Microbotics M1230XA problem, possibly faulty? - Page 3

cosmicfrog · 27 March 2010, 22:09

right !!

time to look for some different ram

Photon · 27 March 2010, 23:59

No.

But a memtest will fail if you didn't set the speed on the EEPROM to the speed it says on the chips. Did you do that before testing? (Run SetXA from Workbench)

rkauer · 28 March 2010, 06:39

Bad RAM. Replace the memory stick , no matter what size.

Or run SetXA and lower the RAM speed.

Riempie · 28 March 2010, 11:16

I still need to run SetXA if I have kickstart 3.1? I thought this wasn't necessary.
I also used a 16 mb module with kickstart 3.1 , also did a memtest. No problems here. But I configured the card on my old amiga with SetXA with this 16mb module. Is that the reason why I should use SetXA again? Also on kickstart 3.1? I can't find anything about the speed on the chips. It should be 60 ns.

Btw, Speedball 2 cd32-version (WHDload) works fine (with 16MB).

Photon · 28 March 2010, 22:36

By not reporting what speed it says on the chips, and by not running the configuration utility for the accelerator (clicking the icon) and set that memory speed (or slower), you are not getting closer to solving the problem.

Responding to your blabber about why you should not click this icon takes longer than clicking the icon, so that would be a waste of time for both of us. I am now unsubscribing to this thread.

prowler · 28 March 2010, 22:39

^ Photon makes a valid point there.

Let's see some advice being heeded in this thread, please.

Riempie · 28 March 2010, 22:53

Sorry, as I've said. I can't see anything usefull on the chips. And I did run SetXA several times, chaning the speed, etc. I didn't mentioned it, because it's obvious I have to try everything with that program. Never mind btw, I'll stick with my 16mb simm.

Amiga1992 · 24 January 2016, 18:11

NECROBUMP!

Add me to the list of people with a Microbotics 1230XA having issues with WHDLoad

I've been battling with this for years and only now have been pointed to this thread to see I am not alone.

Two things that come to mind: would changing the CPU on the card to another 030 work? The one my card has is marked as "Motorola SC414075RC50" which sounds a bit weird. Would popping in a different, same form factor 030 work/help out? Or just make the card a mess/break it?

Another idea I have is to send my card to Bert to see if he can fix the issues with it in WHDLoad. I feel like many of us have this card and it sucks that WHDLoad doens't work on it. It isn't a bad card really, it's only WHDLoad that gives issues with it.

Retro-Nerd · 24 January 2016, 18:22

You could try another ram bar with a different speed. The board supports ram with 40-80ns.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/mbx1230

zipper · 24 January 2016, 18:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

NECROBUMP!

The one my card has is marked as "Motorola SC414075RC50" which sounds a bit weird.

That's a Freescale product but no idea if it differs from a Motorola chip.
>>"SC" prefixes were used by Motorola, and then by Freescale Semiconductor, to mark custom order chips. Motorola and Freescale never published what the differences are between these chips and production "MC" chips. I suspect that SC414075RC50 is just a relabeled MC68030RC50B.

Amiga1992 · 24 January 2016, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

You could try another ram bar with a different speed. The board supports ram with 40-80ns.

I don't have RAM issues, Riempie did, it seems, back in 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by zipper

That's a Freescale product but no idea if it differs from a Motorola chip.
>>"SC" prefixes were used by Motorola, and then by Freescale Semiconductor, to mark custom order chips. Motorola and Freescale never published what the differences are between these chips and production "MC" chips. I suspect that SC414075RC50 is just a relabeled MC68030RC50B.

I see, interesting.
Would love to confirm this or if there's a chance to change this CPU for something that would create less issues. Perhaps the CPU is not to be blamed at all. I dunno.
My offer still stands, I can lend my board to Bert if he would be interested in fixing compatibility with these boards.

Retro-Nerd · 24 January 2016, 18:43

How do you know that? The fastram can give every kind you crazy problems with WHDLoad. I don't think that the Microbotics CPU is the source of the problem. Then you would have general problems with all Amiga programs.

Amiga1992 · 24 January 2016, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

How do you know that? The fastram can give every kind you crazy problems with WHDLoad. I don't think that the Microbotics CPU is the source of the problem. Then you would have general problems with all Amiga programs.

Dude you are assuming without reading this or my other thread.
I ran tests with the turbocard and NO RAM AT ALL in it. So it isn't the RAM.

WHDLoad isn't compatible with this card. If you read through this thread you will also see other people having done tests without RAM on it and yielding the same results.

My card has compatible RAM, and it isn't faulty. It wasn't even in the card when tests were made. So the problems are not because of RAM.

Retro-Nerd · 24 January 2016, 19:11

Sorry, overlooked the memory part in the other thread. Anyway. You card isn't the only one that causes problems with WHDLoad games. Some 040er cards as well. My ACA 1230 freezes with some games, while the M-TEC 1230 is fine. Though Stingray said that the freezes could be fixable bugs.

Retroplay · 24 January 2016, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

My ACA 1230 freezes with some games (snip)

Is that an ACA1230 specific issue or is 1232 affected too ?
I'm asking because I have yet to find a problematic game on my 1232 setup.

Amiga1992 · 24 January 2016, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

Sorry, overlooked the memory part in the other thread.

It's said in this thread too, you don't have to be thread jumping

The original poster tested with the card unpopulated and got the same results.

