Wtf has happened to my scan doubler!? :(

-Acid- · 12 February 2016, 00:28

I noticed earlier today some red bleeding into the main character in Prince of Persia and the game itself looking a tad bluer than the other day. Then when I loaded Roadkill I saw this mess and had a look at some other things running to see how bad it was, it's especially emphasised in Imploder.

I've narrowed it down a bit, it only happens on AGA screens through the scan doubler on my CV64/3D, everything is fine through RGB scart to my TV and it's normal in P96 screen modes.

Any ideas what has caused this and if it needs repairing, any offers? (in the UK preferably).

Amiga1992 · 12 February 2016, 04:52

Have you checked your cable/VGA connector?

Predseda · 12 February 2016, 08:17

Seems to be classic cable / port problem, as Akira says.

-Acid- · 12 February 2016, 10:21

I was running it through a switch but connected it directly to the monitor and it's the same. The VGA cable is hardwired into the monitor (and the monitor is NOS only bought 2 month ago). The output from the graphics card is fine on the same equipment though, so it has to be a problem with the scan doubler module.

Daedalus · 12 February 2016, 10:33

Sounds like it's an issue with the scandoubler's connections. If it's only happening with AGA modes it's possibly an issue with one of the video slot high bits - perhaps blue bit 7 is stuck high or something. I'd check the videoslot connector and the contacts on the scandoubler, see if there's anything shorting or contaminating there. I'm not that familiar with the video slot, but I presume non-AGA modes don't use the high 3 bits so an issue there wouldn't affect them.

It could also be a deeper issue (solder joint failure, corroded traces, internal IC failure), but hopefully not.

Amiga1992 · 12 February 2016, 15:05

Since we can discard the cable, give it a wiggle on the scandoubler port side and see if it changes. As said by Daedalus, it could be a solder joint that needs some love.

idrougge · 12 February 2016, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Sounds like it's an issue with the scandoubler's connections. If it's only happening with AGA modes it's possibly an issue with one of the video slot high bits - perhaps blue bit 7 is stuck high or something. I'd check the videoslot connector and the contacts on the scandoubler, see if there's anything shorting or contaminating there. I'm not that familiar with the video slot, but I presume non-AGA modes don't use the high 3 bits so an issue there wouldn't affect them.

The videoslot only has four bits per colour (AGA modes are only available as analogue outputs), so while AGA pictures will look a little odd, Prince of Persia or Protracker shouldn't.
It must be either a bad connection in the video slot edge connector or one bit in the video buffers is bad (or a trace or solder joint in between).

Amiga1992 · 12 February 2016, 16:21

What scandoubler do you have? IS it one of those that piggyback on a video chip?

I had a similar issue with my Scanmagic and it turned out to be that putting it in and/or out created stress on the video chip and this cracked some solder joints. It had to be resoldered. I only noticed after my video went completely black and I had to take the Amiga to the "doctor".

So, those piggyback things, can cause stress on the connections of the chip they snap on. This is the main reason I gave up on internal scandoublers.

Daedalus · 12 February 2016, 18:13

@idrougge
Ah, I've never used a video slot so I wasn't sure of the details. It does have a full 8 bits for each colour on the schematic which is what I was thinking of - are the high 4 bits just inactive then? Or is it just that the CV64 scandoubler doesn't use those pins?

@Akira
It's a Cybervision64 scandoubler module, so not a piggyback one... Though it could be a similar fault with solder joints somewhere cracking.

-Acid- · 12 February 2016, 23:45

Wiggling doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't have a clue when it comes to soldering etc, any suggestions of who to ask to fix it for me? (i've got a faulty Buddha Flash that needs looking at too).

SkulleateR · 13 February 2016, 00:01

I got a scandoubler (extern) with the exact same (blue) output .... never found out where the problem is

idrougge · 13 February 2016, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daedalus

@idrougge
Ah, I've never used a video slot so I wasn't sure of the details. It does have a full 8 bits for each colour on the schematic which is what I was thinking of - are the high 4 bits just inactive then? Or is it just that the CV64 scandoubler doesn't use those pins?

Well spotted, and my memory may be fooling me again. Can someone with more experience in the A4000 pinout refresh my memory?

-Acid- · 14 February 2016, 03:11

Well i decided to open the tower tonight and I removed the CV and give the contacts a clean and re-seated it. Workbench loaded back up so I loaded Roadkill and it looked fine. Decided to run Imploder and that was looking normal too, left it running about about 30 seconds later the audio crashes into a loop and the system froze. Now I try to boot and i've got SFS errors ffs can't even boot to Workbench.

createbnode: findbnode() says key 332853 & 324003 already exists!

Is the error followed by another key, options are continue and no more requesters - pressing either twice results in a grey screen with a workbenhc bar at the top and nothing else.

Looks like a complete drive wipe job, it's just one problem after another with large drives.

-Acid- · 14 February 2016, 14:47

You know when things aren't going well? it's just gone completely tits up!

I managed to get most of the files from my WB drive and backed them up into a lha and stored it on my PC's drive. Repartitioned my DH0 into two partitions so I could keep a recovery copy of WB on it. Went back to unlha WB back and 75% of the files are missing from the archive ffs even though it said all files were added successfully.

Entire setup lost, tried to recover files on PC it finds near a half million deleted files but of course not the one I want that was deleted a half hour ago. I hate computers.

