emax display turns blank while loading a disk... then nothing

[Elmbeatz]

Hi!

I installed a hxc floppy emulator in my emax. I seem to have configured the thing right, because I can choose a disk from it, and the emax starts loading.

Then, after appx. 7 seconds, the display turns blank, loading seems to continue though (clicking hxc).

The display stays blank then, and I can do nothing. A few times I had gibberish on the display.

I don't think that this has nothing to do with the hxc, does it? I assume something different's wrong.

Has anybody experienced something similar?

Greetz,
Elm.

[kdk]

There's a setting in the HxC software where you can set how long the backlight stays lit after pressing a button on the hardware unit, but that's just the backlight and it shouldn't affect the actual text on the display, so it sounds like something else is going on.

Does it do this with all disk images? Do you have some from a known, good source?

Check your cabling?

Perhaps trying the forum on the HxC site??

[Elmbeatz]

Oh - no, sorry,  I didn't mean the HxC (that's fine at this point). I mean the Emax itself!

The Emax starts up with the "insert disk" message this stays on until I select a disc image on the HxC. Then, display says "E-mu systems, loading software", just like in the good old floppy days. So long so fine.

Then - after (I counted) 14 clicks of loading time - the EMAX's display turns blank, and then most of the time the upper row turns completely black (sometimes there's gibberish, sometimes it stays completely blank). Clicks of loading stop and then I can do nothing, no buttons react.

As I said, I think this behaviour has nothing to do with the HxC, but rather something different. I've seen a similar thread on the board, and there was discussed about the power supply being the cause for this behaviour...

Has anyone experienced the same problems I have right now, and solved them?

greetz,
elm.

[Freddy]

sounds like a bad scanner MPU. Have a look at the rockwell 6500/11. A blank display after the booting process is fairly typical problem

[Elmbeatz]

sounds like a bad scanner MPU. Have a look at the rockwell 6500/11. A blank display after the booting process is fairly typical problem

Thanks a lot!! I'll try to check that (after the weekend) by swapping it out with my other emax's scanner mpu.
I'll keep you guys updated!

[Elmbeatz]

Hmm - I plugged the Scanner of my defective emax into my working one, and it still booted flawlessly.

The other way round (scanner from working emax into defective): Still the samy symptoms.

So, the scanner doesn't seem to be the problem. Any other ideas what's going wrong?

Greets,
Elm.

[Freddy]

If you have a second Emax why don't you swap part per part?  Wink

I did this with my EIIIs and 5 chips (incl. PROMs) tourned out to be broken.
In 10 years I wouldn't have spotted these mistakes and a professional repair would have been really expensive.

Of course it's really time consuming but it was definitely worth it once you find the mistakes, but since the emax does't have cards like the EIII it should go a lot faster.


PS: If you're E-Chip has a different revision I wouldn't swap this chip, but it's extremely unlikely that the e-chip is faulty given your description.

[Elmbeatz]

Freddy thanks for the tip!

Yeah. might be a way to go..

I'm terribly afraid to destroy my working emax though

By making some stupid mistake or something...

[Freddy]

If the PSU is fine and you done see any broken caps, resistors, or anything that causes a short circuit, you don't have to be afraid. But the last issues are rather unlikely.

[Elmbeatz]

Hi again!

Some good news:
I just installed a HxC Floppy emulator into my working emax, just to make sure the hxc isn't causing the broblems - i was very surprised as the same bull occured now on my working unit. Then Re-installed the floppy drive and everything went back to normal. So I might have to troubleshoot now at what point I have made a mistake concerning the HXC and its configuration....

Thanks again for your help - I'll keep you updated...