Startup issues with RC3 upwards on PiStorm600 and PiStorm32Lite

[andiweli]

A600 with PiStorm600 and A1200 with PiStorm32Lite here.
Kickstart 3.2.2 loaded by PiStorm (also built in physically).
Config is default (only with my Kickstart).
Cmdline is "dbf_slowdown vbr_move sd.unit=rw vc4.mem=16 logo=black"

Running flawlessly with RC2 or lower.
Starting with RC3 or newer I have sporadic startup issues:

• Yellow screen at start (only A1200)
• No start from internal IDE (only Shell, no commands recognized, no internal drives recognized)
• Sometimes also black screen and no response

Sometimes when I reboot with CTRL-A-A from a working session on my A600 or A1200, it reboots to only shell with no drives too. No commands recognized.
Rebooting by powering off + waiting + powering on sometimes helps.
Sometimes only CTRL-A-A is enough to reboot and IDE port is recognized again.
Tested with 2 IDE-SSD adapters.

Sidenote: From the feel of it, the error occurs more often with the last beta than with RC3.

Also some demos like "Ocean Machine" work on RC2 while they only bring up a black screen on RC3 (with sound) for me.

[andiweli]

Since I use extender cables for the microSD in my A600 and A1200 I was told, trying to remove them.

A600 does boot wit hlatest Nightly, but only goes to an empty Shell after CTRL-A-A.
I have to power it off for a few minutes, then it boots again.
Doesn't happen with RC2.

A1200 no issues so far, also the mentioned "Ocean Machine" demo works with latest Nightly.

[andiweli]

Update on the PiStorm600

Works now!

I updated the CPLD firmware here https://github.com/LemaruX/PiStorm-Firmware
./flash_PiStormX_Basic.sh

So far working:

• Emu68 RC3
• WiFi with Netgear MA401 and Genesis
• PCMCIA CF-Reader
• No reboots to CLI or Kickstart screen
• also the sporadic black screens I had the last months when powering on the PSU are gone
• using now a 10cm extender cable and "dbf_slowdown vbr_move sd.unit0=rw logo=black" in cmdline.txt

The experimental, original, long-hold and longer-hold firmwares all gave me different errors:
No CF reader recognized, WiFi card freezing as soon as plugged in, sometimes boot to Kickstart screen.

[andiweli]

Short Update: PiStormX-Basic firmware gives me random freezes after 1,5 hours

Thanks to RetroFletch who manufactured my PiStorm600 I now have the old firmwares (attached).
The experimental one seems to work with Emu68 nightly 20240114 + PCMCIA WiFi.
old_firmwares.zip

PiStorm32lite on my A1200 still randomly boots to the Kickstart screen with latest nightly.
Already have removed the microSD extender cable, microSD directly in PiStorm microSD-slot...

[mafiasilk]

I have a A1200, i had the SD card extender, and was advised to go direct to SD card, still no joy on RC3 exact same issue.