FastATA MKII

[rabidgerry]

Hello, so I installed a Fast ATA MKii in my Amiga 1200 + Apollo1260@80mhz and ClassicWB 3.1.

However when I boot up I just get to the insert disk rom 3.1 screen. Doesn't seem to detect my hard drive.

Has anyone experienced this and know how to resolve the issue?

I have drivers installed etc however they are on the hard drive so it's not even getting that far to detect it so makes no difference.

These things seem to be notorious for issue like this so I could be fighting a losing battle, but worth a shot at fixing the problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Jpor]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

Hello, so I installed a Fast ATA MKii in my Amiga 1200 + Apollo1260@80mhz and ClassicWB 3.1.

However when I boot up I just get to the insert disk rom 3.1 screen. Doesn't seem to detect my hard drive.

Has anyone experienced this and know how to resolve the issue?

I have drivers installed etc however they are on the hard drive so it's not even getting that far to detect it so makes no difference.

These things seem to be notorious for issue like this so I could be fighting a losing battle, but worth a shot at fixing the problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

Have a couple of these. They can be problematic at times. Things to check;

1)… The Gayle push in part is in properly
2)… Check the small data ribbon between the Gayle adapter and the data flyer/Rom part
3)… Re-check that the CLPD Chips x 3 are properly clicked into there sockets.

Also check that you are using a good PSU as this is needed, especially if you are using an Apollo Accelerator, as I had strange power up issues if I didn’t use a 50/60watt PSU when I owned one of those running at 70mhz.

Could also be a Timing issue on the Mainboard also try de-clocking the Accelerator down from 80mhz.

You also don’t mention what you are using as a Hard Drive? Is it a HDD, CF or SD setup?

[rabidgerry]

https://www.retro32.com/amiga-resour...-rt-50b-rt-65b

Originally Posted by Jpor

Have a couple of these. They can be problematic at times. Things to check;

1)… The Gayle push in part is in properly
2)… Check the small data ribbon between the Gayle adapter and the data flyer/Rom part
3)… Re-check that the CLPD Chips x 3 are properly clicked into there sockets.

Also check that you are using a good PSU as this is needed, especially if you are using an Apollo Accelerator, as I had strange power up issues if I didn’t use a 50/60watt PSU when I owned one of those running at 70mhz.

Could also be a Timing issue on the Mainboard also try de-clocking the Accelerator down from 80mhz.

You also don’t mention what you are using as a Hard Drive? Is it a HDD, CF or SD setup?

I am using a CF card hard drive, using long IDE cable. Never had an issue until this but I realise might be a compatibility issue now.


1) To me the gayle socket clip feels very loose, I've tried putting it on as snug as I can

2) I have not checked that small ribbon cable, it's bunched up pretty tight. Shall I disconnect and reconnect a few times or something? Or am I gonna have to get the multimeter out?

3) Didn't touch the 3 x chips, so I will give them a good old push in later.

I just checked the IDE connection to my CF card and that seems snug as a bug.

Power supply is a brand new meanwell RT-50 (well a year old) which I was under the impression it had enough juice going from the info on this website.

http://www.retro32.com/amiga-resourc...-rt-50b-rt-65b

Perhaps with the MKII it is not enough power??

De-clocking the Apollo would be the last thing I'd want to do as I'd need to get a new crystal and solder that in.

Thank you for your help btw.

[daxb]

Do you used your A1200 + Apollo 1260 with working HD/CF at motherboard IDE port? So, after installing FastATA (the only change) the system didn't work?

Pushing the FastATA on the board needs smooth violent. Here it sounded very bad when I pushed it on the board. There is a need of a piece plastic/wood/... under the motherboard else you would bend it too much.

Before installation did you cleaned all the connections?

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by daxb

Do you used your A1200 + Apollo 1260 with working HD/CF at motherboard IDE port? So, after installing FastATA (the only change) the system didn't work?

yes for well over a year, new change is simple addition of Fast ATA.

Originally Posted by daxb

Pushing the FastATA on the board needs smooth violent. Here it sounded very bad when I pushed it on the board. There is a need of a piece plastic/wood/... under the motherboard else you would bend it too much.

Before installation did you cleaned all the connections?

Well I felt the installation was easy. Tricky part was seating the rom socket properly. But since I can see the floppy screen I know my roms are being detected without issue.

However I cannot speak for the other components. Perhaps a poor connection else where I dunno??

I didn't clean anything. Not even sure how I would. And since the roms are detected what other points should be cleaned?

