Trying to revive a SAM460

This forum is for all AmigaOne 500, Sam440 and Sam460 specific issues.
Post Reply
User avatar
kilaueabart
Posts: 1070
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:36 am

Trying to revive a SAM460

Post by kilaueabart »

If I remember correctly, I got my SAM to replace an elderly A2000, but for some reason moved up to an X1000 anyway. When the X1000 died I mailed the motherboard to someplace in Europe for repair, but never heard back, and probably started using the SAM again while waiting for AOTL to send me my X5000. In any event, it has probably been six years since I last used the SAM, but I kept it and brought it to California when I moved here, just in case.

It is now "just in case." I was reading a digital newspaper with the X5000 about three weeks ago when the monitor screen went black, and I haven't yet been able to get the X5000 going again. (That's another thread.)

So I dragged out the SAM, but if I plug it in, the fans work, I can open the CD thing, etc., but nothing shows on the monitor. This is what I see on the mother board:
Turn on power switch next to power socket. One LED comes on, D15?
Click the case-front On button. Four LEDs briefly light up, D3, D4, D5, D6. D4 and D5 go out, but D3 and D6 remain lit. There is also a light at the back of the J15 connector that blinks a bit.

I can't tell whether the hard drive is turning or not.

How important is the battery? My attempts to test it start at 0.7+ but the reading drops down in a few seconds to 0.5, when I stop reading. I will replace that, but surely that isn't why nothing shows on the monitor?
User avatar
javierdlr
Beta Tester
Beta Tester
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:13 pm
Location: Donostia (GUIPUZCOA) - Spain
Contact:

Re: Trying to revive a SAM460

Post by javierdlr »

Hi, does your SAM460 have an internal VGA port (SAM460ex) or is the SAM460cr (no video/VGA port)?

Try to use a Radeon HD4xxx/HD5xxx/HD6xxx PCIe vga card.
Maybe Uboot variables/environment are wrong/not set.

You can try top detach all cards on slots, and reseat the SODIMM RAM module.
And then, only with vga and keyboard plugged try to see if you get some video output.
Post Reply