual floppy disks. The unit number 0 refers to the device driver that "pretends" to be a floppy.

I suspect that the install partitions have been damaged in your flash. We have a repair archive in our Wiki:

http://wiki.icomp.de/w/images/b/b1/ACA500p_OS_flash.zip

Please download this to your PC, and unpack it to an otherwise-empty and PC-formatted card. Insert into the AUX slot and boot with bothing inserted in the boot slot (press F1 in the startup menu) - this will re-flash the parts of the flash that contain the OS installation files.

I see some wrinkles in the flat cable - please take a close look at the flat cable to check if there are any weak points, maybe inconsistencies in distance from one wire to the next. This is critical: If the cable has been squeezed by the floppy drive, it may show the behaviour that you're describing.