Overview Features Coding ApolloOS Performance Forum Downloads Products Order Contact

Welcome to the Apollo Forum

This forum is for people interested in the APOLLO CPU.
Please read the forum usage manual.
Please visit our Apollo-Discord Server for support.



All TopicsNewsPerformanceGamesDemosApolloVampireAROSWorkbenchATARIReleases
Documentation about the Vampire hardware

V600 V2page  1 2 

Peter Heginbotham

Posts 214
31 Aug 2018 12:35


Is there a definitive guide for recapping a Kipper2k vampire V600


Renaud Schweingruber
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 378
31 Aug 2018 14:15


From EXTERNAL LINK 
 
Q: I heard that since GOLD2.7, some FPGAs on Vampire 600 V2 could be too weak to run latest cores and might require a capacitor modification to make it stable. Can you explain ?
 
A: Since GOLD2.7, FPGA is heavily used and some early Vampire 600 V2 showed sign of electrical weakness. To fix it, just solder two 2.5mm 220µF 10V on C3 and C6 like in this video. We recommend help of a professional.
 
 
Link to video : EXTERNAL LINK


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
31 Aug 2018 17:57


I think, from personal experience that replacing C3 and C6 alone will not suffice.
Link to A1k forum or copy to here for what else is necessary to get a stable setup.

Manfred


Gernt Gerloff

Posts 49
31 Aug 2018 18:12


Renaud Schweingruber wrote:

We recommend help of a professional.

And if you don't know a "professional", you are fucked, but who cares you paid already.


Mr-Z EdgeOfPanic

Posts 189
31 Aug 2018 18:55


Gernt Gerloff wrote:

Renaud Schweingruber wrote:

  We recommend help of a professional.
 

 
  And if you don't know a "professional", you are fucked, but who cares you paid already.

Bit of a harsh reply, but in my area there is an electronics shop who does this kind of services for a very fair price.
If you look around a bit it's not hard to find somebody who's skilled enough. 


Leigh Russ

Posts 151
31 Aug 2018 19:35


I would totally ignore that video though as it shows putting through hole capacitors on surface mount pads (which really isn't advisable), and also them being held in place with putty or bluetack.

Some putty or bluetack type stuff is conductive and can damage your board, as was found out by someone in the Facebook group who done this and it shorted out a load of pins and proper badly damaged the board.

Do the job proprly and add surface mount capacitors on top. It's easier, quicker and neater.

Better yet, remove the existing 10uf capacitors and replace them with two 22uf stacked on top of each other or side by side. This is what the specs say to use in the datasheet for the buck regulator.

If you can't do it yourself then most people who offer Amiga recapping services probably could. I'd offer too but depends on location I guess.




Peter Heginbotham

Posts 214
01 Sep 2018 12:29


Leigh Russ wrote:

I would totally ignore that video though as it shows putting through hole capacitors on surface mount pads (which really isn't advisable), and also them being held in place with putty or bluetack.
 
  Some putty or bluetack type stuff is conductive and can damage your board, as was found out by someone in the Facebook group who done this and it shorted out a load of pins and proper badly damaged the board.
 
  Do the job proprly and add surface mount capacitors on top. It's easier, quicker and neater.
 
  Better yet, remove the existing 10uf capacitors and replace them with two 22uf stacked on top of each other or side by side. This is what the specs say to use in the datasheet for the buck regulator.
 
  If you can't do it yourself then most people who offer Amiga recapping services probably could. I'd offer too but depends on location I guess.
 
 

Can you let me know the part number of the cap. I'm in Manchester(UK)



Leigh Russ

Posts 151
01 Sep 2018 17:29


Peter Heginbotham wrote:

   
    Can you let me know the part number of the cap. I'm in Manchester(UK)
   
 

 
 
  I removed the 10uf on mine and replaced with two of these on each set of pads. I put them side by side rather than on top of each other, they seems to fit better. Here's a shot of mine after I done it.  EXTERNAL LINK 

 
  And here's the caps i used
 
  EXTERNAL LINK


Tim Waite

Posts 42
02 Sep 2018 04:12


I see those TDK caps (C2012X5R1C226M085AC) you listed are out of stock on mouser and digikey.

I found cross to the Samsung part CL21A226MOCLRNC which is on Digikey as 1276-6780-1-ND.

Mouser did not sell the Samsung part but I found a AVX PN that 25 volt vs 16 volt. Should still work.

AVX PN 08053E224MAT2A, Mouser PN 08053E224MAT2A




Daniele Bucelli

Posts 20
05 Sep 2018 21:15


Hi all,
i've just received my Vampire V600 2.1. I have a question for you : i did receive the board without his box, in a small red bag, with his instructions paper (one page only). Is it normal to receive it without the box? I have seen around the web, that it should be delivered inside a nice black box, with the vampire logo on it. I'm really disappointed, because i collect retro things, and for me boxes are important. Please, let me know.
P.S. i did try to write to the support contact indicated here, but no reply. :(


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
05 Sep 2018 21:27


Daniele Bucelli wrote:

P.S. i did try to write to the support contact indicated here, but no reply. :(

Sorry we here not ship cartons nor sell them.
This forum here is to support users in question of how to setup the system, or how to program the CPU.

