Jump to content
IGNORED

Ultimate1MB - new preorder


candle

Recommended Posts

That's exactly what I was refering to 1.33 for the goods 9.25 for shipping......post offices make a killing.. ;-)

 

I ordered a bag full of turned pins (c. 10 x 40 header rows) from Hong Kong for a few Green Queens, free p&p. Well worth having in the spares box. If the upgrade arrives with square header pins, I take them off and replace them with the turned ones. Anyone with the skill to transplant a machine socket from one board to another can remove a row of square pins. The fact is the machine sockets are effectively destroyed the first time you push the square pins into them, so although machine sockets may seem like a good idea at the time, the next time you want to put a regular IC or turned-pin adapter in there, the socket will need replacing anyway. I once removed an IntSDX board from an 800XL's OS ROM socket, and thereafter the OS ROM chip itself literally sprung out of the ruined socket at the merest touch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh and ray....

 

If that is the original document from Bob puff? Keep in mind that there are mistakes in pin numbers in that doc!

 

Marius, what are the mistakes in pin numbers? For example Modification# 1 calls for wiring pin 4 of the AND GATE (74LS08) to pin 13 of the same. Is that incorrect?

I can check the SAMS but if you have a quick answer that would be cool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see , now how i can update to last one? I mean the tools need.. thx

 

There are two things to update. First the flash rom with the firmware which can be done in system with a flasher program. But the flasher program is not yet officially released because it is not yet user friendly and fool proof. You can also program the flash chip by pulling it from the board and program it in an eprom progammer.

 

The second thing to update is the Xilinx CPLD chip (programmable logic chip) which is more difficult. For that you need a JTAG cable to be connected the the small header on the board and programming software on the PC. I believe FJC is working on a how-to guide but he is very busy so we have to be patient. The CPLD needs to be upgraded for the SIDE PBI emulation support.

I wonder if the new BIOS would work without upgrading the CPLD chip with new logic.

 

Robert

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@atari8warez

 

It is now on a more guessing point. candle already wrote that you might have a problem with the MAIN RAM of your Atari, you best start checking (Again) on the MMU connector, then try to replace the different TTL components (start with the LS08) on the mainboard. And ANTIC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok a strange thing happened today. Out of the blue (well maybe not completely out of the blue as I was thinking the garbled characters on the U1MB Setup screen may be due to some problems with the display circuitry) I thought why not swap the 1979 model ANTIC that I have in my 800XL with a 1983 one I had as a spare (from a broken 130XE). That didn't fix the problem actually seems like made them worse, HOWEVER now when I move the OS ribbon cable I can see the screen changing, that didn't happen before. I think we may be into something so I'll check that cable once again and maybe even re-crimp it and see what happens.

Edited by atari8warez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But that's what the computer came with, unless the previous owner changed it. Anyway I was too fast to point the cable as it appears moving it around doesn't always cause screen to change.... however the computer now also crashes with this ANTIC swap. :( I am back to stock config again and doimg RAM check and everything seems fine with RAM

Edited by atari8warez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am currently busy assembling my last 3 SIO2PC orders and I am waiting for Robert's photos of his solution.

 

Here they are :P

As you can see I attached a 3K1 resistor between pin 1 (5V) and pin 10 (A15). The value of the resistor does not need to be exact 3K1.

This solved my problem but I still want to try it with another cable. Maybe the resistor only compensates for a problem elsewhere on the bus ;)

 

Robert

post-119-0-22410500-1342731149_thumb.jpg

post-119-0-52578500-1342731155_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am currently busy assembling my last 3 SIO2PC orders and I am waiting for Robert's photos of his solution.

 

Here they are :P

As you can see I attached a 3K1 resistor between pin 1 (5V) and pin 10 (A15). The value of the resistor does not need to be exact 3K1.

This solved my problem but I still want to try it with another cable. Maybe the resistor only compensates for a problem elsewhere on the bus ;)

 

Robert

 

That's great Robert at this point I am ready to try just about anything to see this U1MB working with my 800XL. :)

I suppose a 5.6K would also work.. I have a lot of those as spares

Edited by atari8warez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10-4.

 

(or I suppose "ACK" would be more appropriate for this crowd!)

