Paradroid STE DMA issue blog

[Steve]

@mst
Here is my testing today with the STE & new firmware. So far the new firmware is /more stable/ than the original with this particular system, but is not as stable as an ultrasatan (fails copy test) and Jookies program still fills the screen with X's which I think is failed writes. But it seems no MBR corruption, where as original firmware did have MBR corruption.

Thank you so much,

The STEs equipped with -38 DMA chip are really annoying; these will need to follow all Exxos research and fixing stages...

Yes - this particular STE has had all the fixes. But interestingly it is an early motherboard with several bodge wires and fixes on top of the motherboard. Same as @geogeo_28 's in fact, who also is struggling with his Ultrasatan. I think these bodge wires and early fixes could be causing some kind of noise.

See here:

PXL_20210207_131355788.jpg (415.46 KiB) Viewed 3625 times

[exxos]

@Steve didn't the ultrasatan fail on a H5 though ? That would imply ultrasatan has a fault as the H5 has very little noise and all the fixes built on..

[mst]

Thank you so much,

The STEs equipped with -38 DMA chip are really annoying; these will need to follow all Exxos research and fixing stages...

Yes - this particular STE has had all the fixes. But interestingly it is an early motherboard with several bodge wires and fixes on top of the motherboard. Same as @geogeo_28 's in fact, who also is struggling with his Ultrasatan. I think these bodge wires and early fixes could be causing some kind of noise.

Yes, these airwires need shielding, at least.

My mobo, from 1990 has two airwires too; obviously without shielding... and airwires do not make me or anyone happy

[Steve]

@Steve didn't the ultrasatan fail on a H5 though ? That would imply ultrasatan has a fault as the H5 has very little noise and all the fixes built on..

No that was the ASCI2STM. I have also just run some testing on my TT @mst :

TT:
ULTRASATAN:
RUN HDTEST - Lots of X's
WRITE DESKTOP.INF - PASS
COPY GAME TO C:\ - PASS

ASCI2STM: ORIGINAL FIRMWARE
TT
Nothing, 4 bombs on boot

PXL_20210207_132348291.jpg (476.57 KiB) Viewed 3618 times

ASCI2STM: NEW FIRMWARE
TT
Boots, but no drives detected

PXL_20210207_133847176.jpg (515.1 KiB) Viewed 3618 times

So at the moment.. of course this has just turned into an ASCI2STM testing round. It seems there is a lot of work to be done on the ASCI2STM firmware.

[exxos]

So can ultrasatan be tried on a H5 ?

[Steve]

So can ultrasatan be tried on a H5 ?

I'll try right now... give me a few minutes

[exxos]

I'll try right now... give me a few minutes

[Steve]

ULTRASATAN & H5
@exxos
H5 (DMA 38- 9H1 61):
ULTRASATAN:
RUN HDTEST - Lots of X's
WRITE DESKTOP.INF - PASS
COPY GAME TO C:\ - FAIL, copy dialogue just 'dissapears' without copying anything, MBR OK

[Steve]

ASCI2STM NEW FIRMWARE & H5
@mst
H5 (DMA 38- 9H1 61):
RUN HDTEST - Lots of X's
WRITE DESKTOP.INF - FAIL, 'this disk does not have enough room'
COPY GAME TO C:\ - FAIL, copy dialogue just 'dissapears' without copying anything, MBR OK

[exxos]

ULTRASATAN & H5
@exxos
H5 (DMA 38- 9H1 61):
ULTRASATAN:
RUN HDTEST - Lots of X's
WRITE DESKTOP.INF - PASS
COPY GAME TO C:\ - FAIL, copy dialogue just 'dissapears' without copying anything, MBR OK

When I get home tonight I'll try my ultrasatan and see if the program behaves. If it does, then if the one you have the external grey box type ? If so, take some images of the PCB then we can compare it to mine (assuming it works ) then we can see if the ultrasatan itself has changed somehow..