Re: Focus Reset Mod? Does the 160MB drive spin down?

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Sandy writes ...
> 
> I never thought of it being a problem with my Focus Card.
>

     As you say, the source of the problem may be elsewhere. Some ideas
are discussed below. If you have any suspects to add, be sure to mention
them. (It doesn't seem likely that TWGS or ZipGS would try to mess with
peripherals during Reset-- i.e. while the Reset line is low-- even if
they could.)


> When I press control Reset,  or Control-Apple-Reset, I can hear the drive
> instantly start to lose speed!  If I hold the keys down,  the drive coasts
> for a bit, and then comes to a complete stop (I can hear it)
> 
> When I want to boot, I press the Reset keys, the drive stops spinning
> momentarily (or the power is cut from the motor at least).
> 
> By this time, I am on the IIGS  Copyright screen.  You can hear the Focus
> powering back up, And the motor is gaining speed.  The green LED on the
> Focus blinks a few times.
> 
> This is where the system hangs.
> 
> I can boot fine with a PR#X  because the drive is already completely started
> up.
> 
> I can boot fine when I turn the System power on, because then the drive has
> the extra time of the Transwarp Startup graphics and sound


     By the way, it seemed like a good idea to add the 160MB drive
question to the thread tittle. I do not know what the 160MB drive or
other recent Focus models are supposed to do during Reset. Maybe someone
who does will help or have some other ideas.

     For now, you might try removing each Slot card-- naturally, the GS
is OFF whenever you pull/insert any cards. Check its Slot socket for
bits of wire, solder, etc. and, then, carefully line up the card
contacts with the Slot contacts and re-insert. You want to make sure
that no Slot card is shorting one signal line to another and that no
Slot card has any bad connections which might cause it to place unwanted
signals (like an Interrupt) on the Slot bus.

Note: While you have your Focus out, check it under a magnifier light
for any indication of loose components, fractured (grey-looking) solder
points, broken traces, solder splashes, and 'ghost traces'. A "ghost
trace" is a very thin tendril which is left when the board etching
process fails to remove all of the copper it's supposed to. Usually,
this kind of trace is irregular or splotchy looking. Sometimes,
especially at the card's connector tabs, a ghost trace can connect
something you do not want to be connected.
 

     If the above fixes things, fine. Otherwise, a good 'acid test' is
to clean the Focus card's contacts and move it to Slot 7 taking special
care to line up the Slot card pins when inserting. Remove all other Slot
cards except TWGS (and, your Memory Expansion card should remain in its
special slot). Set Slot 7 to "Your Card" in the Control Panel and set
your boot Slot to 7. If the drive works well, leave it in Slot 7 and
start adding Slot cards one by one adjusting Control Panel settings as
necessary. You may discover that a particular card causes problems.

     If nothing works and/or it turns out that Focus 160MB cards
normally spin down when Reset is low (or that, somehow, TWGS is messing
things up), you can always try doing quicker Resets! For example, when
you do a CTRL-OpenApple-Reset boot, hold down CTRL-OpenApple and, then,
press and release Reset. (Of course, you want to avoid doing Resets
during any hard disk Write operations.)  With a normal typing stroke,
the Focus drive should not have time to spin down enough to cause
problems.  



Rubywand