A4000T OS 4.1 X-surf 100 problems

[Viserion]

Have a bit of a problem with my CSPPC equipped A4000T with a mediator installed.

I have a Radeon 128mb that works fine with OS 4.1.

My problem comes from networks cards this time, as the RTL8029AS I got when I bough the A4000T isn't detected.

I then got a X-surf with the Rapidroad USB option. I install this in the top Zorro slot as the rest the pci of the Mediator gets in the way.

All other cards are removed.

When powering on the system the network card lights up red, and the RapidRoad gives a white light, as it should.

After copying all the drivers(sana2 folder didn't exist in the prefs/Env-Archive folder, so I made one), and a bit of fiddling, the card was detected, but caused the system to freeze when network wizard tried to save the configuration.

Checked things over, and I hadn't shut the swap option on the mediator.

Doing that made thing a lot worse.

First I got the the picture

A4000T boot

A4000T_diag.jpg telling me that all cards except one was faulty, and after preesing continue, I got to the A4000_desk.jpg screen. This is through the AGA as the Radeon doesn't appear to exist in the system.

So I found the AOS 4.1 cd, and boot floppy, and tried to install OS 4.1 again, this time with swap option shorted.

Forgot to take a picture, but the expansion board diagnostic screen, is back to being grey, and only the top entry is present as working. The mediator(that I assume is causing the errors in diagnostic screen) isn't there.

Anyway the os 4.1 install screen shows up through the AGA, and not via the Radeon as it did before.

It copies everything over, but when saving I get the final picture called A4000T_install.jpg.

I had changed the keyboard, language setting before starting installing, but it now can't find it, and tries to use default values which it can't.

I also want to mention that I can format a drive when the swap is closed, but can't change anything in Media Toolbox.

I've tried anything I can think of to get network as it would be the only way to get software I want to install, as doing so by floppy is impossible on larger files, and cumbersome and slow.

So any ideas ideas?

The Mediator I have is from 2002, or at least that is what printed on the zorro -> pci part of the card. Could that have something to do with it?

[ancalimon]

I don't know anything about Mediator but which version of the x-surf-100.driver did you use?

Here, only the 030 versions work on my A4000T. Others make OS4.1 freeze quickly. (did not try the 68000 version)

[Viserion]

I used the 040, I think it was. It was the version for the fastest CPU.

But I will try the 030 version, and see if that works.


Thanks for the tip.

[ancalimon]

I thought of using the 020 version first seeing that the cpu OS4 emulates is a 020. It caused freezes at first. Than I tried the 040 version since there is something inside the readme stating that it disables caches on the 030 and I thought it could cause problems...

I wish there was a native OS4.1 version.

Both the 030 versions work here although there are still occasional freezes especially as soon as Workbench screen appears. After two or three reboots it is fixed and it works.

Also using RapidRoad, sometimes my mouse gets disconnected (it never happens with OS3.9) I simply plug the receiver off and on and it's back. But sometimes it keeps disconnecting again as soon as the mouse is moves a few pixels. If that happens, I have to turn the Amiga off.

[Viserion]

Wish there was a native os 4.1 as well.

It's a bit of trouble getting the Mediator/pci detected again, but will install os 4.1 once I got everything going again.

Do you have your swap closed or open on the Mediator. I just found it strange that what is supposed to free up address spaces causes that much trouble.

[ancalimon]

Unfortunately I don't have a Mediator on my Escom A4000T. Just using CVisionPPC at the moment. Maybe in a few months if they still have it, I will get one.

[Viserion]

Ok, I just assumed you had one, my bad.

Very useful but also expensive bit of kit.

I was lucky that one was included when I got the A4000T

[ancalimon]

Originally Posted by Viserion

Ok, I just assumed you had one, my bad.

Very useful but also expensive bit of kit.

I was lucky that one was included when I got the A4000T

CVisionPPC slows down to a crawl when hardware compositing is enabled. I guess a Radeon does not have this problem. 8MB ram is also very low.

[Viserion]

I've only used the VGA output of the Radeon, and then not really long enough to find any problems, as I have tried to get on thing or another to work.

I've never noticed any problems though.

[bdb]

Would you list all of your Zorro cards so one can determine if you ran out of autoconfig space? If you have, set the SWAP jumper on the Mediator.

[Viserion]

I have only the x-surf with USB addon, and a 128mb version of the Radeon.

All other pci cards have been removed. I don't own any other Zorro cards.

X-surf is installed in the uppermost zorro slot, as it will not fit any other, as the pci slots of the mediator will be in the way.

I've mostly had the Radeon in the second lowest pci card. Tried others as well, but no difference that I can remember.

Shorting the swap was what caused the problems in the first place. What you see in the pictures is what happened when I shortened the swap.

It looks like I can have the pci working, or the zorro card working, but not both.

I have searched several forums, and all I have seen who has similar problems have far more cards installed than me.

That is what makes this behaviour strange.

[bdb]

Does sound odd. Have you just tried the X-surf alone without the USB?

[Viserion]

No I haven't actually. Will try that later today.

[Viserion]

I've tried to install the X-surf 100 without the RapidRoad USB, and when running the Mediator with the swap open, the x-surf is detected, but not enough memory space, and the network wizard tells me to close the swap pins.

When I do, the Radeon stops working.

So it doesn't make any difference at all.

[Viserion]

Put the x-surf in z2 mode, and now both it and the Radeon is working.

I use the 030 version of the x-surf driver as ancalimon recommended. It does freeze from time to time.

Will try the RapidUsb a little later.

[Kin Hell]

Rule number 1 for Mediator boards:

You MUST have a PCI graphics card installed in the Mediator for a PCI Network card to work. The NIC uses Ram from the Video card to buffer with, so no PCI Video card installed = No NIC will be seen to even try & set up.

You also have a "Window Size" Jumper on the Logic Board of the Mediator. Iirc, set it to 512.

Not entirely sure the same applies for OS4.1 over 3.9, but as it is an emulated OS on the Amiga Chipset via PPC hardware, technically, the same should logically apply. - DMA on Elbox Busboards is a fudge/kludge affair.

Red Early Startup screen could suggest the whole Mediator board is screwed. Everything plugged in nice & tight?

[Viserion]

I do have a graphics card installed. All other cards where removed, but always had either Voodoo 3 or Radeon installed.

The boot up screen was red when moving jumper. It was only in one condition I got a red screen. In all other it was the usual grey.

It is working now(see latest post I made) but only in z2 mode.

Ordered a BigRam of 256mb as it really need the extra memory. Dreading what that is going to do to the system.

[Kin Hell]

Yeah. 2002 Mediator boards have had Chip Upgrades. It's a complete pay off. Later drivers from Elbox can require Updated MACH chips. There is a program available to write a .txt file. Sending this txt file to Elbox will tell them if u need a MACH chip upgrade.

For the life in me (it's been a while) I can't remember the program u need to run on the Amiga to generate this report for Elbox. You might be just as well Emailing Elbox with your issues. Don't forget your Mediator Serial # though or they won't respond.

I never had any issues with 4000T Mediators. Always 1200 affairs. Maybe I was just lucky.

It appears the board is ok untill u set the window jumper, so ur Mediator should be fine aside from the possible MACH chip upgrade.

[Viserion]

I think mine have the upgrade, as I think it was mentioned in the add.

Can't remember exactly what was written in that add, so it is definitely worth sending Elbox a mail.

Forgotten about that so thanks for the tip.

[Kin Hell]

As a matter of curiosity, have you tried changing the 040 Libs you are using atm?

I believe these are the last Unoficial ones.... Linky