Posts by LouChicago

Thank you for the kind replies Jens ...

Jens,

Double thanks to you ... With patience I have a fully stable ACA 500+ ... I tested it two days in a row and now I am testing it tonight. What I did was just took your advice, I replaced the trap door memory ( at least I think it's what you meant) - then enabled the trap door memory within the ACA 500+ and saved the settings to Vram ...

What I am finding is now there is no stuttering at all. At least on the last several demos I ran. Last night, I was gaming also and nothing crashed or anything. Looks like a very successful run. Tomorrow, I will be posting pictures and talking about how much I like it in my Chicago Commodore group. Fortunately, I am actually friends with some actual real life rocket scientists. Because, certainly I am not one myself. Also, thankful for your kindness and amazing expertise via the Amiga computer. It's really fun learning. Right now, I am having an even better time, watching my 500 blast through these great old school demos via ACA 500+...
In the next days, I will share some fun pictures. It's singing away ...

Gratefully,

Lou

Jens,

Thanks for the kind and prompt replies. Really, what I wanted to do is re-read the entire documentation for the ACA 500+. Slow down look around and think. I also took pictures and took a close look at the contacts. After this, I changed a few settings around. I disabled the trap door setting, Aca.resource has been enabled, I also set the aux card slot to on. So I spent the last few days getting it running and a bit stable before I wrote here.

The bottom of the feet seemed to come off the ground. I might have been nudging slightly when I put a new CF card in. So, I put a little floppy disk there to make the area flush. Then I inspected the contacts, did my very best to slowly and carefully line them up. Two at the front side of the accelerator seem to come up. What I did was I used a very small tiny, tiny toothpick wedge. Understand it is so tiny that it's literally a tip of a tip. After unplugging it and plugging it many times. I was able to gain stable contact it seems. Though certainly I am sure this is not advised, I am unable to get any stable use out of it doing otherwise. Unless I carefully, carefully play around more. When the next steps come, after I burn it in a little and continue testing, I will post the hi-res pictures I took of it. Also, I will take pictures of others tests.

Low and behold, I have it well supported, sturdy and stable. The CF card works and boots into Classic Wb. OCS and ECS demos will run, fully through, mostly. I recognize the need for those to be run in some instances in Pal. As most demos are in pal, so when I changed the background in WB to Pal settings and or start in Pal, it seems to work decently. There is some slight stuttering and on occasion from time to time the red light flashes, gives a minor slight pause and the demo continues. It's nothing too bad and tolerable. I'm also aware this is an entry level accelerator. Also, I have a 4000, this machine is not for that stuff. It's for basic classic Amiga stuff.

Some software will require trap door address in the memory to function. I am curious if ACE2b settles that dilemma? I'm also aware that some software is fickle to the original processor. So I can shut off the acceleration and go back to 7mhz when needed. Basically, I still need to play with and understand the settings a bit more. Right now, it's running successfully. Though it is slightly fickle, I do not mind. Demos are running straight through. I have not tried gaming, however I am sure those will go

well. As far as capping my PSU. It's not that hard and I just do not have the space or the proper equipment. Honest not really the dexterity to do so. I'm decent with computer stuff, just not hardware related repairs. I realize it is not rocket science, however no one in the City of Chicago will take their time and cap this old crap, to them it's crap and I should buy new stuff.
These guys in some instances also charge 100 bucks an hour. As I said, I have some major player friends within the Amiga community, in my Commodore - Chicago group. Still, I would go with a new PSU if I went that far, eventually.