Any way to recover files from SFS partitions after they have been repartitioned?

Daedalus · 14 February 2016, 22:18

If it was a quick format you might be able to use SFSSalv... Sounds bad though, good luck with it

-Acid- · 14 February 2016, 23:13

SFSSalv is teasing me. It can find most of the files but will not let me select the dirs to recover them, am I missing something here?

Daedalus · 15 February 2016, 09:58

I'm not really that familiar with it myself (thankfully) so I can't really help you there.

12 February 2016, 00:28	#1
-Acid- Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shields Posts: 812	Wtf has happened to my scan doubler!? :( I noticed earlier today some red bleeding into the main character in Prince of Persia and the game itself looking a tad bluer than the other day. Then when I loaded Roadkill I saw this mess and had a look at some other things running to see how bad it was, it's especially emphasised in Imploder. I've narrowed it down a bit, it only happens on AGA screens through the scan doubler on my CV64/3D, everything is fine through RGB scart to my TV and it's normal in P96 screen modes. Any ideas what has caused this and if it needs repairing, any offers? (in the UK preferably).

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12 February 2016, 04:52	#2
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Have you checked your cable/VGA connector?

12 February 2016, 08:17	#3
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,540	Seems to be classic cable / port problem, as Akira says.

12 February 2016, 10:21	#4
-Acid- Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shields Posts: 812	I was running it through a switch but connected it directly to the monitor and it's the same. The VGA cable is hardwired into the monitor (and the monitor is NOS only bought 2 month ago). The output from the graphics card is fine on the same equipment though, so it has to be a problem with the scan doubler module.

12 February 2016, 10:33	#5
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,335	Sounds like it's an issue with the scandoubler's connections. If it's only happening with AGA modes it's possibly an issue with one of the video slot high bits - perhaps blue bit 7 is stuck high or something. I'd check the videoslot connector and the contacts on the scandoubler, see if there's anything shorting or contaminating there. I'm not that familiar with the video slot, but I presume non-AGA modes don't use the high 3 bits so an issue there wouldn't affect them. It could also be a deeper issue (solder joint failure, corroded traces, internal IC failure), but hopefully not.

12 February 2016, 15:05	#6
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Since we can discard the cable, give it a wiggle on the scandoubler port side and see if it changes. As said by Daedalus, it could be a solder joint that needs some love.

12 February 2016, 16:21	#8
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	What scandoubler do you have? IS it one of those that piggyback on a video chip? I had a similar issue with my Scanmagic and it turned out to be that putting it in and/or out created stress on the video chip and this cracked some solder joints. It had to be resoldered. I only noticed after my video went completely black and I had to take the Amiga to the "doctor". So, those piggyback things, can cause stress on the connections of the chip they snap on. This is the main reason I gave up on internal scandoublers.

12 February 2016, 18:13	#9
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,335	@idrougge Ah, I've never used a video slot so I wasn't sure of the details. It does have a full 8 bits for each colour on the schematic which is what I was thinking of - are the high 4 bits just inactive then? Or is it just that the CV64 scandoubler doesn't use those pins? @Akira It's a Cybervision64 scandoubler module, so not a piggyback one... Though it could be a similar fault with solder joints somewhere cracking.

12 February 2016, 23:45	#10
-Acid- Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shields Posts: 812	Wiggling doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't have a clue when it comes to soldering etc, any suggestions of who to ask to fix it for me? (i've got a faulty Buddha Flash that needs looking at too).

13 February 2016, 00:01	#11
SkulleateR Registered User Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Germany Posts: 325	I got a scandoubler (extern) with the exact same (blue) output .... never found out where the problem is

14 February 2016, 03:11	#13
-Acid- Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shields Posts: 812	Well i decided to open the tower tonight and I removed the CV and give the contacts a clean and re-seated it. Workbench loaded back up so I loaded Roadkill and it looked fine. Decided to run Imploder and that was looking normal too, left it running about about 30 seconds later the audio crashes into a loop and the system froze. Now I try to boot and i've got SFS errors ffs can't even boot to Workbench. createbnode: findbnode() says key 332853 & 324003 already exists! Is the error followed by another key, options are continue and no more requesters - pressing either twice results in a grey screen with a workbenhc bar at the top and nothing else. Looks like a complete drive wipe job, it's just one problem after another with large drives.

14 February 2016, 14:47	#14
-Acid- Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shields Posts: 812	You know when things aren't going well? it's just gone completely tits up! I managed to get most of the files from my WB drive and backed them up into a lha and stored it on my PC's drive. Repartitioned my DH0 into two partitions so I could keep a recovery copy of WB on it. Went back to unlha WB back and 75% of the files are missing from the archive ffs even though it said all files were added successfully. Entire setup lost, tried to recover files on PC it finds near a half million deleted files but of course not the one I want that was deleted a half hour ago. I hate computers. Any way to recover files from SFS partitions after they have been repartitioned?

14 February 2016, 22:18	#15
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,335	If it was a quick format you might be able to use SFSSalv... Sounds bad though, good luck with it

14 February 2016, 23:13	#16
-Acid- Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: South Shields Posts: 812	SFSSalv is teasing me. It can find most of the files but will not let me select the dirs to recover them, am I missing something here?

15 February 2016, 09:58	#17
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,335	I'm not really that familiar with it myself (thankfully) so I can't really help you there.

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