ACA500 plus? - Page 17

StingerHU · 21 February 2017, 09:20

Guys, yesterday a really strange thing was happened. Originally I put this note to here at the CF/SD topic (located here at the bottom) cause I thought this is related somehow to flash card, but really don't know.

I wanted to do a clean fresh install of WB 3.1. I purchased two brand new Sandisk Ultra 8GB flash cards and made some preprork on them (removing FAT32 with DISKPART "clean disk" to get a blank CF). Then I booted ACA500+ with F7 - on WB3.1, started HDTools and tried to use the standard way to find/identify and make visible this card for WB installer with Read card info and start to partitionize it.

This was the time when I've just realized that if I wanted to do something (any process on the card) example: pressing okay after read configuration and card identification, always got the following error message: http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/p...220_230400.jpg Install 3.1 has a write error on disk block 880. Cannot do anything else just click on the error cancel button a few times (got 880, 883 errors, etc), and because of unknown reasons, error is disappeared, and finally I was able to click on Ok, jumped back the main HD tools screen and was able to start the rest of the process. Since, I didn't got back this issue, I have a fully working SRS filesystems on this CF, formatted partitions and everything.

Another strange thing: with another plugged FAT32 Sandisk CF, ACA500+ Aux port didn't found the update .adf file on the CF even if it's on the disk and clearly readable on my computer. It can be that this card is not really compatible with ACA500+ ? I still use the january fw version, didn't changed any modification on the software yet.

Schoenfeld · 21 February 2017, 10:05

can't view the image on photobucket - it requires too many cross-site-scripts to be allowed. Sorry, I won't do that. Please upload pictures here.

For the "write error", this sounds very much like you've never updated the menu system software. Please do that first:
http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/ACA500plus...re#Menu_update

If the update does not work, please re-format the card. We've found that the older version of FAT95 that was used with the initial release dies not work with all pre-formatted CF cards. If you re-format them, they are likely to work. If that fails, make a bootable disk from the ADF and boot from that using the de-brick mode. Once you've applied the "first" update, you will also be able to use other CF cards that come pre-formatted from the factory (other customers reported success with this method!).

Jens

Jens

StingerHU · 21 February 2017, 12:31

Quote:

Please upload pictures here.

Sure Jens, here it comes:

Quote:

For the "write error", this sounds very much like you've never updated the menu system software. Please do that first:
http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/ACA500plus...re#Menu_update

Yes, this is the case, I still run on the version which came with the card early in January. Question is, how can I do if ACA is not able to read FAT32 root which is works fine under Windows/Linux. Doing the re-format trick below.

Quote:

If the update does not work, please re-format the card. We've found that the older version of FAT95 that was used with the initial release dies not work with all pre-formatted CF cards. If you re-format them, they are likely to work.

Will give it a try, doing a quick FAT32 format and trying to copy the update .adf to the root again.

Quote:

If that fails, make a bootable disk from the ADF and boot from that using the de-brick mode. Once you've applied the "first" update, you will also be able to use other CF cards that come pre-formatted from the factory (other customers reported success with this method!).
Jens

First update or do you suggest the latest ?

Thanks, Krisz

Schoenfeld · 21 February 2017, 17:43

always go for the latest, that's known-good for now. We only have tiny things that need fixing, but these mostly apply to configurations with an A1200 accelerator.

Jens

E-Penguin · 21 February 2017, 18:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poorcomputerman

I have an aca1221ec. What would the main benefit of getting an aca1233n? I primarily want to use the machine for WHDLoad.

There's a definite advantage to having a 020+ on board, lots of software seems to need it.

On the aca1221ec front - how much RAM do you see? If I understood the docs correctly the 68ec020 can't use the 8MB on the aca500plus?

Netsurf requires 32MB RAM and I'm determined to log into Facebook on my A500 if it's the last thing I do.

If anyone knows of a non-ec aca1221 available let me know...

neumanix · 21 February 2017, 18:48

I started having lots of weird crashes lately, but I just flashed the 0.89 firmware and
things are looking good again. The problems started when I flashed 0.79.
Will continue testing now. Thanks a lot!

