A4000 video out scrambled with 2+ ZORRO cards installed

jaesonk · 16 December 2015, 19:37

The basic problem, or minor annoyance, is my A4000's video out is scrambled if I have more than two ZORRO cards installed. The monitor won't sync to any non-RTG screens that open, that includes the early boot menu.

If I remove one of the ZORRO cards, the Amiga video out works just fine.

I have a Retina BLT Z3, Toccata and VLab-Motion installed. The order and slots used doesn't seem to matter, but I haven't tried every possible combination yet. It also doesn't seem to matter which of the three I remove. I'll continue to play with this.

Other than the video out not working with 3 Z-cards installed, everything else seems to be working fine. Screenmodes promote to the Retina Z3 with P96, VLM & Toccata work fine with MovieShop.

I have a GVP4060 with 128MB installed & one SCSI-CF drive attached for MovieShop partitions. I have one IDE-CF & DVDRW on the A4000 IDE bus. 18MB on the mobo & OS3.1 installed, real ROMs.

Anyone else experience this? Could this be a PSU issue? Something wrong with the daughter board?

idrougge · 17 December 2015, 01:59

PSU or capacitor issue.

r.cade · 17 December 2015, 02:12

That's probably too much for the little weak A4000 power supply. They made a heavier duty one we used to use on accelerated Video Toaster machines...

Toaster card, plus a couple of TBC's, plus Flyer, plus accelerator would do something similar. Usually it would just randomly cut off...

jaesonk · 17 December 2015, 17:15

Does anyone still provide bigfoot type PSUs for the A4000?
What are some other options?

jaesonk · 17 December 2015, 17:17

BTW, my A4K motherboard was recently refurbished by AmigaKit.

jaesonk · 17 December 2015, 22:21

I see that AmigaKit has an ATX 350W PSU listed in their store and they also have an ATX to A4000 adapter kit.

Does anyone know how many device connectors the AmigaKit ATX PSU has?
Will this fit inside the A4000D?

jaesonk · 23 December 2015, 21:43

I haven't upgraded my PSU yet.

While experimenting with MovieShop though, I noticed that launching MovieShop always "turns on" the Amiga's normal video output.

Also while doing a CyberGraphX install, there's a setting for KEEPAMIGAVIDEO that affects Amiga display DMA.

While low power may still be my issue, I'm wondering if the VLabMotion card is somehow affecting the Amiga display. Or maybe the Toccata. Either way, launching MovieShop causes the Amiga display to return to active duty.

jaesonk · 10 February 2016, 22:56

Finally back to the Amiga project after a new year hiatus!

I swapped out my A4000 PSU with one that I snagged from Software Hut. It's new/old stock and 10W juicier. No 350W conversion by a long stretch BUT it has resolved some oddities and the system doesn't crash as often (not at all yet). VLM & MovieShop are behaving better too.

The fan on the new/old PSU is pumping air out, instead of in. The old PSU had one of the C= reversals.

16 December 2015, 19:37	#1
jaesonk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania / USA Posts: 247	A4000 video out scrambled with 2+ ZORRO cards installed The basic problem, or minor annoyance, is my A4000's video out is scrambled if I have more than two ZORRO cards installed. The monitor won't sync to any non-RTG screens that open, that includes the early boot menu. If I remove one of the ZORRO cards, the Amiga video out works just fine. I have a Retina BLT Z3, Toccata and VLab-Motion installed. The order and slots used doesn't seem to matter, but I haven't tried every possible combination yet. It also doesn't seem to matter which of the three I remove. I'll continue to play with this. Other than the video out not working with 3 Z-cards installed, everything else seems to be working fine. Screenmodes promote to the Retina Z3 with P96, VLM & Toccata work fine with MovieShop. I have a GVP4060 with 128MB installed & one SCSI-CF drive attached for MovieShop partitions. I have one IDE-CF & DVDRW on the A4000 IDE bus. 18MB on the mobo & OS3.1 installed, real ROMs. Anyone else experience this? Could this be a PSU issue? Something wrong with the daughter board?

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17 December 2015, 01:59	#2
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	PSU or capacitor issue.

17 December 2015, 02:12	#3
r.cade Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA Posts: 550	That's probably too much for the little weak A4000 power supply. They made a heavier duty one we used to use on accelerated Video Toaster machines... Toaster card, plus a couple of TBC's, plus Flyer, plus accelerator would do something similar. Usually it would just randomly cut off...

17 December 2015, 17:15	#4
jaesonk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania / USA Posts: 247	Does anyone still provide bigfoot type PSUs for the A4000? What are some other options?

17 December 2015, 17:17	#5
jaesonk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania / USA Posts: 247	BTW, my A4K motherboard was recently refurbished by AmigaKit.

17 December 2015, 22:21	#6
jaesonk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania / USA Posts: 247	I see that AmigaKit has an ATX 350W PSU listed in their store and they also have an ATX to A4000 adapter kit. Does anyone know how many device connectors the AmigaKit ATX PSU has? Will this fit inside the A4000D?

23 December 2015, 21:43	#7
jaesonk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania / USA Posts: 247	I haven't upgraded my PSU yet. While experimenting with MovieShop though, I noticed that launching MovieShop always "turns on" the Amiga's normal video output. Also while doing a CyberGraphX install, there's a setting for KEEPAMIGAVIDEO that affects Amiga display DMA. While low power may still be my issue, I'm wondering if the VLabMotion card is somehow affecting the Amiga display. Or maybe the Toccata. Either way, launching MovieShop causes the Amiga display to return to active duty.

10 February 2016, 22:56	#8
jaesonk Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania / USA Posts: 247	Finally back to the Amiga project after a new year hiatus! I swapped out my A4000 PSU with one that I snagged from Software Hut. It's new/old stock and 10W juicier. No 350W conversion by a long stretch BUT it has resolved some oddities and the system doesn't crash as often (not at all yet). VLM & MovieShop are behaving better too. The fan on the new/old PSU is pumping air out, instead of in. The old PSU had one of the C= reversals.

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