Re: Focus hard drive question

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Glue Sniffin' Ed writes ...
> 
> On Wed, 30 Jun 1999 14:34:16 GMT, mark.REMOVE.percival@videotron.ca
> (Mark Percival) wrote:
> 
> >I have a Focus drive in my GS (ROM 01) and it works perfectly.  My
> >guess would have been to check if you are booting from the right slot
> >but you seem to have that covered.
> >
> >1) Try putting the Focus card in another slot and see if it will boot
> >from there.  This may tell you if you have a problem with you slot 7.
> 
> Still same problem :-(
> 
> >2) Try running the Focus card diagnostics and see if that comes out
> >clean.  This is on the diskette that came with your Focus card.
> 
> Focus diagnostics all check out clean.  Everything is "working
> perfectly"
> 
> >3) If you have another machine (say a IIe), try booting the card in
> >that machine.  GSOS won't run but you should get an error if it is
> >able to boot from the drive.
> 
> Tried it in my ROM 01 GS....same thing....also....no go in my Apple
> //e
> 
> >One of these steps should help you narrow down where your problem is.
> >
> >Mark R. Percival
> >Montreal, Quebec
> >
> >An Apple II fanatic since 1979.
> 
> Seems like the focus card or drive isn't "ready" when the system is
> first started or you do a hard reset  as...everything works fine after
> that.
 ....

     Since you get the same result in a ROM-01 it does sound like the Focus is
not doing right.

     Being able to do a warm start boot sounds something like a situation where
the Focus circuitry is not ready to respond. On the other hand, you would think
that putting the Focus in a lower slot and setting the boot Slot to "Scan" would
give the drive IC's the few extra micro-seconds they might need to get ready to
tell the IIgs to 'hold it' and wait for spin-up.

     One check is to put the Focus in Slot 7 and hold down CTRL and RESET, then,
turn ON power. Wait for 2-3 seconds and release the keys to let the Power-On
Reset start (you hear a BEEP). The Focus should tell the IIgs to wait a few more
seconds and, then, start booting System.

     If the Focus does not pause the IIgs for a few seconds, the snag is not
just a problem with slow circuit response. Something on the Focus board-- maybe
a Reset line or an IC or component in a power-ON timing line, is disconnected,
shorted, or blown.

     If, with no Focus-initiated pause, you get a good boot, the indication is
that you held up the start long enough for spin-up and that the lack of the
power-ON pause is what normally prevents a good start. 

     Naturally, whatever the glitch, you have reason to return the card.
However, it may be that inspecting the Focus will reveal some tiny break in the
trace from Reset or a solder spatter or some component which is loose that can
be fixed.



Rubywand