**Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)

[wbrejnia]

Some cable wiggling fixed the C: drive. 486 is back up.

But still can't see the 5.25" disk as B: drive. ( I vagely remember there was some trick to see the B: Drive. Like disconnecting the A: drive. What's weird is the BIOS show the 3.5" a: drive as a 5.25" a: drive.)
 
 The only hint I have is doing a "dir a:" or "dir b:" gives me listing of the same 3.5" disk drive.
 
 From Windows there is only an a: drive.

[wbrejnia]

ERROR IN THIS POST: (Removing for update)

[wbrejnia]

Thanks for the Info ( Great Teamwork Here )

I've shown all I can below.

There is a twist in the cable. Both A: and B: are on same cable.

If I flip the Connector on the controller card the 5.25" B: drive light comes on and stay on (so wrong).

The connector on the 5.25" drive cannot be reverse due to slotted connector.

I even disconnect the 3.5" a: drive, and put the 5.25" b: drive as the 2nd connection on the cable (a: & b: ) or even  ( B: by itself) no luck.  Doesn't work on the latter since OS wasn't an A: drive to boot. (that could be changed in BIOS)




This is getting Crazy. We are not suppose to be fixing (TWO COMPUTERS). 3 if you count the Amiga a (2)

[wbrejnia]

OK, so you got a 486 to verify that the hard drive is showing partitions. (Hooray).

That's not helpful to getting the data off if it isn't PC data. You have to do that through the Bridgeboard via Janus.

You probably have one partition of each type, I would think. Logical, there are two partitions. Or maybe you have the BB PC HD and something else in the 486.

And you have to arrange somewhere for the data to fit, too. I'd back off the drive. Give it a rest.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. THE 486 is the PC running Window 3.1 that I'm trying to get going to format a 5.25" disk for the bridgeboard PC.

The 486 is not the Amiga PC (that is the 8088 PC). I'm far from done.

[wbrejnia]

Have you tried swapping the power connector to confirm that works ? Not sure if the 5.25 floppy actually works. You will need to do basic trouibleshooting like swapping power connector and confirm original one works on another device, changing ribbon cable if you have a spare (if you dont have a spare push down on the end connectors to make sure its got a good byte into the cable), is there another I/O card with floppy controller you can swap it with. maybe something is up with the card. Would be good if you have a spare 5.25 floppy somewhere to swap with.

All good ideas!!

I did the power connector swap. All good either way, either drive.

It could be the ribbon cable and the bite as you say, since I once did see the 5.25" disk drive light blink on boot. Going to dig for another cable from another old PC.
 
 If I had a spare 5.25" floppy in another computer my problem wouldn't exist.  I could do what I need to do on that PC.  This is the only 5.25" disk I have, but that does bring an Idea to mind.  Take out the 5.25" from the 486 and put into another computer.

[wbrejnia]

I will catch up on all your tips.
 
 This 486 Standalone PC issue shouldn't be happening.
 
 It worked before and has been sitting on shelf last two years.
 
 That B: 5.25" disk DRIVE worked and here is proof.
 
 
 
 I label the disk with the command I used a couple of year ago.  Because I learned that time that the Amiga 5.25" need to be formatted a certain size.
 
 the command was as at the top of the floppy on the sticker.  
 
 Clearly says B: for the DRIVE
 
 and the command was....
 
 format b:/F:360 /s

[wbrejnia]

LONG SHOT Possibility for B: Drive Not working.

To be Clear this is the 486 Windows PC (no B: Drive) , not the Amiga.

I was thinking of pulling out the 5.24" drive out for the Explorer computer

As I pulled out the cable I notice this.



It's perforated from a previously connected connector.

I don't think this is the reason since the A: Working Drive is after this punch.

But depending on what pins are needed this could be an issue.
 
 If I can put back another connector at this punch point, I may restore some needed connections.

[wbrejnia]

NOPE, the cable is good even with the punchthru.
 
 I tested each line with an ohm meter from One-Far-End to the Other.

[wbrejnia]

I AM ABOUT TO GIVE UP, unless I come up with something new.

If I can't create a 5.25" disk for the Amiga Bridgeboard PC 5.25" Disk then I can't possibly get the Amiga PC to pick up the Hard Drive.

Creating a restored Workbench Disk is a waste of time since the plain old Bridgeboard PC WORKS. The DJMount works but nothing to mount since PC doesn't pick up the Hard drive thru the WD Contoller Card.

The whole GOAL OF THIS THREAD was to get a Peek at that HARD DRIVE.

I might as well just remove the Controller Card, and the Hard Drive. Put both in my Spare Part shelf. Can't be sold as working since I have not proven that.

Maybe some day build up the Amiga for some reason. But I doubt it.
I can't see what purpose I have for the Amiga other than to see the old games I played. Those work and I can get/burn more onto ADF floppies if the need ever arises via Amiga Explorer.

If I want a faster Amiga, I'm sure there are Emulators, or Better Solutions that this A2000.

Might be time to clean it up and sell my Whole Amiga "Lot of Stuff" for some Fish Tank Gear.

Not sure what it's worth, but the Amiga Monitor itself might make the sale more valuable.

Thanks for everyone's help. It was frustrating and yet fun.
 
 The FUNNY PART of this EXPERIENCE is I've bought SSD drive for every computer in this Family to have them boot Windows in 2 seconds.
 Over last two days, I watch 3 computer boot 50 times.  Each time for Minutes.  That was very painful.  Many times I left to do other things

Nice to have met all of you, and greatly appreciated everyone's help.

