Trouble using Wicher 500i accelerator

[Dajo]

Hi!

I recently recieved my Wicher 500i accelerator för A500/A500+.
I am having trouble making the Wicher -accelerator start correctly.

I am using the recommended 68000 CPU, 8 mb ram and CF-card as harddrive (CWB 68k) and I have checked so that all of the above works seperatly.

When i first started the A500 with Wicher installed i recieved a red diagnosis screen telling me that the status of the card is "defective". I pressed the "continue" button and nothing happened except that the screen started losing connection on and off.

I cleaned the CPU-socket on the motherboard and tested the CPU-socket with the original CPU, fine. Checked that the CF-card WB-installation and adapter was OK, it was.

After re-seating the Wicher a couple of times i got back to the red defective screen. This time WB loaded, but with less than 40 k of ram left, so the 8 mb ram i obviously not getting in contact with the Wicher. I restarted the computer and again, i did not get any reaction from the Wicher.

Does anyone have an idea of what is wrong? Since the diagnosis program says defective, I guess there a good chance the card was faulty from the beginning.... but I am not certain.

Thanks in advance!

David

Did you tried if there is a short circuit with main board components, I had the same problem and insulation helped!

[Spunkworks]

I have exactly the same issues, it seems to work now (even though not higher than 28mhz with my 68000fn20) but my amiga is very unstable. I have a 500i rev a. I tried other ram modules but no luck. Everything was bought at Amiga Store (Wicher, ram, and CPU pre-populated)
Sometimes my amiga reports the 500i as defective, but if I hot Continue the Amiga does boot. Not sure what to do next.

[Spunkworks]

Originally Posted by Dajo

Hi!

I recently recieved my Wicher 500i accelerator för A500/A500+.
I am having trouble making the Wicher -accelerator start correctly.

I am using the recommended 68000 CPU, 8 mb ram and CF-card as harddrive (CWB 68k) and I have checked so that all of the above works seperatly.

When i first started the A500 with Wicher installed i recieved a red diagnosis screen telling me that the status of the card is "defective". I pressed the "continue" button and nothing happened except that the screen started losing connection on and off.

I cleaned the CPU-socket on the motherboard and tested the CPU-socket with the original CPU, fine. Checked that the CF-card WB-installation and adapter was OK, it was.

After re-seating the Wicher a couple of times i got back to the red defective screen. This time WB loaded, but with less than 40 k of ram left, so the 8 mb ram i obviously not getting in contact with the Wicher. I restarted the computer and again, i did not get any reaction from the Wicher.

Does anyone have an idea of what is wrong? Since the diagnosis program says defective, I guess there a good chance the card was faulty from the beginning.... but I am not certain.

Thanks in advance!

David

Same issues

[DrMistry]

I have 2 on the way - one from the US and one from Poland. I'm going to video the install and config, so I'll share that. Anyone got a logic probe or an oscilloscope to a problem unit? I would suspect the memory as the first issue.

[obitus1990]

I will guarantee you it's the RAM. I had to try 30 different SIMMS before I found one that actually worked and did not give me the red/defective screen. Overall, I think as a product, it sucks compared to other offerings, and I was greatly disappointed after finally getting my hands on one. If RAM had been soldered directly onto the card, like many other 500 accelerators, as well as the CPU, things would have been different.

[Spunkworks]

Originally Posted by kirk_m

I will guarantee you it's the RAM. I had to try 30 different SIMMS before I found one that actually worked and did not give me the red/defective screen. Overall, I think as a product, it sucks compared to other offerings, and I was greatly disappointed after finally getting my hands on one. If RAM had been soldered directly onto the card, like many other 500 accelerators, as well as the CPU, things would have been different.

Mine is going back to the seller to get it tested, I tried many different cpu's and ram sticks but I never get past the 28mhz, and I have a 68000 20mhz as my main cpu. Going to be an expensive board sending it back and forth..

[DrMistry]

I now have 2 which work just fine after sensible configuration. I'm perfectly content to run at 14Mhz with 10mB FAST RAM and they behave perfectly - it was never my intention to run at anything approaching full speed as this is pretty sure to break or significantly spoil the games I want to play. The only problem I have is AutoConfig related, where I can't use additional storage controllers attached to the edge connector - but that's a problem inherant in CPU slot-based upgrades it seems. I have no significant complaints at all, but I would like to see some more documentation on things like SPI Ethernet and ROM image management.

[duga]

1. Lower the speed to maximum 25 MHz (via jumper).
2. Try different SIMMs until machine gets stable. Not slower than 60 ns, preferably 50 ns.
3. When you've found a compatible SIMM and the machine is stable you can try raising the CPU speed in small steps, via software.
4. If 1 and 2 doesn't help, contact your dealer.

[FicHitA]

I just bought my wicher 500i rev 2a and only have at hand simms 4 Mb 80ns and all work perfectly in 33Mhz but not at higger mhz

[duga]

Originally Posted by FicHitA

I just bought my wicher 500i rev 2a and only have at hand simms 4 Mb 80ns and all work perfectly in 33Mhz but not at higger mhz

Good to know that 80 ns SIMMs can work as high as 33 MHz.