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General Category => Technical support - Hardware related => Topic started by: CrookieMonster on 16:17, 10 June 22

Title: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: CrookieMonster on 16:17, 10 June 22
Quick one. I'm running an M4 board on my 6128 and sometimes I can hear a ticking noise coming from within the computer. A few times, games will crash or the screen will distort. Is this normal? I've attached the noise. It's subtle but noticeable.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: abalore on 18:44, 10 June 22
I think you are trying a game that doesn't use the BIOS to access disk, so it's not compatible with the M4. For those games you can use my M4FE utility to transfer them to a real disk (or gotek) before playing.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: CrookieMonster on 19:16, 10 June 22
Thanks for this. I'll check out your utility too.  :D

The noise actually happens as soon as the M4 is plugged in, before I've had chance to run anything. It then stays on when programs and games are running.

Does it sound potentially damaging? If anything, it sounds like the noise is coming from the disc drive. It's definitely coming from that side of the computer.

Oddly, the first time I plugged the M4 in today, it asked me to Press Play on the tape (but there's actually no tape deck connected at the moment!). That stopped once I turned the CPC off and on again and it hasn't returned.

As for the games crashing. I tried it with Fruit Machine Sim 2 (not the best, I know) and it crashed the first time, ran perfectly the second time, then crashed the third time. It just feels a little unstable at times but I've pushed it all the way in (assuming it plugged so that the chips appear on top and the soldering underneath).

Oh, another thing, sometimes the M4 causes the power-up blue screen to distort too - the yellow text corrupts. And on one occasion, the monitor even seemed to power off. Is all this normal? But that was a one off.

Thing is, when running discs, there's no problem. No errors at all. In fact, everything works just as it has done since I've got the computer for Christmas in 1989. But I'm worried about the noise and whether it's potentially harmful. I don't want to be damaging my old pal after 33 years.  :)
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: Fran123 on 19:21, 10 June 22
Quote from: CrookieMonster on 16:17, 10 June 22Quick one. I'm running an M4 board on my 6128 and sometimes I can hear a ticking noise coming from within the computer. A few times, games will crash or the screen will distort. Is this normal? I've attached the noise. It's subtle but noticeable.
I have an UsifacII and that noise it's normal for me.  
I don't have any problems either.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: GUNHED on 18:11, 11 June 22
Please type "!WIFI,0" and let me know if the clicking will disappear.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: ajcasado on 15:28, 13 June 22
Two common sources of faults when connecting anything to expansion ports are the power consumption and the contact quality.
To avoid the power issues try to feed the M4 from a external 5V source with the usb connector of the M4, and select external power suply with the jumper of the M4.
To solve the contact issues clean both sides of the expansion port of the CPC carefully with a fine grain sand paper taking care to not sand too much.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: GUNHED on 17:19, 13 June 22
PLEASE don't ever use sandpaper (doesn't matter who fine it is). This will ultimately lead to the disappearance of the contacts of the expansion port.
 
Just clean ist with some Q-Tips with clear Alcohol.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: ajcasado on 18:59, 13 June 22
Ok, so too late for me :picard2:
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: Devlin on 20:40, 13 June 22
Quote from: Fran123 on 19:21, 10 June 22
Quote from: CrookieMonster on 16:17, 10 June 22Quick one. I'm running an M4 board on my 6128 and sometimes I can hear a ticking noise coming from within the computer. A few times, games will crash or the screen will distort. Is this normal? I've attached the noise. It's subtle but noticeable.
I have an UsifacII and that noise it's normal for me. 
I don't have any problems either.
I have to have the volume turned right up with my usifac2 to hear anything - but that sound is typically interference coming from the expansion(s) leaking onto the speaker audio (much like how on a 464 the tape audio is audible), and is perfectly normal.

The crashing I would believe to be a power issue. As previously suggested, try powering the M4 device via external USB and see how you fare.

Also good is to clean the CPC's edge connector with a q-tip and isopropyl alcohol.
Title: Re: M4 board clicking noise
Post by: GUNHED on 13:56, 14 June 22
Quote from: ajcasado on 18:59, 13 June 22Ok, so too late for me :picard2:
No, if you do it only once the hardware should be find with it. But next time just take some beer clean alcohol.  :) :) :)
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