• How do I flashupdate my PowerUP-card?
  • NOTE:Read through the whole text before you start!
    
    First you have to install the latest 68040/060 library's (this is a must otherwise the new ppc.library won't work).
    
    1. Get the latest 68040/060 libs at Phase 5 ftp-server
    
    It's named 68060-110798.lha
    
    2. Extract the archive to RAM:
    
    cd ram:
    lha -a x 68060-110798.lha
    
    3. To avoid problems delete the following files: (You have these on your original workbench disks if you'll need them later.)
    
    LIBS:68060.library
    LIBS:68040.library
    LIBS:68040new.library
    LIBS:68040old.library
    LIBS:68040dummy.library
    
    
    4. Copy the 68040.library file to your LIBS: drawer (with the new name 68040new.library)
    
    copy ram:Libs/68040.library libs:68040new.library
    
    5. Copy the 68040dummy.library file to your LIBS: drawer (with the new name 68040.library)
    
    copy ram:Libs/68040dummy.library libs:68040.library
    
    6. Copy the 68060.library file to your LIBS: drawer
    
    copy ram:Libs/68060.library libs:
    
    7. Reboot your Amiga, so the new library's will be used.
    
    
    Now it's time for the flashupdate!
    
    
    1) Get the latest FlashUpdate. Its named FlashUpdates-110798.lha.
    
    The URL is: ftp://ftp.phase5.de/pub/phase5/ppc
    
    2) Extract the Archive to RAM:
    
    cd ram:
    lha -a x flashupdates-110798.lha
    
    3) Insert a disk in DF0:
    
    4) Format the disk and make it bootable, by typing:
    
    format drive DF0: name Flashboot
    install DF0:
    
    5) Copy the corresponding Flashupdate file for YOUR machine to the disk.
    
    If you have a CyberstormPPC board:
    copy ram:Flashpdates/PPCUpdate DF0:
    
    If you have a BlizzardPPC board with a 68040:
    copy ram:Flashpdates/BlizzPPC040Update DF0:
    
    If you have a BlizzardPPC board with a 68060:
    copy ram:Flashupdates/BlizzPPC060Update DF0:
    NOTE: If you have a BlizzardPPC it's very important which 680x0 processor you've got.
    
    6) TURN THE POWER OFF TO YOUR MACHINE AND WAIT 2 FULL MINUTES (that way you're sure no patches and other stuff are still in memory)
    
    7) Turn your Amiga on, while holding down both mouse-buttons, to get the Early Bootup Menu.
    
    8) Disable ALL hard drives in your system. (by clicking in the boot menu).
    
    9) After making sure the diskette you created earlier is in drive DF0:, click on the "Boot" button.
    
    Your system should boot to a plain, blue Shell window, with a "1:> " prompt, in low-res. If it does not, repeat starting at Step 6, but increase the time in Step 7 to longer periods until you DO boot with a window as described.
    
    11) Run the Flash program you copied to the diskette in Step 5 above.
    
    with a CyberstormPPC type:
    PPCUpdate
    
    with a BlizzardPPC with 68040 type:
    BlizzPPC040Update
    
    with a BlizzardPPC with 68060 type
    BlizzPPC060Update
    
    NOTE: Presse or Return after you've typed the command :)
    
    12) If all went well (it should print "Done." when finished), reboot your machine, and everything should work fine.
    
    If your system does not work after this, try repeating from Step 6 above, and if your system STILL doesn't work, consult with your dealer about possible repairs.
    
    DO NOT REBOOT YOUR MACHINE WHEN YOU ARE UPDATING!!! IT WILL DESTROY THE ROM AND MAKE THE BOARD USELESS!!!

• I did the flashupdate and now setpatch hangs every time I boot. What should I do?
  • This happens if you have kickstart 3.0 and have installed the latest setpatch from Amiga Inc (v43.6). There are two solutions to this problem.
    
    1) Use the original Setpatch that came with your v3.0 Workbench disks.
    
    2) Put an AmigaDos command before setpatch in your startup-sequence. For example enter Echo "PowerUpRulez" or just Echo"".
    
    3) You can also enter run c:run >NIL: c:setpatch (Thanks to Marco De Vities for this suggestion!).

