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Documentation about the Vampire hardware

Weird Characters Appearing In Console/text Windowspage  1 2 

Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
08 Oct 2019 19:39


Hi.

I'm not sure when this started. It's not long ago.

First I realized in DeluxePaint that something is odd.
DeluxePaint would do strange stuff automatically.

Then I've opened a shell and have seen that some characters are automatically added and the cursor jumps around.

Here is a screenshot of the AmiBlitz editor where also automatically some characters are added.
I can't really make a sense of that.
(Hmm, how can I link to an image here?)

Otherwise the system seems to be fine.
But something seems to be coming over console device? I don't know.

I'd like to refit the vampire board, but before I do that I'd like to ask if somehow has had the same issue?

Manfred



Mike Kopack

Posts 268
08 Oct 2019 21:10


What model Amiga/Vampire are you using? What Core revision on the Vampire? OS version? (Coffin or home spun)?


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
08 Oct 2019 21:32


A600 with an early Vampire v2. Core is 2.11 I believe.
OS is a custom made 3.1 plus 3.1.4 update.

Since I use this Amiga for more than 2 years, but not daily I believe that this is a relatively new symptom.

Manfred


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
09 Oct 2019 07:26


Could be I have to refit the Vampire, maybe a contact problem. Although otherwise all works OK.
But maybe it's something else entirely.


Mike Kopack

Posts 268
09 Oct 2019 16:09


Hmm, dunno. I know some of the early 600 models had some issues that required a capacitor fix... but I don't know what symptoms showed that need.  Really need somebody from the team to respond.


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
09 Oct 2019 18:24


I had the capacitator fix applied for mine.
Works stable for along time now.

It looks as if something is coming over the console device.
When an application is in front that has text input capabilities than you see the characters.

It doesn't seem heat related either.
I see this from startup but also some one or two hours later it can still pop up.


Ian Parsons

Posts 230
09 Oct 2019 23:31


Firstly has the A600 been recapped? Strange behaviour can be a sign of capacitors leaking.

It doesn't sound like the usual bad contact with the Vampire problems. Are the floppy drive and parallel port working? If not could be a faulty CIA chip otherwise if it's only phantom keyboard input maybe a keyboard MPU problem or the something odd with the keyboard itself that can be cleaned out. The only other thing I can think of is a software issue.

If you can easily remove the vampire then you can do that to rule it in or out as the source. If you still have the problem without the Vampire then you may need an expert to take a look at your Amiga to fnd the fault.


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
16 Oct 2019 15:19


Ian Parsons wrote:

Firstly has the A600 been recapped? Strange behaviour can be a sign of capacitors leaking.
 
  It doesn't sound like the usual bad contact with the Vampire problems. Are the floppy drive and parallel port working? If not could be a faulty CIA chip otherwise if it's only phantom keyboard input maybe a keyboard MPU problem or the something odd with the keyboard itself that can be cleaned out. The only other thing I can think of is a software issue.
 
  If you can easily remove the vampire then you can do that to rule it in or out as the source. If you still have the problem without the Vampire then you may need an expert to take a look at your Amiga to fnd the fault.

Hmm. I fear that's the case.

I've stripped step by step all 'loose' components including keyboard and floppy.
Booting without startup-sequence.
But I still see the odd characters coming. Damn.




Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
16 Oct 2019 15:24


Manfred Bergmann wrote:

Ian Parsons wrote:

  Firstly has the A600 been recapped? Strange behaviour can be a sign of capacitors leaking.
 
  It doesn't sound like the usual bad contact with the Vampire problems. Are the floppy drive and parallel port working? If not could be a faulty CIA chip otherwise if it's only phantom keyboard input maybe a keyboard MPU problem or the something odd with the keyboard itself that can be cleaned out. The only other thing I can think of is a software issue.
 
  If you can easily remove the vampire then you can do that to rule it in or out as the source. If you still have the problem without the Vampire then you may need an expert to take a look at your Amiga to fnd the fault.
 

 
  Hmm. I fear that's the case.
 
