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General Category => Technical support - Hardware related => Topic started by: talrek on 18:02, 13 October 15

Title: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 18:02, 13 October 15
Well i noticed something strange and i don't understand
I have :
6128+
Mother X4 board
MF2 clone

When i connect the MF2 clone to the 6128+ using a home made cable it doesn't work (turn on, but buttons on MF2 doesn't respond). I tried another cable, same issue.

But when i use a Mother X4 in the middle, the MF2 works !
And if i use a RTC board, XMEM, Megaflash without the mother X4, directly on the cable, it works too ..
Everything work except : MF2 with cable...

The problem is only with a CPC6128+, it works fine on a CPC6128...

Any ideas ? thought it could be the cable, but all other devices works fine
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: CraigsBar on 19:15, 13 October 15
Hmmm, not an is on my plusses with the remake mf2.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 19:26, 13 October 15
I don't understand because it is a new issue, it did work fine before ;-)
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 19:37, 13 October 15
How long is the cable?

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: TFM on 19:40, 13 October 15
Quote from: talrek on 19:26, 13 October 15
I don't understand because it is a new issue, it did work fine before ;-)


Well, here is one possibility: The MF2 card consumes relative much power. Your PSU or monitor gets older, so delivers too few power. When using your MX4 card, you're using an external PSU, so there is enough power.




This was just guessed...  ;)
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 19:48, 13 October 15
This:
Quote from: talrek on 18:02, 13 October 15
And if i use a RTC board, XMEM, Megaflash without the mother X4, directly on the cable, it works too ..
would suggest that it's not a power issue.

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 19:49, 13 October 15
Quote from: TFM on 19:40, 13 October 15

Well, here is one possibility: The MF2 card consumes relative much power. Your PSU or monitor gets older, so delivers too few power. When using your MX4 card, you're using an external PSU, so there is enough power.




This was just guessed...  ;)
I don't use any external power supply for the mother X4

Quote from: Bryce on 19:37, 13 October 15
How long is the cable?

Bryce.

20-30 cm
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 19:52, 13 October 15
Ok, my guess is that it's a voltage stability problem. The other boards have a 100µf capacitor across the 5V - GND stabilising the voltage at the end of the cable. The MF2 alone doesn't and it's at the end of a 30cm cable. Add a 100µf cap across the supply on the MF2 and see if it then works alone.

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 06:26, 14 October 15
Ok i will try. But voltage stability is the same on a "normal" Cpc isn't it ?
Because I haven't this issue on it with the same length...

Envoyé de mon HTC One en utilisant Tapatalk

Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 09:36, 14 October 15
Quote from: talrek on 06:26, 14 October 15
Ok i will try. But voltage stability is the same on a "normal" Cpc isn't it ?
Because I haven't this issue on it with the same length...

Envoyé de mon HTC One en utilisant Tapatalk

Voltage stability changes with every component you add to the system, so no two systems will be identical. If the ICs on the MF2 are causing noise on the 5V line and no capacitor is near to buffer these, then all sorts of things can happen.

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 14:07, 14 October 15
So i didn't add the capacitor to see, but i shortened the cable. And it works. So you were right Bryce.

But i don't understand why it works with a long cable + Mother X4.. there is no capacitor on it, i Guess it is the diodes...  ::)
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 14:14, 14 October 15
[attach=2]

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 14:18, 14 October 15
Well i don't have one on mine  ;D
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: ||C|-|E|| on 14:21, 14 October 15
I am big fan of capacitors to prevent those kind of things. I like to restore old calculators from time to time (I have a small collection) and I always prepare a little external circuit for them, encapsulated in a box, with a voltage regulator, two capacitors and a diode. It is a bit overkill and redundant, but it protects them and allows the old machines to keep calculating if something happens. I found that many of them are very sensitive to current fluctuations: sometimes they reset and some others they just give you the wrong answer  :picard: . Of course, I am talking about calculators that require external power supplies  :D .
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 14:21, 14 October 15
Then it might be that the cable just happened to be the exact length needed to receive so interference from a monitor or some other equipment that was close to your CPC? but I assume you don't own a spectrum analyser and broadband antenna to check the room?

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: talrek on 14:27, 14 October 15
Quote from: Bryce on 14:21, 14 October 15
Then it might be that the cable just happened to be the exact length needed to receive so interference from a monitor or some other equipment that was close to your CPC? but I assume you don't own a spectrum analyser and broadband antenna to check the room?

Bryce.

:laugh: No Indeed  :laugh:
The important thing is that i have the explanation. Next time i will add a cap, even if it is not in the original. It will be better.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: Bryce on 14:44, 14 October 15
You can't have too many smoothing caps (most of the time) :)

Bryce.
Title: Re: working strange : MF2 clone + Mother X4 and other cards..
Post by: TFM on 17:45, 14 October 15
Thanks guys, learnt something here - even if i understood not even half of it.  :)
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