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Author Topic: Swapping 1.2 with 1.3 Kickstart ROM on A500  (Read 6749 times)

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Offline ognix

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Re: Swapping 1.2 with 1.3 Kickstart ROM on A500
« on: June 30, 2011, 10:04:56 AM »
In my opinion 1.2 is THE most compatible one, speaking about games (really old ones, until 1990).
I remember in those times people with "new bought " A500 with 1.3 having problems loading some games.

Moreover, but I should investigate, there maybe some problems/little modification for upgrading old A500 motherboards (rev.5) to KS 1.3 (if I'm not wrong it's just a pin). Same stuff if you want to "downgrade" an A500 with 1.3 to 1.2 (but I'm NOT completely sure - anyway you won't hurt anything if you place the chip correctly; just won't boot).

BY!
 

Offline ognix

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Re: Swapping 1.2 with 1.3 Kickstart ROM on A500
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2011, 11:27:26 PM »
Quote from: tone007;647726
I think that's only for 2.0 or higher ROMs.

Hello!
I investigated... :)

At the moment I didn't test what I'm going to say "for real" but the in theory this is what should be done to use K1.2 on 1.3 motherboards (rev.6a/7) or 2.04 motherboards (rev.8 - A500+) and vice versa (KS 1.3/2.04/3.1 on old rev.5 motherboards).

First of all one clarification (implicit above):
- A500 motherboard rev.5 (mounted KS 1.2 - OCS)
- A500 motherboard rev.6a/7 (mounted KS 1.3 - OCS/ECS 1MB Agnus)
- A500+ motherboard rev.8 (mounted KS 2.04 - ECS 2MB Agnus)

These are what I found here in Italy/Europe, in my personal experience (and not only).

By seeing the schematics (ROM related part can be seen below), in the rev.5 motherboards pin 31 of Kickstart ROM 1.2 is A17 (address 17), while on rev.6/7a ones pin 31 is connected to Vcc, while A17 is located on pin 1.
The same applies to rev.8 motherboards if you pay attention that these motherboards were designed with 1MB Kickstart in mind, so the ROM socket is not 40 pin (for "normal" 256kB/512K ROM) but 42 pin.
In fact numeration reported is referred to a 42 pin socket, but if you place the ROM from the 2nd pin (as printed on the motherboard), pin 2 becomes pin 1 of the ROM, so is the same numeration as rev.6/7a motherboards.
Hope I did not create confusion... re-read carefully with image...

So at the end:
- if you want to use KS 1.3/2.04/3.1 on old rev.5 motherboards you have to rewire pin 1 of the ROM to pin 31 of the socket, and put Vcc (5V) on pin 31 of the ROM (maybe some kohm resistor is not a bad idea, to limit current).

- if you want to use KS 1.2 on rev.6a/7/8 motherboards you have to rewire pin 31 of the ROM to pin 1.

Both modifications could be done with some wires and by bending pins (maybe better if you bend pins from a further socket in between) or creating a proper simple PCB (more work, of course).
In the past (I don't know now) Kickstart switchers provided jumpers for this purpose (but I don't know if they were done for working in all motherboard revisions with ALL Kickstarts, specifically 1.2).

Hope I clarified the thing completely.
If there are mistakes or imperfections let me know, but with precise references (eg. schematics).
I'm especially waiting comments from alexh and Cosmos, who are very competent on this arguments, from what I've read in their posts.

BTW, I'm NOT responsible for any damages to your motherboard, ok?!  :D
Bear in mind that for doing this you need to have at least some basic skills of electronics.

Little tech note for novices:
A0-A17 address bus: addresses 2^18 (0-17) locations = 262144 = 256kB
A0-A18 address bus: addresses 2^19 (0-18) locations = 524288 = 512kB
A0-A19 address bus: addresses 2^20 (0-19) locations = 1048576 = 1MB

BY!

P.S. The schematics are available at the end of A500 user manuals (here pics are small, sorry - I don't know how to place bigger images; maybe a better account...)
« Last Edit: July 06, 2011, 11:49:58 PM by ognix »
 

Offline ognix

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Re: Swapping 1.2 with 1.3 Kickstart ROM on A500
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2011, 11:44:12 PM »
Quote from: CodeHunter;647709
Hello all,
I am tempted to open one of those bad shaped ones (well I already did!) and remove its 1.3 Kickstart ROM and replace it with my good A500's 1.2.

Follow my tech advices in the previous post: I think that just swapping KS won't work (depending on motherboard revision).
But nothing bad should happen, just black screen.
Ask for someone techy to help.


Quote from: CodeHunter;647709
The thing is, I am not sure which chip is the real kickstart on A500. do you have a picture of motherboard which clearly shows it?

UPDATE 1: OK I found this image. Which one is the Kickstart ROM chip?
http://www.freemansgarage.com/stuff/P1010006.JPG

As other people stated, in this Amiga you have a Kickstart switcher: to change Kickstart keep pressed left (or right) mouse button at switch on.

The Kickstart ROM itself is normally located in the left part of the motherboard more or less centrally, right to big microprocessor MC68000 (where the flat cable of switcher starts from, in you picture).

Apparently the motherboard pictured is an old rev.5 (since the number of chips for 512kB of RAM).

Don't worry about the metallic shield: it's "just" for FCC RF noise (you should place some very electrically noisy stuff to get real problems).


Quote from: CodeHunter;647709
Oh, and is 1.3 THE most compatible Kickstart, or should I stay with my 1.2 on my A500?

KS 1.2 is the way to go if you want to play many pre-1989 games.

BY!
« Last Edit: July 06, 2011, 11:51:26 PM by ognix »