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Documentation about the Vampire hardware

Having Major Issues With WHDLoad On V1200page  1 2 

Uber Freak

Posts 22
19 May 2021 23:59


Hi!

I'm having big problems trying to run my favourite demos with WHDLoad and would like some advice.
My setup is an A1200 (recapped, works great with 030 and 060) with V1200, latest Core and latest Coffin.

Basically all AGA demos I tried run too slow and on most the music sounds strange/garbled.
Turning on Cache helps with some, but creates other issues like inconsistent speed and glitches. It doesn't help with audio issues.

Out of the OCS demos I tried, there are various issues that range from glitches, slowdowns, screen flashes, hard crashes (that require reboot), blank screen with music playing, etc.

I've spent hours messing with WHDLoad slave settings for each demo and got nowhere.
I'd like to point out that I've been running these demos on 030 and 060 setups for years now. They're not all perfect on 060, but not far from it.

Here are some "highlights".

AGA:
1) Nexus 7 by Andromeda - slowdowns, glitches, garbled music
2) Control by Oxygene - runs slow, instead of music there is static noise
3) A1200 demo by Complex - glitches and slowdowns
4) Motion by Bomb - black screen after opening image, garbled music
5) Glow by TBL - runs slow
6) Goa by TBL - runs slow
7) ISO by Scoopex - slow, garbled music
8) Love by VD & Fairlight - slow

OCS/ECS:
1) Elysium by Sanity - freezes after the Starwars scroller, Amiga requires reboot
2) World Of Commodore by Sanity - 1st part crashes randomly during the twisting scroller, 2nd part runs slow, loses sync between effects and text
3) 3D Demo by Anarchy - graphics glitches throughout
4) Human Target by Melon - glitches in some parts
5) How to Skin a Cat by Melon - slowdowns and flashes
6) Hunt for 7th October by Cryptoburners - blank screen instead of a 7) few effects, unstable speed
8) Interference by Sanity - audio issues in some parts

Either something is wrong with my setup, or this is the state of things, which is disappointing.

I would appreciate if any of you can try some of these demos and let me know if you see these issues as well.

Thanks!


Robert Pulfer-Ridings

Posts 59
20 May 2021 02:33


Sorry you are having so many issues :( I don't own a V1200 so not sure how to help.

Did you have a look here:
https://wiki.apollo-accelerators.com/doku.php/vampire:v1200-v2:troubleshooting

Maybe something there can help?


Robert Pulfer-Ridings

Posts 59
20 May 2021 02:35


Discord might be a good option, there is usually someone about on there that can help d:)




Igor Majstorovic
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 406
20 May 2021 10:42


Hi, today I will try to recreate your problems and will report. I will also try to save video so you can see my results. Thank you for forming a list of demos and describing problems they could have. It is good start for us because as you know I can't test them all :)


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 11:04


Thanks for the replies.
I can take videos but only with my crappy old phone.

What I've tried so far:
- Downloaded the demos again, in case of file corruption in Coffin
- Tried both a CF card and real hard-disk
- Tried Vampire IDE, motherboard IDE and even running from PCMCIA CF Card

Note that the issue is only with WHDLoad, other stuff I tried running works ok.


Vito Leva

Posts 43
20 May 2021 11:18


Uber Freak wrote:

  Thanks for the replies.
  I can take videos but only with my crappy old phone.
 
  What I've tried so far:
  - Downloaded the demos again, in case of file corruption in Coffin
  - Tried both a CF card and real hard-disk
  - Tried Vampire IDE, motherboard IDE and even running from PCMCIA CF Card
 
  Note that the issue is only with WHDLoad, other stuff I tried running works ok.
 

 
  Hi have you tried with nocache, exchip (where is possible...) and then ChkInts option enabled? As suggested by Simo K?
 


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 11:32


Yes, messed around with settings for hours.
Some of them did nothing, some created more problems.




Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 11:39


I've read on the Wiki that the Vampire goes into Turtle mode when code is executed from Chip Ram.
I think this is a problem for AGA demos, which were designed to run on 020+ CPUs.
The common thing to most WHDLoad AGA demos I tried is slow speed, so I assume Turtle mode is activated.


Nick Fellows

Posts 176
20 May 2021 12:25


Do the same demos glitch if you run non-WHDLoad versions?



Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 12:38


I don't have a working floppy on this 1200, so could only try a few that were not floppy-based.
From memory, they ran at good speed but some still had audio issues.


Igor Majstorovic
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 406
20 May 2021 14:02


OK here we go. On my side I can't say that I have recreated problems you mention. On just one demo I had to enable NoCache, on others didn't had to do it. I have tested demos and saved videos of some played from Coffin R58:
    EXTERNAL LINK   
    Maybe you can tell us what revision of the motherboard you have or did someone did some modifications on it regarding RC filters for 14MHz clock. Also it could be good if you could run bus test from cli. Just go to cli and type "bustest chip fast" and show us a picture. This could give us more info. Thank you 


Sean Sk

Posts 488
20 May 2021 14:47


I've only had a chance to test Andromeda's Nexus7 demo and that has issues.
 
First off, this demo does need to be run with Cache on as it's too slow otherwise. Even with Cache on it exhibits the following issues:
 
1. The first bouncing ball suffers from irregular slowdown causing the music to become out of sync with the rest of the demo.
 
2. The section with the plotted lines doesn't have the words "Use your perception to penetrate the void of your mind" pop up as it normally should.
 
3. The whole "Motion Blur" section is blacked out.
 
4. Massive slowdown of both music and video in the "Plasma Zoom" section.
 
I tested both standalone and WHDLoad versions and both of them have the exact same problems. There were NO glitches in the audio or video other than the slowdowns that I had.
 
Haven't had an opportunity to test the others yet.
 
My system: A1200 with V1200, running Amiga OS 3.1.4 and KS 3.1.4 flashed into V1200.


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 14:48


Its a 1D.4 board, without any mods that I know of besides a PCMCIA reset fix (added capacitor near PCMCIA port).
Had a Blizzard 1230 and BlizzardPPC in it during the last ~10 years.
I'll run the bustest soon.


Sean Sk

Posts 488
20 May 2021 14:50


Forgot to add that my A1200 motherboard is rev. 1D4


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 14:55


Sean Sk: that corresponds with what I'm seeing as well.
I think audio was mostly ok on this one.


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 16:38


Bustest results:

EXTERNAL LINK 


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
20 May 2021 16:44


Uber Freak wrote:

Bustest results:
 
  EXTERNAL LINK 

Thanks for the pic.
What screenmode are you running?


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 17:01


Hi Gunnar.

Screenmode is:
800x600 24bit 60Hz

Currently using an old 4:3 monitor that doesn't support 50Hz.


Uber Freak

Posts 22
20 May 2021 17:19


A few videos in zip file:
EXTERNAL LINK


Igor Majstorovic
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 406
20 May 2021 19:48


I have looked videos. For The Hunt for 7th October I can say that I have same results as you, however I can't run it properly on WinUAE and it is even worse there. Now I have tried it also on stock A1200 and I see same results like with V1200. So this is not related to WHDLoad PRELOAD function like I was thinking this is related to the fact that demo does not work on Amiga 1200. On stock A1200 part of the demo between two horizontal red lines does not show vector graphic and crashes at the end badly with distorted sound.

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