22 February 2017, 02:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by E-Penguin

There's a definite advantage to having a 020+ on board, lots of software seems to need it.

On the aca1221ec front - how much RAM do you see? If I understood the docs correctly the 68ec020 can't use the 8MB on the aca500plus?

Netsurf requires 32MB RAM and I'm determined to log into Facebook on my A500 if it's the last thing I do.

If anyone knows of a non-ec aca1221 available let me know...

It does indeed disable the ACA500 plus memory. If was under the impression that the 1233n does not.

E-Penguin · 22 February 2017, 13:27

The 'ec' version is restricted to 8MB, I think (16bit addressing, = 2^16 bits = 8192 bytes). The 1233n is the non-ec sort with 32 bit addressing. Whether it can add the aca500plus's fast memory to its own 128mb I don't know.

Schoenfeld · 22 February 2017, 13:54

The "ec" in the CPU name has different meanings for the different CPU types. The 68ec000 is only "cut-down" from the 68HC000 that it does not support E-sync accesses (which the ACA500plus adds in discrete logic, so no disadvantage here).

The 68ec020 has 16MByte of address space, while the full 68020 has 4G address space. Other than that, the two CPUs are identical, both can't do E-sync accesses and they do not have an MMU.

The 68ec030 has no MMU, but full 4G address space. The 68030 has an MMU and full 4G address space. Also no E-sync accesses on this CPU type, but no problem as it's implemented on the ACA500plus.

The ACA1220, ACA1232, ACA1233 and ACA1233n will not only use their own 128M memory, but also the ACA500plus memory. It's all in the freemem list, but since the number shown at the top of the WB screen is so huge, you hardly notice the few extra MBytes from the ACA500plus.

The ACA1221ec has the limitaiton of address space, so it it's own (much faster!) memory will overlay the ACA500plus memory. In theory, the ACA500plus memory can still be accessed, for example by a RAM disk program. This kind of software does not exist yet.

Jens

demolition · 22 February 2017, 14:22

If you connect e.g. an ACA1232 which memory will then be the fastest? I guess the memory on the ACA1232 will be faster and receive a higher priority than the ACA500plus memory? It seems like mostly an academic discussion whether you have 128MB or 136MB of fast mem though.

retrogamer · 23 February 2017, 13:25

Does ACA500 plus need 1 MB of ram to work properly?

demolition · 23 February 2017, 13:35

It doesn't require any memory in itself so it won't care whether you have ½ or 1 MB. Seeing as 512kB trapdoor expansions are very common and dirt cheap, there is no reason not to have one though and with the AC500plus you can then configure it as either 512k chip+512k slow or 1MB chip.

Schoenfeld · 23 February 2017, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by demolition

If you connect e.g. an ACA1232 which memory will then be the fastest? I guess the memory on the ACA1232 will be faster and receive a higher priority than the ACA500plus memory? It seems like mostly an academic discussion whether you have 128MB or 136MB of fast mem though.

Right - I doubt there's a difference between 128 or 136 MBytes free - both is kinda immodest for a computer that can boot a graphical desktop from a floppy disk.

You are right about priorities: ACA123x accelerator memory will have a higher priority due to it's higher speed.

Jens

23 February 2017, 20:51

Good evening everyone,

I have a strong slowdown with ACA500 + and ACA 1232 68030 clocked at 33MHz
The music slowed down, the scrolling is jerky.

The WHDLOAD JIMPOWER game is a good example.
The WHDLOAD demos are slowed down as well.

I tried different options, nothing changes.
If I remove the ACA 1232 card, the scrolling is perfect and the music too.

I'm on AMIGA 500+ REV8.1 - 2Mb of Chip- Power 4.5A

Thank you for your help.

idrougge · 24 February 2017, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by demolition

For WHDLoad there would hardly be any difference. The main difference is that you could use preload with very large games that require more than ~7MB memory (mostly adventure games, perhaps from 7 disks and larger) and that some 3D games like AB3D would run smoother.

