A1200: Gray screen, floppy led constantly on

emuola · 22 September 2009, 17:31

I finally managed to install a new floppy drive, because the drive supplied with the heavily modded A1200 was not a "real" amiga floppy drive (thread here).

My Amiga has a cf-hd installed and also a M-tec 1230

Ok, that's for the good news...

When I power the Amiga on, there', only gray screen and floppy drive led is constantly on. However, the hdd-led flashes for a few seconds in a random way, so it seems it actually loads the wb, which I installed to the cf via Winuae (and it works fine in Winuae).

I would argue tht the power and ribbon cable for the floppy are correctly installed, beacause to my knowledge there's only one way the cables can be connected.

I have upgraded the KS roms to 3.1, so that can be the problem, but the chips *should* be correctly installed.

Any help highly appreciated

*update*
I had the floppy ribbon cable the wrong way

Now the problem seems to be the cf-hd. If I disconnect the ribbon cable of the cf-adapter, after about 30 secs I get the "insert floppy screen" when booting

So the Amiga actually works fine, I can also hear the sound from the floppy drive every now and then.

Like I posted I got the cf-hd working nicely in Winuae. It is a "real amiga hd" at least according to Winuae. It is weird that it seems to boot from it (the random flashing of the hdd led) and it takes about the same time to stop flashing as it took to load the os in Winuae. However the screen is just gray, when the WB should appear...

Any hints?

rkauer · 22 September 2009, 20:58

If the IDE cable connection is backwards the CF will be erased (become unformatted).

Another common mistake is the IDE cable misaligned in the Amiga IDE header.

DoogUK · 22 September 2009, 21:09

is workbench set to a resolution unsupported by your monitor?...just a thought

fitzsteve · 22 September 2009, 21:22

A CF card thats not compatible with the Amiga?

I have one all I get is a black screen on boot.

emuola · 22 September 2009, 21:24

Quote:

is workbench set to a resolution unsupported by your monitor?...just a thought

Doh... This never crossed my mind. I'm trying to get the picture from the composite video out, so the resolution problem actually is very probable. I really don't know what resolution I set in the Winuae, but most probably a lot more than a composite video can take

How stupid can I be? (so stupid that it's actually scary

What should I set the resolution to? I have a PAL tv/projector, so it's 720 x 576, right?

DoogUK · 22 September 2009, 21:29

i'd initialy set it to Pal Hires to eliminate wether thats the problem or not

kipper2k · 22 September 2009, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by emuola

I finally managed to install a new floppy drive, because the drive supplied with the heavily modded A1200 was not a "real" amiga floppy drive (thread here).

My Amiga has a cf-hd installed and also a M-tec 1230

Ok, that's for the good news...

When I power the Amiga on, there', only gray screen and floppy drive led is constantly on. However, the hdd-led flashes for a few seconds in a random way, so it seems it actually loads the wb, which I installed to the cf via Winuae (and it works fine in Winuae).

I would argue tht the power and ribbon cable for the floppy are correctly installed, beacause to my knowledge there's only one way the cables can be connected.

I have upgraded the KS roms to 3.1, so that can be the problem, but the chips *should* be correctly installed.

Any help highly appreciated

*update*
I had the floppy ribbon cable the wrong way

Now the problem seems to be the cf-hd. If I disconnect the ribbon cable of the cf-adapter, after about 30 secs I get the "insert floppy screen" when booting

So the Amiga actually works fine, I can also hear the sound from the floppy drive every now and then.

Like I posted I got the cf-hd working nicely in Winuae. It is a "real amiga hd" at least according to Winuae. It is weird that it seems to boot from it (the random flashing of the hdd led) and it takes about the same time to stop flashing as it took to load the os in Winuae. However the screen is just gray, when the WB should appear...

Any hints?

KS 3.1 will take about 25 seconds to boot to the startup screen if it cannot find any IDE device on the IDE port. So either the card is corrupt or the ide port is not working or cable in backwards

DoogUK · 22 September 2009, 22:55

That doesn't add up if he's getting hdd activity light acting like its booting, you would have no activity if it wasnt present.

emuola · 23 September 2009, 19:44

The cf-card is ok, because I tested it in Winuae and it works fine. The display resolution was/is set to PAL Hires, so no help there. That should work, right? I'm getting kinda desperate here. I checked the hard drive "information" in Winuae and I attached a screenshot of it. There are a lot of fields having the "n/a" value, so I though maybe the problem is there. Also the cf-hd doesn't work in Winuae, if the hd controller is not set to UAE.

