@Nibunnoichi

I tried communicating with Enrico Vidale through Facebook using the link. No reply. I haven't heard anything from anybody. Has anybody checked to see if Italy is still there?

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@logicalheart

Can you describe the Eprom machine and procedure for copying? I think it would be useful. Acube sends the (useless) Eproms back. Maybe they can be reprogrammed. Anyway I have a couple of them. Thanks.

I'm talking about the brand and model number (and software). Maybe I can find one on ebay or Amazon.

Last edited by thinkchip on 14-Aug-2020 at 03:29 PM.

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@duga

If you check the documentation you'll find that OS 4.1 FE requires the latest uboot update to run.

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@logicalheart

I have done the same 5 years ago.. I still have the programmer.

But I had to edit Updater460 exe with an Hex Editor on PC and extract Sam460 uboot file.
Then I was able to program ATMEL chip.

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AmigaOS4 Beta-Tester
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Amiga X5000 8GB Radeon RX 560
Amiga A1222 2GB Radeon RX 550
Sam 460 2GB RadeonRX 550

ACube is on the mission to make PowerPC Notebook. Please support them!
https://www.powerpc-notebook.org/campaigns/donation-campaign-for-pcb-design-of-the-powerpc-notebook-motherboard/

Last edited by Comi on 14-Aug-2020 at 05:49 PM.

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F1 Srbija

@SinanG

I have a GQ-4X4 programmer. I used it to program some EPROM's for a Commodore B500. I did some investigating and I found an adapter for an ATMEL DIP32 chip for under $2. Amazing. From what you say, you can get the ROM image from the updater program. That makes sense. I might not need Acube at all. This is early stages, but it looks promising. It would be nice to be able to make my own uboots anytime. I was amazed that those little chips hold 4 MB's.

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@thread

Well, I did it! I created my own uboot. I never would have even thought about it without the clues from SinanG. I already had the programmer, which connects to my PC running Windows 10 by USB. I just needed the adapter. It was actually very easy. I don't need Acube after all. They can go on vacation forever if they want.

I haven't fully tested it. I get a picture and a prompt, which is what I would expect. I'll get into it later.

On a related subject: as far as I can see, copying uboot this way doesn't set the NVram variables to the default values. NVram must be a separate chip on the motherboard. I still haven't learned of a way to set the variables to the default values. I wonder what happens if NVram is blank and there are no uboot variables.

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@thinkchip

Very cool, I’m glad you managed to find a way to get back to a working state.
I did think maybe it would be possible; I’ve seen other tech rescued that way in the past.

As far as NVram goes, yeah, that’s very likely going to be a separate chip. (If you hit up Google with the model numbers on them, you’ll find it pretty quick.) The Atmel chip is being used more like an old-style ROM.

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"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard, be evil."

@evilFrog

There isn't a lot of new technology in the Amiga. Even the new ones.

That seems like one of the biggest gripes from Amiga fans.

It seems like if you took the battery out, you'd lose the variables from nvram (eventually). Then it would have to load the variables from somewhere (uboot?)

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@thinkchip

Quote:

thinkchip wrote: It seems like if you took the battery out, you'd lose the variables from nvram (eventually). Then it would have to load the variables from somewhere (uboot?)

I think that’s right, yes. There will be some defaults set inside the UBoot code, so if the nvram doesn’t look right (CRC check or similar test), it will fall back to defaults.

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"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard, be evil."

@thread

So the eprom programming experiment was a success. However, I'm having the same problems that caused me to try flashing the uboot in the first place. The first problem is that the uboot shell won't detect a keyboard. When it says press a key to continue, there is no response. I've tried half a dozen keyboards and all the USB ports. The second problem is that it loads kickstart okay, then stops. I don't know if it's frozen up or not. I've stripped everything that strippable, I've tried a different RAM module. I've tried it with and without the Silicone Image SATA board that came with it. I've tried it with a different power supply. I've booted from the original OS 4.1 FE CD. I took the battery out and let it sit without power. I'm using the 2015 uboot version. I think I'll try reverting to the previous version, now that I can do it quite easily. There could be a serious hardware problem with the motherboard and I probably won't do anything more about it. There's no one to repair it anyway. Luckily I have an X5000 that seems to work fine except I can't get the sound to work. I'm sure it's a driver problem.

