Blizzard PPC 1
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Blizzard PPC 2
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BVision Permedia
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Scandex Amiga
640x480
My actual configuration:
Amiga 1200 rev 1D.1 ROM 3.1
BlizzardPPC 603+ 200Mhz 040 SCSI (overclocked 266Mhz)
64Mb Ram
BVision Permedia2 8Mb
HD 5.2Giga (FileSystem PFS3 & NSD for disks >4Giga with 3.9)
HD 1.2 Giga with Linux PPC
32x CD-rom IBM IDE
Interface for External Keyboard + 4 Ide buffered interface
HD-Floppy external
CDWriter Yamaha 6416 SCSI external
An adequate PSU
NO powertower !!
The last CGX4 software
...and ScanDoubler for view Pal/AGA screens
PCMCIA POWERLAN Ethernet for connection with PC-windows
First impact with BVision card by Phase5
The pre-history...
My originary A1200 was rev 1D.4 ROM 3.0 (it's dead 'cause a shortcircuit)
with installed only the actual BlizzardPPC and no problem booting
(the BVision card still was not on market).
Then I've got an used A1200 rev 1D.1 ROM 3.1.
When I started it the PPC fan had difficulty to turn
for a few seconds and the cold boot something failed;
pressing Ctrl-A-A the Amiga booted.
Although this fact Workbench and PPC programs ran ok with
the CybergraphX 3 and the CGXAGA monitor driver.
The BVision's cruel history...
In March 1999 I bought a simple BVision card and .....
Let's start the list:
-when I install the cgx3 the card seems ok but
the day after when Amiga boots I get, at the moment that the bvision driver
is loaded, a requester saying:
Blizzardvisionppc driver request: choose default video mode:
VGA-31Khz or PAL or NTSC or Cancel
whatever option I choose my Amiga reboot with this same request.
Otherwise when I boot another requester appairs:
Software failure
devs:monitors/bvisionppc
program failed (error #80000004)
-when I install the last cgx4 the card seems ok and the day after I boot Amiga
a black screen or the message upper appair on the monitor.
Sequence of my tests:
(first of all the SCSI is always ok with or without BVision)
I make boot without startup and
I erase the driver rebooting and it's ok only with the CGXAGA driver.
I made a script to install or deinstall the BVision or Cgxaga drivers.
-sometimes after twenty minutes that Amiga boots with Cgxaga driver
I install BVision driver, reboot and... the BVision card is ok but
for only ten minutes, then Amiga freezes, I reboot and the card is ok
for other ten minutes, then Amiga freezes, I reboot... the story repeats.
-sometimes when I press ESC to call the boot-menu, Amiga becomes stucked after 1 minute.
-sometimes when I press mouse buttons to call the early-menu the same thing.
-the boot with CGXAGA driver is always ok.
-I connected additional power to floppy power connector on mainboard
-I also disconnected the HD floppy external
-I connected under the two processors a 8x8 cm fan because the system
freezed after 5 minutes. This happened at the beginning of the summer
and now the system is ok (in Rome is very hot in the summertime).
-I not have any fan for the BVision card
-I tried also disconneting PPC fan but it's the same music...
-The voltage on PPC board and therefore on BVision card is 4.9 V and never
5V (with or without BVision card connected)
-The problem maybe is the revision of the motherboard ?
-Is better an A1200 rev. 1D.4 or successive ?
-Power or/and heat problems ? I know, I know the Amiga-tower is better !!!
-Software problems ? nooooooo! I don't believe!!!???
Overheating problems ?
The ppc 603+ bvision is fitted inside a console Amiga perfectly
(but the bvision's temperature become very hot !!!)
I know I'm going to have overheating problems expecially in August.
I thing the great problem with bvision is that is too near
to the motherboard; it needs more space.
(It is not worth to buy a powertower; also if I have so many wires
on my table; I am waiting a new release of Amigas.
The powertower is good only because it's possible to connect
Zorro2 o Zorro3 boards)
Power problems ?
The PSU I use is 250w (it's the same of a peecee).
I get the full 5v if I put my tester on the PSU, but if I put my tester
on the PPC card or on the bvision card I get always 4.9V
also when the bvision is operative or not (this make me think:
Is there a problem with the power? After having done something tests:
with or without PPC fan and to connect directly 5V to the PPC fan
connector.
