Paradroid STE DMA issue blog

[Steve]

@exxos
Here's a photo

PXL_20210207_152608736.jpg (485.37 KiB) Viewed 3882 times

[DoG]

That looks like the one made by Retro.Ready.One. I don't know if it is an exact copy or if there is some difference on them.

[mst]

ASCI2STM: NEW FIRMWARE
TT
Boots, but no drives detected

PXL_20210207_133847176.jpg

Ironically it started from HD, reading from HD, but HD could not be detected!!

[exxos]

@exxos
Here's a photo

PXL_20210207_152608736.jpg

I will take a picture of mine when I get home..

But looks like Lothareks one is a white PCB anyway.. So someone else must be making them.. badly it seems...

[beel1]

Sectors number is how many times to write to each sector.. 1 is fine..

Looking at the software image I posted, mine has all WWWW so I assume x is fail..

Try the pattern option, and look at the sectors on the PC...

I tried it on STeem with an ACSI image and got *'s with correct ACSI ID (see attachment) and W's with wrong ID. Pattern test is OK (* or W depending on ACSI ID too):

Presse-papiers-2.png (6.9 KiB) Viewed 3848 times

[exxos]

I tried it on STeem with an ACSI image and got *'s with correct ACSI ID (see attachment) and W's with wrong ID. Pattern test is OK (* or W depending on ACSI ID too):

**** seems to be OK, and WWWW assume Write error.

[exxos]

I will take a picture of mine when I get home..

Mine is a proper ultrasatan V1.2 as shown on lothereks site.. So no idea what that red one is @Steve PCB looks totally different.

[exxos]

That looks like the one made by Retro.Ready.One. I don't know if it is an exact copy or if there is some difference on them.

I found a external image, but no internal images .. https://retroready.one/collections/atar ... 0206067787


So where did this "faulty" US come from ?

[Steve]

Gotta ask @Paradroid901 it's his

And cheers @beel1 that makes much more sense! Now I can start understanding this tool

[Paradroid901]

Hi All
Firstly I just wanted to thank Steve for all his hard work on this project and has managed to do some great work on the system having some HD write issues using an Ultra Satan

So as a quick reminder
In 8MHZ mode the STe reads of the installed Ultra Satan 100% of the time using TOS 2.06 writing will immediately corrupt the HD, which we know from the previous feedback from Steve on the blog.
I have started to put some feelers out for a "Good DMA" chip as a finally throw of the dice on a couple of forums (If anyone has one spare I would be interested).

In 32mhz there is some strange behaviour - On a cold start boot, I can read, write move files from folders from one to another on a formatted SD Card which was prepped via PP's HD Driver. I was even able to save desktop settings and transferred a file via my NetUSB and played the file.

Give or take 30 minutes or so, when booting into 32mhz mode it starts to become unstable, but instead of corrupting the files on the drive and altogether when the Ultra Satan boots, either it cannot access the HD partitions created or the C drive is just not visible at all.

When this behaviour starts, if I flick it back into 8mhz mode the SD boots as normal and I can access all the drives and access the files I transferred across in 32mhz mode.

Also when the system warms up the reading in 8mhz mode is rock solid still.

I know that the PSU has been recapped recently and I know that Steve has done all the hacks he can think of, but could this be a heat issue with CPU running faster is effecting the read and writing after awhile in this mode (By all means I am not a tech guru )

Was thinking of putting a Heatsink on the CPU?

Any thoughts would be great, and many thanks to Steve for his hard work and comes highly recommended