Amigaone dead

@Jack

I have tried to read the serial output using VLT on an A1200, using 9600 baud and N81, and many other combinations of these parameters and got only garbled characters. I get 2 or 3 with memory out and 4 with memory in.

Someone said he got garbled characters when his CPU died. Could this be my problem?

@tlm

It certainly sounds like you've exhausted every avenue.

@tlm

Just out of interest, is there an Amiga user group near you?

@tlm

IIRC the default setting is 115200 baud (8N1). Garbled output usually just means that the port setting is wrong (or your terminal is too slow).

@srupprecht

I'll try again. The serial port on an A1200 may not go that fast. I may have to try to figure out the terminal program on my linux box.

@Mikey_C

Don't think so. One of the responders to this thread is from Lexington about eighty miles away. I don't know whether there is a users' group there or not.

@tlm

Where the heck is Lexington?
What continent?

@tlm

I had the same problem. When you turn on the machine the garbage is just some 'noise' so no baud-rate can convert it back.

2 options left:
1. CPU died (can you try it in your friend's machine nearby?)
2. Q1 FET component died on your mobo.

I had the 2nd option, that component has been replaced and it works. We've attached an extra passive cooler on it, so it won't get burned again.

Do you have an experienced friend who can check that component for you?

Hi @Mikey_C

Lexington is city in a U.S. State:
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina

How's that for ambiguity?

@Snuffy

Okay, now we know where he is, anyone on here close enough to help this poor guy out?

@Mikey_C

The responder in question is "Interrogative" who lives in Lexington, KY about 80 miles from where I live.

@Chip

Thanks for your insights. Yours as well as those of everyone who has tried to help. I've resolved to take my machine to a local repair guy who helped me out with an A2000. He has never seen an Amigaone, but feels confident that he can identify the bad component(s). I plan to give him a printout of all the comments posted here. Stay tuned.

@tlm

Unfortunately it was me who said about garbled chars.
I also tried the battery/null-modem lane, then sent all the stuff to AmigaCenter(France).
Then the module went to ACube for cpu replacement, appeared that the daughterboard was bad too, so now I'm driving the slower variant than I oredered in cpu rework I got from ACube's (or Max' spares).
If you have another A1 user around, it's safer to swap componets and test to see if your module works in the other mobo and vice-versa (with prooven working ram/psu/gfx)


Jack

Hi @tlm
I re-read your question ... oops!

When I tried a PCI video card the machine wouldn't power up. Dose anyone have any ideas?

I haven't the foggiest for PCI video. What's wrong with the AGP video setup? All my info refered to AGP vicdeo.

@Snuffy

My video card is AGP. I know it works. I tried a PCI card on the off chance that tha AGP slot was bad.

@Jack

I think I have narrowed down my problem to the G4 Daughter board. Can anyone tell me where to look for a repair or new board?

@tlm

http://www.acube-systems.biz/eng/cpumodule.php

Hi tlm,

There are a few options:

1. Replace the CPU with same CPU from ACube
2. Get a faster CPU! (from ACube) They have ~1.2 GHz CPUs available
3. Sell it to someone else and get a Sam440EP 667 MHz
4. Sell it and buy a Sam Flex. More PCI slots and a few other extras!
5. Sell it and buy a NatAmi60 and Sonnet accelerator.... It MAY be possible to run AOS4.1 on that!

I would personally go with #2

Just curious, how were you able to cope with not having AOS4.0 to use these last 4 months?

I'd go coocoo bonkers!

@tlm

Quote:

If there's no another working A1 around you could swap-test the cpu modules, the only option is ACube. I would ask them to check the module 1-st (afair, they do that anyway, but it won't hurt)
Looks like another cpu module goes to Italy.

Jack

@tlm

Quote:

When my cpu died I got 1 or 2 garbled chars in serial when powering on.