Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

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k4lmp's picture
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Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

So, if I try to do a Speediboot from ADTPro, I do the IN#2, then the ctrl-a, and don't get a SSC> prompt. It also won't speediboot. I can load the ADTPro from a floppy, and transfer files, so it isn't a big issue, but wondering what is going on. This is on my new (to me) apple //e platinum. I've tried 2 super serial cards, in several slots, same thing. Thanks.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

So, if I try to do a Speediboot from ADTPro, I do the IN#2, then the ctrl-a, and don't get a SSC> prompt. It also won't speediboot. I can load the ADTPro from a floppy, and transfer files, so it isn't a big issue, but wondering what is going on. This is on my new (to me) apple //e platinum. I've tried 2 super serial cards, in several slots, same thing. Thanks.

Did you Try Ctrl-I, instead of Ctrl-A??? That is an Configuration Option...

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Yeah, I tried CTL-I as well. The funny thing is it will work when I just load ADTPro from floppy, it is just the speeddiboot. I just don't get the SSC prompt, and it won't boot via the serial. Like I said, not really a big deal now that I have floppies, and CFFA, but it just makes me curious as to what the deal is. Thanks.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

What slot is your SSC in? With the IN#x command, the value of x is determined by which slot it's in.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

It is in slot 2 of my apple //e platinum. I've tried slot 1, 4, and 5, and another SSC. Weird.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Once the communications engine of ADTPro is running (either through loading ADTPro from disk or as loaded by speediboot) it will auto-sense where the card is. That explains why it's running fine from disk. I don't have an explanation as to why the IN command doesn't wake it up, though... either it's not in the slot you think it is, or part of the ROM is missing or not getting loaded somehow.

If you run ADTPro from disk, what slot does the config screen say it's talking to?

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

It is in slot 2 of my apple //e platinum. I've tried slot 1, 4, and 5, and another SSC. Weird.

When you type the IN#2, does the Apple's Prompt change from the Checker Cursor to the Larger Solid one like the Apple ][ and ][+ have???

That would indicate the SSC's Firmware is active..

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

I will check on both of these tonight. I thought it might be my recently installed Transwarp, but I removed every card in it, except the SSC. Funny thing I did notice, which may be normal, when I press CTL, my led on my CFFA3000 flashes, and it beeps. It still beeps without any cards, when I press CTL, even before I press the 'A' or 'I' after pressing CTL. I will check what you guys suggested and let you know. Thanks very much for the help.

Edit: Like I said, I removed all cards, even the disk ctlr, and same thing. I do have slot 2 set on the Transwarp to run the SSC at 1mhz, instead of full speed, when the Transwarp is installed.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Funny thing I did notice, which may be normal, when I press CTL, my led on my CFFA3000 flashes, and it beeps.

No, that is not normal. That is bad. What happens if you try without the CFFA3000 installed?

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

It is the same, it does nothing, even with only the SSC and no other cards installed. Seems like maybe the prompt moves to the bottom of the screen. I'll have to re-check.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

The computer beeps when you hit the Control key? That's bad no matter what (CFFA3000 installed or not).

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Yeah, I think I will try one of my spare Apple //e's and if it works OK, change out the motherboard.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

OK, a little more info. I tried a spare A//e I have with one of the SSC cards that I tried in the Platinum. It came up with the SSC: prompt fine. So I reseated all the chips I could get to easily in the Platinum, the only one I didn't was the long one on the far right next to the keyboard rom. I did the ctrl-closed apple-reset self test, came back 'System OK'. If I turn the Platinum on, with no disk, hit ctrl-reset, to stop the drive and get a prompt, I then type IN#2 and enter, I get a solid flashing prompt. I then hit ctrl-A and it is like hitting return, it goes down a line to another prompt with a flashing checkerboard prompt, but no SSC:. I can put the spare //e MB in the platinum, it is the same board, with only two memory chips, dated 1986, only it is a revision D, instead of a revision E that is in the platinum. I hate to put the older MB in the platinum, unless I have to. Any ideas, or am I out of luck? The green LED on the CFFA3000 turns on every time I press ctrl, but I also tried with all cards except the SSC taken out. Thanks for all the help.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

OK, even more info. I think I found something. It is almost like when I hit the CTRL key, it is acting like return. I can hit the control key, while at a normal prompt, and it will beep, and start a new line with a new prompt. The SSC card works, because I used Hyperterminal, and set everything to 300 baud, and was able to control the apple with my XP machine, and see the printout from the A//e on my XP machine under Hyperterminal. I think when I go to hit the CTRL-A, it is doing a return instead, and getting out of the mode that IN#2 puts it into, so the SSC isn't ever going into command mode or seeing the 14B command to put it into 9600 baud override. Could it be a chip in the keyboard? If so, if it isn't something I can download a ROM for and burn a new eprom, I guess I am out of luck. It has the Platinum keyboard, with the numeric keypad, so, I assume the chip out of a regular enhanced //e won't work. IF that is the problem, which I am leaning toward. Thanks.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

