Falcon blank white screen

[JoeAtari]

I've been working on installing my SuperVidel. After some effort, I got it going just fine. It was really amazing to see it working. When I started working with it, I encountered a weird problem in TOS with the CT60 running. Whenever I tried to drag a folder to copy, the Falcon would cold boot.

I decided to reflash the CT60. I did the TOS first, but that did not fix it. I tried the ABE next. As soon as I hit the "program" button, the Falcon froze. I was forced to reboot, and now I can only get a blank white screen in 030 mode or 060 mode.

I tried connecting an RBG monitor instead of VGA, still no screen, just horizontal lines. There is no floppy activity, so I could not reset the NVRAM that way, so I pulled the real time clock chip, which I have socket-ed and shorted pins 12-21 to clear it.

What would you experts try? Do you think something on the motherboard is fried? If the ABE is bricked should I still be able to boot in 030 mode? Beside my Falcon jtag I also have a Xilinx JTAG if necessary but I have never used it.

The CT60 just powers the motherboard when switched to 030, correct? So I'm thinking something is wrong on the motherboard. Help!

[Dal]

I would install the Xilinx ISE Impact software on a PC (requires registration and a free licence).

Then switch your machine to 030 mode and flash the ABE and SDR using your Xilinx JTAG interface. The SuperVidel manual gives a good step by step guide to this.

That should get you up and running again. I think this sounds like a flashing issue.

I suppose my niggling feeling is why your machine isn't booting in 030 mode - that does not sound right to me. If you're getting just a white screen, then check your TOS chip is seated properly and remove /reseat your Falcon RAM Board for a kick off.

[JoeAtari]

Thanks! That's where I was headed next. I've started the 6 GB!!! Download on the only PC I have available which is a little eeePC 900 netbook, so I guess I'll let you know what happens in about a year Fingers crossed!

[HuggyOne76]

Blank screen could also come from a faulty nvram. That could explain the problem even in 030 mode.

[JoeAtari]

Okay, flashing the CT60 with the Xilinx brought it back to life! Now the SuperVidel has ugly vertical lines on the screen and it will not update (TDO Mismatch). I tried programming it with the Xilinx and ver 005 files, and the updater now shows it is version 013, and it still won't update. Under TOS with the SuperVidel installed, if I try to drag a folder (or even click and hold) it cold boots the Falcon. I will prevail! Ugh!

I think the first of the 005 files on the Nature Website may be corrupt. Impact says it is not a configuration file.

I think I am stuck until I can flash the SV with working firmware. I'll move this discussion to the SV forum.


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[shoggoth]

Tried disassembling and reassembling the CT6x + SuperVidel? I had similar issues and it was caused by bad electical contact in the CT6x bus connector.

[instream]

Okay, flashing the CT60 with the Xilinx brought it back to life! Now the SuperVidel has ugly vertical lines on the screen and it will not update (TDO Mismatch). I tried programming it with the Xilinx and ver 005 files, and the updater now shows it is version 013, and it still won't update. Under TOS with the SuperVidel installed, if I try to drag a folder (or even click and hold) it cold boots the Falcon. I will prevail! Ugh!

I think the first of the 005 files on the Nature Website may be corrupt. Impact says it is not a configuration file.

I think I am stuck until I can flash the SV with working firmware. I'll move this discussion to the SV forum.

About the possibly corrupt file: Impact says that when you assign the first of two files to one flash PROM each, since the two files come from one big binary stream from the beginning. The file is not corrupt, but Impact's message could have been clearer. I think it says that you can ignore the message if the file belongs to a set of files. IIRC.

About your real problem: Sounds like you have a bad connection between the CT60 and SV. Tried to remove the SV and put it back again, like shoggoth said?

[JoeAtari]

Okay, I'll try removing and replacing it one more time, but I am afraid I may have already damaged it by removing and replacing it when I was having the "white screen" problem. Is it okay to test for continuity between the pins on top and the sockets on the bottom with a multimeter? The SV fits Very tightly on the CT-60, and I would like to make sure the sockets are ok without plugging and replugging it more times. I'm afraid of messing up the sockets, if that is not what is going on already.

Thanks!


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[instream]

Yes, you could test each pin with a multimeter, but it would be hard to do on the inner rows of pins.
When you remove the SV from the CT60 make sure that you carefully lift the SV from the CT60 as horizontally as possible. You could for example use a flat screwdriver and raise each corner of the SV equal amounts until the SV releases from the CT60.
When you install the SV again, make sure that its underside doesn't touch the CTCM if you have one of those on your CT60.

