Emax

So the good news is this: Jammie was right! I checked the position of the ribbon cable running between the analog board (on the bottom of the unit) and the digital board (on the top of the unit), and it turns out it had been flipped so that data line 1 of the cable did not correspond with data line 1 of the analog board pins.

The bad news is the Emax still won't boot and now has new different/problems. I powered on/off several time in a row, and here is what I noticed:

 - All front panel lights turn on, floppy drive light is on, LCD displays black boxes across the top row and nothing on the bottom row, no progress.

 - All front panel lights turn on, floppy drive light is on, "Dynamic Allocation" light turns off after about 0:30, LCD displays black boxes across the top row and nothing on the bottom row, no progress.

 - No front panel lights turn on, LCD displays "Diagnostics" but does not run the tests, no progress.

So guys... any ideas where I should turn next?


--- In emax@yahoogroups.com, <jammie.emma@...> wrote:
>
> its denoted with a 1 on the circuit pcb on the digital mainboard as the ribbon is fixed to the analog board
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: ditabeardmemo 
>   To: emax@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 7:57 PM
>   Subject: [emax] Re: Emax SE HD Retro: Stuck On Diagnostics?
> 
> 
>     
>   Thanks Jammie.
> 
>   I'll check this, although I'm quite sure that I didn't flip that ribbon cable when I re-seated it. And I don't believe the seller messed with that ribbon cable after he tested the unit, either.
> 
>   Is there an easy way to determine where pin 1 is on the analog board connection, or do I need to look at the schematic in the service manual?
> 
>   --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, <jammie.emma@> wrote:
>   >
>   > the ribbon cable between the logic board and the analog board is seated the wrong way round make sure that the pin 1 lines up with th red or blue cable of the ribbon
>   > 
>   > theres only 1 coloured cable which denotes pin 1 on the ribbon
>   > 
>   > the reason i say blue or red is that i have a rack that is red and a keyboard that is blue
>   > ----- Original Message ----- 
>   > From: ditabeardmemo 
>   > To: emax@yahoogroups.com 
>   > Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 1:53 PM
>   > Subject: [emax] Re: Emax SE HD Retro: Stuck On Diagnostics?
>   > 
>   > 
>   > 
>   > Thanks Ted. Still no luck with the unit, unfortunately.
>   > 
>   > Although I didn't completely remove every socketed IC from the board (I'm always a little uncomfortable removing ICs), I did re-adjust those ICs by gently prying up each side with a flat screwdriver and then pressing back down again.
>   > 
>   > Ribbon cable connections seem quite secure, although I will try again.
>   > 
>   > The ribbon cable that connects the logic board and the analog board has a strange connector on the logic side... some flat blue plastic thing. I have no idea how to disconnect/reseat this.
>   > 
>   > A member on the eiiiforum.com Web site suggested it might be the floppy disk drive, although the owner said the floppy was working fine prior to shipment (and the unit was very well packed.) Any thoughts there?
>   > 
>   > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, Ted Summers <djtbs1@> wrote:
>   > >
>   > > Reseat all the ICs and connectors on the logic board....
>   > > 
>   > > On Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 6:47 AM, ditabeardmemo <brandt@> wrote:
>   > > 
>   > > >
>   > > >
>   > > > Hi everyone:
>   > > >
>   > > > I just received an Emax SE HD Retrofit rack unit with a factory-installed
>   > > > external SCSI port. The previous owner reported that the unit worked
>   > > > perfectly.
>   > > >
>   > > > Unfortunately the unit gets stuck on the "Diagnostics" screen at power on.
>   > > > When I power it on, it displays a screen that reads "Diagnostics," and the
>   > > > front panel "Play" and "Stop" buttons are lit. The red light on the floppy
>   > > > drive also stays lit. It does not proceed with the diagnostic tests, no
>   > > > buttons respond and I can't get the unit to move past this screen. This
>   > > > happens regardless of whether I have the Plus OS 1.0 floppy inserted, or no
>   > > > floppy at all. I don't have any SCSI peripherals connected, either.
>   > > >
>   > > > Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer some insight!
>   > > >
>   > > > Best,
>   > > > DBM