Stability issue with IDE+2 Rev E

[+Larry]

I'm having an issue with the IDE+2 retaining its settings. I started to update the bios to 1.6, but noticed in Konrad's docs that your IDE+2 should be "sane and stable."

 

This is in a 600XL with the Antonia SRAM upgrade. A couple of disk drives attached as well as APE -- nothing else.

 

Symptoms:

Date/time have been corrupted. I reset and seems to be holding after a couple of days.

IDE will not stay set to OFF. I turn it OFF and then after powering down overnight it is back ON.

External cartridge keeps turning itself ON.

Quick disable keeps setting itself to OFF

 

Maybe an issue with Antonia (although this issue just started)?

Battery failing?

 

Thanks for any ideas!

 

-Larry

 

Edit: I just had another thought. I've been booting the Happy Backup software -- perhaps it is somehow interfering with the IDE+2. (?) I'll check with and without the Happy and see if that makes a difference.

[_The Doctor__]

Try using a different computer and use all stock software etc and see how it acts.... then do the updates if it's all good.... then start testing out software combinations... if all good move to the modified hardware machines... you may find the issue is the modified machine or the combination of the two requiring some fix already in print or a fix may need to be found for that upgrade etc.

[+Larry]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had already tried a stock 800XL with the same results. Tracing the issue a bit further, the screen & settings changed when I pressed START + RESET. So long as I didn't press those to bring up the config. screen, the system was stable. I've updated the Bios to 1.6 and everything seems to be working correctly again. Fingers crossed!

 

-Larry

[Roydea6]

I recently had some flaky bios problems with one of my IDE +20 devices until the whole thing quit working, after some trouble shooting I decided to buy another 44pin to CF ide adapter and now all is back to normal.

[+Larry]

Hi Roy-

 

Thanks for the info. My Rev E has the CF adapter built-in, so I hope it doesn't come to that. I do have some older versions, but this is the only one that works with the 65816, so I hope this one keeps on chuggin' along.

 

-Larry

[+Larry]

Oops! Updating to Bios 1.6 didn't completely fix the issue. As soon as I power down for a couple of minutes, then power back on, the IDE+ resets itself to the (I presume) default settings.

 

Has anyone replaced their battery yet? If so, where did you get a new spot welded battery holder like the one Simius used? But the battery shows 2.90 volts, so that should be adequate, I'd think.

[_The Doctor__]

replacing the battery sounds like a good bet

[+Larry]

I've sent a PM to Simius, so we'll see if he has some thoughts. But yes, since it's lost the time & date again, seems like the battery or that circuit is suspect.

 

@Roy-

 

I found from the docs that Rev D is also 65816 compatible, and I do have a "D". So I got that "D" working. Although not used for a couple of years, the time/date was still accurate. (Yay!)

 

-Larry