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Quadra 950 (replacement) logic board is dead?

pb3623

Well-known member
Hi,

Me again - I was the guy having issues with my 950's ADB port/video artifacts and SCSI2SD booting/Sad Mac:

Quadra 950 board #1

The issues could be described as: (just in case y'all have any more ideas)

  • ADB is on crack. Text carat blinks super-fast, repeats almost instantly and equally as fast. Mouse requires 4-5 super-fast clicks to register as one double-
  • video artifacts with NuBus video card; on-board seems to be OK
  • replacement Apple Ethernet NuBus card (SONIC model w/ 68000 CPU) is recognized in Slot A but locks the system up when I try to select it in AppleTalk cpanel
  • SCSI2SD with last good SD card image (taken Feb 2018 before issues) results in 0000000F major, 00000021 minor. Gray screen with ? mark as expected if I boot without SD inserted, but panics after I insert so maybe a bad disk driver (Lido, FWB, etc - I can't remember which one)?
  • I booted from a physical HDD I used to have on my 700 before replacing it with a SCSI2SD.
  • file copies, Snooper logic board tests, etc are super slow with ADB keyswitch set to ON. I left it overnight for a repeating test (including basic RAM 101010) and this morning the RAM test was only 10% or so done. Should have taken a couple of minutes. I took out everything but 128 MB RAM bought earlier this year from MemoryX. 




Quadra 950 board #2

  • Purchased on eBay two weeks ago - owner stated it was a working pull from a 950 with a damaged side panel in 2002, sealed in a bag ever since.
  • Doesn't chime, even with no RAM installed, it should at least boot chime and death chime? No video, SCSI drive light blinks as I would expect would happen, part of the usual POST process
  • I swapped out 68040s with my other 950.
  • No obvious trace damage. Yesterday was the first opportunity to work with it. The "upper right" corner is cracked (i.e., the corner on the end by slot $E) but I checked and don't see any traces that would have been broken on either site. (just green space


You may have seen this board on eBay, which I got specifically to replace the #1 above board. Now I have two I can't do much with.

What the hell do I do?

(PS, I'm inserting the obligatory "looking for a Pisces PDS card and internal caddy CD bezel" but would just be thrilled if I could get it working again - I promised it the PPC PDS card from my 700 if it cooperates with me)

Thanks! 

 
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pb3623

Well-known member
Just noticed that the replacement 950 board (#2 above):

1) has black RAM SIMM slots instead of white (still 16 across 4 banks) - I'm sure this is very common in a typical supply chain.

2) doesn't have a ROM SIMM slot at J7; rather, it's got what looks like 64-pin pads for soldering on a slot. Weird!

Looks like the board I'm used to seeing are 820-0331-A, made in 1991; the one I have is 820-0313-A, made in 1992. I'd assume this is just a newer revision, like the SE/30 w/ socket vs. soldered CPU?

The seller states the board tested fine before he pulled the battery and it was put into storage (sealed in what appears to be a pink polyethylene bag) in 2002 and I have no reason not to believe him.

Still expected to at least get chimes, even with no RAM.

I'll try booting with my 700's PPC card to try and eliminate the 040 CPU socket.

The seller has very graciously offered to send me a IIfx board (NIB service part!) to make up for it - sellers, that's how you make a situation right.

 

AlpineRaven

Well-known member
FYI - I have tested Q950 logicboard with CPU still attached but no VRAM/RAM - I bought it years ago as NOS - basically its brand new in original Apple Service box. But I am in Australia. I did test it 3 weeks ago as I thought my Quadra 950 was dead but turns out it was PSU. I'm in Australia.
Cheers

AP

 

pb3623

Well-known member
FYI - I have tested Q950 logicboard with CPU still attached but no VRAM/RAM - I bought it years ago as NOS - basically its brand new in original Apple Service box. But I am in Australia. I did test it 3 weeks ago as I thought my Quadra 950 was dead but turns out it was PSU. I'm in Australia.
Cheers

AP


Weird - I won't rule out it's the PSU but it does boot with another MB installed (albeit with the ADB flakiness I describe above). But thanks for the observation - just goes to show the variability from one component to the next.

 

GeekDot

Well-known member
Quadra 950 board #2

  • Doesn't chime, even with no RAM installed, it should at least boot chime and death chime? No video, SCSI drive light blinks as I would expect would happen, part of the usual POST process
  • I swapped out 68040s with my other 950.
  • No obvious trace damage. 
Not that it'll be of much help, but I have the very same behaviour with my Q950 "Backup-Board" - just did some summer-cleaning and had that 2nd board which I had added a socket to the CPU oscillator some years ago.

No chime, no video. It does react to power-on through ADB. All caps look good to me...

 

tanaquil

Well-known member
The seller has very graciously offered to send me a IIfx board (NIB service part!) to make up for it - sellers, that's how you make a situation right.
0___0

I hope you figure out your 950 woes, but damn that is a nice make it up offer...

 

pb3623

Well-known member
Indeed it was - and it came with 4 x 16 MB SIMMs so it was a nice surprise.

Still haven't gotten the 950 board sorted yet.

 
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