More IDE troubles - Archos Overdrive CD / PCMCIA

kyrian · 11 March 2009, 14:27

Further to this thread http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=42601

I've got an EasyNet CD now to install and try to resolve the instability of the combination of X-Surf + Miami DX + MNI driver + AmiFTP as well as use legit versions of the software.

Unfortunately however I can't get a damn CD drive working, and the idea of splitting it onto 14 floppies (the CD only contains about 14Mb of stuff), copying it over and fighting with assign et al to make it install doesn't seem viable because the NIC has failed (locked up) to download anything over about 200k many (10+) times in a row.

I also have an "Archos Overdrive CD" PCMCIA adaptor (identified thanks to amiga-hardware.com), and I can't get that to work either. (the "assign" approach worked to get that installed from HD but that was only 2 DMS images that fit on a single floppy after compression).

I realise now that the CD drive that came with it is not ATA compatible, which may have caused some of the issues when I tried it with the FastATA initially, but I've tried 3 different CD-ROM drives on it, and can't get that to go. Unfortunately the Archos is moulded to the layout of the specific drive so I can't really connect it to a different drive.

I've got the Overdrive software installed, but the system fails to boot with the damn thing connected, and it won't do anything at all unless I use my tower case 12v supply into the back of the drive, as the one from the Archos adaptor does not seem to supply 12v, only about 9v (metered it), although the PSU for the Archos device is providing 15v instead of the expected 12v, so I am at a loss.

It seems to hang when I try to mount from devs:dosdrivers/CD0. c:cdboot seems to work. I tried forcing unit 0 into that config file but to no avail?

Given that 2 completely different IDE adaptors don't work, it sounds a bit like something more serious is wrong.

I have given the things enough time to start up I think as I have usually gone away and had a cuppa then come back later etc.

Anyone got any ideas?

DoogUK · 11 March 2009, 15:30

the overdrive cd isnt a standard cdrom drive....it uses a different interface..the same as you used to get on soundblaster isa soundcards, plugging a normal cdrom into this will normaly render the cdrom useless.

Although the interface is exactly the same in looks they are different.

kyrian · 11 March 2009, 16:19

Thanks. I hadn't done that, but I will be sure not to now :-)

Magno Boots · 12 March 2009, 00:21

Kyrian,
I had much the same problem with my Q-Drive many years ago (long gone now). It worked when it felt like it.

The original disks were corrupt so I managed to find a replacement install disk from a PD library.

The guy suggested that I manually drag & drop / replace all files from the disk and to ignore the installer... it worked.

Anyways, I've still got that disk and have upped it to the zone for you. I'm not sure how much It differes from the original, but It's worth a try.
Try drag n drop first.

Magno

kyrian · 29 March 2009, 23:50

Thanks. I did, it didn't, and I think your "it worked when it felt like it" was nearer the mark.

Decided "screw it" and refactored the EasyNet system down into <720k .lha files for transfer to the amiga (managed to get it down to 11 floppies rather than 14, as the stuff on the CD is not compressed).

Unfortunately even with that software (which I copied over just a few hours ago) the network connection is unusable (can't ping default gateway). I'm going to have to play with wiring to make it better, and see how that goes.

kyrian · 18 October 2009, 21:10

Gah. So, I check much later with a Linux box at the end of the same cable, and find that every single outbound packet generates an error on the interface, and the Linux stack freezes after about the same time as the Amiga one would when transferring stuff.

Chop off the last metre or so of the lead, and the errors go away, so maybe it wasn't the amiga after all. Have yet to confirm but it does seem more promising having found that out!

rkauer · 18 October 2009, 23:20

Another source for this problem are the same thing who plagues any latest model of Amiga (A600/1200/4000/4000T): SMD capacitors.

Replace the electrolytic units first if you didn't did it already.

11 March 2009, 14:27	#1
kyrian Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London / England Posts: 15	More IDE troubles - Archos Overdrive CD / PCMCIA Further to this thread http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=42601 I've got an EasyNet CD now to install and try to resolve the instability of the combination of X-Surf + Miami DX + MNI driver + AmiFTP as well as use legit versions of the software. Unfortunately however I can't get a damn CD drive working, and the idea of splitting it onto 14 floppies (the CD only contains about 14Mb of stuff), copying it over and fighting with assign et al to make it install doesn't seem viable because the NIC has failed (locked up) to download anything over about 200k many (10+) times in a row. I also have an "Archos Overdrive CD" PCMCIA adaptor (identified thanks to amiga-hardware.com), and I can't get that to work either. (the "assign" approach worked to get that installed from HD but that was only 2 DMS images that fit on a single floppy after compression). I realise now that the CD drive that came with it is not ATA compatible, which may have caused some of the issues when I tried it with the FastATA initially, but I've tried 3 different CD-ROM drives on it, and can't get that to go. Unfortunately the Archos is moulded to the layout of the specific drive so I can't really connect it to a different drive. I've got the Overdrive software installed, but the system fails to boot with the damn thing connected, and it won't do anything at all unless I use my tower case 12v supply into the back of the drive, as the one from the Archos adaptor does not seem to supply 12v, only about 9v (metered it), although the PSU for the Archos device is providing 15v instead of the expected 12v, so I am at a loss. It seems to hang when I try to mount from devs:dosdrivers/CD0. c:cdboot seems to work. I tried forcing unit 0 into that config file but to no avail? Given that 2 completely different IDE adaptors don't work, it sounds a bit like something more serious is wrong. I have given the things enough time to start up I think as I have usually gone away and had a cuppa then come back later etc. Anyone got any ideas?

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11 March 2009, 15:30	#2
DoogUK Doogster Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dorset Posts: 1,069	the overdrive cd isnt a standard cdrom drive....it uses a different interface..the same as you used to get on soundblaster isa soundcards, plugging a normal cdrom into this will normaly render the cdrom useless. Although the interface is exactly the same in looks they are different.

11 March 2009, 16:19	#3
kyrian Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London / England Posts: 15	Thanks. I hadn't done that, but I will be sure not to now :-)

12 March 2009, 00:21	#4
Magno Boots Zone Friend Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 688	Kyrian, I had much the same problem with my Q-Drive many years ago (long gone now). It worked when it felt like it. The original disks were corrupt so I managed to find a replacement install disk from a PD library. The guy suggested that I manually drag & drop / replace all files from the disk and to ignore the installer... it worked. Anyways, I've still got that disk and have upped it to the zone for you. I'm not sure how much It differes from the original, but It's worth a try. Try drag n drop first. Magno

29 March 2009, 23:50	#5
kyrian Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London / England Posts: 15	Thanks. I did, it didn't, and I think your "it worked when it felt like it" was nearer the mark. Decided "screw it" and refactored the EasyNet system down into <720k .lha files for transfer to the amiga (managed to get it down to 11 floppies rather than 14, as the stuff on the CD is not compressed). Unfortunately even with that software (which I copied over just a few hours ago) the network connection is unusable (can't ping default gateway). I'm going to have to play with wiring to make it better, and see how that goes.

18 October 2009, 21:10	#6
kyrian Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: London / England Posts: 15	Gah. So, I check much later with a Linux box at the end of the same cable, and find that every single outbound packet generates an error on the interface, and the Linux stack freezes after about the same time as the Amiga one would when transferring stuff. Chop off the last metre or so of the lead, and the errors go away, so maybe it wasn't the amiga after all. Have yet to confirm but it does seem more promising having found that out!

18 October 2009, 23:20	#7
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Another source for this problem are the same thing who plagues any latest model of Amiga (A600/1200/4000/4000T): SMD capacitors. Replace the electrolytic units first if you didn't did it already.

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