OTOH, big adventure games don't exactly require WHDload.

Schoenfeld · 24 February 2017, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by tempus

I have a strong slowdown with ACA500 + and ACA 1232 68030 clocked at 33MHz
The music slowed down, the scrolling is jerky.

Enable Caches (see WHDload documentation).

Jens

E-Penguin · 24 February 2017, 21:25

There's a chap on a1k who's made a housing for the aca500plus. Anyone got one? It might be March's Amiga purchase...

http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=58616

spudje · 24 February 2017, 21:48

It's cool, but Jens indicated that future accessories (e.g. network module) won't fit in the case. So I'm holding off.

E-Penguin · 24 February 2017, 23:48

I've got my wonky and badly soldered plipbox, that'll do for my networking needs.

The guy that designed it reckons the clockport should still be accessible if you bend the cable over.

vext01 · 25 February 2017, 00:42

@StingerHU I think the write error is expected, as the install ADF is in read only memory of the ACA. I think it's just trying to write your new CF geometry back to the install disk, which it can't. I got the same error myself, and just hit cancel until it went away. It doesn't seem to compromise the CF in any way.

21 February 2017, 09:20	#321
StingerHU Registered User Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: London,UK Posts: 54	Guys, yesterday a really strange thing was happened. Originally I put this note to here at the CF/SD topic (located here at the bottom) cause I thought this is related somehow to flash card, but really don't know. I wanted to do a clean fresh install of WB 3.1. I purchased two brand new Sandisk Ultra 8GB flash cards and made some preprork on them (removing FAT32 with DISKPART "clean disk" to get a blank CF). Then I booted ACA500+ with F7 - on WB3.1, started HDTools and tried to use the standard way to find/identify and make visible this card for WB installer with Read card info and start to partitionize it. This was the time when I've just realized that if I wanted to do something (any process on the card) example: pressing okay after read configuration and card identification, always got the following error message: http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/p...220_230400.jpg Install 3.1 has a write error on disk block 880. Cannot do anything else just click on the error cancel button a few times (got 880, 883 errors, etc), and because of unknown reasons, error is disappeared, and finally I was able to click on Ok, jumped back the main HD tools screen and was able to start the rest of the process. Since, I didn't got back this issue, I have a fully working SRS filesystems on this CF, formatted partitions and everything. Another strange thing: with another plugged FAT32 Sandisk CF, ACA500+ Aux port didn't found the update .adf file on the CF even if it's on the disk and clearly readable on my computer. It can be that this card is not really compatible with ACA500+ ? I still use the january fw version, didn't changed any modification on the software yet. Last edited by StingerHU; 21 February 2017 at 09:29. Reason: typos

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21 February 2017, 10:05	#322
Schoenfeld electricky. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: out in the wild Posts: 1,257	can't view the image on photobucket - it requires too many cross-site-scripts to be allowed. Sorry, I won't do that. Please upload pictures here. For the "write error", this sounds very much like you've never updated the menu system software. Please do that first: http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/ACA500plus...re#Menu_update If the update does not work, please re-format the card. We've found that the older version of FAT95 that was used with the initial release dies not work with all pre-formatted CF cards. If you re-format them, they are likely to work. If that fails, make a bootable disk from the ADF and boot from that using the de-brick mode. Once you've applied the "first" update, you will also be able to use other CF cards that come pre-formatted from the factory (other customers reported success with this method!). Jens Jens

21 February 2017, 17:43	#324
Schoenfeld electricky. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: out in the wild Posts: 1,257	always go for the latest, that's known-good for now. We only have tiny things that need fixing, but these mostly apply to configurations with an A1200 accelerator. Jens

21 February 2017, 18:48	#326
neumanix Registered User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Jakobstad/Finland Posts: 13	I started having lots of weird crashes lately, but I just flashed the 0.89 firmware and things are looking good again. The problems started when I flashed 0.79. Will continue testing now. Thanks a lot!

