#Weird A-500 problems
18 messages in this thread
I've got a few wierd problems.
First, my battery backed up clock won't back up the time/date (and I've
checked the battery and it's fully charged)
Second, my keyboard keeps freezing up on me. (ie it'll lock up while I'm
typing, or the CAPS LOCK light will either flash or stay lit)
Are these problems related? Could it by my GARY chip as I suspect?
Please help!
<Dave>
Is the keyboard plugged in all the way? Don't do it with the system turned
on….could fry your 8520 chips…which might have happened already.
Steve
Well, my 8520 chips WERE fried when hooking up my MIDI. The box said it
could be used with 500/1000/2000 – but neglected to say that it was
designed for the 1000 (y'know, with several of the pins reversed), and thus
I fried my chips. The clock problem happened earlier, and the keyboard
started up recently. I just replaced my 8520 chips and that's fine, it's
just the keyboard and the clock now.
<Dave>
PS *now* what?
Oh, and yes the keyboard is plugged in all the way.
David,
If you have Workbench 1.3.2 or above, try typing SETCLOCK RESET to fix the
clock problem. If you're still using an older SetClock that doesn't have
the Reset option, then look in the libraries here for a program like
ClockDoctor.
The blinking caps lock key usually means a problem with the keyboard's
controller chip. (the 6502-knockoff on the keyboard, not the Gary.)
Any idea where the program might be (or if it's here)?
And how can I repair the keyboard problem myself?
<Distraught Dave>
Well, I just tried SETCLOCK RESET and it set the clock back to the old Oct
28, 1988 date. I then reset the time/date in Prefs and saved it. I then
rebooted to find that it did NOT save the time/date, and I was BACK in 1988
again.
According to VERSION, I'm using Workbench version 34.28 .
NOW what?!
<Drastically Dizzy Dave>
David,
After saving the time in Preferences, you also need to do a
SETCLOCK SAVE from a CLI to save the software clock (which preferences
uses) to the hardware clock (which the Amiga reads on bootup).
Don
I'll give it a try now – reboot and let y'know what does or doesn't happen.
Any clues as to how to repair the keyboard problems?
<Dave>
Dave,
On the keyboard, make sure there is a ground strap between the frame of
the floppy drive and the keyboard. I've seen some that were missing that
strap & were a little flakey. Unfortunately, the parts for the keyboard
aren't available seperately. There are at least two different vendors for
the the keyboard. With one of them the electronics is a separate board that
can be replaced – if you can find one. Sometimes dealers have broken (for
other reasons) keyboards that you could canabilize for the board.
Jim
Dave,
I'd still suspect one of the 8520's on the keyboard problem.
Especially if it's just flakey, not bad all the time.
Don
Well, the 8520 can't possibly be the problem. I've just replaced them
both.
It's been three days since it's acted up though, so it's possible that
the last whack I gave it actually did some good.
<Dave>
David,
I hope you're kidding about it not being the 8520's because you
just replaced them. Not that you didn't just replace them, but going from
having a new 8520 in a tube to having a good working 8520 in your machine
isn't always guaranteed. I know someone who blew one simply by taking it
out of the tube and plugging it in…of course, they didn't use any static
handling precautions.
Don
Well, the main problem I had was knowing that I couldn't PRINT *anything*!
This was what tipped me off about the 8520 being shot, as it happened once
before to me. They replaced the chips, charged me an arm and a leg, and
sent me on my way.
I've since replaced the chips myself, and CAN print once more, which leads
me to believe that I've solved the problem. My keyboard has only acted up
on my once or twice in the past week and a half, so I don't know *what* to
think now. Oh, and I grounded myself before swapping chips.
<Dave>
i had a hanging keyboard after having the internal drive replace it was on
an off sometime a few hours or days it turn out to be a capasitor on the
top right hand side of the keyboard touching a IC chip I move it away to
solve the problem hope this help
DAVE
– via Whap!
Hmmmmm. I'll have to give that a try! Mucho thanks!
<Dave>
I just tried your little suggestion.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK
YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I thought I'd *never* get that thing going again. I've had an Amiga for
– oh – since they first came out – and still screw up the most infantile of
commands. Maybe I should read the manual?
<Dave>
P.S. Oh, in case I forgot to say it before, "Thank You".
You have to use SETCLOCK SAVE after resetting your time to write the new
time to the battery-backed clock.
No idea how you can fix the KB yourself, sorry.