test-drb August 2006

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

216 participants
517 discussions

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > Ok, here's the full story : > > > > > > I have had my Amiga 600 since 2001 and have > > added a few bits over the years: > > > > - 2.5" 4GB harddrive (I can't remember the > > make and model at the moment) > > > > - 1MB RAM (in trapdoor underneath) > > > > > > I also have a 4MB PCMCIA RAM card which is > > rarely used, and 2 external floppy drives > > (one doesn't work), with only 1 connected up. > > I haven't upgraded any of the kickstart or > > ROM chips, they are the same as when I bought it . > > > > I run WB2.05 (and am happy with it) with > > kickstart 37.300 > > > > I don't know the board revision number off-hand > > but I can find out if required. > > > > > > My harddrive used to power down (powersave?) > > after not being used for say 20/30 mins and > > happily power-up again whenever I tried to > > access the drive (via WB or via AMOS BASIC). > > > > However, around April/May this year the drive > > started to randomly power down and then, > > usually, almost instantly power back up again > > but WB nor AMOS could access the HD. Any > > attempt to do so would freeze WB or AMOS. > > My first comment is that this set-up worked > correctly for almost 5 years. > This means the set-up is capable of working, and > that the fact that it > now doesn't work means something has failed (rathe r > than, say, an > incompatability, or a marginally-rated PSU, or...) > > > I figured (as you would) that my harddrive > > Actually, I might not. My first reaction would be to > stick a voltmeter on > the power lines. errr... no voltimeter here, nor do i have a clue where to buy one from (or how to use one). > > [...] > > > I popped along to www.amiga.org and posted > > my problem up there and peeps then suggested > > it might be a flaky PSU. I got myself an > > A500 "heavy brick" model (AFAIK it's compatible > > Again, since the original PSU worked for a long > time, it would appear it > was adequate. I don't like changing parts of syste ms > that have worked > without a good reason. > I still have the old A600 PSU, I usually keep faulty/suspected faulty parts for spare parts. > > and gives more power if required) by chance > > (I was planning to get another A600 PSU) > > from www.amigadeals.co.uk > > > > Everything appeared to be fixed. However, my > > A600 was running hotter than normal. I have > > always put a plastic pen above the air vent > > bit at the top of the machine (by the F1-F4 keys ) > an > > d it used to always be cold. With this > > new PSU it was warm and the underside of the > > Amiga 600 was hotter than normal. > > > > I posted my concerns to either Amiga.org or > > CAR and then someone suggested that it might > > be a faulty resistor. He claimed that the > > I doubt it very much. If it's the resistor that's > getting too hot, then > it's dissipating too much power. In a constant > voltage set-up (that would > be the most likely), it would have to fall > significantly in value for this > to haeppen. Which is not likely. I suppose a fault y > resistor could upset > the biasing on some other component, and thus caus e > that to pass too much > current, but from my memory of the A500 circuit, I > can't think of any > obvious candidate. > Ahem, it's an A600 I own ;) > Have you tried running the machine with the cover > off to see what is > getting hot? It might be something as simple as a > leaking decoupling > capacitor. > I was planning too, but I had concerns about being electricuted (spelling?) as I had never done that before, and also becuase of the recent hot weather - I have no patience in hot weather and feared running it in the extreme heat would only cause more damage. What would the "leaking decoupling capacitor" look like, if that was the cause? Which is the capacitor? Anyone know? > > > [...] > > > > > My second computer was a TRS-80 Model 1 (my > first, > > > FWIW, was an MK14, yes > > > I still have both). I now have a Model 3 and > Model > > > 4, and several CoCos. > > > And schematics, etc for all of them. > > > > > > -tony > > > > > > > > > > Cool :) Were you ever tempted with the Model > > 16 or 12? > > I wish!. I'd love an Model 16, but they're not at > all common in the UK, > and would not be cheap (or easy) to ship from the > States. In a moment of > madness I did get a CoCo3 sent from the States > (brand new machine, some > 16 years ago), but that was just the > keyboard/processor unit, not a CRT > monitor and drives too. > > -tony > > Probably best you didn't get the 16, as it's inferior to the 12! The 12 was actually made later than the 16 and supports various modes making it compatible with 16 and 4 (?) software (and hardware?). Infact I think the Model 12 was the best of the bunch. Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