I looked, and the KB ROM on my spare //e was the same, so I swapped them, no dice. Same problem. I am wondering about the AY3600931 PRO chip right beside it. Does it have anything to do with the keyboard? It has a slightly different number than my spare //e. Both have KR9600-PRO, the platinum has SMC 0 8925, and my spare //e has SMC D8638. Thanks.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

So, I have two Apple //e computers that I'm currently not using. I hooked up the keyboard from one of them up to the Platinum, and problem solved. It seems the CTRL key is messed up. I am not sure what is wrong with it. I am gonna take the plastic housing off of the Platinum and see if I can see anything or clean the key. I will let you know what I find. If anyone has any ideas, they would be much appreciated. Thanks.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

I pulled the keyboard, no obvious problems. It looks like that there is a trace to the keyboard cable, and when the CTRL is pressed, it pulls that trace low. It is also connected by another trace to the reset button, so when the reset and CTRL are pushed together, it pulls the trace from the reset button to the keyboard cable low for a reset. I guess I am just out of luck unless someone has an idea. Thanks.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

I pulled the keyboard, no obvious problems. It looks like that there is a trace to the keyboard cable, and when the CTRL is pressed, it pulls that trace low. It is also connected by another trace to the reset button, so when the reset and CTRL are pushed together, it pulls the trace from the reset button to the keyboard cable low for a reset. I guess I am just out of luck unless someone has an idea. Thanks.

Maybe the Reset Button is "flaky", and when you press the Ctrl Key, the signal to the Reset Line drops ( if the 6502 needs a Ground to Reset, I don't remember off hand... )

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Anyone have a spare working Platinum keyboard they would be willing to sell?

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

I pulled the keyboard, no obvious problems. It looks like that there is a trace to the keyboard cable, and when the CTRL is pressed, it pulls that trace low. It is also connected by another trace to the reset button, so when the reset and CTRL are pushed together, it pulls the trace from the reset button to the keyboard cable low for a reset. I guess I am just out of luck unless someone has an idea. Thanks.

Maybe the Reset Button is "flaky", and when you press the Ctrl Key, the signal to the Reset Line drops ( if the 6502 needs a Ground to Reset, I don't remember off hand... )

Well, the reset and CTRL are in series going to one wire on the keyboard cable, and the CTRL, has another trace to a different wire. When the reset is pressed with CTRL, it pulls a different wire on the cable low than if the CTRL is pressed by itself. If the reset was, say, closed all the time, every time I hit CTRL, the machine would reset. That it, unless something else flaky is going on.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Well, I found the problem. Using a VOM, I figured out that the reset button was stuck closed. This was putting a low on the reset trace all the way to the MB whenever the CTRL key was pressed. I took out the reset button, which fell apart in my hands as the plastic clips that held it together were both broken off. I carefully put it back together (the switch), and checked with a VOM, and it worked fine. I turned on the A//e Platinum, typed IN#2, CTRL-A, and guess what, got SSC:. I guess I will order a replacement reset button somewhere. I'm just glad that I figured it out. Thanks to all who replied. I really appreciate all the suggestions, which helped lead me to the trouble.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Well, I found the problem. Using a VOM, I figured out that the reset button was stuck closed. This was putting a low on the reset trace all the way to the MB whenever the CTRL key was pressed. I took out the reset button, which fell apart in my hands as the plastic clips that held it together were both broken off. I carefully put it back together (the switch), and checked with a VOM, and it worked fine. I turned on the A//e Platinum, typed IN#2, CTRL-A, and guess what, got SSC:. I guess I will order a replacement reset button somewhere. I'm just glad that I figured it out. Thanks to all who replied. I really appreciate all the suggestions, which helped lead me to the trouble.

That is kind of what I was thinking.. The connection might have been poor, giving inconstant results, because most digital systems have and Indeterminate middle voltage that is neither High or Low... If the Reset Line is Pulled High with a Resistor, and the Ctrl-Reset Pulls it Low, a "flaky" Reset Key, might Pull it to somewhere in the Middle, when the Ctrl Key is Pressed.. And give a result of neither Normal or Reset..

Sorry, I did not post this thought earlier...

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

Mark, Yeah, you were right, it was a flaky key. I appreciate your suggestion, as I never would have found it. I was so excited, I forgot to acknowledge that you suggested the reset key. Thanks again, I appreciate your help.

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Re: Super Serial Card Issue w/ADTPro SpeediBoot

I got my replacement keyswitches from Apple Rescue of Denver today (Thanks to Tammy, she is great). I soldered the new reset keyswitch onto the keyboard, and all is good again. My A//e Platinum is as good as new now. I now have one of the last add-ons that I've wanted on the way, a MicroSoft SoftCard to use with CP/M. I would like to have one of the expansion chassis's like the one in the other post. Maybe some of the guys on here can reverse engineer the expansion, so they can be made once again. Thanks to all.

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