Wally B.

[wbrejnia]

HANG ON (Not giving up). One last IDEA.

I'm killing myself to get that 5.25" floppy working on the 486 so that I can boot my Bridgeboard PC on the 5.25" floppy drive in the bridgeboard.

My issue is a 5.25" disk, but does is have to be that.

I have all kind of cardf in that 486 Machine and 3.5" floppy drives galore.

Is there a Card I can plug into the Bridgeboard side Bus to get a 3.5" floppy working on the Amiga PC? If I can, then I can make a 3.5" DOS boot disk and do my last attempt to get the HARD Drive recognized by DOS.  (I'll list the card I have, but what kind of SLot Connector technology is on that PC side of the amiga?)

Is there a way? I notice some of the cards in the 486 go into long slots, but only use a portion of those slots. So maybe they will fit into the AMIGA and work.

[wbrejnia]

I just thought about what I wrote above.

It's a Chicken before the Egg thing.

I can't make a 3.5" disk to boot on the Amiga PC Side, because I would need to boot off that 3.5" DOS disk to load the driver, to recognize the card, to boot off that floppy to recognize that other Controller to get access to the Hard Disk I want to see.

But maybe there is something along that line that you guys can think of.

[wbrejnia]

WinUAE can now emulate bridgeboards too. Would that help any? If you attach the controller card to your 486 with drive attached would that not enable you to read the drive? I'm not very experienced with DOS, but isn't there a driver on the card firmware or I a few years ahead? If not, there has to be a driver out there somewhere.

Paul1981, I'll comment on your other points later, but you sparked a interesting point.

I just got a reply from a Parts Seller that the WD Controller card doesn't have any Drivers (or at least they don't have them). So it must be recognized EITHER TRU DOS, or THRU BIO.

So as you suggest, if that CARD fit into the 486 Standalone Computer, along with the OLD Octagon Hard Drive. It might get picked up, and my mission accomplished. (In the past I did try the Hard Drive Alone with an IDE cable, but wasn't aware it wasn't an IDE Drive).

First I need to detail all the connections on the 486 to be able to put it back together. This is risky on the 486, since it may never work once put back together. Oh well, it's dying anyway, and no use to me.

Before I begin, I'll post a photo of Controller Card, and the Slots in the 486 to confirm this will work.

[wbrejnia]

Hang on a minute... that 5.25 inchh floppy you are booting Amiga from?

Why are you expecting it to work in PC too? I thought Amiga / PC floppies incompatible. Hack to change one into the other. That might be why does not work in 486 - is not a PC floppy drive. It's an Amiga floppy drive?

You cannot set an XT to have an HD in BIOS. FDISK will not see drive if driver not installed. Check links posted already. It's only 16K BIOS anyway.

I never knew BB shipped with GW Basic. License goes with HW, I think. If you got had 286BB and upgraded it to 486, you could have both Amiga and PC in same box. Less space. And there are drivers for controller, in DOS. You usually have to register somewhere to get them, because they are part of MS product, you see. A very ancient one. Not unrestricted free for DL, usually.

I'm lost with your comments above.

The 5.25" DISK in my Amiga is for the AMiga PC.
I dont' boot the Amiga from it. Amiga boots from 3.5" Workbench disk.
I put in 5.25" DOS disk into Amiga (Which is PC Bridgeboard) and the 8088 PC boots inside of an Amiga Window.

The 486 is just a separate machine to try an get drivers onto 5.25" disk to use in the Amiga PC.
 
 My recent idea is to reverse things.  And get the 486 Standalone PC, to recognize the WD Hard Drive Controller, and thus have access to that Hard Drive (Assumption is Hard drive has a DOS Partition, not an Amiga Partition)

[wbrejnia]

Just to be clear.
 
 That 5.25" DOS Flooppy DISK was actually made on the 486 a couple of year ago.  I made two.
 
 I need that DOS boot disk to boot the Amiga Bridgeboard PC to confirm Bridgeboard 8088 PC works.
 
 A) All I wanted to do this time is add some drivers to that 5.25" disk to boot the Amiga PC possibly with a driver to wake up the WD Hard Drive Controller.
 
 B) Another plan was to make at 5.25" version of 3.5" Western Digital Floppy and run that on Amiga PC.
 
 Plan (A) & (B) Failed, when the 846 5.25" Disk didn't work this time (B: Drive)

[wbrejnia]

OK. Bridgeboard had own floppy connector, for floppy PC drive.

I thought you were booting Amiga from 5.25 connected to Amiga floppy connector. Which did not make sense if you tried same drive in PC - PC do not like floppy drives that Amiga connects with.

Yes, bridgeboard is directly connected to 5.25" Floppy drive that is how that PC boots.

[wbrejnia]

THIS MIGHT BE A CLUE (on How my setup Ran on Amiga PC Side)

Here is something, I never paid attention to.

There is a 2nd card on the Amiga PC Side.
It might shed light on how my PC setup ran.
It's an RS232 Parrallel Port Card, which I probably had hooked up to a dot matrix printer for my University work. I remember I never had a PC at the time, and my Amiga PC was my work center for MATLAB.

Here is where the cards are.



Here is the RS232 card. (I pulled it out)

 
 Back side of card for Numbers
 
 
 

If I understand what it takes to make that RS232 card work, it might help to understand how to get the WD Hard Drive Card to work.

Would an RS232 card like that need drivers in DOS side of Amiga PC?