I still haven't received a reply from Acube. I've sent several messages with different email accounts. It could be the world's worst customer support. I'm extremely disappointed. I spent good American dollars on that AmigaOne 500. Lots of them. I've had a lot of problems with that computer. My micro is a very solid little machine, but it's crippled because it doesn't support third party video cards.

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X5000 / microA1(OS4.1 FE U2) / CodeBench / Imagine / Blender
Lightwave 2019 / Microsoft Visual C++

@thinkchip

Quote:

I still haven't received a reply from Acube. I've sent several messages with different email accounts. It could be the world's worst customer support. I'm extremely disappointed.

ACube weren't the best communicators even at the peak of their business activity. Years ago I sent them my Sam440ep for repair because its M9 gfx chip was broken. They never repaired or returned the board, and after a handful of email excuses they just stopped responding.

@Comi
The above is why I'll never support any effort including ACube, laptop or other.

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The Rear Window blog

AmigaOne X5000/020 @ 2GHz / 4GB RAM / Radeon RX 560 / ESI Juli@ / AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition
SAM440ep-flex @ 667MHz / 1GB RAM / Radeon 9250 / AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition

@thinkchip

When you pulled the battery, did you replace it with a fresh one? My XE does some strange things when the battery gets low.

Do you have / could you get a Linux boot CD you could run it on for a bit? Leaving it running memtest or some other OS for a while would give a good indication of what else might be bad.

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"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard, be evil."

@Trixie

Quote:

ACube weren't the best communicators even at the peak of their business activity. Years ago I sent them my Sam440ep for repair because its M9 gfx chip was broken. They never repaired or returned the board, and after a handful of email excuses they just stopped responding.

Wow I can't believe they literally have stolen your Sam440ep and could not be bothered updating you on the repair or explaining it can not be repaired for whatever reason..

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Amiga A1200T - TF1260 - R9200 - Indivision AGA MK3
Amiga A500 - PiStorm EMU68
Pegasos 2 G4 - AmigaOS 4.1 FE / MorphOS 3.16

@Fairdinkem

Yes, I couldn't believe it either The few explanations I got were just excuses: "We're currently closed for holidays", "There's been an earthquake near the factory that is repairing your Sam" (no kidding!), etc. Luckily, Steven Solie sold me his Sam440ep-Flex for a good price, so I gave the case a rest and wrote the original board off.

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The Rear Window blog

AmigaOne X5000/020 @ 2GHz / 4GB RAM / Radeon RX 560 / ESI Juli@ / AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition
SAM440ep-flex @ 667MHz / 1GB RAM / Radeon 9250 / AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition

Back in the day when Sam460ex came out I was interested in purchasing one, but I was worried because I read some users reporting of hardware problems and hissing audio. They assured me there was no such issues and so I went ahead and bought one.

First thing I did was I checked the audio, and guess what? There were hissing audio problems.

When I complained with them they kept sending me all sorts of patches to solve the issue but nothing worked. Eventually they told me that it was a hardware problem and required a hardware fix, something which I warned them about in the very first place before I ordered.

I did send them the machine, but I asked for a full refund instead.

Incompetents.

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@Everblue

Audio quality is important. My old Dell XPS Studio 1645 (year 2010 laptop) has unresolved minor audio grounding issues (IDT audio chip) regardless of driver updates, hence I used external SoundBlaster Live 24 USB for my recording duties at that time.

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Ryzen 9 7900X, DDR5-6000 64 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB
Amiga 1200 (Rev 1D1, KS 3.2, PiStorm32lite/RPi 4B 4GB/Emu68)
Amiga 500 (Rev 6A, KS 3.2, PiStorm/RPi 3a/Emu68)

@Fairdinkem

Quote:

Wow I can't believe they literally have stolen your Sam440ep and could not be bothered updating you on the repair or explaining it can not be repaired for whatever reason..

Maybe they were taken over the Phake 5 guy. Doesn't sound very down to earth at all. Not very grounded I would say.

And The New Net, DPVII Sound and Other Proggies and games + Killer apps are just around the corner. Some Can Wish from supporting a lifetime.

If Mega answers. Ban from shouting ugly change the picture face.

Hoping still the best for Amiga. With the nonsense talk it's not done. Just only a customer, Sorry but need them.. AmigaRulez

@PR

Quote:

And The New Net, DPVII Sound and Other Proggies and games + Killer apps are just around the corner.

I don't recall Acube promising any of those things.