[wiz12]

Check and see if you can load the ATA3Prefs program by holding down the left mouse button during startup.

[daxb]

Can you test with a hard disk instead of CF?

[daxb]

Originally Posted by wiz12

Check and see if you can load the ATA3Prefs program by holding down the left mouse button during startup.

When kickstart screen is shown not HD/CF access is done. If S-S would be accessed then the FastATA would at least work. At the moment it doesn't work.

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by wiz12

Check and see if you can load the ATA3Prefs program by holding down the left mouse button during startup.

Now I could be wrong, but from what I have read from another thread on a different forum, MKII doesn't have this functionality. This would be so I can change the PIO speed right?

Originally Posted by daxb

Can you test with a hard disk instead of CF?

Probably not, I have an ancient hard drive with WB 3.0 on there nut I doubt it will work with my setup as is.


I also have another Fast ATA MKII I don't know if it even worth trying this or not instead? Probably not.

[wiz12]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

Now I could be wrong, but from what I have read from another thread on a different forum, MKII doesn't have this functionality. This would be so I can change the PIO speed right?

You could be right as I don't know for certain if the MKII has this option (the MKIV does) but if it does it's worth trying as it would tell you if your fastATA is working.

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by wiz12

You could be right as I don't know for certain if the MKII has this option (the MKIV does) but if it does it's worth trying as it would tell you if your fastATA is working.

I meant to say I had tried that last night despite reading MKII doesn't have that option.

[rabidgerry]

As an experiment, I actually connected that old mechanical hard driver up to the FastATA. It powered on as I could hear it spinning. But the problem was the same, unable to load and of course remained at insert floppy screen.

[rabidgerry]

one thing, could my IDE ribbon be the wrong way around? I've seen two videos of the install and the IDE is around a different way in each of them.

[rabidgerry]

swapped IDE ribbon around for the CF hard drive and got this on next boot.



Unfortunately I could not even replicate that error. So it's back to the floppy screen again. I dunno if this means the cable was the wrong way around or not.

[Jpor]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

swapped IDE ribbon around for the CF hard drive and got this on next boot.



Unfortunately I could not even replicate that error. So it's back to the floppy screen again. I dunno if this means the cable was the wrong way around or not.

The FASTATA has a split option as well where partitions cannot be more than 2GB in size. Your CF card maybe out of bounds

Also you cannot use IDEFIX and the FASTATA as it locks up

[rabidgerry]

Really? Well that's totally shit then.

My card is 16gb. DH0 is 500mb, then the others are like 3-4gb each.

I don't have no IDEFIX.

Guess that's that then.

[rabidgerry]

Upon reading a manual (not sure if it is different to my version or not as it just says FastATA 2 as opposed to MKII) it says it can cope with 4gb partitions and over.

Says only FFS wont be able to cope with 2gb partitions. I'm using PFS3AIO so I'm going to rule that issue out unless I am trippin balls here???

[rabidgerry]

So initially it was that socket that goes over the gayle chip that was causing nothing to happen. It not seems precariously situated to the point where I was at least able to identify that the IDE cable had been the wrong way around. So no I know for sure that was the case and the gayle chip is just about hanging on in place I get the error from before consistently. Perhaps it is something to do with my CF card setup I dunno.

[Jpor]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

Upon reading a manual (not sure if it is different to my version or not as it just says FastATA 2 as opposed to MKII) it says it can cope with 4gb partitions and over.

Says only FFS wont be able to cope with 2gb partitions. I'm using PFS3AIO so I'm going to rule that issue out unless I am trippin balls here???

My bad. Was thinking about my SCSI card setup there. The problem with the MkII can be the software in prefs. Ive used both MKII and MKV cards. The mark V card uses a latter software which cant be used on the MKII. the MKII software is FUBARD as on mine when you stake off SPLIT to No SPLIT its doesnt save

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by Jpor

My bad. Was thinking about my SCSI card setup there. The problem with the MkII can be the software in prefs. Ive used both MKII and MKV cards. The mark V card uses a latter software which cant be used on the MKII. the MKII software is FUBARD as on mine when you stake off SPLIT to No SPLIT its doesnt save

No not your bad your trying to help so I appreciate it

Not very often I am right about anything Amiga related

So the software I have used and preinstalled on my CF card is apparently the software for MKII and MKI. 2nd last option on this webpage http://www.elbox.com/downloads_fastata.html

But how the hell can I mess with it if I keep getting that stupid error?

Could I modify the prefs in WINUAE same we I installed it on WINUAE?

Sorry what does FUBARD mean? Not familiar with that one