17 years, 11 months

Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote: > On 8/3/06, aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk > <aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > Is Gayle a capacitor? If not, what does she do? > > Gayle is one of the custom chips in the A600 - it > handles system > address decoding and the IDE interface. I don't > have an A600 (but > just about every other model of Amiga), so I don't > know if it's a DIP > or a PLCC package chip, but it's a chip, not a > capacitor. > > -ethan > Thanks for that Ethan Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

17 years, 11 months

Drivers and hardware- then vs. now (WAS Re: New to the list)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> I haven't even looked at Vista requirements yet--and probably won't until >Vista's released because MS is making the same claim "You can use XP >drivers on Vista". Haven't checked driver requirements (don't write Windows drivers), but looked at base requirements. You can buy a mid-range PC now that, with upgraded memory, will be able to run the "base" version of Vista. High end P.C.s that you buy now might be able to run the whole thing. 512 MB ram for a minimum, 1GB recommended (AARGH - I didn't get any further) There's something really messed up when a midrange PC won't run software to be released in 6 months (of course, based on past performance, it won't be). >These days they don't get given that, and everyone has to have the >complexity whether they actually want/need it or not... O.K.- intellectual exercise: I'm a PC hardware maker. It costs me $N to make a board. nVidia chips from 2 years ago cost $G, a basic 2-d "accelerated" controller costs a bit less, but doesn't require the fancy assembly hardware (not that that matters much, I probably contract out). Buyers will probably say: "but that one only has 8MB and doesn't to 3-D, why isn't it 1/2 or 1/4 of the price?" and buy the fancy one, because it's "only $10 more" (probably less in reality) and does "so much more" even though (a) they don't need it and (b) the buggy drivers and heat output make it less useable. I sell one framebuffer each to the 120 people who (a) know what's up (b) use PCs and (c) don't just get integrated Intel "Extreme"(SGI should have sued them over that one...) graphics because they work O.K. and you don't have to deal with slipping AGP cards. >Printers are a case in point too - a parallel port does that job just fine, >yet it's hard to find a machine that doesn't have more complicated USB >interfaces on it, and a printer's now expected to use that. It's likely that implementing parallel is now more expensive. Almost everything in USB is in the software driver. If users complain, the companies can promise to "fix it in the next release" which may or may not happen... If it's in firmware, then people will demand that the company fix it under warranty. The older computers that keep getting brought up had long lifetimes. The Mac IIci was introduced in 1989 and sold through 1993 (chose this since it was one model, one company). Companies spent more time designing their machines because they didn't have the "reference implementations" and standard fully-integrated parts suppliers that we have now. Things "just worked" because they were designed together and spent time together, and this showed in firmware and software. You couldn't just flash your PROM, so they had to get things right or it got very expensive very fast. Things were much more expensive to buy, then, too (keep in mind). Nobody spends much time on consumer drivers because you can always make empty promises, and consumers no longer expect things to work. Sad state of affairs (especially when those "fancy 3-d graphics" that are all you can get now come with terrible drivers for anything but Windows (and maybe Mac), and the companies refuse to let anyone else write decent drivers because of "trade secrets" (for Linux it has to be in source, too many variables between kernel, libc, X-server...)

