Setting up graphics + sound with mediator

[Turran]

Greetings.

Got hold of some hardware and wanted to make a mediator A1200. I have no experience with mediators or what is required but I've read up some on it.. Hard to find any guides for dummies though.

Mediator: Elbox Mediator PCI 1200 LT4

Graphics: Creative 3D Banshee
Network: Realtek
Sound: Ensonic something something (creative chip)

So I installed it in a tower case. Found some info about the ACA cards in a mediator. Should set it to
Wait: Off
Config: Off
Memory 8MB

However, the workbench just hangs before loading if I set it to 8MB. With 0MB, the ACA works fine. Ok. on we go.

I install the MM CD from original. I also run the MM_CD_UP2.1. No problemos. I selected the banshee card during setup. It tells me that I must set the mediator to 8MB for that, but as I said before, the amiga just hangs with 8MB and my ACA.

After restart, I got the realtek card working with MiamiDX. Good good.

All 3 cards show up fine with PCIINFO as:
Device1: Ensonic ES1371 AudioPCI
Device2: Realtek semiconductor RTL8029 NE2000 compatible
Device4: 3dfx interactive inc, Voodoo Banshee

So that looks good.
Figuring I need to install Picasso96 so I start that, but it wants to know what my GFX card is. I have no idea what to chose here.. Need a hand.

Also, not sure how the AHI is supposed to work with audio. I get no error message from the mixer at startup. I can start the mixer and play around but how do I get the sound to actually come out of the PCI card instead of Paula?

I have gone into the AHI settings and changed from Paula to both SB128 and FM801 but I get no audio from it.
If I start Eagleplayer for example, the sounds still come out of the default ports on the Amiga motherboard..

I need a guide or some guidance on the GFX and the Sound please =)

Edit: Never mind on the sound. Software have to support AHI of course. Thought I could replace Paula all together, but guess not.

[Bamiga2002]

Picasso96-installation:

Install selecting “Cybervision64/3D”.
NOTE: when asked about installing “S3ViRGE” select
“Skip This Part”. 
After installation:
1.  navigate to “SYS:DEVS/Monitors” and rename “CVision3D” and “CVision3D.info”
to “Voodoo” and “Voodoo.info”
2.  change the “Voodoo”-icon tooltype: “BOARDTYPE=Voodoo”
3.  double-click the Voodoo-icon
4.  start “Picasso96Mode” from “SYS:Prefs”, drag the image of the 
box with an arrow coming out of it to the “Settings” field, 
select from menu “Attach setting” to “Board0: Voodoo”, name your 
settings as you like (eg. “Mediator”) and click SAVE -> reboot

[Turran]

Thanks. Found a similar guide here http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/A...or/message/825 that did not work. I did yours instead and named it Voodoo instead of Voodoo3 as he suggested.

Looked fine. I double clicked the monitor icon and went into Picasso settings and switched to the voodoo board.
As soon as I click test, the image froze so I switched over to the VGA output of the banshee but it was just a grey image.

So I rebooted and the workbench does not come up. Just a grey screen. This is when the monitor driver is loaded. If I remove it, I can get back in.

Weird.

[Turran]

Tried it again but now it just hangs when I double click the voodoo monitor (put it in storage for now so it does not autostart).

Hang and IDE light is on.

Unplugged the other cards and have tested all slots for the Voodoo. No go. Just hang.

[Bamiga2002]

Re-seat all MACH chips on Med. Worth a try.