Our team here does develop the CPU and the new Amiga Chipset.
So we can answer question in those areas.


Daniele Bucelli

Posts 20
05 Sep 2018 22:40


Hi Gunnar, thanks for your email. I understand your point of view, but i bought one of your products, from one of your official reseller (I did find it here on this site). The seller himself has outlined that they receive the boards with just few boxes, and for this reason he don't send the boards inside the box at all. I'm your customer, and i did spend good money, so, if i have this kind of reply from the reseller, where do i have to ask? I'm not pretending you to sell or send anything, i'm just searching for some answers, to understand if what's happened to me le normal or not. I fear that this board can be used, or refurbished. I can't test it right now, and obviously this make me feel worried.
Sorry if i did disturb.
Best regards. 


Mallagan Bellator

Posts 393
05 Sep 2018 22:49


@Daniele
I feel you, I’d like the box too :/ they’re cool, and it’s for new Amiga hardware, which just makes it all even better


Daniele Bucelli

Posts 20
06 Sep 2018 05:51


Hi Mallagan, yes, more or less. And it's a pity to be treated this way after you spend 406€ shipped!!! It's not fair… For someone, a box is just a box, and they throw it in the bin just after they connect the board to the computer… for me the box is part of the board, since i love to keep my things with care, and collect everything. In this case, it's like if i bought an used board (the worst thing is that is well known that, if i will sell it one day, the value will be far lower because i don't have the box!!!), paying more than a new one (buying from Apollo team directly, it cost 300€+shipping, and i had to pay 380€+shipping from Amedia). I did a big effort to do it, and honestly, it's not fair to be treated this way. Expecially because the seller address the responsability to the Apollo team, because (they say) they don't send enough boxes for the boards that they supply. (i have the emails if are needed, to demostrate what i say). It seems that no one care about my problem…
Mallagan, you do have the V600 2.1 too? Did you receive it without the box too? Please, let me know, because the guy that did reply from the seller has told me that it's a well known problem, and many many people did receive the board loose (but i didn't find anything like that on the web).




Daniele Bucelli

Posts 20
06 Sep 2018 05:58


Oh, and i forgot to say one thing : looking closely at the board, there's something, close to one of the level shifter chips, that appear to be a burned part of the PCB. Magnifing it with the phone camera, it appear like if the solder mask is been burned, and the small capacitor close to the chip, has some paint on it, like if the problem is been masked with some paint. I don't know if the board is working, i'm back Yesterday late in the evening, and here in my flat i have people working in the bathroom. So everything is been closed with plastic to avoid dust from get stick on everything. I would like to show a picture to Apollo team, to have their opinion. The tracks looks ok, but is it normal? Is this board refurbished? Used? Broken?
All in all, i did bought it from an official reseller, so, you should care about what they do, and how they behive with your customer. This is my opinion. Please, let me know where to send a picture about this problem. I'm really, really disappointed about all this. :(


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
06 Sep 2018 06:56


Daniele Bucelli wrote:

I don't know if the board is working,

   
How about you test this first?
That the board works is the most important.
   
A solder dot on the board might be just normal.
All boards are hand tested, if needed parts are re-soldered
and also some parts are by design always manually soldered. Therefore maybe having a spot on the PCB is just normal and nothing to worry.
 
If you want then make a high resolution photo showing the area and post it then we can have a look.
BTW What type of board are you talking about V600 or V500 ?
   
If your world ends without the box, I can offer you to send you my old card box that is laying around.



Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
06 Sep 2018 07:18


Gernt Gerloff wrote:

Renaud Schweingruber wrote:

We recommend help of a professional.

 
And if you don't know a "professional", you are fucked, but who cares you paid already.

Btw my son who is eleven years now, did also had an early weaker Vampire from Kippa. My son did solder this upgrade to his card when he was ten years. So its really not rocket science to do this.
If you need help soldering you can send the card to him.

Speaking of minors, please mind that minors are also reading here and mind the language that you use.


Sean Sk

Posts 488
06 Sep 2018 08:09


@Daniele
   
If you have any issues with the overall marketing and packaging of the Vampire Accelerator hardware itself I would reccommend posting in this forum that deals with the hardware itself:
EXTERNAL LINK   
 
Gunnar can correct me if I am wrong here, but he and the team are mainly responsible for developing the core that goes inside the FPGA, and this discussion forum is based around the usage and development of that core. Hence the name "apollo-core.com".


Daniele Bucelli

Posts 20
06 Sep 2018 09:11


Thanks Gunnar: It would be great to receive the box from you, maybe with your signature on it? :D About the pictures, i did send them by email to the contact address. Thanks for your kind support. Let's move on email then. I'll wait for your opinion about the board there. Thanks again.   


Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
06 Sep 2018 13:42


sean sk wrote:

     
  If you have any issues with the overall marketing and packaging of the Vampire Accelerator hardware itself I would reccommend posting in this forum that deals with the hardware itself:
  EXTERNAL LINK 

 
  I always wondered which one is the official fora, that one belongs to a newer website, but users and team is here.

Daniele Bucelli wrote:

Thanks Gunnar: It would be great to receive the box from you, maybe with your signature on it?

This could be a nice feat to some V4 Black Edition Standalone Mobos :-)

posts 37page  1 2