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Vampire 500 V2+ Ifrom Core 2.7 Don't Work

Franco BRONDA

Posts 9
11 Jul 2018 22:01


Hi,
On 22th november 2016, I purchased one of the first Vampire 500 v2+ from Majsta on a Ebay auction.
I used it in an Amiga 500 with Firmware Gold and Gold2 with apparently no problems.

Recently I flashed with last firmware 2.9 and there are problems. The Vampire crash randomly on boot or within few minutes.
With the firmware 2.9 I used the last Coffin distributuion on Sandisk 32 GB CF

I tried the card on a A500, A500+ and A2000 with the same problems.

After these issues I downgraded with the firmware Gold2 using Usb Blaster and semm to work.

I saw that last core revision usable is 2.5. If I upgrade to 2.7...2.8...2.9 I have problems.

I have seen that even some Vampire V2 600 have problems with cores higher than 2.5 and a mod has been planned to solve the problem. But we do not talk about the 500 V2 +.
I think there is a hardware fault that needs servicing.

Please help me.
Thanks



Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
11 Jul 2018 23:13


Have you tried the x10 v500 core? Is it unstable with lower freq.?

EXTERNAL LINK is 2.9 x10 exe


Franco BRONDA

Posts 9
11 Jul 2018 23:48


The random isuues are referred to x10 cores.
I initially tryed to flash from from gold2 using exe files and I had black screen (nothing).
Using jtag I downgraded to Gold2. Ok.
From Gold2 I upgraded to 2.5 OK
From 2.5 to 2.7x 10 Random issues (not usable), hard disk errors, guru meditations.
Using Jtag from 2.7 to 2.9x10 + CF Coffin52 (CF adapter directly on ide port no cables), the system boot but after few minutes crash, mouse pointer stuck. If soft reset the problem remain. I need switch off.... Power ON boot after few minutes crash.
I testes the card on 3 different Amigas.
If I use gold2, there are no problem and I use the system with Amiga OS3.9 bb2, hard disk set to master, cdrom slave. All OK.

 



Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
12 Jul 2018 07:19


Can you tell us what hardware is in your system?

- What cards are connected?
- What HD /CF ?
- you said you use a CD-rom ?


Franco BRONDA

Posts 9
12 Jul 2018 08:48


My working config up to core 2.5:
Amiga 500 rev 6a
Benq BL912 vga  hdmi (can work at 15khz RGB)
Trapdoor expansion to 1Mb configured as chip ram
Floppy Drive
20 Gb ide hard disk set to master
Laptop IDE dvd rom configured as slave.
Amiga OS 3.9 BB2
If I upgrade this configuration to cores greater than 2.5 I have errors or blocks in the boot in 100% of the cases. I tried 2.7 2.8 2.9 x10

I tried then on Amiga 500+ rev8 and a motherboard Amiga 2000 B2000 same configuration floppy drive, ide hard disk, dvd ide rom. I also tried to change power supply.
Same problems with cores higher than 2.5

At this point I removed the hard disk and DVD ROM and I connected only a CF adapter with Sandisk CF Extreme 32 Gb with the latest Coffin distribution.
I used a Amiga 2000 B2000 motherboard with only floppy drive, mouse, keyboard connected.
I flashed using USB Blaster with core V500_G2-9-8_x10
This is the least unstable configuration I've gotten and when it boots I can operate a few minutes before it crash. I can open some windows, but If I try to open same application I have crash.
 
I do not know if it's important, but if I hold the joystick on fire and I leave in emu tos I noticed that the emu tos works without blocks, but I do not know it well.


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
12 Jul 2018 08:56


My first guess is voltage limitations.
The newer cores after 2.5 run the memory at higher clock, this will eat more power.

Are you experienced in soldering or know someone who is?
If yes then you try out the CAP upgrade which is recommend for the V600.




Franco BRONDA

Posts 9
12 Jul 2018 09:08


I can do It, but I saw some post related to V600. For the 500 I have not seen examples or schemes to make the mod.
Is it possible to have some more information on how to make the mod?
Many Thanks


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
12 Jul 2018 09:16


Franco BRONDA wrote:

I can do It, but I saw some post related to V600. For the 500 I have not seen examples or schemes to make the mod.
  Is it possible to have some more information on how to make the mod?
  Many Thanks

If you look at the card then you see 2 SMD caps on the top edge.
These caps are labeled C3 and C6
If you are experienced in soldering then you can ADD another SMD cap on top of each.
E.g. add 10 or 22 uf

Please do not remove the cap which are on the card.
Please do this only if you are sure you can do this soldering.



Franco BRONDA

Posts 9
12 Jul 2018 10:30


Excuse me, the faq in the wiki talk about electrolitic capacitors 220uF 10V.
Is capacity and voltage related to caps technology (ceramaic vs electrolitic/hybrid)?
At the moment I have at home some hybrid capacitors from Panasonic 22 uF 35V that I use for recap. Can I adapt these for the mod.? They are polarized and I have to find the correct orientation.
Many thanks fo help




Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
12 Jul 2018 10:49


Franco BRONDA wrote:

Excuse me, the faq in the wiki talk about electrolitic capacitors 220uF 10V.

Many roads lead to rome.
 
One option is to use SMD cap in size 0805 with 10 uF or 22 uF.
This solution will look the best.

You can also add bigger electrolytic caps.
47uF, 220 uF, 440 uF whatever you have at hand.
With electrolytic caps please be careful with the orientation.



Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
12 Jul 2018 13:03


Franco BRONDA wrote:

Excuse me, the faq in the wiki talk about electrolitic capacitors 220uF 10V.

Honestly Electrolytic caps seem overkill for the application. The wiki was just put together by the person who attempted this method, it's not the definitive guide for the solution.


Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
12 Jul 2018 13:06


Good news after the recap done is - x11 core could be tried with nice performance boost, as well as stability should not be an issue anymore.

posts 12