• How do I set the memspeed of my PPC-card?
  • If you have a PowerUp-board with SCSI then you can set memory parameters in the bootmenu by pressing ESC after reset. This also works with non-scsi version if you have the latest FlashUpdate which includes BootMenu for non scsi cards. If you don't have a SCSI you have to use the SetMemMode program. Put setmemmode program in C: and place this line in startup-sequence after setpatch (all on one line):
    
    c:setmemmode blizz68knoreadwaitstate blizz68knowritewaitstate blizz68knoprecharge blizzppcnoreadwaitstate blizzppcnowritewaitstate blizzppcnoprecharge
    
    The settings that causes most trouble is blizzppcnoreadwaitstate and blizzppcnoprecharge. If 68k programs crash change blizz68knoprecharge to blizz68kprecharge.
    
    If PPC programs crash use blizzppcprecharge.

• Does EDO SIMM-modules work with the PPC cards?
  • The answer is yes, if you have a good SIMM. A Lot of people have reported problems with cheap EDO ram bought from PC retailers so take care. It's safer to use Fast Page mode SIMM-modules. They are not much more expensive. Cheaper 60ns SIMM's seems to have a problem running in 60ns second mode. Try if it works at 60ns. If crashes occur switch to 70ns mode.

• Why do you need the 68040dummy.library ?
  • Amiga ROM V3.1 looks for 68040 CPU since the 68060 wasn't available when 3.1 was released. So if the system has a 68060 CPU the OS thinks it's a 68040. Since the OS thinks the 68060 is a 68040 it tries to open the 68040.library. The 68040dummy.library is a small library that checks if a 68060 is present, if that's the case it loads the 68060.library. If you have a 68040 it will open the 68040.library instead. The latest 040/060 library's can by found at ftp.phase5.de
    
    The correct installation that works on both 040 and 060 systems is:
    
    v37.30 CBM 68040.library ----> 68040old.library
    68040dummy.library ----> 68040.library
    68040.library ----> 68040new.library
    68060.library ----> 68060.library
    

• I can't get to the BOOT-MENU of the my PowerUp card, Why?
  • First of all if you have a BlizzardPPC without SCSI you have to flash your card with the latest flashupdate otherwise you don't have a BOOT MENU.
    
    If you have a BlizzardPPC or a CyberstormPPC and have problems getting the BOOT menu. Don't press the ESC-key immediately after you have pressed the CTRL+A+A keys. Wait until the POWER LED is lights at full strength or until the caps-lock light flashes, then it should work. This is because the Amiga doesn't check for key presses until the caps-lock light flashes.

• Why is the bandwidth to the CybervisionPPC not 100MB/sec ?
  • The max. bandwidth of the 50Mhz 060 to access nocache memory page (gfxcards are mapped as non cache) is about 30MB because the 060 doesn´t do write combining to output a burst.

• My WarpOS programs crash. How do I make them to run?
  • Use SetPatch Version 43.6 which can be found on Amiga International's Homepage.
  • Get the latest WarpOS archive, Version 3.1
  • When you install WarpOS and you're asked for Library Version, select V7 compatible (Remeber that the WarpOS program have to work with v7 of WarpOS, if it requires a higher version you have to use v14).
  • Run the program ramlibpatch immediately after SetPatch
  • Remove StackAttack, it freezes the stack at the configured ammount, not good.
  • Set the stack of the WarpOS program to at least 300000
  • Get rid of all patches, put them back slowly to see if problems occur
  • Try running WarpOS stuff from the shell instead of WorkBench
  • Remember, dont run PowerUP programs when launching WarpOS programs
  • If a WarpOS program doesnt work, try to find a PowerUP version

• When I installed my BlizzardVision, my A1200 got very unstable What should I do?
  • Remove all patches that uses the AGA chipset. Like Fblit, BBlank and so on. (Remember that BlizzKick has some AGA specific modules)
  • You should buy 3.1 Roms. (They are quite cheap now anyway). And another reason would be that you probably will need 3.1 Roms to run OS3.5 when it's released.
  • You must connect a Floppy connector from your PSU to your floppy connector on the A1200 motherboard. You should do this even if you have a big Tower-PSU, because the A1200 motherboard can't supply enough current to the Expansion slot through the motherboard.
  • Even if you have a tower with a fan in the PSU you should add an extra fan. Here we installed a fan that blow air on the PPC on the Blizzard card. Since then we have not experienced any lockups.
  • Update to the latest cgxsystem.library. You can download it here.
  • Buy CyberGraphX v4 as there is a new much faster BVsionPPC driver for CyberGraphx v4. You can that driver from this page.

© Copyright 1998 Robert Nilsson