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PowerMac G3 blue and white firewire ports help
Posted by: Classicman on 2024-03-09 13:18:14 Hi everyone! I'm asking for help for my "new" blue and white PowerMac G3 400 Mhz that I'm refurbishing. Everything seemed to work and I was so happy! but I realized during the final test that the firewire ports don't work... I tried with both OS 9 and OS X... nothing. If I connect an external firewire HD "LaCie" (powered by its own power) it turns on from its standby state but is not mounted on the Mac desktop. In System Profiler the ports are detected but it does not show me connected drives. Obviously the firewire drive in question works if connected to another Mac. Can any of you help me? Is the firewire module (metal box) mounted on the logic board burned? or worse... has the controller firewire (if present) on the logic board burned out? Thanks to anyone who can give me some tips/advice.
Posted by: Phipli on 2024-03-09 13:24:44 Hi everyone! I'm asking for help for my "new" blue and white PowerMac G3 400 Mhz that I'm refurbishing. Everything seemed to work and I was so happy! but I realized during the final test that the firewire ports don't work... I tried with both OS 9 and OS X... nothing. If I connect an external firewire HD "LaCie" (powered by its own power) it turns on from its standby state but is not mounted on the Mac desktop. In System Profiler the ports are detected but it does not show me connected drives. Obviously the firewire drive in question works if connected to another Mac. Can any of you help me? Is the firewire module (metal box) mounted on the logic board burned? or worse... has the controller firewire (if present) on the logic board burned out? Thanks to anyone who can give me some tips/advice. It was a common failure mode, I can't remember if the plug in ports fail or the chip. @GRudolf94 do you remember? Mine came with the ports missing and I got a set from eBay thankfully.
Posted by: GRudolf94 on 2024-03-09 21:28:02 IIRC it's the PHY that fails. What sits on the daughtercard.
Posted by: Classicman on 2024-03-10 03:22:47 THANKS a lot friends !!! @Phipli @GRudolf94 so, I understood correctly: the daughtercard is the "metal box" module connected on the logic board?
Posted by: Phipli on 2024-03-10 03:25:59 THANKS a lot friends !!! @Phipli @GRudolf94 so, I understood correctly: the daughtercard is the "metal box" module connected on the logic board? They, that's right. The tin box with two FireWire ports (not the modem one!
Posted by: Phipli on 2024-03-10 03:27:19 There are lots on eBay, I searched "Blue & White G3 FireWire"
Posted by: Classicman on 2024-03-10 03:31:53 THANKS !!! your help / tips are so precious !!!
Posted by: Dude.JediKnight on 2024-03-13 19:35:13 I remember that those FW ports weren’t bootable… but not if the daughterboard itself was required. Will the B&W work fine without one installed?
Posted by: Classicman on 2024-04-01 13:13:00 THANKS a lot friends !!! @Phipli @GRudolf94 I have restored my two firewire ports! You were right, by changing the faulty firewire module with a "new" one everything works perfectly now! 🙂 The PowerMac G3 B&W is a great machine! excellent performance and what's more, all tantalum capacitors are soldered onto its logic board! Long live to ours PowerMac G3 B&W!
Posted by: Classicman on 2024-04-01 13:16:28 I remember that those FW ports weren’t bootable… but not if the daughterboard itself was required. Will the B&W work fine without one installed? Yes, it works without that firewire module.
Posted by: Phipli on 2024-04-01 13:18:31 THANKS a lot friends !!! @Phipli @GRudolf94 I have restored my two firewire ports! You were right, by changing the faulty firewire module with a "new" one everything works perfectly now! 🙂 The PowerMac G3 B&W is a great machine! excellent performance and what's more, all tantalum capacitors are soldered onto its logic board! Long live to ours PowerMac G3 B&W! Excellent news! Congratulations 🙂
Posted by: GRudolf94 on 2024-04-01 15:03:04 THANKS a lot friends !!! @Phipli @GRudolf94 I have restored my two firewire ports! You were right, by changing the faulty firewire module with a "new" one everything works perfectly now! 🙂 The PowerMac G3 B&W is a great machine! excellent performance and what's more, all tantalum capacitors are soldered onto its logic board! Long live to ours PowerMac G3 B&W! Nice, glad to hear.
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