17 years, 11 months

Alpha C compilers (WAS Not classic, but free: HP-UX (and the B2000)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> I jumped the gun and ordered an EVC --> HD15F adapter from HP anyway. >It's enough out-of-the-ordinary to be worth having on hand and the 20-odd >bucks won't kill me. Good to have on hand. If you use it, just remember not to screw it in (on either end) if the system will likely be moved. The construction is quite fragile, and resoldering the connectors is very unpleasant. Best to have one end or the other slip off harmlessly. >Wow, great! I sure wish HP would make the Alpha C/C++ compilers available >gratis. Maybe this is the start of a trend. Not sure what you mean here: Compaq C/C++ for AlphaLinux is free already, and Alpha C/C++ for Tru64 and OpenVMS are both included in the relevant hobbyist programs. IBM xlC/xlC++ and SGI MIPSpro would be very nice (although Apple's contributions to GCC for POWER/PowerPC have made it infinitely better). I saw on USENET a blurb about "repurposing" the included MIPSpro kernel compiler as a general-purpose C compiler with the addition of a few symlinks, and the word on the street is that MIPSpro 7.4 could, ahem, possibly be used for a few times while one is trying to locate the regrettably misplaced license code, with only a nag screen coming up. I'm trying to get into the dev program, though. We'll see what happens.

17 years, 11 months

Relative Value of PGDP-11 CPUs; Was Re: Guys take a look...

by sales＠azteqcorporation.com

Do you still have any KDJ11-EB`s? I need some. Mike Perry www.azteqcorporation.com

17 years, 11 months

Not classic, but free: HP-UX

by Glen.Heiberg＠gijima.com

Just my 2c worth... I received my HPUX CD package today from HP a week and a half after ordering, and I'm in "deepest darkest" Africa. Quite impressive! ______________________________________________ "This email is subject to our email legal notice, to view follow this link ' http://www.gijima.com/other/gijima_disclaimer.html ' To receive the legal notice as a PDF document, send an email to 'service.desk at gijima.com'

17 years, 11 months

"Key codes"

by dgy＠DakotaCom.Net

Hi, I've got my Opus PM reinstalled (thanks, Jim!) and am now trying to sort out all of the little configuration details. It supports up to four "sessions" (like ALT-Fx on *BSD's) plus a "DOS" session. They are accessed via hotkeys (e.g., ALT-H, ALT-J, etc.). In order to change the key mappings from their defaults, I need to specify the appropriate "key codes" -- from Appendix G of _The IBM BASIC Manual_. Apparently "48" is ALT-B (verified). But, I haven't been able to sort out the appropriate codes for *other* keys (empirically). Any pointers? I think I have the manual for an old IBM BASIC *compiler* stashed somewhere so perhaps this will be a suitable alternative reference? Thnks! --don

17 years, 11 months

Hi, I'm new...

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

I'd see if there was some way to put a voltmeter on the power coming in. If the computer draws more than the supply can put out, the supply voltage will drop. I've never seen a resistor short- I've had several caps short out on me, though. It's evident when that happens, though - there's usually a bang and puff of smoke. I'd expect the smoke if anything shorted out, the components usually aren't rated highly enough to survive a dead short. Usually it's some passive that goes, though.

17 years, 11 months

Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Alexandre Souza <alexandre-listas at e-secure.com. br> wrote: > > I would take off the top lid of the computer > > and try to pinpoint where exactly the heat is > > coming from. There could be some components > > that might have shorted out and is causing > > the power supply to output more current. This > > Oh, the "loved" a600... > > These have a very common fault - Capacitors. > They leak and play havoc on > your system. Dunno where you live, but in Brazil i t > is very very very > common. People sez it is because of the (high) > temperatures around. But I'm > 90% sure your problem has to do with caps. > > I'd suggest you another A600 or a 1200 if you > can get one (I had a 600 > and now have a 1200, love that puter!!!). Take a > look at the "amigo" on > www.tabajara-labs.com.br :oD > > See ya > Alexandre Souza > Is Gayle a capacitor? If not, what does she do? Thanks for the advice. Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

17 years, 11 months

Early Raid (Offtopic)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Fred Cisin wrote: >Since folk at UC Berkeley also can't spell, my license plate frame reads >"UC Berkeley Aluminum". In case I get a British car, I have a spare one >that reads "UC Berkeley Aluminium" Yes, but they can write (a darned good UNIX), so all^h^h^h most is forgiven...

17 years, 11 months

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test-drb August 2006