TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors

TF534 - 68030 + More RAM Board (More compatible with amiga hardware)

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8 Bit Dreams
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Re: TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors

Post by 8 Bit Dreams »

<snip>
imperious wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 8:15 am ..I have to admit they were from China and weren't particularly expensive.
10ns speed rating...
<snip>
Ive seen that before.. Maybe it'll sound a little bit rough, but You are getting what you've paid for..

These may be reprinted, or maybe these failed through quality check and left factory in sellers pants instread to be destroyed..You'll never know..

Just buy genuine parts to have at least one perfectly working card, You can experiment with chinese knock offs if you like, but in worth case You'll be able to swap parts and locate Your issue if something like that happens again...
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imperious
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Re: TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors

Post by imperious »

You are correct. Maybe this thread will be findable via google for others that do the same and come across similar problems, because there is actually very little information out there when You go looking.

Here's one local place I won't be ordering from https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/semicond ... 4294965178
Really no idea why they are such a ripoff for these chips, I do buy a fair amount of bits and pieces from them though.

Maybe the cpld's are stuffed to start with but I did kill a CF card early on and as it was very hot that was obviously pulling
a fair bit of current and that could have caused damage.
I won't buy cheap cpld, fpga chips from these chinese ebay sellers again.

I'll update this thread at some future point with a pass or fail story when I have fitted new ic's.
imperious
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Re: TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors (Solved)

Post by imperious »

Well it turns out this doesn't have even the slightest thing to do with my cheap chinese cpld's,
and that shouldn't be an "all clear" for others to buy them just because the ones I got are ok.

It has nothing to do with the TF534 either, but is the relocator I'm using.
I did test with the 68000 cpu in it and that was ok as far as Amiga test kit went anyway.
I had 10 of the open source ones from Github made at PCBWAY a while ago and well I can't yet
find anything wrong with it, all connections test ok on my multimeter.
Possible mismatch with the cpu socket on the amiga perhaps.

I plugged the TF534 in directly and everything worked ok, all memory tests passed in Amiga test Kit
then games in WHDLOAD working ok, except for the WHDLOAD issues that are mostly fixable.

I'll take it into work tomorrow and resolder all the connections and see if that sorts it out. Will check the ground points
as well, maybe something funky going on there.

This is an example of looking for the complicated solution before the easier one, although I did at least put the 68000 cpu
in it to test.
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8 Bit Dreams
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Re: TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors

Post by 8 Bit Dreams »

It may be pinstripes You've used,
Got some poor quality stripes from Ebay a wile ago, so be sure these make good contact when Accelerator card is plugged in... 🤔
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Re: TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors

Post by Lynxman »

I have a whole batch of female round pin headers that have one socket on the end that doesn't grip the male part at all. Try them with a single male pin in each one and see if they grab.
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Re: TF534 Amiga Test Kit exception errors

Post by imperious »

It's taken a long time but I finally fixed this problem. The Short story is I've put back the original Rev 5 motherboard that my Amiga came with, obviously with a kickstart upgrade and Agnus 8372A swap from the rev 6A board that it was in. The Long story below.

About 10 years ago I bought one of those Kipper2k 8mb with cf card boards, and about the same time bought a fully populated Rev 6a board from AmigaKit in the UK for $60 AUD delivered (those were the days).
I fitted the resistor packs to RP106 and RP107. The Kipper2k board was never stable due a poor choice in the way the connectors were soldered, in that there wasn't enough length underneath to make a good contact with the 68000 socket.
Years later I hear of this Terriblefire board but wait till the 534 model comes along so I can use WHDLOAD with it. I got those early Sukkopera relocators and had many issues as has been mentioned including memory errors with Amiga test Kit. Eventually I get a much better 4 layer relocator from PCBWAY and that fixes the memory errors. I expected that would be the end of it but no, almost no game will run without crashing. Adding NOAUTOVEC etc solves nothing. Remove the relocator and all is well. I then added RP108 and RP110 resistor packs but that made it worse.
At that point I was going to remove all resistor packs but thought it might be easier to modify my original A500 rev5 board. After doing that it all works perfectly stable now.
I suspect the resistor packs on the rev 6A board are doing the opposite of what they are supposed to which is to add stability. maybe they are only a good idea when the CPU is very close, not running via a relocator. The Rev5 board has no resistor packs and is stable.
Now I may build that TF536 board I bought a couple of Years ago now that this is resolved.
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