ACA620 Stability Help - Page 2

TjLaZer · 18 February 2016, 20:16

I also seem to get some weird WHDLoad problems. I have a PCMCIA to CF adaptor and games start fine on there, but when I copy them to the HD a lot do not start, get a black screen. Does MASK and MAX transfer need to be adjusted?

turrican9 · 18 February 2016, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

Added grounding cable and it helps a bit, but still get lock ups. Where can I get the grounding screws? I noticed the holes on the card are small and no screws I had would fit. Would be nice if there was a kit for this. Amikit did not send me one when I bought this.

Grounding cable is not enough. I tried it. You need the screws. Ask the place you bought the card. They will probably send the screws

Amiga1992 · 18 February 2016, 23:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

I also seem to get some weird WHDLoad problems. I have a PCMCIA to CF adaptor and games start fine on there, but when I copy them to the HD a lot do not start, get a black screen. Does MASK and MAX transfer need to be adjusted?

You probably have bad maxtransfer settings and volume is corrupted.

I got the screws from Jens Schonefeld when I reported my issues, so yeah, the seller should have sent them with your ACA620, they weren't sent default with the first units I think, but from some point on they were.

mr.spiv · 19 February 2016, 02:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

Added grounding cable and it helps a bit, but still get lock ups. Where can I get the grounding screws? I noticed the holes on the card are small and no screws I had would fit. Would be nice if there was a kit for this. Amikit did not send me one when I bought this.

Walk to the closest Fry's or similar shop and look for e.g., philips M2x12mm sized screws.

TjLaZer · 19 February 2016, 03:08

Thanks, does anybody have any pictures of what it looks like mounted with the screws?

TjLaZer · 19 February 2016, 05:55

I think I found one:

TjLaZer · 24 July 2018, 07:24

Finally was able to find some proper screws and mounted them and it's rock stable now! Card gets hot AF though!

edit: M2 x 13mm do not fit. I think it's a little smaller than 2mm that works. Like 1.7mm x 13mm?

Solderbro · 25 July 2018, 20:55

Since a bit shorter spacers below the screws, my ACA020 have more pressure to the socket. It runs also stable and only with passive cooling.
The spacers were build from a microphone cable coating, so the ACA is a little bend. Compared to the extra picky Furia the ACA020 is a nice guy.

TjLaZer · 25 July 2018, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

I also seem to get some weird WHDLoad problems. I have a PCMCIA to CF adaptor and games start fine on there, but when I copy them to the HD a lot do not start, get a black screen. Does MASK and MAX transfer need to be adjusted?

Bump, got to playing around with my A600 with ACA620 and found that it was the PRELOAD that was causing this weird BLACK screen problem with some games. Disabling PRELOAD fixed the issue on these particular games. Some examples are Assassins SE, Agony.

Photon · 26 July 2018, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solderbro

Since a bit shorter spacers below the screws, my ACA020 have more pressure to the socket. It runs also stable and only with passive cooling.
The spacers were build from a microphone cable coating, so the ACA is a little bend. Compared to the extra picky Furia the ACA020 is a nice guy.

I think it will act up again. I don't think there's a solution on any accelerator. It's because of the plastic material in the piggyback socket. After a while the sides will bulge. If you almost don't tighten the screws at all, the pressure will be less and it could go months between opening the case.

A piece of Plexi with a high-precision hole could maybe help compensate for the socket material. But more force rarely works.

I think I will try some day to disc-dremel slits in my ACA630 socket to decrease the force.

The downward pressure also doesn't follow the principle of sockets. The springy screws on graphics cards are more like the pinching action.

Piggyback is just a weird, bad, and wrong way to expand a computer

sonninnos · 22 February 2021, 17:28

Huh, I also did not receive any spacers or screws..

I left it in a working state in the closet for a year or two, and now did some testings, resulting in a recoverable alert "0003 8003" immediately when booting from HD, before hitting startup-sequence. All seems well when continuing from that, except of course acatune halts.

Disabling the card removed the error, so of course I decided to reseat the thing. With too much force apparently, said the socket..

Photon · 22 February 2021, 19:49

It's too bad because the card itself (as in all solid state components on the card) should be stable as a rock in operation for years and years. Mechanical issues are the horror.

24 July 2018, 07:24	#27
TjLaZer Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,927	Finally was able to find some proper screws and mounted them and it's rock stable now! Card gets hot AF though! edit: M2 x 13mm do not fit. I think it's a little smaller than 2mm that works. Like 1.7mm x 13mm? Last edited by TjLaZer; 25 July 2018 at 21:00.

22 February 2021, 17:28	#31
sonninnos Commodork Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Finland Posts: 83	Huh, I also did not receive any spacers or screws.. I left it in a working state in the closet for a year or two, and now did some testings, resulting in a recoverable alert "0003 8003" immediately when booting from HD, before hitting startup-sequence. All seems well when continuing from that, except of course acatune halts. Disabling the card removed the error, so of course I decided to reseat the thing. With too much force apparently, said the socket.. Attached Thumbnails

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18 February 2016, 20:16	#21
TjLaZer Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,927	I also seem to get some weird WHDLoad problems. I have a PCMCIA to CF adaptor and games start fine on there, but when I copy them to the HD a lot do not start, get a black screen. Does MASK and MAX transfer need to be adjusted?

19 February 2016, 03:08	#25
TjLaZer Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,927	Thanks, does anybody have any pictures of what it looks like mounted with the screws?

19 February 2016, 05:55	#26
TjLaZer Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,927	I think I found one:

25 July 2018, 20:55	#28
Solderbro Registered User Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Hamburg Age: 56 Posts: 56	Since a bit shorter spacers below the screws, my ACA020 have more pressure to the socket. It runs also stable and only with passive cooling. The spacers were build from a microphone cable coating, so the ACA is a little bend. Compared to the extra picky Furia the ACA020 is a nice guy.

22 February 2021, 19:49	#32
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,657	It's too bad because the card itself (as in all solid state components on the card) should be stable as a rock in operation for years and years. Mechanical issues are the horror.

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