My new A4000

[kirk_m]

Let me introduce to you the newest A4000 in the USA...  finished a few weeks ago by me, but, with bugs due to 4 bad solder points (out of over 800 components).  After a few weeks of intermittent troubleshooting as I could (busy busy busy IRL), it is officially alive as of yesterday.  There is still one bug that I haven't figured out yet, though.  I cannot get the IDE to work, but, it will boot fine from floppy.  Acill tells me that IDE is controlled by the GALs at position U901 and U902.   I'll keep plugging away until I find out what the issue is there, I suppose.

I couldn't even solder a year ago, so this is quite the accomplishment for me.

Pics (or it didn't happen):

Alice A4000+

[kirk_m]

Thank you!  Now I just have to clean all the flux residue off the board.  I cleaned as  I assembled, but, I still have a sticky residue from the flux everywhere.

[kirk_m]

Yes, I still have to install the FAST RAM sockets.  And, correct, the chip RAM is soldered to the board, near the RTC battery  (which I also still have to install). 

The only thing not working is the IDE, which I have been told is controlled by the GALs at U901 & U902, as well as a few buffer chips nearby.  I'll have to check the soldering there this weekend when I have time, then I'll clean off all the remaining flux residue.

Next project is to build one of John Hertell's 3660 boards, and Arananet's daughterboard (updated format with no ISA slots on it)...then after that, a ReAmiga1200

[kirk_m]

Thank you!  Acill taught me well, and, having good magnification, light, and steady  hands didn't hurt, either New custom chips were used.  I bought them as a set from iComp (he will not sell you the Alice chip unless you buy the entire set needed).  I used a Hakko temperature controlled soldering iron, liquid flux, and rosin core solder wire (37/63 leaded).  The only thing I used hot air for was removal of an SMD component I had installed by accident (one resistor was to be installed only if you used an onboard CPU versus a CPU card, and I did not solder in an onboard CPU).

Are you about to build a ReAmiga 1200?   Once I build a 3660 card for this, I am going to build the 1200.

[kirk_m]

That stuff looks interesting (the chipquick), but, I've always wondered how you clean it off the IC once you've gotten it removed it, without overheating and killing the IC.  Have you ever used it before?

[kirk_m]

Thanks, Mechy.  The GALs really aren't GALs...they're equivalent 16V8 EEPLDs, and are 10ns. 
The issue was poor contact of the sockets to the GALs.  I went in and cleaned all the contacts of the ICs and the socket with isopropyl 99% (I think I had some flux residue on the pins of both parts) and also bent out the pins in the sockets themselves to make them more firmly contact the GALs.  It now boots from IDE...hooray!

I just have to clean off all the remaining flux residue from the board...what a pain in the ass.  I cleaned it all as I went along, but, the board is still tacky to the touch.  I have a small ultrasonic cleaner, but, nothing big enough to fit this entire board in.

[kirk_m]

Chipquick is basically bismuth,its got a low melting point so heat is not a issue, also it doesn't like to "cling' to the chip so much so cleaning is not an issue.

What's the best way to clean off afterwards?  Solder wick?

[kirk_m]

All cleaned up and ready to go into a case, if I find one...

[kirk_m]

Yes, I ordered a set from iComp and installed it last week.  Bought another one to build the a1200 clone while I was at it.

And, agreed, building this cost entirely too much money.  The PCB was $100 alone, passive components were right at $200, the SIMM sockets were $25, the card edge connectors cost $12.  The ports cost about $25 mainly due to the 23 pinned ones.  Then there’s the custom chips... those cost over $170 to obtain.  The CIA chips cost another $60, the delay line, VideoDAC, and the chip RAM cost another $30.  The CPU slot connector was $25, and the onboard CPU I soldered in last week cost me $25.  I added the FPU, which set me back another $20.   GOOD quality solder and flux aren’t cheap either, and if you have to buy any equipment, well, that’s a few hundred more.

[kirk_m]

Thanks for all the soldering tutelage over the last year or so, Acill.

So, 2 weeks ago, I soldered in the onboard 030 CPU in QFP package, then added in the 68882 FPU into the existing socket.  This weekend, I built the replica daughterboard, a free design made my Arananet (Edu Arana), and shared on Github.  I made one mistake an accidentally ordered a DIP-14 IC instead of an SOIC-14 (I didn't pay attention to the package type for this one chip, for some reason, but the other two needed ICs I ordered correctly), so, I had to place another damned order with Mouser to get that last part and a few other items needed for another project.

[kirk_m]

This is absolutely amazing.

Can you imagine we are in times that we have new A1200 cases, you keycaps, new motherboards and even new CPU cards and other stuff. I wonder who and when will start selling "100%" new A1200 (with OS3.1.4). Nice . Price ~$2000 .

Ps. I got my  A1200 "mobo", it will take me ~10 years to learn how to and do it... but at least it is nice hobby and looks quite pro .

Well...there is already someone selling the A4000 clone, built up by him...on amibay for over 2K euros.  No CPU card or daughterboard included.

[kirk_m]

@ kirk_m
job well done and remember practice makes perfect!
personally I'm glad I replaced my A4000's battery years ago before it caused any damage and also re-capped it so she's humming along awesome as always! btw, is there any improvement to the original on these new MB's or is it just a new replica?

They are pretty much clones of the old ones.   The A1200 clone, the ReAmiga 1200, has improvements, like SVIDEO out and use of a DB-15 VGA connector, built in RATTE monitor switch support and built in kickstart switch.