Troubleshooting Sonnet Nubus Accelerators

[IIfx]

Ran into some interesting problems testing the cards in my collection. My plan was to sell the excess and hold onto 1 or 2 of the cards max. Sadly, the card I wanted to keep isn't working, it's a G4 equipped one. Unlike the usual L2 fault situation where the OS hangs when the Sonnet extension loads, the Sonnet extension fails to recognize the accelerator and presents an X over the extension. I tried cleaning the PDS contacts to no avail. The other card has the usual L2 Cache failure symptom with the hang at extension load time. The one with the failed L2 symptoms has no stickers on the back PCB, while the G4 has stickers.

My test platform is a Power Macintosh 7100/66, Mac OS 8.1, 24mb RAM. I'd test in my Radius 81/110 but I'd rather not drag that beast out for this.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

I had some issues with a G3 model in an 8100 and after clearing PRAM, cleaning contacts on the card, and blowing compressed air into the PDS on the motherboard I finally got it to boot and recognize successfully.  I think in my case the slot wasn't making good contact with the accelerator as I do remember it wobbling a bit when installed and firmly seated.

 

[Bolle]

The one I had that crashed at loading the sonnet extension had a bad CPU. The L2 cache was just fine on that one.

Soldered on a new CPU and it was going strong again.

The extension talks to the small CPLD on the accelerator before doing anything else. CPU or L2 failure would show up later in the process of the accelerator taking over.

I would suspect some kind of contact issue here as well at first sight.

 

[IIfx]

I would suspect some kind of contact issue here as well at first sight. 

I just did further testing. Pulled out the 7100/80 I will refurb for sale and thought to give it a try. The G4 card fired up in the 7100/80! ;-D

I need to pick up a can of CRC QD contact cleaner and blast the PDS slot of the 7100/66.

Next to test is the dead G3 one.

All three of my NewerTech G3 cards work in my 7100/66. Went ahead and applied fresh thermal paste to all of these.