First steps in CT60 land

[Klapauzius]

- holding the "V" key to boot into Videl mode doesn't seem to work sometimes (about 3 out of 10 times). Boots to PCI video regardless...

The V need to register during the CT60 Splash screen, that's the colourful screen you see briefly at boot up. Suppose to be for 2 seconds, but mine seems to be faster than that. Once that screen is gone, chances are it will not register. I found that if the key clicks is heard before the splash screen, it like for sure you can go to Videl mode, well, at least on both my Falcons.

The 'V' key registering seems to be very unreliable on my CT60. Yesterday it didn't have any effect when I tried it 10 times in a row - always went into PCI video mode. Yeah, I'm holding the V key down once I see the coloured CT60 splash screen and release it only when I see it has gone into Videl mode. I didn't hear any key clicks when it didn't work, but the keyboard was working fine once it had booted into PCI video mode.
Same with the CTRL key for bypassing CTPCI...

[Klapauzius]

Floppy is master #0 on the IDE bus, the CF card is master #1 on the IDE bus.
Regular TOS 4.04 in 030 mode fails to scan the IDE bus properly due to the floppy coming first, I suppose.
Hm, could my other floppy issues (no media change detection, system sees 2 floppy drives) have to do with the fact that the floppy is on the IDE bus?

What type of CF adapter have you got?
A regular CF adapter is nothing more than some wires connecting IDE to the CF IDE input/output.
So a CF looks like an IDE to the Falcon.
There must be something else on your CF that is looking like a floppy drive.

I have not seen an IDE floppy drive before... you get HDD type access speed while using a floppy?

THE CF adapter is carved out of wood.
I've attached a small pic. Sorry for the bad quality.

I too can't understand how a floppy drive could be on the IDE bus, the seller claimed it is. HDDriver always sees two devices on the IDE bus. When I remove the CF card it still sees one device on IDE. HDDriver cannot identify this device properly, it just gives some gibberish instead of a legible description (like: §§§§§§&&&&&&).
Floppy speed is what you would expect from a floppy. DMA access type code (i.e. DMA floppy routines) is working fine.

Probably the mysterious device is something entirely else, but I wouldn't know what it should be. As far as I can see there is no other device connected to the IDE. There was that non-working HD on the IDE bus, but I unplugged it. The machine wouldn't even boot when that HD was connected.

[Dal]

I tend to keep pressing the V key repeatedly when I start my ct60. Only way I can reliably get into Videl mode.

[Klapauzius]

Just check http://www.powerphenix.com/CT60/english/fitting63.htm (bottom of the page) and compare with yours.

Thanks.
Hm, not sure I can spot that properly (too much other stuff obfuscating the main board), but it doesn't seem to be installed.
Unfortunately anything requiring me putting my hand on hardware is beyond my capabilities.

[Klapauzius]

I tend to keep pressing the V key repeatedly when I start my ct60. Only way I can reliably get into Videl mode.

Thanks Dal. I'll try it that way. I was always just pressing the key once and then kept holding it down.

EDT: Nope, didn't help. Still a success rate of just about 60% only.

[Klapauzius]

More trouble:

- The NVRAM seems to be out of order. Nothing unusual for Falcons, but this one can't even be initialised (by SysInfo, for example). Press "Init" and it just keeps on popping up the "Init/Cancel" dialog again. My old F030 has NVRAM issues as well, but the NVRAM can still be initialised and it will remember the new settings until it has been switched off for more than a few seconds. Not so with the CT60 Falcon.

- The CT60CONF.CPX crashes on exit. This might have to do with the NVRAM issue? So I'm not even able to change TOS language or startup video settings. What a bummer!!

[wongck]

I tend to keep pressing the V key repeatedly when I start my ct60. Only way I can reliably get into Videl mode.

Thanks Dal. I'll try it that way. I was always just pressing the key once and then kept holding it down.

EDT: Nope, didn't help. Still a success rate of just about 60% only.

Press & hold, Press & hold a couple of time during the splash screen until you hear the key clicks.
I find that this way my chances are higher.

[wongck]

More trouble:

- The NVRAM seems to be out of order. Nothing unusual for Falcons, but this one can't even be initialised (by SysInfo, for example). Press "Init" and it just keeps on popping up the "Init/Cancel" dialog again. My old F030 has NVRAM issues as well, but the NVRAM can still be initialised and it will remember the new settings until it has been switched off for more than a few seconds. Not so with the CT60 Falcon.

- The CT60CONF.CPX crashes on exit. This might have to do with the NVRAM issue? So I'm not even able to change TOS language or startup video settings. What a bummer!!

