Amiga.org
The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: redrumloa on May 01, 2010, 07:18:52 PM
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Guys/gals,
I have been working almost daily on my Commodore 128 Tower project and am approaching a near-completed state. At this point I could close it up and use it for daily computing, not missing a thing. There is still things I want to do, but it is more just fine tuning for the most part. The only big piece left is integrating an internal 1581.
Here's the question, would any of you be interested in a blog about the 128T and my progress? I was considering making a new site for a blog, but thought maybe just use Amiga.org's blog feature. I know there were at least a few people here interested in the project, so if you would like to see a blog please speak up!
Here are a few photos of the current system.
http://i41.tinypic.com/25twbnn.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/23w4d3d.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/15fhob8.jpg
Let me know! :afro:
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Now is this a NEW 128 tower assembly or is it the one you've been working on for some time now?
Also, do you run Wings or Wheels or GEOS or just boot to the ol' BASIC: READY. prompt? :)
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Blog away, Red :D
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Blog anywhere, as long as you provide a link in this thread. So yes, I am interested. :)
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I am especially curious to know what floppy drive assemblies you are using. They look nice. Also, that looks like a standard 128 board. Any thoughts on towering a 128D?
I mean, sure, you could just stand it up on its side, but that is not the same as a tower.
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Now is this a NEW 128 tower assembly or is it the one you've been working on for some time now?
Also, do you run Wings or Wheels or GEOS or just boot to the ol' BASIC: READY. prompt? :)
This is the same project, but it was on hold for about 1.5 years only getting light usage since it wasn't fully complete.
I run both Geos 2.0 (Modified for SuperCPU) and Wheels. I haven't given Wings a try yet, but will soon. If you look in the first picture, you will see the system is running Geolink IRC client in Geos 2.0 (w/SuperCPU enabled. Here is another (somewhat blurry) pic.
http://i41.tinypic.com/2vv0ugy.jpg
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I am especially curious to know what floppy drive assemblies you are using. They look nice. Also, that looks like a standard 128 board. Any thoughts on towering a 128D?
I mean, sure, you could just stand it up on its side, but that is not the same as a tower.
The motherboard is actually from a 128D(CR). The drive assemblies are from 1571s. One from the 128DCR(1571D) itself and the other from a plain 1571. The face plate issue caused me no end to a headache as obviously the 1571 and 128D don't use standard 5.25 faceplates. I spent so much time and money buying various PC 5.25 drive to find one that the faceplate matched and had to use a modifed PC one for a while. Eventually I figured out a 1541C faceplate and certain 1541 face plates would work. The ones in use are from pilfered 1541C's. They have been painted black, of course.
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Blog away please! I'd like to know what in the heck that PCI board is, what it hooks to and how you're using a network card, VGA and whatever else you've got crammed in there. lol Drivers, functionality and all that good stuff. Looks awesome Red!
Never even knew all that stuff existed. Totally different world of modding and hacking it would seem!
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That is just to cool :)
blog away.. need more pictures...
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Give me a few days, I will start a blog:) By the weekend, I will have the first entry. Since this project is in an advanced state already, I'd like the first post to be somewhat descriptive.
I'd like to know what in the heck that PCI board is, what it hooks to and how you're using a network card, VGA and whatever else you've got crammed in there. lol Drivers, functionality and all that good stuff. Looks awesome Red!
Well it isn't a PCI card, but rather a simple APROSPAN 4 slot expansion port (cartridge port) extender.
(http://i43.tinypic.com/96zs0h.jpg)
The Aprospan is plugged into the SuperCPU 128 accelerator, which is connected to the motherboard with a custom made extension cable. The biggest headache of this whole project was making that extension cable!
The only thing plugged into the Aprospan right now is a 64nic+ ethernet card, which I have made a small adapter & cable to extend to a rear slot. It has link and activity lights too (as shown in earlier pic above). Next is to install a Turbo232 rs232 adapter and extend to the back and finally a 1750 REU or clone.
