Help getting AztecMonster SCSI CF Card reader to boot EIII

[ddvdave]

I just installed the AztecMonster. (see this thread: http://eiiiforum.com/index.php?topic=1912.0).

I am using a 1GB SanDisk CF card and can format the card, copy software and banks to/from the card, but cannot boot off the CF card (SCSI ID#1).

As I believe the CF readers can be quite picky about which cards to use, I have ordered a Kingston 1GB CF card in the hopes that it's just the CF card that the EIII doesn't like.

I tried a smaller (64MB) Kingston card, but this card returns "SCSI Hardware Error" when I try to format it. I am now trying an extended "Burn-In" on the smaller card as a test to see if I can boot from it. So far it's at Pass#9 with zero errors.

I also found that the on-board termination on the AztecMonster was causing the SCSI bus scan to freeze when scanning ID#5 (sometimes ID#6). Pulling the TERM jumper off the AztecMonster immediately "unfroze" the SCSI scan. I have an inline 50-pin SCSI terminator which I will try using instead of the on-board termination, as I read in the AztecMonster docs that some older (Akai) devices don't like the built-in Termination.

If I boot the EIII with a floppy, it comes up and loads banks from the internal CF card just fine. It also loads the software modules off the CF card. I just can't get it to boot.

If anyone has any tricks to get the EIII to actually boot off the CF card, I'd appreciate some help.

Thanks,
Dave

[antenne]

Sorry no - i never got mine to boot off the cf-card.
I always have a floppy in it, and then it loads the system from the cf-card as you describe.
Mine is set to scsi id6, but i cant remember how i set the jumpers...

Kim

[ddvdave]

Hmmm. The CF reader (or EIII SCSI implementation) is apparently very sensitive to the type of CF card used.

I was able to successfully format a 64MB CF card from Kodak, but a Kingston 64MB card failed to format ("SCSI Hardware Error"). I was able to format both cards by setting the Interleave setting to 9 (!), and verification succeeded.

After doing this, I was able to BOOT the EIII off a 64MB card, but only after scanning the SCSI bus a few times.

I'm hopeful the Kingston 1GB card I ordered will boot...

-Dave

[ddvdave]

Update!

After formatting the SanDisk 1GB CF card using an interleave setting of 9, I was able to BOOT my EIII off the AztecMonster CF reader! 

I am so happy now I have a (mostly) quiet EIII with a working display, working panel and that great EIII sound!

Next step: replacing some sticky buttons on the EIII panel. I am hopeful EMU used the same switch parts for the keyboard panel as they did with the rack panel. Respect goes out to Xuulan for both the OLED and the replacement buttons tips! Thanks Xuulan!

-Dave

[antenne]

Your post inspired me to experiment with various interleave settings for my internal CF-card
- and now after formatting with an interleave setting of "7" my EIII boots of the CF-card !

Happy, Happy !
Joy, Joy !!

Kim

[mg73]

Update!

After formatting the SanDisk 1GB CF card using an interleave setting of 9, I was able to BOOT my EIII off the AztecMonster CF reader! 

I am so happy now I have a (mostly) quiet EIII with a working display, working panel and that great EIII sound!

Next step: replacing some sticky buttons on the EIII panel. I am hopeful EMU used the same switch parts for the keyboard panel as they did with the rack panel. Respect goes out to Xuulan for both the OLED and the replacement buttons tips! Thanks Xuulan!

-Dave

Do it still need to scan the thru busses ID a couple of times?
I have an Accard which also   do that
and iirc atztec is using accard scsi/ide also

I have managed to clean my buttons to get them to work perfect again
I opened them up and cleaned the metal plate with electronic spray and a tip

[ddvdave]

Do it still need to scan the thru busses ID a couple of times?

I have managed to clean my buttons to get them to work perfect again
I opened them up and cleaned the metal plate with electronic spray and a tip

Yes, it still scans the bus twice before finding the AztecMonster (SCSI ID is set to 1)

I just replaced all of the buttons with new ones. My EIII is much happier now!