Re: SmartPort Problem

[venom@bonk.io.org (Robert Tate)]

David Empson (dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz) wrote:
: In article <QjG3d4y00YUz9ES1V3@andrew.cmu.edu>,
: Arthur T. Gola <ag4e+@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
: > 
: > I have a serious problem with my Smartport, It seems like it just
: > decided to stop working.  I have 2 Apple 3.5  drives hooked up to it
: > and, they don't show up on anything as even existing.  I can still eject
: > disks from them, and the light will occaionally flicker on, but thats
: > about the extent of their life.

: OK, they have power then.

: Two things to try, if you haven't done so already:

: 1. Try each 3.5" drive individually.

: 2. Try the 5.25" drive individually.

: If the symptoms are the same in each case, you may have a blown IWM on
: your motherboard.  This is next to impossible to repair, because it is
: a surface mount chip.  Your best option would be to get a motherboard
: swap from Alltech Electronics.

: The problem might also be that all of your drives have blown up (not
: very likely).  Trying them on another machine would confirm this
: (connect them one at a time, don't connect more than two 3.5" drives
: at once, and make sure the 5.25" drive, if any, is always last in the
: chain).

: If it is a motherboard fault, another possibility would be to stop
: using the internal drive port and buy a 3.5" Disk Controller Card.
: This isn't much of an option if you can't use your RAM disk or 5.25"
: drive, though.

: > Also, when I hook up a 5.25" to the end of the chain, it just spins
: > and spins and spins.  When I try booting slot 5, it says no device
: > connected.  A self test of the GS says nothing is wrong with it.

: The self test doesn't have any errors for indicating IWM failure, so I
: doubt it tests it (all it would be able to verify is that the chip is
: there - not much could be done without a test disk in the drive).

I had the same problem, and sort of still do.  I took my GS to Terry (of 
Terry's Tech Service) and had him check it.  Mine had a blown chip on 
the motherboard (don't know what it's called, is that the IWM chip?)
Anyways, he replaced the chip with a new one, which needs to go back due 
to a loose connection on it somewhere, but usually runs fine.  I don't 
know how much the chip would cost since I traded some hardware for it 
and the labour but it must be cheaper than replacing the entire motherboard.

Rob

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