Try CTRL-ALT-Right SHFT-UNDO during a reboot.
This suppose to reset the NVRAM by TOS.

Alternatively at DHS there is a boot-sector proggie that does that.

[wongck]

Floppy is master #0 on the IDE bus, the CF card is master #1 on the IDE bus.
Regular TOS 4.04 in 030 mode fails to scan the IDE bus properly due to the floppy coming first, I suppose.
Hm, could my other floppy issues (no media change detection, system sees 2 floppy drives) have to do with the fact that the floppy is on the IDE bus?

What type of CF adapter have you got?
A regular CF adapter is nothing more than some wires connecting IDE to the CF IDE input/output.
So a CF looks like an IDE to the Falcon.
There must be something else on your CF that is looking like a floppy drive.

I have not seen an IDE floppy drive before... you get HDD type access speed while using a floppy?

THE CF adapter is carved out of wood.
I've attached a small pic. Sorry for the bad quality.

I too can't understand how a floppy drive could be on the IDE bus, the seller claimed it is. HDDriver always sees two devices on the IDE bus. When I remove the CF card it still sees one device on IDE. HDDriver cannot identify this device properly, it just gives some gibberish instead of a legible description (like: §§§§§§&&&&&&).
Floppy speed is what you would expect from a floppy. DMA access type code (i.e. DMA floppy routines) is working fine.

Probably the mysterious device is something entirely else, but I wouldn't know what it should be. As far as I can see there is no other device connected to the IDE. There was that non-working HD on the IDE bus, but I unplugged it. The machine wouldn't even boot when that HD was connected.

Whoa ... really on a wooden block, Man must be one of the kind. Nifty.

I think the gibberish is due to that device not having a master (as in IDE master) to facilitates the communications.

You can try to use HDDriver to scan only the IDE ID of your CF.
So it will skip the IDE floppy drive of yours.
Hopefully you can boot up from CF that way.

[Klapauzius]

Try CTRL-ALT-Right SHFT-UNDO during a reboot.
This suppose to reset the NVRAM by TOS.
Alternatively at DHS there is a boot-sector proggie that does that.

Tried all of that + the Atari CONFIG.APP + SysInfo -> no chance.
It doesn't remember anything, the info can't even be stored to the NVRAM, it seems.
SysInfo reports a CRC error immediately when changing parameters and trying to save it to the NVRAM again.
The NVRAM doesn't even get detected by Atari's CONFIG.APP. So I guess it's more than just an empty battery.

[Klapauzius]

You can try to use HDDriver to scan only the IDE ID of your CF.
So it will skip the IDE floppy drive of yours.
Hopefully you can boot up from CF that way.

Thanks mate.
I already did that right from the start. HDDriver doesn't report the 'mystery device' on startup this way, but it still doesn't boot from the CF card in 030 mode.
I have changed the partition type of the start partition from BGM to GEM now -> still no boot from the card in 030 mode.

[Klapauzius]

Ahem, me again...

Next step in my adventures:

I tried to install MagiC 6.20, as I thought it might be easier to try MagiC first before venturing into Mint country.

Ok, MagiC runs in 030 mode (if I remove the IDE CF card that won't boot in 030 mode, and boot from an SCSI HD instead).
It takes it's time to initialise. Sits on a white screen for about 30 seconds, but it gets there in the end.

I found some patches for MagiC+CT60 on Didier's site.
I tried without the patches first: hangs on a white screen after running MAGXBOOT.PRG. Ok, was to be expected when there are patches for MagiC on CT60, I thought.

Next I ran MAGIC_P.PRG which is meant to patch the file MAGIC.RAM for the CT60.
Same result: MAGXBOOT.PRG hangs on a white screen.

Next step: exchange MAGXBOOT.PRG with the version from Didier.
Now I get a bus error on running MAGXBOOT.PRG.

Is there a known procedure to get MagiC working on the 060? Have I missed something?

[Klapauzius]

Ok, I give up!!!!

Now the keyboard has stopped working!!!!!!!

Exchanged it for another MegaSTE keyboard (known working) with no effect. The keyboard LED is on, but no reaction to keys/mouse in any mode.

Someone need a CT60 tower?

[nativ]

yep!

[Klapauzius]

:D yep!

Sorry, not yet.
Keyboard works again, after fiddling a bit with the keyboard socket.
Still, I have a nagging feeling that this machine is more of a construction site than the working setup I was hoping for.

[wongck]

:D yep!

Sorry, not yet.
Keyboard works again, after fiddling a bit with the keyboard socket.
Still, I have a nagging feeling that this machine is more of a construction site than the working setup I was hoping for.