I think WHDLoad as said before is just a very complex software and compatibility with every card cannot be assured because they all work differently. HEnce why I wonder if it is worth trying to talk to Bert about it and offer some help in the way of hardware he can use to test. Maybe there aren't enough MBX users to justify it, dunno.

Retro-Nerd · 24 January 2016, 19:35

Quote:

Is that an ACA1230 specific issue or is 1232 affected too ?
I'm asking because I have yet to find a problematic game on my 1232 setup.

This is a bit OT here. Seems an 1230 issue. At least i've never heard of these freeze problems with ACA 1231/1232 cards. The 1220 cards are problematic in combination with the ACA 500 but this is probably another case. What Bert told me some time ago is that the timing in WHDLoad changed a bit over the years. Maybe this is the source of at least some of the problematic games.

8bitbubsy · 24 January 2016, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

Dude you are assuming without reading this or my other thread.
I ran tests with the turbocard and NO RAM AT ALL in it. So it isn't the RAM.

WHDLoad isn't compatible with this card. If you read through this thread you will also see other people having done tests without RAM on it and yielding the same results.

My card has compatible RAM, and it isn't faulty. It wasn't even in the card when tests were made. So the problems are not because of RAM.

Did you try the NoAutoVec and NoMemReverse options in the WHDLoad config file as I stated 6 years ago? :-) I had to do this on my M1230XA, or else WHDLoad wouldn't work at all.

ptyerman · 24 January 2016, 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

It's said in this thread too, you don't have to be thread jumping

The original poster tested with the card unpopulated and got the same results.

I think WHDLoad as said before is just a very complex software and compatibility with every card cannot be assured because they all work differently. HEnce why I wonder if it is worth trying to talk to Bert about it and offer some help in the way of hardware he can use to test. Maybe there aren't enough MBX users to justify it, dunno.

By the looks of this thread and elsewhere it is not just a WHDload problem. If you read earlier comments floppy versions of the failed WHDload games were also tried with the same results. Even OS3.9 fails to run with this card under certain circumstances. This is a weird one definitely!

BarryB · 24 January 2016, 23:36

Main reason I bought a 1230 MKIV and put my M1230XA to bed as it didn't play nice with WHDLoad!

28 March 2010, 11:16	#44
Riempie Amiga freak Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Netherlands Posts: 351	I still need to run SetXA if I have kickstart 3.1? I thought this wasn't necessary. I also used a 16 mb module with kickstart 3.1 , also did a memtest. No problems here. But I configured the card on my old amiga with SetXA with this 16mb module. Is that the reason why I should use SetXA again? Also on kickstart 3.1? I can't find anything about the speed on the chips. It should be 60 ns. Btw, Speedball 2 cd32-version (WHDload) works fine (with 16MB). Last edited by Riempie; 28 March 2010 at 11:25.

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27 March 2010, 22:09	#41
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	right !! time to look for some different ram

27 March 2010, 23:59	#42
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	No. But a memtest will fail if you didn't set the speed on the EEPROM to the speed it says on the chips. Did you do that before testing? (Run SetXA from Workbench)

28 March 2010, 06:39	#43
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Bad RAM. Replace the memory stick , no matter what size. Or run SetXA and lower the RAM speed.

28 March 2010, 22:36	#45
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,602	By not reporting what speed it says on the chips, and by not running the configuration utility for the accelerator (clicking the icon) and set that memory speed (or slower), you are not getting closer to solving the problem. Responding to your blabber about why you should not click this icon takes longer than clicking the icon, so that would be a waste of time for both of us. I am now unsubscribing to this thread.

28 March 2010, 22:39	#46
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	^ Photon makes a valid point there. Let's see some advice being heeded in this thread, please.

28 March 2010, 22:53	#47
Riempie Amiga freak Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Netherlands Posts: 351	Sorry, as I've said. I can't see anything usefull on the chips. And I did run SetXA several times, chaning the speed, etc. I didn't mentioned it, because it's obvious I have to try everything with that program. Never mind btw, I'll stick with my 16mb simm.

24 January 2016, 18:11	#48
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	NECROBUMP! Add me to the list of people with a Microbotics 1230XA having issues with WHDLoad I've been battling with this for years and only now have been pointed to this thread to see I am not alone. Two things that come to mind: would changing the CPU on the card to another 030 work? The one my card has is marked as "Motorola SC414075RC50" which sounds a bit weird. Would popping in a different, same form factor 030 work/help out? Or just make the card a mess/break it? Another idea I have is to send my card to Bert to see if he can fix the issues with it in WHDLoad. I feel like many of us have this card and it sucks that WHDLoad doens't work on it. It isn't a bad card really, it's only WHDLoad that gives issues with it.

24 January 2016, 18:22	#49
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,438	You could try another ram bar with a different speed. The board supports ram with 40-80ns. http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/mbx1230

24 January 2016, 18:43	#52
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,438	How do you know that? The fastram can give every kind you crazy problems with WHDLoad. I don't think that the Microbotics CPU is the source of the problem. Then you would have general problems with all Amiga programs.

24 January 2016, 19:11	#54
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,438	Sorry, overlooked the memory part in the other thread. Anyway. You card isn't the only one that causes problems with WHDLoad games. Some 040er cards as well. My ACA 1230 freezes with some games, while the M-TEC 1230 is fine. Though Stingray said that the freezes could be fixable bugs.

24 January 2016, 23:36	#60
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,676	Main reason I bought a 1230 MKIV and put my M1230XA to bed as it didn't play nice with WHDLoad!

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