Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrangler
@gsoravil: can you describe your set up more eg A4000D? PSU used? Extra cooling? PCI cards and order? What happens when you follow the set up instructions and try InitPPC without running a startup-sequence? What does pciinfo show?
In my experience, most problems with getting the PPC running properly are fundamental things like bad power, temps too high or using an old version of the library.
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Hi Wrangler.
I've often wondered what libraries are depended on. I remember you need a graphics card for a temp ram space to init the PPC. I admit it's been a little while since I worked on this (I spent a month or two banging on it until I was losing hair) so maybe there is an even newer driver I should try (though the driver I used was the newest one at the time and I think I even tried an older one that supported the same hardware).
To answer your Qs about my hardware:
Yes, I have a ton of stuff (some of it purchased just to help me troubleshoot). ATI Radeon 128MB, Voodoo 3 3000 16MB, Voodoo5, Spider II USB, TerraTec sound card. Also I have an 060 adapter and alternate ROMs for my A3640. Stock power supply. I also have both a Killer M1 NIC and a PRPMC8150-1371 with Ramix bridge card.
Nomatter what combination I do with hardware and nomatter what order the cards are in, this is what happens:
- Machine always sees the cards in PCI Info (including either PPC)
- All cards work (obviously I don't put more than one video or PPC at the same time)
- Crash/lockup is always when I try and InitPPC.
- I am 99.9% sure I tried InitPPC without startup sequence but the question does make me second guess myself. I distinctly remember trying only PPC+graphics card and trying to load just the minimum. I was definitely avoiding GUI in most of my efforts.
Unfortunately, this is also where my lack of expertise breaks at the seam.
It is a side-bar but I want to be as forthright as possible - my Mediator is a V1 so I had to add 3.3v to the top slot for the M1 card (though this does make it light up and show in pci info). I don't believe this makes any difference except that a V1 normally rules out the M1 card. So technically I never tried the M1 in a different slot but I did try the PMC card in a different slot.
Unlike some others I have read about, I have not found the order of cards on my Mediator to have any causality in what is/isn't picked up or if things do/don't work. (I am aware that it can be the case though, so you are definitely right to ask. I read about that somewhere, which is why I tried the mixed orders that I could.)
I'm thinking either I have driver issue or there is some weird hardware issue I have that is only affecting PPC.
I have not tried a different power supply, though I do get consistent failure behavior. The M1 always either locks up or fails to init. The PMC always locks up. I did use an external source for the 3.3v to drive the M1. I would expect the M1 to work if it's power related given that I'm driving it separate, though I could see how a noisy +5v could cause issues. Though I'm thrown off by the fact that I have no other power supply symptoms (i.e. machine is otherwise stable with other cards loaded).
I don't have another 4000 power supply. Maybe I should order an adapter? I assume someone probably sells an AT or ATX to 4000 power adapter. It would at least rule out that an issue...
Oh, and all the above is exactly the same if I try the 060 with custom roms in place of the 040 and normal roms.
Sorry to write a whole book here.
Honestly, I just want to get this working and join the party. So if you or others think I should hunt down an alternate power supply then I will do that. Any and all help by everyone is HUGELY appreciated by me.
Now that I think about it, I do have a local friend now that has an A4000. Maybe I can borrow his power supply. Unfortunately his motherboards are out for repair (limited battery corrosion).
Greg