[Rustynutt]

Maybe this sounds too obvious. After my last little campfire, have yet to reinstall the CT60 on another Falcon, much less the SV. In the old days, a white screen was indication of a bad clock patch. The Falcon freezing while dragging a folder sounds familiar too, and for the same reason as the white screen (back then).

Am I right the CT60 is drop in (without "speeder), and easily ( subjective term) lifted off the rail, with jumper in place to verify operation?

[paul92706]

Maybe this sounds too obvious. After my last little campfire, have yet to reinstall the CT60 on another Falcon, much less the SV. In the old days, a white screen was indication of a bad clock patch. The Falcon freezing while dragging a folder sounds familiar too, and for the same reason as the white screen (back then).

Am I right the CT60 is drop in (without "speeder), and easily ( subjective term) lifted off the rail, with jumper in place to verify operation?

Hi Rustynutt, sorry for bringing up this old thread, anyhow i have been expieriencing the white screen problem every so often and any random time. When i get the CT60 running, it runs beautiful, but with in a few days it will drop out to a white screen, and its a Son of a B****H! to get it back to work again, i have to constantly power on/off a million times to get it to respond, usually a few days of power on/of. Now whats this clock patch you mention? can you please school me on that? is there any rememdy for this illness? thanks buddy!

[paul92706]

Update: Anyhow i did alot of research on the clock patch, and again thanks to simbo's diagram, this solved my white screen issue. I don't know if joeatari ever got his machine working but i am pretty sure this was probably his issue he was having with the white screen, a bad clock patch, its very easy (with soldering skills of course) and cheap to implemend on your Falcon, this also fix's DSP/SCSI problems so this is truly recommend to do on PAL Mobo's!

[JoeAtari]

My white screen issue was a bad flashing of the CT60. Once I re-flashed with a Xilinx it was fine. I removed my old clock patch as recommended when I originally installed the CT60. The Nature guys repaired the damage I did to my SuperVidel, and everything is working great now, but I do still have to hit reset several times when cold booting (as I have always had to do).


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[paul92706]

My white screen issue was a bad flashing of the CT60. Once I re-flashed with a Xilinx it was fine. I removed my old clock patch as recommended when I originally installed the CT60. The Nature guys repaired the damage I did to my SuperVidel, and everything is working great now, but I do still have to hit reset several times when cold booting (as I have always had to do).

Hi Joeatari, cool you got it fixed, anyhow i to have to hit reset switch when cold booting. i think it may be the capacitor at the reset circuit, i heard of changing the value may solve the problem, as for me i'm ok with the pressig of the reset switch a few times, i don't want to break anything else on this Falcon

[JoeAtari]

Yes, I tried different capacitors and such, but could never resolve it. It is no big deal. I'm just glad everything else is working great!


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[Dal]

I found that the later TOS flash was more prone to startup issues. Did you try the earlier one (1.03c) from Didier's site?

http://didierm.pagesperso-orange.fr/ct60/index-e.htm

[JoeAtari]

Yes, I am on 1.03c. Thanks!

[Rustynutt]

Maybe this sounds too obvious. After my last little campfire, have yet to reinstall the CT60 on another Falcon, much less the SV. In the old days, a white screen was indication of a bad clock patch. The Falcon freezing while dragging a folder sounds familiar too, and for the same reason as the white screen (back then).

Am I right the CT60 is drop in (without "speeder), and easily ( subjective term) lifted off the rail, with jumper in place to verify operation?

Hi Rustynutt, sorry for bringing up this old thread, anyhow i have been expieriencing the white screen problem every so often and any random time. When i get the CT60 running, it runs beautiful, but with in a few days it will drop out to a white screen, and its a Son of a B****H! to get it back to work again, i have to constantly power on/off a million times to get it to respond, usually a few days of power on/of. Now whats this clock patch you mention? can you please school me on that? is there any rememdy for this illness? thanks buddy!

Apologize for not following up back then.
Doubt I'd looked at many post. Me Mum passed away in March of that year, and spent the couple of months before enjoying life with her.
Good ole clock patch.

[mikro]

and again thanks to simbo's diagram

What diagram we're talking about here? :)

[paul92706]

and again thanks to simbo's diagram

What diagram we're talking about here?

it was simbo's diagram, it should be somewhere on here if you search, but any clock patch diagram should work!

[Dal]

Exxos is doing a nice clock patch mod:
http://exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/falcpatch/index.htm