My 500+ Project

[Cammy]

The busted A500+ here also has a flashing green screen and the blinking power LED. The battery damage on this board didn't look too bad, so I hope it can be fixed. Sorry I can't help, but good luck!

[djos]

Cheers Cammy. (bloody Ni-Cad Batteries!)

I do have some good news tho, I have been offered an Agnus 8372AB which is a 2mb unit that is pin compatible with the Rev6a Mobo (8375 from rev8a isnt) I bought so I'll be able to turn the Rev6a board into a 500+ spec board minus the battery backed RTC. :cool:

[gertsy]

Sad to hear the result djos.  But it sounds like you haven't totally given up.  Even if you have a suitable replacement option.

[djos]

Sad to hear the result djos.  But it sounds like you haven't totally given up.  Even if you have a suitable replacement option.

Yeah not entirely, next weekend I'll get a small fine wire brush (eg toothbrush size) and try to clean up some more joins and then freshen up the solder as I think there may be 1 or 2 dry joints needing sorted.

Failing that I'll pimp out the Rev6a Mobo I've ordered so it's Full ECS - I even managed to find a Super Fat Agnus 8372AB 2mb chip in the USA (8375 from 500+ wont work in a rev6a Mobo). Im trying to talk Tomthul into making a 1.5MB chip-ram trapdoor board with Battery backed RTC for those with 6a's wanting to pimp them out to 2MB.

It's a fun project tho and in the mean time i've been teaching myself Amiga using WinUAE (very handy training tool, I even simulated formatting my CF Card and installing WB3.1 on it using a 2GB USB Stick). :cool:

PS, Yesterday I ordered an IDE68k from Mika and from FleaBay a SanDisk 4GB CF Card and an IDE-CF Card module so it's all staring to come together nicely.

[A1260]

you should get one of these... would be very nice for your project i think...

Checkmate A1500
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=6

Micronik 500 Tower
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=1340

GVP (Great Valley Products): A530
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=68

DCE: Viper 530
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=67

[djos]

The Viper 530 looks impressive but to be honest I'll be happy with what im aiming for, which is:

68010 (so F10 works to exit whdload games)
Full ECS Chipset
2mb Chip Ram
8mb Fast Ram
IDE68K -> CF Reader -> 4GB CF Card


once I've got all that up and running I'll prolly look for a 1200.

[gertsy]

Are we there yet ?

[djos]

Nope, looks like the rev8a board is toast, plan b is to pimp out the rev6a board I've ordered to full ECS levels including a super fat agnus 2mb 8372AB I bought via amibay - I've now ordered my 8mb ram board from tomthul and ide68k from Mika.

[djos]

Btw I've been discussing the possibilities of a 2mb chip ram trapdoor board for 500's fitted with 8372ab or b super fat Agnus chips and he has found as I suspected that it would work as long as the onboard chip ram is disabled. :cool:

So if you don't have a mini megachip for your 500 i suggest you track down an 8372ab or 8372b (from the 3000, they are pal/ntsc agnostic too) and pm tomthul ASAP!

[djos]

I Finally solved my WinUAE 500+ w/ KS3.1 ROM issue and I'm now happily formatting my 4GB CF Card into 2x 1.9GB partitions in Workbench 3.1 .. happy days!

Just need some more bits and pieces to show up now so I can use the CF card as a HDD in my real 500+! :cool:

[djos]

My 8MB Ram Module and Agnus 8372AB (Rev6a pin compatible 2MB Agnus) showed up today; Im just waiting on my replacement Mobo from Germany so I can bring my 500 back to life!

In preparation for it arriving, i've cannibalised all the socketed chips from the rev8a board (was slightly careless and destroyed a CIA chip, DOH!) so when my Rev6a arrives all of the ECS chips (Super Denise & Agnus 8372AB) are going straight in along with the 68010 which is already sitting proudly on top of my 8MB Ram module from TomThul.

[orange]

..
Tells me bad Chip-ram or Agnus Chip (i'd reseat it but lack a PLCC extraction tool) ..

have you tried the usual simple pushing down on it?
might help.

[djos]

have you tried the usual simple pushing down on it?
might help.

Yep, removed it and reinserted it. There's obviously trace damage to the memory lines from the battery leak that I can't see.

[djos]

My IDE68k v402 arrived today, here it is with my 68010 and 8mb RAM Board sitting on top of it - I had to remove the IDE connectors plastic shroud to get the ram board on as if I'd gone the other way I wouldnt be able to install the keyboard. As it is the RF shield no longer fits and has been retired. :cool:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/71121999/Amiga/2012-07-17%2019.41.00.jpg

Ordered a nice simple switch operated rom switcher today from a chap in Germany but still waiting on my replacement mobo!!! :rolleyes:

[A1260]

new stuff for your project...

Our new accelerator for the Amiga 500 has already been discussed in user forums, but will be released with some changes, so customer demand is met in both price and features. The ACA500 is powered by a 14MHz CMOS-68000 processor with 2MBytes RAM and a mass-storage controller for CF-cards and CD drives. Autoboot from CF-card is possible from Kickstart V1.3 and higher. Thanks to our TrueIDE technology, any CF card can be used, even if the card identifies as “removable device”. A CD-ROM drive can be connected to the easily reachable IDE port on the side of the A500.

The relatively moderate increase in speed is enough to run WHDload. For those who want more CPU power, the ACA500 has a CPU-slot compatible with our accelerators for A1200 computers. This makes even our top model ACA1231 available to the A500 computer. The ACA500 will be available from all resellers for 79,90 EUR. We’re currently negotiating about including Kickstart licenses into the ACA500, so the built-in flashrom can be pre-loaded with different Kickstart licenses.

link:
http://oldschoolgameblog.com/2012/07/17/individual-computers-new-products-for-the-commodore-64-and-the-amiga/

[djos]

Yeah I saw that but frankly I've already spent triple what my 500+ cost me and the wife will get suspicious if the CC doesnt start going down RSN! :eek:

PS, I so want the ACA500* + ACA1220, what a sweet sweet combo!!!  :afro:

*Only thing I dont like is the 2mb Ram, really should be 8mb!