There I go yapping! I'll save the rest for the blog :afro:
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First entry into the blog is done.
http://www.amiga.org/forums/blog.php?b=177
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I call dibs on the first comment :D
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That is just to cool :)
blog away.. need more pictures...
Yep.. that'd be cool.
That BROKSONIC LCD IS ROCKIN THE 128!
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They have 128 Bit computers already?
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They have 128 Bit computers already?
Sort of. If you apply some of the old marketing ideas of "bitness" rather than the machine pointer/word size, then things like AltiVec and SSE are 128-bit, since they have 128-bit wide registers ;)
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They have 128 Bit computers already?
Ahem... 128 KiloBYTES, it is superior ;)
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:bump::bump:
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That is a thing of beauty, you must have really love c64/128. I went right from c64 and tandy color computers to amiga myself, but I did get a 128 later.
I've always wanted to build a custom amiga tower. Someday I will I suppose if I ever find enough parts I can afford. I have a full tower case, a 1200 motherboard and ps.
I need an accellerator, keyboard adapter and pci adapters and so on. could get expensive...
Steven
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damn you Red :) you caused me to get my C128 out of the loft and hook it up to my 50" tele - composite video colour bleeds horrible... I'll need to get some convertor
fun :D
Tom UK
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damn you Red :) you caused me to get my C128 out of the loft and hook it up to my 50" tele - composite video colour bleeds horrible... I'll need to get some convertor
My plan is working... Excellent... :cool:
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damn you Red :) you caused me to get my C128 out of the loft and hook it up to my 50" tele - composite video colour bleeds horrible... I'll need to get some convertor
Use the S-Video output. It's not perfect, but it's much better than the composite.
Actually, I'm playing with tapping the S-Video signal directly from the VIC-II. By passing it through a voltage divider and an op-amp, I'm actually ending up with a signal much cleaner and purer than what's offered from the video port.
If anyone's interested, let me know, and I'll share what I've learned so far.
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Use the S-Video output. It's not perfect, but it's much better than the composite.
Actually, I'm playing with tapping the S-Video signal directly from the VIC-II. By passing it through a voltage divider and an op-amp, I'm actually ending up with a signal much cleaner and purer than what's offered from the video port.
If anyone's interested, let me know, and I'll share what I've learned so far.
But of course I'm interested :)
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me two :p s-vid ? on a C128 ? just think of me as an idiot on this subject ... I am ;-)
I used my composite cable that came with my 1084 monitor ages ago (monitor gone since long)
enlighten me Skurk :)
Tom UK
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enlighten me Skurk :)
Well, as you know, the video port already provide a S-Video signal. However, I find this signal quite noisy (especially on my C64), so I'm trying to extract a decent signal directly from the VIC-II.
Pins 14 (Chroma) and 15 (Luma) on the VIC-II spits out an amplified S-Video signal. By applying a voltage divider and an op-amp to "balance" the impedance (in the lack of a better word) I'm getting a much cleaner and leaner signal than what the video port provides. I can take some pictures from the oscilloscope to prove this.
I'm sorry I'm a bit vague on the details right now, I'll see if I can look into it tonight. I just got back from the hospital after receiving my second child, so I hope I'm excused ;)
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I'm sorry I'm a bit vague on the details right now, I'll see if I can look into it tonight. I just got back from the hospital after receiving my second child, so I hope I'm excused ;)
Congrats!!! Enjoy that baby and take care of the mother. We will be here when you get the time:D
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In case you missed it, I posted some screenshots last night.
http://www.amiga.org/forums/blog.php?bt=424
I'm happy to report it is still possible to read and post on Amiga.org from a Commodore 128. I'll try a more Commodore specific browser than Elinks soon.
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Blog update, 1581 now installed internally.
http://amiga.org/forums/blog.php?bt=436