23 January 2010, 16:39 | #1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sweden
Posts: 35
|
Microbotics M1230XA problem, possibly faulty?
I read a thread (http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=48953) about Speedball 2 WHDLoad not working, and as I've got the M1230XA myself (50MHz, no FPU, 64MBytes) I decided to try it out. Of course it crashes at the title screen in a similar fashion on my system I tried the usual tooltypes with no success. This got me a bit worried because I've got the impression that Speedball 2 is a very compatible game. So I tried to load the game from floppy instead, and it crashes at the same point with major graphics and sound corruption. Then I took the M1230XA out, booted from floppy and low and behold, the game loads just fine.
Since then, I've: Tested memory with the included tool from Microbotics – it passes every test. Tried to load the game with the M1230XA connected, but the SIMM taken out – same result. Cleaned the connectors on both the M1230XA and the motherboard – didn't make a difference. Made sure the M1230XA settings are right with SetXA. System specs: A1200 rev. 1D.1, KS3.1, CF-IDE, Indivision AGA, M1230XA@50MHz, no FPU, 64MBytes, ATX PSU Any help would be truly appreciated! I've also noticed similar problems (crashes from floppy and WHDLoad) with Turrican 2 and Indianapolis 500. Apart from that, the system works fine, with no signs of the M1230XA being faulty. |
23 January 2010, 17:56 | #2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Norway
Posts: 1,711
|
I know you tried several tooltypes, but did you try to uncomment (remove the ; ) these in s:WHDLoad.prefs:
NoAutoVec NoMemReverse Those are the ones that are known to fix compatibility issues with M1230XA + WHDLoad... Also make sure MMU is disabled in WHDLoad.prefs-- MMU is making things worse with M1230XA And that you run a registered WHDLoad (v16.9) version, and that the Speedball 2 installer is up to date And and and!! Remember to try a clean dump of the Speedball 2 floppies (SPS?) Last edited by 8bitbubsy; 23 January 2010 at 18:07. |
23 January 2010, 19:09 | #3 |
Ya' like it Retr0?
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 49
Posts: 9,768
|
@Hall
I think that you will find that this is nothing more than a cache issue with the 030, as you noticed that these games work fine without the 030. I think you can turn the 030 CPUCache off, theres a program on Aminet. must have a lookie. An idea to test the above would be to take the RAM out of the CPU card and then try with just the CPU to see what happens. |
23 January 2010, 20:17 | #4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Norway
Posts: 1,711
|
|
23 January 2010, 23:56 | #5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Skarabörg, Sweden
Age: 44
Posts: 1,020
|
The MBX1230 is not very good for WHDLoad. But you should try the tooltypes NoAutoVec and NOMMU if you havn't done so already.
EDIT: noticed that some one already told you. |
24 January 2010, 11:15 | #6 | |
Registered User
|
Quote:
Btw. there is one thing i haven't really understood. When you put a command in the slave, should you write "NoAutoVec" or "NoAutoVec/s" or doesn't it really matter how you write it? |
|
24 January 2010, 11:20 | #7 | |
move.l #$c0ff33,throat
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Berlin/Joymoney
Posts: 6,863
|
Quote:
The "/s" is only relevant for AmigaDOS (means it is a "switch"), you don't ever have to write it. |
|
24 January 2010, 11:29 | #8 |
Registered User
|
|
24 January 2010, 11:32 | #9 |
move.l #$c0ff33,throat
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Berlin/Joymoney
Posts: 6,863
|
|
24 January 2010, 14:29 | #10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sweden
Posts: 35
|
Thanks everyone for taking an interest in this! Feels so much better
@8bitbubsy & fryguy I already did. That's what my WHDLoad.prefs looks like. Anyway, I know the M1230XA isn't the best card for WHDLoad, but I've actually managed to get most stuff to work. @Zetr0 Like 8bitbubsy pointed out I wrote in my original post that I've already tried taking out the RAM with the same result. I don't really regard this as a WHDLoad problem, as the games also crash when i boot from the floppies. Clearly it's something to do with the M1230XA. Then again, if there's a way to make WHDLoad work around this issue, I'd be perfectly satisfied Anyway, am I right to be worried about the 030-card? I don't really know where to go from here... |
01 February 2010, 00:37 | #11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sweden
Posts: 35
|
Anybody?
|
01 February 2010, 01:07 | #12 | |
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Eksjö / Sweden
Posts: 5,620
|
Quote:
I'd love to know what makes this 68030 CPU so 'especially bad', compared to all the other 68030 cards that WHDload and slaves have been burn-in tested on. |
|
01 February 2010, 01:22 | #13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Skarabörg, Sweden
Age: 44
Posts: 1,020
|
I don't know, i'm not a coder. But i didn't have to mess with tooltypes on my B1230-IV. Everything just worked. And i doubt it's about the cpu but more about the card somehow.
|
01 February 2010, 01:41 | #14 |
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Eksjö / Sweden
Posts: 5,620
|
Well, it wasn't really directed at you... I just think 'your card is not compatible with software written 10 years later' is a very strange viewpoint when in fact it's the software that is not written in a way that supports what was (is) a basic and common Amiga accelerator.
Now, WHDload is not some basic piece of software, and also it's a collaboration between the WHDload software and the slave writers, so I'm not saying it's easy to fix it and I understand the complications. But saying some configuration is 'incompatible with WHDload' won't make WHDload better. Better to try to locate the incompatible code. (And no, I'm not gonna do it - it was just a reaction to FryGuy's statement, that's all ) |
01 February 2010, 04:42 | #15 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Norway
Posts: 1,711
|
The MBX1230 is sending some unwanted vector interrupts which whdload picks up :/
The Apollo and Blizzard cards doesn't do this. |
01 February 2010, 05:36 | #16 |
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Eksjö / Sweden
Posts: 5,620
|
Well, if that statement can be translated into a useful config option or two or a code patch, then a lot more rigs are able to run WHDLoad in style!
Bad wording, I'm tired. But anyway. Good night |
01 February 2010, 09:55 | #17 |
Amiga freak
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 351
|
Hmm... Interesting thread. I have a M1230 XA too (50 mhz, with 16 MB Ram).
I also noticed whdload-games seem to have problems with this card, but the tooltype 'NOAUTOVEC' always solved the problem. I can try it with the games mentioned in this thread. Ps. The M1230 XA seems to use standard simms (15 years ago ), are these still available somewhere? |
01 February 2010, 18:16 | #18 |
I hate potatos and shirts
|
@Riempie: Amibay, at first glance. I bet you'll find even 32Mb SIMM for free there.
From time to time even 64 & 128Mb SIMM pops there. At a price, of course. |
02 February 2010, 03:40 | #19 | |
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Eksjö / Sweden
Posts: 5,620
|
Quote:
|
|
02 February 2010, 05:32 | #20 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Norway
Posts: 1,711
|
NoCache, NoMMU, NoMemReverse
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Microbotics Starboard 2 | Loedown | MarketPlace | 2 | 08 January 2010 23:23 |
Question about setXA (Microbotics M1230XA) utility | beltrixx | support.Apps | 2 | 30 June 2009 00:47 |
Troubles booting with Microbotics M1230XA accelerator | thgill | support.Hardware | 12 | 31 December 2008 18:12 |
SCSI HD Bootup/Mounting Problem (Possibly SFS Related?) | CU_AMiGA | support.Other | 22 | 13 June 2007 15:22 |
Problem with Kickstarts [rare problem with faulty scripts in early v1.1 release] | Topgun | project.GameBase Amiga | 14 | 08 June 2006 22:19 |
|
|