Question on A2091 and 3.1
Jim Naumovski
I have an a2000 which I have just plugged a kickstart 3.1 rom in. I remember
reading somewhere ages back that the roms on a A2091 scsi card needed to be
a certain version. Mine are 6.6 and it all looks like its working ok. If
these are too low a version what problems should I expect?
On another note I have a cd32 with an SX-1. Should I be able to plug a
multisync monitor into the graphics port of the SX-1. Are there any special
twists in the pinouts of the cable? What needs to happen on the software
side of things?
thanks in advance
jim
MARK OVERBAUGH
040 or 060 accel. you should upgrade to the 7.0 rom or get the
replacement GURU-ROM.
Rob Sullivan
I have just recently done the same thing. My ROMs are v6.1. The only thing
that is out of the ordinary is it that I boot from my GVP Series II
controller, and the 2091 is further back on the zorro chain.
Rob
Marcel DeVoe
> I have an a2000 which I have just plugged a kickstart 3.1 rom in. I remember
> reading somewhere ages back that the roms on a A2091 scsi card needed to be
> a certain version. Mine are 6.6 and it all looks like its working ok. If
> these are too low a version what problems should I expect?
I had the 6.1 roms in my A2000HD and all was fine until I bought a
second hard drive to compliment my 50 meg Quantum (original manufacturers)
I then had problems copying files from one drive to another. System would
hang the scsi bus at random times whether large or small files forcing a
reboot and then invalidation of whichever drive was being written to.
The only way around this was to copy files to ram first then to the second
drive. That worked but was a pain and of course could only do 8 megs at a
time.
I was told to either buy the latest roms (3 chips) and hope it would
cure most problems, but might still have a couple (don't remember what)
or for the same price of those 3 chips, buy the GURU Rom.
This I did and it cured my problems.
--
Marcel J. DeVoe - mde...@shore.net - Team *AMIGA*
A4091scsi CV64 64 megs CDROM M1764-17" Catweasel FUSION/Emplant
A4000/060 CyberStorm MKII overclocked 66mhz - see "How to Overclock!"
and "DIY A4000 Tower for $45" @ http://www.shore.net/~mdevoe
Got an overclocking story to tell of /any/ kind?
Send it to me and I will post it to my "Overclocker's Web Page".
Matt Hey
On Thu, 26 Aug 1999 10:10:49 GMT, Marcel DeVoe wrote about Re: Question on A2091 and 3.1:
> Jim Naumovski <naumovs...@bhp.com.au> wrote:
> > I have an a2000 which I have just plugged a kickstart 3.1 rom in. I remember
> > reading somewhere ages back that the roms on a A2091 scsi card needed to be
> > a certain version. Mine are 6.6 and it all looks like its working ok. If
> > these are too low a version what problems should I expect?
>
> I had the 6.1 roms in my A2000HD and all was fine until I bought a
> second hard drive to compliment my 50 meg Quantum (original manufacturers)
> I then had problems copying files from one drive to another. System would
> hang the scsi bus at random times whether large or small files forcing a
> reboot and then invalidation of whichever drive was being written to.
>
> The only way around this was to copy files to ram first then to the second
> drive. That worked but was a pain and of course could only do 8 megs at a
> time.
>
> I was told to either buy the latest roms (3 chips) and hope it would
> cure most problems, but might still have a couple (don't remember what)
> or for the same price of those 3 chips, buy the GURU Rom.
>
> This I did and it cured my problems.
Huh, there are only 2 ROM sockets. The other chip was probabely the Western
Digital SCSI chip of which the GURU Rom recommends replacing as well because
most if not all 2091s (as well as 3000s) were shipped with the Proto version
which has known problems with multiple devices. The upgrade '33C93' is easy
to find and about $20. The DMAC in the 2091 should be at least REV 02 (390563-02)
or the Guru ROM will not work. All 2091s I have seen had the latest REV
DMAC though. The 6.6 ROM works fine under 2.1 without an accellerator, 2 SCSI
devices, and the old WD SCSI chip but I haven't tested with AmiagOS3.1. The
7.0 ROM works ok with 3.1, an '030, and the new WD SCSI chip. The 6.13 Guru
ROM didn't work for me at all but I think I just got a bad chip. The Guru ROM
is highly advised if you have a '040 or better CPU or a 4000. Otherwise, I
would make a backup of your hard drives and try the 2091 out with the 6.6 ROM
and OS 3.1.
Matt Hey (http://www.kcinter.net/~matthey)
Ross Vumbaca
Jim Naumovski wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> On another note I have a cd32 with an SX-1. Should I be able to plug a
> multisync monitor into the graphics port of the SX-1. Are there any special
> twists in the pinouts of the cable? What needs to happen on the software
> side of things?
>
> thanks in advance
>
> jim
The VGA port is just a VGA adaptor on your RGB port, it has no scan
doubling of any sort;
so unless you run your CD32 in a video mode which is 31khz (e.g
Productivity mode), you can't use a multisync monitor.
