A2000 - TF536 TERRIBLEFIRE TURBO BOARD IDE - Constant Rainbow screen reset

[Sheepz85]

Hi

Just been upgrading a A2000 (Badged A1500 but its just a A2000 that came with 2 floppy drives). It's been running fine with a TF536 (with a CPU adapter into the co-processor slot with the original 68K removed) booting the IDE drive (IDE to SD card reader). I have also fitted a ROM switcher, a DF0/1 boot switcher for the GOTEK and RAMESSES II ENHANCED 2MB chip ram upgrade and it's been working fine.

The yesterday I was moving some icons about and I lost the image from the Amiga but the power light was still on, So I reset the computer and now it seems like the computer is just cycling through the rainbow screen, then nothing then back to the rainbow screen and so on. On the TF536 card the power light is on the SD card reader but nothing on the activity light.

I removed the TF536 and cleaned the co-processor slot and CPU relocator as it looked a bit dirty and I thought it had fixed it, but nothing, and back to the rainbow screen.

Any further advise, since I see the Rainbow screen I guess its the TF card? For the past few weeks since the "MB upgrade the Amiga has been running fine?

Regards

Barry

[matt020]

I would suggest to strip the A2000 down to barebones so you are running bare A2000 and TF536 and standard 1MB agnus, and test. If it works, add components one by one. I had something similar and it was the 2MB chip upgrade not seated 100% in the Agnus slot. I only found out by doing the above method.

The other common thing I have had with two of my A2000's over the past 18 months, is that the tick signal in the power supply goes, and the machine gets stuck in a reboot cycle (the power light goes from low, to high, then flashes and the cycle starts again). Jumper J300 will help you get around the need for a tick signal from the PSU and generate tick signal from the chipset. Do some Google work if you want to know more about this, but don't rule out the missing tick signal if you're still using an original power supply.

[Sheepz85]

Hi Matt020

Thanks, thats what I have been doing, working hrough everything and she seems to be stable again. Not sure what the issue was, but since the PSU fan is a bit loud I will give it a re-cap and replace the fan and hopefully keep her happy.

I Kinda think it was the Angus upgrade not seated 100% but not really sure.

Regards

Barry

[terriblefire]

Get hold of/burn yourself a copy of DiagROM, If you get the colourbars its likely to boot and you can check RAM/CIAs etc.

If it doesnt boot watch the serial output during boot.

[Sheepz85]

Get hold of/burn yourself a copy of DiagROM, If you get the colourbars its likely to boot and you can check RAM/CIAs etc.

If it doesnt boot watch the serial output during boot.

Hi

Thanks, that will be more usful in my Rom switcher rather than the 1.3 ROM fitted that I will probably never use.

I used Amigatestkit via the GOTEK and the CIA / RAM now checks ok, but before re-seating everything I couldn't either the disk drive or GOTEK to load anything as the computer kept going via a reset cycle.

DiagROM ordered!

Thanks again for all the help.

Barry

[Sheepz85]

I would suggest to strip the A2000 down to barebones so you are running bare A2000 and TF536 and standard 1MB agnus, and test. If it works, add components one by one. I had something similar and it was the 2MB chip upgrade not seated 100% in the Agnus slot. I only found out by doing the above method.

The other common thing I have had with two of my A2000's over the past 18 months, is that the tick signal in the power supply goes, and the machine gets stuck in a reboot cycle (the power light goes from low, to high, then flashes and the cycle starts again). Jumper J300 will help you get around the need for a tick signal from the PSU and generate tick signal from the chipset. Do some Google work if you want to know more about this, but don't rule out the missing tick signal if you're still using an original power supply.

Hi Matt

Something Odd, as the picture, everything was going fine after re-seating and test, then I re-fitted the PSU back in positing and back to square one (Rainbow reset city). Not sure if the PSU is the issue, but in frustration I tried moving jumper J200 to change the "tick signal" and now it fires up fine again with the PSU in place. Really not sure why, maybe the PSU is causing some interference but I doubt it, I am lost but glad to have my A1500 back up and running.

Regards

Barry

TF536 PSU not fitted sm.jpg

[Sheepz85]

Get hold of/burn yourself a copy of DiagROM, If you get the colourbars its likely to boot and you can check RAM/CIAs etc.

If it doesnt boot watch the serial output during boot.

Hi

Looks like I am back to square one. Again, once on re-assembly I am back to full Constant Rainbow screen reset.

On my ROM switcher I have fitted DiagROM 1.2.1 and all the tests come back fine, Memery and CIA tests are fine. Any idea what I can try next?

Only odd thing is it doesnt show any fast RAM, only the 2mb chip.

A1500 - Diagrom screen.jpg

Regards

Barry

[terriblefire]

Hi

Looks like I am back to square one. Again, once on re-assembly I am back to full Constant Rainbow screen reset.

On my ROM switcher I have fitted DiagROM 1.2.1 and all the tests come back fine, Memery and CIA tests are fine. Any idea what I can try next?

Only odd thing is it doesnt show any fast RAM, only the 2mb chip.

Your RAM looks like its bad. Since DiagROM is showing 0 fastram. That would be consistent with the rainbows. Its trying to execute code in fastram and failing.

Perform a slow memory test on the range 0x40000000 - 0x48000000 (Memory Menu, Manual test memory range).

[Sheepz85]

Hi

In Diagrom I performed the " Slow scan of 16mb fastmen-areas"" Then it reset. On rest it looked like Diagrom froze as I could not press and keys.

I have no changed the ROM switcher to KS3.2 and its started but then once rest went back to the rainbow cycle.

As an aside - Sometimes in Sysinfo when I check the HD speed I loose the display and wont get any picture unless I reset. When ever the computer works it shows the 64mb of fast ram. (This time I got the RED GURU of software failure just to add something else to the mix).

*Starting diagrom its green then flick purple in the back ground, is there a manual or anything for Diagrom to save time or is it pretty simple?

A1500 - WB Memory.jpg

A1500 - Memory test.jpg

Regards

Barry

[terriblefire]

In Diagrom I performed the " Slow scan of 16mb fastmen-areas"" Then it reset. On rest it looked like Diagrom froze as I could not press and keys.

That is the wrong test. Manual Test Memory. Option 7 i think in that Memory Menu. (You arent doing anything in the 16M area. TF536 is ZIII ram).

*Starting diagrom its green then flick purple in the back ground, is there a manual or anything for Diagrom to save time or is it pretty simple?

Can you also manual memory edit at 0x40000000? (Memory Menu, Option 8 i think).

There isnt a manual for DiagROM. Its not going to spit you out an answer. Its a set of tools that you can use for diagnosis. What is useful is the serial output from it during boot.

Sounds like RAM is bad or a control line for it at least.