aca500plus 4gb cf card 3.1 install

[ItsTheSmell]

I built a cf card for my mate to run in his a500 with aca500plus accelerator board. It worked initially but now when he boots he gets a green screen with lots of hex numbers and extxxx number. Can anyone explain whats happening here? I set winuae up as if it was the aca500plus. So is the cf card failing?

[ItsTheSmell]

I've tested the cf card in WinUAE and it boots so it must be something to do with the ACA500+. If you don't use it for a period does the saved settings lose its memory? He's getting E0 on the DisMo but I can't find any info on the error code meanings.

[Nightshft]

Im not a pro with the ACA500+. Just got it for a few weeks as well, but I'll try to .

The green screen with hex numbers is AFAIK the same as a guru but with more information.

AFAIK if you configure something AND save to nvram then the card should "remember" this settings. Further I guess that modern NVRam should keep its settings for a very long time (years+).

But this shouldn't be your problem because if you enter the menu you can just configure as you like. Can you enter the menu? If yes, just test a lot of different configs.

Also check connector issues and maybe power off and reseat the card. I had a small issue with this myself (7 Mhz -> freeze).
Sometimes also it helps to clean the contacts of the expansion port with an eraser to get better electrical contact.

Edit: PS: I tried the ACA500+ with 3 or more CF-cards to boot from. They worked fine. So IMHO the ACA500+ is NOT picky to what card/OS it boots from.

[alpine9000]

Is there a reason you didn't use the built in ACA500plus Workbench Installer ? It's a great way to do an install for the ACA500plus and ensures everything is patched and set up correctly.

Obviously if you're trying to do a more advanced setup I can understand, but if it's a vanilla WB3.1 you're after I would recommend trying the built in installer.

[ItsTheSmell]

Using bloodwych' installer was the only way I knew/know how to get everything up and running. Finding out how to get everything installed into the right folders etc is nigh on impossible. I'm trying to do a vanilla installation install for my own A1200 and hit a brick wall straight after installing WB3.1.

[Nightshft]

Also check the CF pins on the ACA500+. They can bend/snap easily.
Also if its more software related, like alpine suggested, it would be interesting if a vanilla 3.1 installation works.

[ItsTheSmell]

I'm going round later to check it out. I've got a cf card that I use in my 3.1 1200. It'll be interesting to see if that works. If not then a fresh vanilla install it will be.

[Photon]

Green screen means chipram checksum error, the first step is to remove the accelerator and see if he still gets the green screen on boot. Then the Amiga has developed this error with time, it happens (mostly for A500+? not sure)

Then again there's always a bit of testing to be done if you don't have the hardware yourself. If you set it up for OCS/68000/3.1, then certainly using an ACA500(+) default config should work flawlessly.

But the user should create a backup disk, then make sure he's running the latest firmware as per the Wiki.

If this is all true and the Amiga boots disks fine without the green screen there could only be a fault with the card or the setup really as I see it.

Obviously you can try with another card or without it booting to disk and if it works it's the card. He could even reformat as PC card and boot the card to a prompt. Or hold both mousebuttons and select boot volume e.g. floppy f.ex.

So there are a lot of ways to get to the source of the error.

[ItsTheSmell]

I went round on Saturday to see what I could do, I went through eveyry setting that could be changed in the f10 menu and nothing would work. I tried my cf card but still nothing. It boots to floppy OK. So I brought it to my house and tested it on my 500+ and im getting exactly the same error. Inside the TAB menu it says 'MapROM area empty or checksum error'. So I tried to do the vanilla install but even that is green screening. I cleaned the contacts with a rubber and meths. So I've emailed Jens Schoenfield and awaiting His reply. The card should still be under warranty, it was hardly used.