Any clues? The cd-card has ClassicWB FULL installed.

DoogUK · 23 September 2009, 19:48

What Cf card brand is it? there's not many that are totaly compatible with the miggys IDE controller

emuola · 23 September 2009, 19:54

The cf-card is a 2GB Sandisk Ultra II. The cf-card was originally used with this AMiga, so I guess it should work.

DoogUK · 23 September 2009, 20:01

Yup...should do.....i still think its something to do with resolution and your projector as its displaying the native KS screen ok.
Try it on a TV.

emuola · 23 September 2009, 20:19

Ok, have tried it with a lcd-tv and a projector. Same result

It looks indeed that there is something wrong with the resolution. Unfortunately I don't have any working floppies, so I really can't tell whether any other signal than the KS-screen actually works

Creating a floppy from an image without a working Amiga (or catweasel etc) is to my knowledge something pretty impossible also

I'll try to get some floppies from a friend. Of course if yu have a better Idea. let me know

One more thing. If my M-tec 1230 is busted, how would my Myggy react to that? Removing and re-inserting that 1230 is something pretty daunting, so I won't try it if there's not a very good reason

DoogUK · 23 September 2009, 20:25

the palhires screen you set it to before in winuae...you did save that configuration right?...i mean if you just clicked use next time you boot workbench it would revert back to any other res you set.

emuola · 23 September 2009, 21:08

Yes, I saved the resolution. I actually tested PAL Hires, PAL Lores and PAL Hires Interlaced, nothing works. This is really weird and frustrating. I just wish I would have means to use for example the vga of the projector, but I have no suitable cable.

Is there anything I can try to do to those parameters that are "missing" in the Winuae Hard Drives dialog box?

I'm starting to toy with the idea, that someone installs me a working version of WB Classic FULL for money...

DoogUK · 23 September 2009, 21:21

Ive tried my miggy on my projector and it works fine in pal hires

emuola · 24 September 2009, 08:02

Ok, few more things:

I prepared the cf-card in Winuae and OS 3.9 hd-toolbox (mounted OS 3.9 iso with daemon tools etc). So, the card was in a generic usb-reader at that time. Could it be that I should have prepared the cf-card with a standard 3.1 install floppy and card hooked in the real Amiga?

Should I be able to select the hd controller as "IDE0" or "IDE1" in the Winuae Add hardrive dialogue box? Like I said, only "UAE" works. If I select something else, I get to AmigaDOS ans that's it. My drive is set to be DH0 (at least I think so...)

If the drive parameters etc etc are not correct, should I get some error when booting? Because I'm not..

rkauer · 24 September 2009, 18:09

Try to format the card using the IDE from your computer, not from a USB adaptor.

emuola · 24 September 2009, 18:41

Ok, can I use an "ancient" OS 1.3 install floppy to do that? I want the ffs-filesystem and one 2 gb partition. There's no way I can get me a OS 3.1 install floppy without waiting for at least a week...

rkauer · 24 September 2009, 20:53

Nope, 1.3 don't have the necessary FFS to support such a large partition.

Also avoid boot partitions that big! Usually just 90 to 200Mb will be much more than enough. Make a secondary partition for the leftover.

22 September 2009, 17:31	#1
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	A1200: Gray screen, floppy led constantly on partially solved I finally managed to install a new floppy drive, because the drive supplied with the heavily modded A1200 was not a "real" amiga floppy drive (thread here). My Amiga has a cf-hd installed and also a M-tec 1230 Ok, that's for the good news... When I power the Amiga on, there', only gray screen and floppy drive led is constantly on. However, the hdd-led flashes for a few seconds in a random way, so it seems it actually loads the wb, which I installed to the cf via Winuae (and it works fine in Winuae). I would argue tht the power and ribbon cable for the floppy are correctly installed, beacause to my knowledge there's only one way the cables can be connected. I have upgraded the KS roms to 3.1, so that can be the problem, but the chips should be correctly installed. Any help highly appreciated update I had the floppy ribbon cable the wrong way Now the problem seems to be the cf-hd. If I disconnect the ribbon cable of the cf-adapter, after about 30 secs I get the "insert floppy screen" when booting So the Amiga actually works fine, I can also hear the sound from the floppy drive every now and then. Like I posted I got the cf-hd working nicely in Winuae. It is a "real amiga hd" at least according to Winuae. It is weird that it seems to boot from it (the random flashing of the hdd led) and it takes about the same time to stop flashing as it took to load the os in Winuae. However the screen is just gray, when the WB should appear... Any hints? Last edited by emuola; 22 September 2009 at 19:45.

