Refreshing my Picasso IV memory!

[dirkies]

I have a question for those who have a PIV (I have one too but currently my machine is completely disassembled)

Now that I have this BenQ LCD monitor which syncs from 15Khz to 83Khz, I wonder if I will be able to see the early startup menu of my A4000 when using the VGA output of the PIV?

I do remember the PIV will flickerfix the normal PAL & NTSC signal (workbench standard) but will it also output/passthrough the native 15Khz for the early start menu?

If not, as this monitor has 2 inputs, any other reason to connect the standard Amiga DB23 video out and the PIV out both to the same monitor (as you can switch inputs on the fly).

Thanks

[Jope]

The PIV flickerfixer is active all the time, so you can see the early startup too.

[dirkies]

but wasn't there something it did not passthrough? Gurus?
(I know about the several workbench resolutions but there is no need for these if you have a PIV)
As I said, my memory is failing

[Jope]

Not to my knowledge.. At least I always got a picture via the vga connector when I used a PIV.

[alexh]

If you have an early flicker fixer it doesn't pass through early startup very well.

Use the p4info tool, and post the output here.

[Jope]

Ooh, interesting. What is the problem there?

[alexh]

Technically I don't know what was wrong.

I just know from experience that with my earliest firmware and earliest flicker fixer, promotion of native Amiga screens didn't work until workbench had loaded and the PIV had been configured. You just had a grey screen until the RTG screen appeared. Native screens (i.e. games) the flifi worked from then on.

With a firmware upgrade, NVRAM settings reprogramming (and possibly a flifi upgrade) I had an intermediate PIV where the flifi was configured before RTG screens (so you could see early startup and workbench booting) but it had terrible combing on non-interlaced native screens and the mouse pointer movements also looked awful. After workbench had booted native screen promotion,

The last firmware + the last flifi and everything worked as it should.

Here are some good PIV resources

https://web.archive.org/web/20041015...com/picassoiv/

[dirkies]

this is a txt file I saved when I flashed my PIV back in Feb 17th 1998 !
Still have the TXT file, as the machine for the moment is disassembled so cannot test anything.

Opened PicassoIV.resource 7.1 at $8014D1C
p4res_boardcount 1
p4res_PALTiming $800DC20
p4res_NTSCTiming $800DC38
p4res_IntServer $8014E28
p4res_IntServer->is_Node.ln_Pri = 30
p4res_IntServer->is_Node.ln_Type = 2
p4res_IntServer->is_Node.ln_Name = "PicassoIV.resource"
p4res_IntServer->is_Data = $08014D1C
p4res_IntServer->is_Code = $0800FA5C

Board # 1
p4bi_Flags $80000802
ZorroIII Mode
Board contains CL-GD5446 Rev.A
connected to Color Monitor
Used by Gfx-System
p4bi_MemoryBase1 $41000000
p4bi_MemoryBase2 $40800000
p4bi_GPPortBase $40000000
p4bi_RegisterBase $40600000
p4bi_ConfigBase $40400000
p4bi_MMIOBase $40200000
p4bi_Modules $3
is connected to Video-Slot (FlickerFixer active)
is connected to AA-Video-Slot (24 bit capable)
p4bi_BridgeRevision $1
p4bi_FlickerFixerRevision $4
p4bi_BankingSetting $7
p4bi_AudioSettings $0
p4bi_IntStatus $00
interrupt $080F9910
interrupt->is_Node.ln_Pri 100
interrupt->is_Node.ln_Type 2
interrupt->is_Node.ln_Name "VBInt PicassoIV (0)"
interrupt->is_Data $080F98CC
interrupt->is_Code $081D8B80
p4bi_PabloConfig $00000000

[alexh]

I *think* PicassoModeTNG is what I used to fix the issue I was having with early startup.

The document for that tool, in section 2.5 it seems to imply early PIV flifi had no NVRAM for settings just volatile registers. I dunno if this is true? Might explain why early startup isn't available from cold boot on all PIV's.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by dirkies

Opened PicassoIV.resource 7.1

Version 7.5 is the latest so you should try and update.

http://www.sophisticated-development...V&section=P-IV

Originally Posted by dirkies

p4bi_BridgeRevision $1
p4bi_FlickerFixerRevision $4

This is a very early PIV (like mine was) with exactly the same chips I had. You really want to get the replacement chips to go to FliFi $7 and Bridge $4. You can get them from MastaTabs aka Tobias Seiler over at a1k.org. He's ex-VillageTronic and an active Amiga user. You will need to buy a PLCC extractor tool and send him your chips for re-programming. The price was fair.

In the mean-time flash upgrade to 7.5 and try out PicassoModeTNG

[dirkies]

thanks Alex

are it just the 2 little plcc chips or also the big one in the middle?

Does he sell the chips reflashed also, because if mine get lost/damaged in the mail I would be in deep doodoo ...!

[alexh]

It is the two little ones and the big one.

Last time we talked, a long time ago, he was hesitant to sell them because you cannot buy the MACH chip any more.

I was perhaps lucky in that he sent me the replacement and I sent the old one back when it was working. I don't think he offers that service anymore. But you can always ask.

If not, just have to send them recorded/tracked/signed for delivery and have it insured for 2x the price of another PicassoIV

P.S. Tobias is a busy guy. He's not making any profit. You'll probably have to wait a bit until he has the time.

[dirkies]

hmm, this website in Germany seems to have all of em,

http://www.ic-direct.com/icdirect/search/

MACH220-12JC > 220 in stock
16V6H-7JC/5 > 120 in stock
AM29F010B-120JC > 140 in stock

maybe buy some there and send the blanks for reflashing, or send the whole PIV instead. I will contact him to see what he thinks of this, hopefully he still does it

[alexh]

I advised someone else to get them from MastaTabs in February 2015 and Tobias was still selling them.

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...85#post1021385