I'll get back to you in a few days let you know how it's going. But, I do have things somewhat stable momentarily. I'm grateful for that. I'm learning patience with the hobby. This all cost me a lot from years of dabbling in it to finally learn that. Because it's not hard to mess up the simplest things. These are old computers, I do not ride them like wild horses. I recognize what it is and I am satisfied with that. I take it easy! I will contact you here soon, more pictures,

Thank you for your time,

Lou

Though things are not perfect, I do think the contacts are lined up , " Well " ... To where everything is making contact. I literally had to take the ACE2b in and out 100 times. For two plus days, till finally now it goes in and out and works perfectly. Even if I take it out. That's why I was so scared. No reason now, So, I'm patient about attempting to line this up just right. IF that is indeed the issue. The other could be as you said PSU related. No one in my area will have anything to do with an Amiga. These techs are horrible. They only do Playstations and Iphones. Because they can pinpoint the problems easy and replace things. I'm not good with hardware like you. I understand a little, I'm pretty decent with the software end. Not the whole City of Chicago though, not a single tech I tried. I have friends in the Amiga community. Who are busy guys though. Getting a new PSU isn't an option right now. For future, definitely ...

Fortunately, I had the alcohol to clean the contacts and I had done that with the slot. So I did take the Amiga apart and remove the Ace2b, clean it and it works just as well as it did before. It runs flawlessly the ACE2b without the accelerator.


It also tests and has tested flawlessly with Amiga testkit ... Moving on, I placed it back in and it works fine.

I did clean the slot again, checked out the pins. I mean they are a mess ... Getting this thing to go on again was a challenge.

When I removed it the first time, I think I pressed the back of the pins. Pushing them forward about a half fingers length of them. I've really attempted to carefully try and put them in their place. However, the card won't come on that way. So I've slightly moved some forward. Before that point, I did have the cf cards running workbench. But, eventually it started crashing and wouldn't run anything. It wouldn't run stuff well off CF. I also know the first slot is not hot swappable. I did learn that ... As I thought both were at the very beginning. But I was not sticking it in and out fast or anything. I had done it a few times. Trying to give you the most honest account of everything, totally possible to the letter.

Now when I test fast ram, it freezes ... Red screen in Amiga testkit ... Here is a picture. I'm at least happy there is hope the menu screen now comes up consistently ...

Let me know what you think,

Lou

Hello,

Recently I've purchased an ACA500+ ... Also, I've spoken with Jens via email back and forth pertaining to issues concerning it.

I've looked over some of the threads and discovered a few things. My power supple could be an issue, it was also stated that these green screens are not detecting chip ram. When the accelerator is taken out, I've used Amiga Test Kit to test the ACE2b, 2mb chip ram which I just purchased. This tests out perfectly, however very tricky to get in. So, I certainly do not want to mess with it!

I'm using a never used boxed Amiga 500, which was pulled out of storage and used by me. Everything is old - new ... Revision 5 motherboard. Original PSU, from original unused packaging - stored. 1084 monitor never used, pulled from original box and plastic. No extra floppy drive or anything. No trap door memory, I pulled that out. When I first used the ACA 500+ I was able to put CF cards in and see Workbench. Though when I did try to run things in that Workbench, they froze every single time. Now, if I dare try and use the CF card reader it will freeze and brick the accelerator.

Right now I am happy that I finally get it to boot into the menu. More than once I have used the menu ADF update, which from what I understand and read is also a sort of recovery disk. So I created a floppy on my Amiga 4000. Several times I have updated the menu in a recovery style thing.

As I said, right now I am just happy it goes into the menu and boots up. The Starfield menu thing will eventually freeze. If I keep playing it will do something. What I did was put in Amiga test kit. With the accelerator present. The AC2b 2 mb chip expansion I installed tests out perfectly every single time. When I go into testing fast ram. Eventually it does a red screen and the accelerator goes bonkers and freezes.

I'm on a prayer that I've gotten it this far again. Still, I'm not upset or disappointed if I can not even get it to work. I've ordered so many great things from Individual before. This is an exceptional product. I think it's just in an extremely vulnerable sensitive place by being on the side port. These contacts and whatever themselves can become very sensitive with the card and whatever else. Ideally, it's genius and I couldn't see needing more power than this for a 500. Electronically brilliant and possibly design flawed without having a casing or something.

Still if it works, doesn't work or whatever, I will continue support here. I'm not letting it stress me. I'm not fully confident I may be able to get this to work. Stranger things have happened with patience ...

Lou