UNLESS your multisync monitor syncs down to 15khz horizontal. I would
say it probably doesn't, most newer "multisyncs" including mine, will
not sync down. Some old multisync monitors like the "NEC 3D" will sync
down though, if you can find one.
Interesting tidbit: MultiSync is a registered name of NEC, so only NEC
monitors can be called MultiSync.
Regards,
Ross....
--
---
Ross Vumbaca, a 'poor' Uni student.
http://www.fl.net.au/~rossv, e-mail: rossv@fl dot net dot au (fix this
if you e-mail me!)
Running on an Amiga CD32 + SX32 Mk1 - (Newly acquired, goodbye A500's..)
MC020/14, AGA, 8Mb Fast, 2Mb Chip, 200 meg IDE HD, 2x CDROM - (What?
Your not impressed?!)
Kickstart 3.1 (40.60), Workbench 3.1, and an Opalvision that sits in
it's box - ("What's a Zorro bus again?")
Also owns an A1000 and two A500's, plus lots of cool Amiga junk, like a
Sidecar..! (Darn that thing's heavy)
Current issue's at hand: Fixing the serial ports on my A500 - "Yes I
know, I shouldn't have plugged that modem
in while it was turned on..!"
---
Marcel DeVoe
> On Thu, 26 Aug 1999 10:10:49 GMT, Marcel DeVoe wrote about Re: Question on A2091 and 3.1:
>> I was told to either buy the latest roms (3 chips) and hope it would
>> cure most problems, but might still have a couple (don't remember what)
>> or for the same price of those 3 chips, buy the GURU Rom.
>>
>> This I did and it cured my problems.
> Huh, there are only 2 ROM sockets. The other chip was probabely the Western
> Digital SCSI chip
Right. 2 EPROMs and the SCSI chip which would total the same as a
GURU-ROM.
> of which the GURU Rom recommends replacing as well because
> most if not all 2091s (as well as 3000s) were shipped with the Proto version
> which has known problems with multiple devices. The upgrade '33C93' is easy
> to find and about $20.
Hmm, maybe it was already upgraded as the problem seems to have stopped.
Where would one get this if one had to, here in the States?
Matt Hey
On Mon, 30 Aug 1999 07:30:17 GMT, Marcel DeVoe wrote about Re: Question on A2091 and 3.1:
> Matt Hey <mat...@welwyd.hotmail.com> wrote:
> > On Thu, 26 Aug 1999 10:10:49 GMT, Marcel DeVoe wrote about Re: Question on A2091 and 3.1:
> >> I was told to either buy the latest roms (3 chips) and hope it would
> >> cure most problems, but might still have a couple (don't remember what)
> >> or for the same price of those 3 chips, buy the GURU Rom.
> >>
> >> This I did and it cured my problems.
>
> > Huh, there are only 2 ROM sockets. The other chip was probabely the Western
> > Digital SCSI chip
>
> Right. 2 EPROMs and the SCSI chip which would total the same as a
> GURU-ROM.
>
> > of which the GURU Rom recommends replacing as well because
> > most if not all 2091s (as well as 3000s) were shipped with the Proto version
> > which has known problems with multiple devices. The upgrade '33C93' is easy
> > to find and about $20.
>
> Hmm, maybe it was already upgraded as the problem seems to have stopped.
The GuruROM has specific workarounds for the WD Proto SCSI chip. The newer
version may still be more compatible and meet the SCSI-2 standard better.
It is also faster as it supports synchronous mode (has to be activated) which
the GURU ROM docs say can do 3.5Mb/s for the 2091 (would require fast ram to
DMA into and SCSI devices that support it). This is pretty fast for an
Amiga.
> Where would one get this if one had to, here in the States?
Paxtron was the cheapest I found on a quick look...
Western Digital SCSI Chip 8A $23.95
Software Hut and National Amiga had them too. Western Digital made the
original chip refered to as rev04, proto chip, or 33C93. They made an
upgrade called the rev08, 8A, or 33C93A but stopped making chips. AMD
then made a clone also called the 33C93A which is fully compatible and
easier to find now.
Matt Hey (http://www.kcinter.net/~matthey)
Allan Duncan
Matt Hey <mat...@welwyd.hotmail.com> wrote:
...
>Huh, there are only 2 ROM sockets. The other chip was probabely the Western
>most if not all 2091s (as well as 3000s) were shipped with the Proto version
>which has known problems with multiple devices. The upgrade '33C93' is easy
I have seen quite a few 2091's, and none of them had the Proto chip.
Maybe it was the benefit of not being in the US and having to wait until
the US domestic market was sated before the exports took place with the
newer chip.
BTW - the GuruROM cleans up a few glitches with CD writers too.
Allan Duncan a.du...@trl.telstra.com.au (+613) 9253 6708, Fax 9253 6776
Infrastructure - Broadband Networks
Telstra Research Labs, Box 249 Rosebank MDC
Clayton, Victoria, 3169, Australia