How to make a modern MAGMA work [By BT]

[SonikArchitects]

Feel free to move this anywhere and please add to it as you see fit.


Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 3:38 PM
 
 
I got it working. This is going to be a long email and I’d like to speak to you as I need to order/swap the cards and cables you sent me for older cards and cables. Contrary to the assertion that your devices do not have firmware/REV versions…they most certainly do and I’ve proved it by solving this problem.
 
SO:
 
The controller cards you sent to me (host and expansion cards) do not work with any generation of Protools 24 (Mix, Mix IO, Core, Farm etc) cards whatsoever, in any iteration. My Korg Oasis card is the only card that the chassis can see with the new controller cards you guys sent.
 
This card (I pulled from a 7slot Magma expansion chassis WORKS). However there is a very specific combination of placement, cards, order and specific versions of software that makes Digi Mix 24 cards recognized in a PC13-R Magma chassis.
 
[This is the top view of the working controller card i.e. the one in the Chassis]
 

 
[THIS IS THE BACK VIEW OF THE WORKING CARD IN THE EXPANSION CHASSIS]
 

 
Expansion Interface card
PCI-EXP 2.1
PYE 3255A4
01-03522-00 REV (left blank)
 
It’s an absolute miracle I was able to figure this out. To make this work the controller card in a 5 slot G4 can ONLY be placed in Slot 2. It will not work in any other slot. After the card is seated properly you have to purge PRAM and reset the NVRAM. It will not work if you do not do this.
 
The (old) expansion controller card must be in slot one of the expansion chassis. The old (do not know how many pin) cable must be securely connected. (NOTE it’s 80 not 68) Next you MUST run the OS9 Magma card viewer application. I got this from your website. If you do not do this before running DigiTest the cards will not be recognized.
 
Finally you have to have followed the Digi recommended hierarchy of card placement. No other iteration that Core(s), Mix Farm(s), DSP farms (s) will work. I am still unsure how much bus power these will draw so until I’ve worked on the rig for a while, I will not know how many of these cards can be in the chassis and working stably.
 
Okay so next you have to run the very last version of DigiTest. It was made in August of 2002. It’s the last version of DigiTest in OS9. NO OTHER VERSION OF THIS APPLICATION WILL RECOGNIZE THE CARDS AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR USE. Once you run this, you test the cards…it all works.
 
 
All my best,
_BT
 
From @BT
Sent with Sparrow
 

[Enabler]

The new Magma PCI chassis gear all use the Pericom chipset that has issues with OS9 software.
Although you have it working only 1 bank of slots will be addressable for Digi Hardware.
So you won't be able to expand to a fully loaded 10 Card system (Maxed Out) if you have a 13slot chassis

For a G4 running OS9 best case is to find previous generation chassis & cards using the Intel chipset.
these use the VHDCI SCSI cable that are still readily available unlike those RARE 3m ribbon cables you are using.

Keep in mind when buying used boards that the Backplane board inside chassis also needs to be checked. It needs to be removed and flipped over
to see what chipset it has. Look at the largest chip on the boards they will be labeled  DEC, Intel or Pericom

If you have a contact at MAGMA ask them if they have any old stock of the Backplane, Host & Expansion cards
that use the Intel Chipset That way it will all work as it should

[DieHard]

Enabler,

This is all EXTREMELY valuable info. and I am hoping you can get together with PT and make a a New Topic (kinda like the Syntho Guide) to list from scratch a complete guide for an OS9 PT rig.  It should be as detailed as possible and include info that has been long lost on the Digi site

[SonikArchitects]

Hey guys!

Typing this on my phone so forgive any typos. This is fascinating so it seems (??) my new Magma would have this undesirable chipset and therefore be handicapped! Crazy! I’m not way to bra argumentative but I did in fact have this working with 10 cards AND and Oasys + TC card so not sure if mine is in some way special or this weird config of old magma card and new chassis gave it super powers or if I have a different chipset

That said maybe I wasn’t getting the juice of those cards and I didn’t know it? They were for sure being recognized and passing Digitest! I find this all confusing and interesting for others setting up a pimped out system.

Something that would be great for everyone I think would be to post pictures and serial numbers (series) of all supported chassis, interface cards (especially the generation) and cables. I for one in a heartbeat would but a fully loaded, working and tested 10 card system...literally today. PM me if you’ve got an extra of these lying around.

Either way I want to be using a supported magma so look forward to the groups collective knowledge!

All my best,
_BT

[Enabler]

Yes, it could be that the Frankenstein Chassis you created works with a stroke of lightning lol
but I'm sure the engineers at MAGMA are shaking their heads

I tested the newer Pericom cards with OS9 and only the lower bank showed up in my 13 slot chassis
I should test the Intel based HOST & EXPANSION cards with the Pericom Backplane board, maybe that
works like your FrankenChassis as well.

One thing to note is that it's not really a hardware incompatibility because if you run a newer Pericom based chassis
in the G4 running OSX it works like a charm.

BT & I went to Berklee College of Music together..... I was there 1986-1989

[SonikArchitects]

I’d love to hear what your tests reveal! Maybe this is some crazy hybrid Frankenstein system as you say that has Magma shaking their heads!

That’s so cool we were there at the same time! Did we meet? I was a loner. For sure I was the only 15 year old (at the time) and for sure for sure the only kid into Voyetra Seq Plus and taking apart my 303 so it would self oscillate lol!
Best,
_BT

[vectrex]

Sorry for the necro bump, having some trouble getting a Magma expansion chassis to be recognized:

Unit is a PXB7RM Model, Mainboard is a P7B backplane.

Grey 80 pin connector, 'Digital' branded chips on the Host and Expansion Cards. G4 1.6

Quicksilver 2002 wont detect the Expansion chasis or the loaded Mix Core & Two Farm Cards in the first 3 slots (4,5,6).

A couple of questions:
1.Does the Magma unit require any software or drivers? Tried to detect with default DigiTest in PT 5.1.3 and the last DigiTest version, no Magma showing up, Cards load fine/pass when I put them directly in the Quicksilver and boot Pro Tools.

2. Cant find the Magma detection application to test as BT describes above, does anyone have the Magma card viewer application BT describes? Magma's site has been merged with another company, the new site shares a 'mac' file but is really a zipped .exe

Thanks

[IIO]

i have heard it would work without drivers, which kind of makes sense, but the whole topic is a dark field for me, as i have yet to get one and include it in my setup, and the ones which are compatible - 13-slots from certain brands with certain chipsets - are mostly sold either without host card or with protools card included, which i dont need.

[Syntho]

I’ve discovered that different versions of digitest work better than others. Even my d24 cards require a different (older) version of digitest to work right. I’d go back in time, find some various versions of digitest and try them all out.

[vectrex]

Thanks Syntho! I havent forgotten about the TDM plugs, chipping away here at the sorting (digging into the bigger archive on MG as well), will report back with some progress soon.

[Syntho]

Awesome, let us know 

I don’t recall seeing a specific note from digidesign about a chassis not being recognized but maybe that’s what the culprit is. Does it show up in the Apple system profiler? I forget if they show up there or not.

[Syntho]

https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=17348

http://archive.digidesign.com/support/compat/compatodocs501.pdf

●

Magma model PCI-7-RX-300V or PCI-7-RX-400V - must have serial number PD01910 or higher (or 4638-01A0-xxxx). Some chassis may be labeled as PXB7RM, these are supported with a serial number PD01910 or higher

.

What’s your serial number?