23 September 2009, 19:44	#9
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	The cf-card is ok, because I tested it in Winuae and it works fine. The display resolution was/is set to PAL Hires, so no help there. That should work, right? I'm getting kinda desperate here. I checked the hard drive "information" in Winuae and I attached a screenshot of it. There are a lot of fields having the "n/a" value, so I though maybe the problem is there. Also the cf-hd doesn't work in Winuae, if the hd controller is not set to UAE. Any clues? The cd-card has ClassicWB FULL installed. Last edited by emuola; 16 October 2009 at 14:09.

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22 September 2009, 20:58	#2
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	If the IDE cable connection is backwards the CF will be erased (become unformatted). Another common mistake is the IDE cable misaligned in the Amiga IDE header.

22 September 2009, 21:09	#3
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	is workbench set to a resolution unsupported by your monitor?...just a thought

22 September 2009, 21:22	#4
fitzsteve Professional slacker! Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kent, UK Age: 44 Posts: 6,683	A CF card thats not compatible with the Amiga? I have one all I get is a black screen on boot.

22 September 2009, 21:29	#6
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	i'd initialy set it to Pal Hires to eliminate wether thats the problem or not

22 September 2009, 22:55	#8
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	That doesn't add up if he's getting hdd activity light acting like its booting, you would have no activity if it wasnt present.

23 September 2009, 19:48	#10
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	What Cf card brand is it? there's not many that are totaly compatible with the miggys IDE controller

23 September 2009, 19:54	#11
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	The cf-card is a 2GB Sandisk Ultra II. The cf-card was originally used with this AMiga, so I guess it should work.

23 September 2009, 20:01	#12
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	Yup...should do.....i still think its something to do with resolution and your projector as its displaying the native KS screen ok. Try it on a TV.

23 September 2009, 20:19	#13
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	Ok, have tried it with a lcd-tv and a projector. Same result It looks indeed that there is something wrong with the resolution. Unfortunately I don't have any working floppies, so I really can't tell whether any other signal than the KS-screen actually works Creating a floppy from an image without a working Amiga (or catweasel etc) is to my knowledge something pretty impossible also I'll try to get some floppies from a friend. Of course if yu have a better Idea. let me know One more thing. If my M-tec 1230 is busted, how would my Myggy react to that? Removing and re-inserting that 1230 is something pretty daunting, so I won't try it if there's not a very good reason

23 September 2009, 20:25	#14
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	the palhires screen you set it to before in winuae...you did save that configuration right?...i mean if you just clicked use next time you boot workbench it would revert back to any other res you set.

23 September 2009, 21:08	#15
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	Yes, I saved the resolution. I actually tested PAL Hires, PAL Lores and PAL Hires Interlaced, nothing works. This is really weird and frustrating. I just wish I would have means to use for example the vga of the projector, but I have no suitable cable. Is there anything I can try to do to those parameters that are "missing" in the Winuae Hard Drives dialog box? I'm starting to toy with the idea, that someone installs me a working version of WB Classic FULL for money...

23 September 2009, 21:21	#16
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	Ive tried my miggy on my projector and it works fine in pal hires

24 September 2009, 08:02	#17
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	Ok, few more things: I prepared the cf-card in Winuae and OS 3.9 hd-toolbox (mounted OS 3.9 iso with daemon tools etc). So, the card was in a generic usb-reader at that time. Could it be that I should have prepared the cf-card with a standard 3.1 install floppy and card hooked in the real Amiga? Should I be able to select the hd controller as "IDE0" or "IDE1" in the Winuae Add hardrive dialogue box? Like I said, only "UAE" works. If I select something else, I get to AmigaDOS ans that's it. My drive is set to be DH0 (at least I think so...) If the drive parameters etc etc are not correct, should I get some error when booting? Because I'm not..

24 September 2009, 18:09	#18
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Try to format the card using the IDE from your computer, not from a USB adaptor.

24 September 2009, 18:41	#19
emuola Registered Whdload user Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 532	Ok, can I use an "ancient" OS 1.3 install floppy to do that? I want the ffs-filesystem and one 2 gb partition. There's no way I can get me a OS 3.1 install floppy without waiting for at least a week...

24 September 2009, 20:53	#20
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Nope, 1.3 don't have the necessary FFS to support such a large partition. Also avoid boot partitions that big! Usually just 90 to 200Mb will be much more than enough. Make a secondary partition for the leftover.

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