22 February 2017, 13:27	#328
E-Penguin Banana Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Darmstadt Posts: 1,217	The 'ec' version is restricted to 8MB, I think (16bit addressing, = 2^16 bits = 8192 bytes). The 1233n is the non-ec sort with 32 bit addressing. Whether it can add the aca500plus's fast memory to its own 128mb I don't know.

22 February 2017, 13:54	#329
Schoenfeld electricky. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: out in the wild Posts: 1,257	The "ec" in the CPU name has different meanings for the different CPU types. The 68ec000 is only "cut-down" from the 68HC000 that it does not support E-sync accesses (which the ACA500plus adds in discrete logic, so no disadvantage here). The 68ec020 has 16MByte of address space, while the full 68020 has 4G address space. Other than that, the two CPUs are identical, both can't do E-sync accesses and they do not have an MMU. The 68ec030 has no MMU, but full 4G address space. The 68030 has an MMU and full 4G address space. Also no E-sync accesses on this CPU type, but no problem as it's implemented on the ACA500plus. The ACA1220, ACA1232, ACA1233 and ACA1233n will not only use their own 128M memory, but also the ACA500plus memory. It's all in the freemem list, but since the number shown at the top of the WB screen is so huge, you hardly notice the few extra MBytes from the ACA500plus. The ACA1221ec has the limitaiton of address space, so it it's own (much faster!) memory will overlay the ACA500plus memory. In theory, the ACA500plus memory can still be accessed, for example by a RAM disk program. This kind of software does not exist yet. Jens

22 February 2017, 14:22	#330
demolition Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Copenhagen / DK Age: 44 Posts: 4,190	If you connect e.g. an ACA1232 which memory will then be the fastest? I guess the memory on the ACA1232 will be faster and receive a higher priority than the ACA500plus memory? It seems like mostly an academic discussion whether you have 128MB or 136MB of fast mem though.

23 February 2017, 13:25	#331
retrogamer Zone Friend Join Date: May 2006 Location: Sweden Age: 44 Posts: 320	Does ACA500 plus need 1 MB of ram to work properly?

23 February 2017, 13:35	#332
demolition Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Copenhagen / DK Age: 44 Posts: 4,190	It doesn't require any memory in itself so it won't care whether you have ½ or 1 MB. Seeing as 512kB trapdoor expansions are very common and dirt cheap, there is no reason not to have one though and with the AC500plus you can then configure it as either 512k chip+512k slow or 1MB chip.

23 February 2017, 20:51	#334
tempus Posts: n/a	Good evening everyone, I have a strong slowdown with ACA500 + and ACA 1232 68030 clocked at 33MHz The music slowed down, the scrolling is jerky. The WHDLOAD JIMPOWER game is a good example. The WHDLOAD demos are slowed down as well. I tried different options, nothing changes. If I remove the ACA 1232 card, the scrolling is perfect and the music too. I'm on AMIGA 500+ REV8.1 - 2Mb of Chip- Power 4.5A Thank you for your help.

24 February 2017, 21:25	#337
E-Penguin Banana Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Darmstadt Posts: 1,217	There's a chap on a1k who's made a housing for the aca500plus. Anyone got one? It might be March's Amiga purchase... http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=58616

24 February 2017, 21:48	#338
spudje Registered User Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,408	It's cool, but Jens indicated that future accessories (e.g. network module) won't fit in the case. So I'm holding off.

24 February 2017, 23:48	#339
E-Penguin Banana Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Darmstadt Posts: 1,217	I've got my wonky and badly soldered plipbox, that'll do for my networking needs. The guy that designed it reckons the clockport should still be accessible if you bend the cable over.

25 February 2017, 00:42	#340
vext01 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: UK Posts: 137	@StingerHU I think the write error is expected, as the install ADF is in read only memory of the ACA. I think it's just trying to write your new CF geometry back to the install disk, which it can't. I got the same error myself, and just hit cancel until it went away. It doesn't seem to compromise the CF in any way.

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