 

Really, you felt the need to drag this conversation to a totally unrelated post:

http://www.atariage....50#entry2562891

 

chrislynn5, on Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:34 PM, said:

 

I, for one, am tired of reading “You rock; You’re the best; You’re the greatest; Without you we couldn’t…”.

Oh, so very very sorry (and very concerned) about that! :lolblue: :dunce: :dunce:

Edited by chrislynn5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

is this thread some kind of trashcan when all can throw their garbage?

Chris, why you brought that up after so long time? if You have any issues with James, work them out in private

you start responding like this and we'll have to read next 5 pages of nonsence

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

for me and Rob Patton it was OS ROM cable

i've opened emulation connector, and press each wire into its recess deeper with a flat headed screwdriver - just don't use too wide one or you'll damage those little metal blades that make connections

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My troubles seem to be with the OS ROM Cable. After Robert's resistor fix didn't do the trick for me, I played with the cables a bit more and noticed that when I moved the cable a certain way the screen garbled and when the cable returned to its previous position the screen was back to normal again, and it was consistently so. So I did exactly what you described above on both ends of the cable (using a precision/jewelers flat head), that did not fix the problem either, and now I am simply replacing the whole cable. As you know IDC connectors once disassembled the strain relief is junked, but if the test gives me the good result I am looking for I could replace that IDC with a new one. Well, back to fixing/testing now, will report the result.

Edited by atari8warez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After Robert's resistor fix didn't do the trick for me

 

Try the finger fix :P

 

Here is a small video of my problematic U1MB without the resistor fix applied. If you look carefully at the screen you see that the self-test menu is not correct. All entries are orange and you can't select another option. But with a light touch at the resistor, the problems go away and you will see that the menu shows correctly one blinking orange line and three blue lines instead of 4 orange lines.

If you look carefully at the video you will see that the menu colors change every time I touch the area of the resistor. This only works when I use my finger. Using plastic or a screwdriver does not work. The conclusion is thus that I have a magic finger :grin:

 

But your problem seems indeed something else.

 

Robert

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTCXheuBiIQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After Robert's resistor fix didn't do the trick for me

 

Try the finger fix :P

 

 

Latest update: changing the ribbon cabe didn't work either and at one point I was almost certain that the problem was the cable, U1MB in this machine simply refuses to play nice!!!... Even tried Bob Puff Mod#1 with no success...

 

and I fingered my U1MB too , mine however likes double-finger treatment :-D. When I squeezed the flash-memory (Amic 29040) with my index finger and thumb my garbled screen would go away, when I release my fingers it would come back. Interestingly my problems don't start right after a cold boot but appear only after a few minutes of warm-up although I don't think it's a heat related issue. I followed FJC's suggestion and pushed lightly againt Xilinc too to check for cold solder joints but that does not make any difference. At this point I am still clueless as to why all this is happening!!.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What you probably have is the difference in CPU vs. ANTIC timings. The garbage on the screen is likely ANTIC pulling the character data out of the flash memory - fails with ANTIC access, works with CPU access. Putting your big, old fingers on the pins alters timings just enough for ANTIC to latch good data from the flash memory. (I usually test designs by laying fingers on it to see if it brings up a failure)

 

Try moving the OS into RAM and see if the characters clean up. That won't fix anything, of course, but it may point you in the right direction.

 

Bob

 

This is all just guesswork, of course...

 

After Robert's resistor fix didn't do the trick for me

 

Try the finger fix :P

 

 

Latest update: changing the ribbon cabe didn't work either and at one point I was almost certain that the problem was the cable, U1MB in this machine simply refuses to play nice!!!... Even tried Bob Puff Mod#1 with no success...

 

and I fingered my U1MB too , mine however likes double-finger treatment :-D. When I squeezed the flash-memory (Amic 29040) with my index finger and thumb my garbled screen would go away, when I release my fingers it would come back. Interestingly my problems don't start right after a cold boot but appear only after a few minutes of warm-up although I don't think it's a heat related issue. I followed FJC's suggestion and pushed lightly againt Xilinc too to check for cold solder joints but that does not make any difference. At this point I am still clueless as to why all this is happening!!.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...