  I've stripped step by step all 'loose' components including keyboard and floppy.
  Booting without startup-sequence.
  But I still see the odd characters coming. Damn.
 
 

It stopped at some point though. After an hour or more stripping everything and putting it together it eventually stopped. Maybe still heat related?


Adam Whittaker
(Needs Verification)
Posts 270/ 1
16 Oct 2019 15:48


I have seen this happen when the keyboard membraine has become damaged due to removal and reinserting... try taking a look at the keyboard ribbon connecter.


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
16 Oct 2019 17:41


Adam Whittaker wrote:

I have seen this happen when the keyboard membraine has become damaged due to removal and reinserting... try taking a look at the keyboard ribbon connecter.

I had removed the keyboard, or this ribbon cable.
But it didn't help. So I think it's a chip that is misbehaving.


Steve Ferrell

Posts 424
16 Oct 2019 19:24


Manfred Bergmann wrote:

Adam Whittaker wrote:

  I have seen this happen when the keyboard membraine has become damaged due to removal and reinserting... try taking a look at the keyboard ribbon connecter.
 

  I had removed the keyboard, or this ribbon cable.
  But it didn't help. So I think it's a chip that is misbehaving.

Problems such as these are exactly why I've waited for the standalone Vampire.  25+ year old computers are just too fragile and unstable to be used as daily drivers. 



Gilles Dridi

Posts 52
16 Oct 2019 20:31


Hello!
 
Is nobody respond to your problem, yet ?
 
I will try ; stuff I heard of.
 
It seems 3.1.4 includes some feature of OS4.1FE :
 
The console.device has been rewritten ; some legacy’s features dropped but Tony Wyatt Jedi author, try to tackle.
 
For me, I suppose that the input isn’t flush when a key up event is pressed and so
There are in the buffer. This is a not weird but only when console.device is opened in VANILLA/ASCII mode, I believed.
 
Try to respond because nobody seems, but some of my text is probably speculation.
 
  Cheers 


Wawa T

Posts 695
17 Oct 2019 00:49


it can at least be proven being either hardware or software issue using another console or another appliction or a whole system like aros, which also sports amiga compatible cli/shell.


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
17 Oct 2019 07:49


wawa t wrote:

  it can at least be proven being either hardware or software issue using another console or another appliction or a whole system like aros, which also sports amiga compatible cli/shell.
 

 
  Actually I was thinking about trying a different ROM chip.


Bruce Philip

Posts 10
26 Oct 2019 18:59


To me it sounds like something on the keyboard itself has failed. One thing you can try is ordering one of those USB keyboard interface replacements for the A600 and connect a USB PC keyboard to it (and disconnect the original keyboard) and see if the issue still occurs without that keyboard.
 
  If so you can further investigate the keyboard itself for what that problem may be but at least you will have the USB keyboard to still be able to use the machine in the meantime.


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
27 Oct 2019 16:20


Hi.

No, I don't need to investigate the keyboard, because the issue also occurs when no keyboard is connected.
It is coming form 'inside', some circuitry, possibly U13 chip.

I've re-soldered the pins of U13. But still doesn't work.



Bruce Philip

Posts 10
27 Oct 2019 17:59


Manfred Bergmann wrote:

  Hi.
 
  No, I don't need to investigate the keyboard, because the issue also occurs when no keyboard is connected.
  It is coming form 'inside', some circuitry, possibly U13 chip.
 
  I've re-soldered the pins of U13. But still doesn't work.
 
 

 
 
  I missed that you had stated you had removed the keyboard and it still happens, sorry about that.
 
  Maybe resoldering the U13 is not enough. It might be that the keyboard MPU is failing. Can you source another one to test?

Also, someone mentioned recapping. If you haven't done that yet you should. Every A600 I have come across over the years had horrible caps. They all initially smelled quite fishy which was the giveaway  ;)
 


Manfred Bergmann

Posts 226
27 Oct 2019 18:36


What is the keyboard MPU?

Manfred


Bruce Philip

Posts 10
28 Oct 2019 01:39


Manfred Bergmann wrote:

What is the keyboard MPU?
 
 
  Manfred

U13 :)


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