[johnim]

hi have a look at my guides for picasso96

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php...905#post325905

and here for mediator stuff

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=11993

and this simple

http://www..com/view/?l1gqw61st9ctg9r
using winuae for guide but did exactly the same on real amiga

first install mmcd full quick install

then install mmcd update 2.0 full quick install

then install picasso96 and use first install button

pick cybervision64 card and proceed with all settings and finish

the start medconfig in mmcdupdate 2.0 folder

follow my pics as i have shown (mediator option you have,mmcd option,ppc option)

rename cybervision card to radeon in system/devs/monitors

and change the info file tool type to boardtype radeon see pic 16/17

press enter to confirm and save it

then reboot amiga

then run picasso96mode in prefs folder and follow pics 18/33

with the icon on pic 19 you drag to the correct place see quick video

[ Show youtube player ]

needs finishing i hope it helps

[Turran]

Well,

Thanks for the info. I've tried and tried again from scratch. Followed the guides but the amiga still hangs when I click the voodoo.info icon in monitors.

I tried different voodoo.card files from different versions from the mediator packages as well..

I suspect its because the mediator software tells me to set the mediator to 8MB, but with my ACA card, it hangs unless I set it to 0MB

Edit: I ran medconfig again and set Voodoomem to 0 instead of the recommended 12. Click the monitor driver and no hang! Went into Picasso96mode, clicked on attach to board and could see the voodoo. Then it hung. heh. Progress.

Edit: Changed back all values and tried Voodooint = NO. I could click the voodoo.icon and it did not crash. Attached it in Picasso96mode and hit save. It told me I needed to reboot. OK reboot.
After reboot I clicked the voodoo monitor again in SYS:Storage/Monitors and .. hang.

[Mad-Matt]

If your Mediator memory window is set at 0 as in first post, then that's where your problems are. You should set 8 to allow the gfx card to work.

Edit: or try 4mb in case aca doesn't play nice with pcmcia address. But 0 defiantly wont work.

[Turran]

Thanks for verifying that. Guess its a no go with an ACA 1231

Just hangs with an empty "Workbench screen". No different when set to 4 MB. This is even with a stock 3.9 or 3.1 install, no mediator drivers or Picasso installed. Perhaps I can run ACATUNE to disable something something.. lets give that a go =)

[Mad-Matt]

If the system is booting then that's a good sign. probably just means an incompatible hack/patch somewhere?

In the Early boot menu do you see product number 32 and/or 160 (manufacturer 2206) in the Expansion Board Diagnostic. (with 8mb set). If yes, then at least the 'Config' Jumper is set ok. I don't think the 'Wait' Jumper did anything, but maybe worth setting on to see if it does do anything.

[Turran]

Yes, with 4 or 8MB set, I see
Manufacturer: 2206 Product 49
Manufacturer: 2206 Product 177

With 0MB set, I only see
Manufacturer: 2206 Product 49

It still hangs if I stick a standard 3.1 or 3.9 OS installation in there, so I guess its something with the hardware on the ACA 1231 that the mediator memory space does not like.

I disabled everything on the ACA with acatune in the startup-sequence (at the start) and that is loaded fine. However, the amiga still hangs 2-3 seconds later.

Usually with an empty "workbench" screen but its a bit random when it hangs. Once I got the WB loaded fine and it hung then.

If I set CONFIG jumper ON, nothing appears in early boot, so that should clearly be off.

If I set WAIT jumper to ON, it does not hang as quick. I could actually click the monitor voodoo and go into Picasso96mode. Saw that the "Attach board" was empty (No Board) and then it hung.
Tried it again without doing anything it hung anyway after a few seconds in WB.

Some memory conflict I bet.

[Bamiga2002]

Maybe Jens could help you tackle this problem:
http://eab.abime.net/members/schoenfeld-18217.html

[Turran]

I possibly got a blizzard 030 coming my way. I am going to test with that first and see if it works. If it does, I'll contact Jens. Dont want to bother him with questions unless I pinpoint it to the ACA =)

[Amiten]

@turran

Hi, No way man with Aca1231+Mediator I have the same problem many headaches and I buy finally now a Blizzard 1230 + MMU/FPU is flying to my house

Lets see if I can finish my A1200T now!

All the best
Amiten

Edit: is a old post I see, but the ACA 1231 not are compatible with Mediator as far I know also check this

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=74521