Oh gosh. Tunnel not behind you yet but there's light in front.
It does seems to have tons of trouble. Wish I could get my hands on it physically to help out, I would have enjoyed tinkering with it.
I would suggest you fix that NVRAM battery first, as funny things happens to the falcon with bad NVRAM.
and pick up a normal IDE HDD.

[Klapauzius]

Wish I could get my hands on it physically to help out, I would have enjoyed tinkering with it.

I really could need a helping hand here!
How much is a return flight ticket to Germany?

I would suggest you fix that NVRAM battery first, as funny things happens to the falcon with bad NVRAM. and pick up a normal IDE HDD.

Yeah, the NVRAM issue is very suspicious. But, again, nothing I can probably fix myself.

The keyboard issues are not over yet. It works as long as the machine is powered on, but switch it off and on again -> keyboard gone!!!! Un/replugging the same keyboard doesn't help. However, when I change to another keyboard it works again - until the next power off.

Btw, is there a key combination for a cold reset with the CT60?
CTRL/L-SHIFT/ALT/DEL used to work on the F030 but not here?

[wongck]

Yes, it does. Cold reboot on CT60 is same as per tos 2,06 = ctrl-alt-Rshft-del.

How much is a return flight ticket to Germany?

May be 5 sets of CT63 falcons

You know you can change the boot sequence of the CT60 via the CT60CONF.CPX.
Under the boot section, go and change to IDE1 -IDE0 (assume IDE1 is your CF).
When you change it back to normal IDE0 - IDE1, boot sequence should be like 030.
So check if this boots.

May be it can't boot to CF in 030 but can in 060 because of this switching.

[wongck]

If you decide to swap the boot sequence in 060 mode, make sure you can use CT60CONF on the scsi or floppy in case you cannot get back to your CF.

[Klapauzius]

You know you can change the boot sequence of the CT60 via the CT60CONF.CPX.
Under the boot section, go and change to IDE1 -IDE0 (assume IDE1 is your CF).
When you change it back to normal IDE0 - IDE1, boot sequence should be like 030.
So check if this boots.
May be it can't boot to CF in 030 but can in 060 because of this switching.

Yes, IDE1 is the CF card. I'll try this, thanks.
I cannot use the CT60CONF.CPX for that, as it always crashes on exit, presumably when it tries to write to my duff NVRAM. But I found out that when you press the "C" key during the CT60 boot procedure, you'll get a menu for the IDE/SCSI boot sequence.

[Klapauzius]

Yes, it does. Cold reboot on CT60 is same as per tos 2,06 = ctrl-alt-Rshft-del.

Hmm, this just gives a warm reset on my machine...

[christos]

If your CT60 doesn't boot from the cf, press the reset key. It should boot afterwards

[Klapauzius]

If your CT60 doesn't boot from the cf, press the reset key. It should boot afterwards

It boots fine from CF in 060 mode, it just doesn't want to in 030 mode. Resetting didn't help.

You know you can change the boot sequence of the CT60 via the CT60CONF.CPX.
Under the boot section, go and change to IDE1 -IDE0 (assume IDE1 is your CF).
When you change it back to normal IDE0 - IDE1, boot sequence should be like 030.
So check if this boots.
May be it can't boot to CF in 030 but can in 060 because of this switching.

I have tried that now.
In 060 mode, with sequence IDE0 - IDE1 it says "error" on IDE0 after a short wait, then continues to boot successfully from the CF card on IDE1. In 030 mode it still just won't boot from IDE at all, only from SCSI.

I plan to do as you suggested and get a working IDE HD + another (quality) CF card and will report back.

[Shredder11]

[wongck]

I have tried that now.
In 060 mode, with sequence IDE0 - IDE1 it says "error" on IDE0 after a short wait, then continues to boot successfully from the CF card on IDE1. In 030 mode it still just won't boot from IDE at all, only from SCSI.

I plan to do as you suggested and get a working IDE HD + another (quality) CF card and will report back.

I suspected that MrSmiles swapped the boot sequence in there so that in 060 mode it will boot ID1 first. So it skips IDE0 which gives an error. This means actually in 060 mode, it also cannot boot from the IDE floppy (IDE0).

Back in 030 mode, this swapping does no effect at it does not use the CT60 at all.

I suspect that in 030, the Falcon is trying to boot from C: which is the first drive there IDE0. \

I guess you would have already tried to see if there are any jumpers on the IDE device that allows you to change like the master and slave settings on the IDE device. Would be good if there is so your CF can become the master (and taker IDE0).