Software problems ?
Installing CGX3 and CGX4 I could get my monitor and libs files mixed up,
but I verified also with the CGX-Report program. I've updated the flashrom.
Then the strange is that sometimes when I put the bvision driver
in devs: directory, I make reset then the CGX screen starts and I can
select one screen CybergraphX and all the program supporting
CGX screens run perfectly, but only for ten or twenty minutes,
then the programs freeze or the screen becames corrupted.
And the bvision operates also together with the CGXAGA driver.
Then I've disconnected the PPC fan, I have a 8x8 fan under
the 2 chips and it's seems sufficient !!!. (the bvision is not
connected, ppc programs run perfectly with CGXAGA)
Checked contacts in BV slot. Tried cleaning them and reinstall BV.
Same problems.
other proves:
power:
-disconnected ppc fan (voltage remains the same on ppc e bvision 4,92 V)
-made interface between fan-connector and PSU' power lead (always 4,92V on
bvision)
-provided the bvision with more power by a thick wire, using
Jarek-Rzeuski-hack (finally +5v on bvision !)
Therefore it demonstrates that precedent attemps to connect the floppy
power connector from PSU to the PPC-FAN connector or to the motherboard were
useless coz the WIRES are INSUFFICIENT for the AMPERE NEEDED
by the PPC and BVISION BOARDS !!! (in fact the voltage for me was the
same V4,92)
Now I've used only thick wires from PSU and I've get +5,1V on all boards.
heating:
-A fan 8x8 cm 12V blowing only on the 68040 chip (this way ppc-fan is not more
needed)
-I know that the BVPPC-PPC connection needs to warm up in order to work and
I know I'm not cooling the bvppc-ppc connection !!!
(the BVPPC-PPC connection needs to warm up because so the pins expand, and
the power flows more freely to the bvision, without being stopped
by temperature changes)
-A fan 4,5x4,5 blowing on BVision-card's Permedia2-chip with or without heatsink
(first I proved with a fan screwed on a heatsink on the chip, after time
I unscrewed and removed the attached heatsink leaving the fan only;
you need to screw the fan on the Permedia-chip with a piece of wood or plastic)
THIS IS MY FINAL SOLUTION
-------------------------
POWER:
Only a thick wire (+5V) interface between fan-connector and PSU power lead
(this way I granted +5,1V on BlizzardPPC and BVision cards).
I don't need other type of connections, but if you want to prove them,
REMEMBER TO USE ONLY THICK WIRES (neither floppy connectors nor hard-disk
connectors, but new wires soldered directly from PSU).
HEATING:
Only a fan placed under AMIGA blowing only on 68040 CPU (I've a desktop 1200
raised 2 centimetres on the table).
My ppc-fan is off, (it don't resolve nothing for me).
A fan blowing on Permedia2-chip without heatsink.
This way the system is usable; I've to wait 5 minutes to let the BVPPC-PPC
connection warm up a little... and when I reboot Amiga is OK
I also proved the METAL WASHER fix on PPC chip (1) but for me not changed anything; instead I put a
METAL WASHER on Permedia2 chip and a heatsink with a cooler on (naturally using silicon grass) and the
BVision is more stable !!!
And then don't screw BVision-connector too tight (you bend the BVision-card) !!!
SOFTWARE:
All the programs that use PPC and BVision simultaneously,
MAME - HERETIC - UAEPPC - WarpUP-Demos gone crashed after several minutes (freezes),
but never LINUXPPC (perhaps because it excludes 040 ? I say yes).
What about my crashes ?
Surely because I'm not cooling BVision card enough and it's in a desktop.
I've overclocked my PPC from 200 to 260 Mhz with success. (Naturally CPU PPC warm up more)
For overclocking PPC look at http://zap.to/ppcoverclock but watch out
(1) METAL WASHER on PPC chip - What is the metal washer fix? (taken from the Bvision onelist.com)
"Also on AmigActive (07)
It's the metal plate which you should insert between small square logic chip
under PPC cooler and the cooler itself. This provides sufficient cooling
for that chip. Of course the plate must sit firmly and touch both parts as well as possible.
