Upgrading the Blizzard PPC from 040 to 060

This time I will show how to upgrade the Blizzard PPC from 68040 to 68060. (I have NO equipment for BGA soldering so no PPC upgrade)

So, We take this BPPC Card:

bppcBefore

This card is equipped with a SCSI controller aswell. But you do the same thing on both cards.

First you need to unsolder the 68040 CPU. This is not an easy task. forget solderwick, soldersucker. you need to use something like a desolderingtool:

Desolderingstation

and AVOID trying to use hot air. you will just kill your board then.

When you have removed the CPU it will look like:

bppcnocpu2  bppcnocpu

Also remove the oscillators.

Remember to remove solder on the unused pins aswell, as the 060 have more pins then the 040.

When soldering in the 060, I put in a doublesided simm in the simmsocket that have the simm close to the cpu pins. I do this so I know that I will fit a doublesided simm later. Then I lay the board on the table with some kind of support of the CPU so it will get straight onto the board.  I used a 060 socket. (oh.. socket yes. you CAN add a socket to the bppc but might have issues having it in a desktop 1200 after that)

bppcstand

Here you can see how the board rests on a socket so cpu is straight. and you can slo see the doublesided simm there.

bppcsimmfit

Another angle.  now just start to solder the CPU into place.

Then we need to change some SMD Jumpers.

so first the “jumpers” that controls the 040-060:

bppcJumpers

This is a picture of the settings in 060 mode. you can see that the ferrite marked with red is moved to the right. This makes the 060 gets 3.3V instead of 5V (forget this and your 060 will die) and at the wite marking, you can see that the resistor is moved to the down postition (060 postition).

When it comes to clocking we have more jumpers:

bppcoscillators

The RED oscillator is for the 680×0 CPU, the Green oscillator is for the PPC CPU. and the resistors in the White part is for PPC multiplier: (remember to look at the card like “upsidedown” not shown as on the photo above but the card twisted.)

bppcmultipliers

Anyway, after soldering in the 060, moved the voltagejumper (I call it “jumper” when it is actually not…) and 040/060 setting to correct position. Solder in sockets for the oscillators (and put oscillators back in again) and we can put it into the machine and boot.

We need to flash the board now with proper 060 support.  IF you have issues booting, remove ALL fastmem, and also at poweron hold down the S key if you have a SCSI controller to disable the SCSI. (you might need to boot from floppy for the flash)

Now download the flash from http://phase5.a1k.org/index.php?driverslibraries or download it from me: FlashUpdates-26042002 (Converted to ZIP here)

when booting without startup-sequence or so go to the dir where the files above is located and enter:

blizzppc060update    IF you have a scsi and still get errors even if you disabled the scsi write:    blizzppc060update force

And you should get the board updated, this can take from 1 minute up to half an hour apparently:

bppcFlash

When it is finished.  put in all fastmem if you needed to remove it. poweron and boot.

bppc060 bppc060speed bppc060speed2

Voila..   060.

you CAN overclock, but blizzardvision and scsi will not work above 64 to 66MHz.

but you CAN clock it as I succeeded today:

bppc060-90

Enjoy!

AND.  do NOT use a 68EC060 or crappy thing like that. use a 68RC060 and try to get hold of the 71E41J mask of CPU (Rev6) as it runs a lot cooler then the others and can be clocked HIGH!.

 

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14 thoughts on “Upgrading the Blizzard PPC from 040 to 060

  1. That is awesome stuff!

    I have a question with regards to flashing the BPPC. Mine is an 060/PPC and it looks like the flash has gone so I can only boot with “2” pressed. 🙁

    Do you know if the flasher will work with the card disabled or is the world practically over for me? :((((

    Thanks in advance for any advice!

    1. First of all.. try to boot it WITHOUT any fastmem..
      then you can try to flash it with 2 pressed. I am not sure if you can flash it. or you will maybe need to find someone who can program your prom offline for you.

      but my guess is that it will boot with no fastmem attached atall.

  2. Hi, do you (still) offer upgrade service?
    I came across a bppc 040 with bvisionPCC and I’d love to have an 060 on my card.

  3. Hi, I’m interested on update my blizzard ppc 603e 040 to 060, do you still do it?

  4. Hello,

    after years, I wanted to start upgrading my Blizzard PPC. What is the component for at the bottom in the middle, what should be forgotten, what is soldered on on the right, the left jumper in the row gives the current, right? – The others the speed. On mine the 2nd CPU is an XPC603PRX200LE, the upper quartz has 50mhz. the lower quartz a 66.666000M. now want to install a 68060 with 60mhz, I leave the crystals like that, or change the lower one, if it is designed for 5V.

    1. the upper is for the 68k so if you want to overclock to 60MHz you need to replace it with a 60MHz one

  5. Hi John,

    Do you know if this card works without a ppc cpu installed?

    I recently aquired a defective card, that had a roasted ppc and some other components. That caused a short in the 5v rail. I fixed that, but I had to remove the ppc as that caused a short in the 3,3V rail and the die was chipped. So now all I get is a black screen. There is an 040 installed. The amiga does “start” and responds to a soft reboot, but that’s all. ESC, s, 2 , a etc.. don’t work at the moment.

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