dml attempts a Raven

[dml]

I tend to write all stuff like that in my blog as I find it. It's searchable and has saved hours of time for things like this.

That seems like the best thing to do. I'm famously disorganised so it would be extra challenging :)

Fortunately thanks to archive.org all the links I include tend to be recorded (even when the sites are gone) which is why I am a regular donator to them.

:thumbsup: for archive.org & donors

[dml]

Hurray! That's awesome @dml !
So I can feel a bit less guilty for shoddy hardware now? :)

It's pretty awesome hardware - quite amazing really.

By the way, where did your ISA sockets come from?
I wonder if it could be a case of not quite German-engineering level of tolerance on the socket, coupled with slightly worn edge connectors on all these old cards?

Yeah.... ebay :/ ....maybe should have waited until the digikey/mouser orders went in.

They *look* ok and seem to have gold contacts but it could be 'special gold' instead of the real kind.

I have done several tests since then and those two other cards consistently and quickly crash when I try to swap them in. The Hercules never does it. After a few tries it seems more like a difference in usage of the ISA bus, or electrical/voltage differences - or software. I need to dig a bit more but it does seem too consistent for just sketchy contacts.

OTOH the 'mmmmoooore dots!' thing on the Hercules went away with the last test so that could just be a different symptom of the same problem....

There was a case where @Oldskool's w32i card wasn't happy in his computer but it worked in mine.
My w32i card, which was the exact same model, worked in both computers.
We had different brand ISA connectors so my take away was that it was probably related to that.

Interesting. I'll try again with contact cleaning first on the edge connectors and the ISA slot and see what happens. I also need to try with the RVBIOS in a non-mono mode to see if the crash remains in that config.

[LarryL]

BTW,if you and @agranlund could send me your address details, then I'll send you some parts to make up an Excelgraph board. You'll need to try and locate the chip yourself though as I've not had any luck with this.

Hi,
Do you eventually have any Excelgraph PCBs available?
I am thinking of making one for my Raven…

Cheers
Michael

[PhilC]

BTW,if you and @agranlund could send me your address details, then I'll send you some parts to make up an Excelgraph board. You'll need to try and locate the chip yourself though as I've not had any luck with this.

Hi,
Do you eventually have any Excelgraph PCBs available?
I am thinking of making one for my Raven…

Cheers
Michael

Have you managed to find a source for the W32i chips?

[LarryL]

Hi,
Do you eventually have any Excelgraph PCBs available?
I am thinking of making one for my Raven…

Cheers
Michael

Have you managed to find a source for the W32i chips?

Yes, broker in China https://www.chipsea.net/
USD 30 let’s see if they re genuine…
They also sell the IS41C16257-50T for USD 5.2 per chip
They add USD 35 for shipping to Germany

[PhilC]

Have you managed to find a source for the W32i chips?

Yes, broker in China https://www.chipsea.net/
USD 30 let’s see if they re genuine…
They also sell the IS41C16257-50T for USD 5.2 per chip
They add USD 35 for shipping to Germany

Sounds good to me. I think I have one left and also some DACs if that helps.

[LarryL]

Yes, broker in China https://www.chipsea.net/
USD 30 let’s see if they re genuine…
They also sell the IS41C16257-50T for USD 5.2 per chip
They add USD 35 for shipping to Germany

Sounds good to me. I think I have one left and also some DACs if that helps.

Cool, will sent you a PM