Take the PPC card out. Place it flat on the ground so
that the writing on the cooler reads l to r and is the
right way up. The chip that the washer wants to be
placed on is the one under the bottom right corner of
the cooler. Along the bottom edge of the card, just
to the left of the PPC conector that attatches the
m/board. The edge of the chip should JUST be visable
from under the cooler. Remove the cooler from the
board. (2 metal clips) When the washer is in place put
the cooler back on the chip to secure the washer.
Make sure that 50% of the washer is visable this
should now disperse the heat effectively. The washer
needs to be no more than 2cm in diametre (if that!)"
The machine works beautifully, it boots straight away
without needing time for the heatsink to begin taking heat from the PPC chip
and I can use the fan, which cools the heatsink making the machine even more stable."
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thanks to Jarek Rzeuski Marco De Vitis and Robbin Van Ooy
for your helps
Francesco M - Rome - Italy http://frankmaster.too.it/
frankmas@tiscali.it
My system configuration: (taken with CGX-Report) ----------------- libs:cgxsystem.library - 42.4 cybergraphics.library - 42.4 libs:cgxvideo.library - 42.1 libs:cgxbootpic.library - 41.7 libs:cgx3dvirgin.library - N/A libs:cgxmpeg.library - 41.10 libs:cgx3drave.library - 1.1 CGX V2 Libs (if installed) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ libs:cybergraphics.library - N/A libs:cyberlayers.library - N/A libs:cyberintuition.library - N/A Other Libaries ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ libs:cybergl.library - 39.12 libs:cyberncg.library - N/A libs:vilintuisup.library - N/A libs:gtlayout.library - 47.1 Monitor Files - Drivers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ devs:monitors/BVisionPPC - 4.2 CGXMode - CVMode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ sys:prefs/CGXMode - 4.2 sys:prefs/CVMode - N/A sys:prefs/CyberGraphX - 4.2 Monitor Config Files [SYS:Prefs/Presets/monitors] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'BVisionPPCMonitor = Monitor-85KHz' [found] V43 24Bit Datatypes: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ sys:classes/codec.class - 0.17 sys:classes/codecs/picture.codec - 0.17 sys:classes/codecs/jpeg.codec - 0.77 sys:classes/datatypes/picture.datatype - 45.7 sys:classes/datatypes/pcx.datatype - 43.7 sys:classes/datatypes/pbm.datatype - 44.2 sys:classes/datatypes/jfif.datatype - 44.4 sys:classes/datatypes/ilbm.datatype - 44.9 sys:classes/datatypes/gif.datatype - N/A Env Var Settings: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALERTEMU=1 CPUP2C=1 HIDE15BIT=0 HIRESCRSR=1 KEEPAMIGAVIDEO=1 NOPASSTHROUGH=0 PLANES2FAST=1 SAVEMEM=0 SUPERGELS=1 SUPERLAYERS=1 USESEMAPHORES=1 WBPATSPEEDUP=0 CGXHELPPATH='HELP:' DEVS:Monitors/BVisionPPC active tooltypes: BITMAPCACHE=YES BOOTLOGO=YES PACKED24=NO PASSTHROUGH=NO SCROLLMASK=YES Versions of Warp3D, MESA libraries and ENV: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ libs: agleppc.library 1.0 aglppc.library 2.0 aglsmapppc.library 1.0 aglu.library 1.0 agluppc.library 1.0 aglutppc.library 1.2 powerpc.library 15.0 warp.library 4.0 Warp3D.library 2.0 Warp3DPPC.library 2.0 warpHW.library 1.0 Libs;Warp3D W3D_CyberGfx4.library 1.1 W3D_CyberGfx4_PPC.library 1.1 W3D_Permedia2.library 1.5 W3D_Permedia2_PPC.library 1.5 ENV:Warp3D/Permedia2 dither on ENV:PowerPC debug 0 earlyterm 0 force 1 gfxaddr $e0000000 hidewarning 0 memprot 0 noppc 0 seginfo 100 terminator 2 ENV:MESA FAST 1 FORCE_DB 1 FORCE_FS 0 FORCE_IR 1 LOCKMODE 3 NOCLAMP 0 STATS 1 TRIPLE 1 ENV:GLUT FORCE_DB 1 FORCE_FS 0
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Blizzard PPC 1 640x480 |
Blizzard PPC 2 640x480 |
BVision Permedia 640x480 |
Scandex Amiga 640x480 |
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Copyright © Frank Master