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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Selles on August 11, 2010, 10:43:49 AM

Title: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Selles on August 11, 2010, 10:43:49 AM
Hello everyone, I am new to Amiga Org. I am building an Amiga 500 tower for doing titling and genlocking. The motherboard is revision 6 with a 1 meg Agnus and 1 meg of chip memory. Kickstart 3.1 and a high density disk drive installed. I also installed a SuperGen genlock and a Micron Tech. Inc. Amiga 500 Interconnect board (zorro II adapter).
 
Everything is working fine except the Amiga 3000 keyboard and Zorro II adapter. The Amiga 500 is not "seeing" any board plugged into the Zorro II adapter board. Also, any of you know how to hook up an Amiga 3000 keyboard to an Amiga 500 motherboard?  Oh, and I want to hook up a reset switch.  I do not want to Control-A-A.  The Atari ST computer has a reset swith, I wonder if something like that can be hooked up to my Amiga 500 tower?
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: cv643d on August 11, 2010, 02:21:26 PM
Bussboard may need its own power?

Save time, money and white hair = get an A2000 ;)
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: save2600 on August 11, 2010, 02:30:01 PM
Good advice. With the money you'll get selling that A500 Zorro kit, you can purchase a really nice, ready to go big box Amiga system and get right to work.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: cv643d on August 11, 2010, 02:36:17 PM
If you are in Sweden you can have my A2000 cheap.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Bigbronc on August 11, 2010, 03:10:32 PM
build it and solve your zorro issues, and post some photos, come on guys, don't sent him on the path of least resistance, make a new toy from the ashes of a old A500, I don't know the answer to your problem, but I build all kinds of cool stuff from old technoligy, stuff I could not afford when it was leading edge stuff.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Selles on August 11, 2010, 09:35:18 PM
I already have 4 Amiga 2000 computers and an Amiga 3000.  They are to big to take out into the field.  The Amiga 500 tower that I am building will have everthing built in.  2 straps will go around the tower case connected to a carrying handle on top.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: haywirepc on August 12, 2010, 12:34:25 AM
I would like to use an amiga for some video titling and stuff like that too. I thought I could use the video outs from the amiga into a pc video digitizer.
 
What software do you plan to use to make the titles and stuff? Can you suggest some for me to try?

Thanks,
 
Steven
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: stefcep2 on August 12, 2010, 12:52:22 AM
Quote from: haywirepc;574404
I would like to use an amiga for some video titling and stuff like that too. I thought I could use the video outs from the amiga into a pc video digitizer.
 
What software do you plan to use to make the titles and stuff? Can you suggest some for me to try?

Thanks,
 
Steven


There were plenty titling software for Amiga.  IMO the best was Scala.  Simple to use, loads of fonts and fades and effects, very smooth playback.  It really shines once you start creating animations in Dpaint and then playing them back from Scala.  My favourite hardware to run this is an A1200, even with just 4 meg fast ram, beacsue you have the composite out built in and can digitize straight into the PC.  If you have a genlock like the GVP you can output to S-vhs and some PC cards have svhs-inputs.  Save as mpeg2 and mp3.  You can then use the PC to burn the ouput to DVD and play it back on home dvd player.  

There's also mediapoint, TV graphics, commodore even had one (name?)
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: tone007 on August 12, 2010, 01:04:44 AM
Quote from: Selles;574383
I already have 4 Amiga 2000 computers and an Amiga 3000.  They are to big to take out into the field.  The Amiga 500 tower that I am building will have everthing built in.  2 straps will go around the tower case connected to a carrying handle on top.


..towered A500 hackjob smaller than an A3000?  I'll believe it when I see it.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: rkauer on August 12, 2010, 03:50:55 AM
Not smaller, but surely lighter (both in weight and in processing powah).
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Selles on August 12, 2010, 04:12:18 AM
We are getting WAY off topic, but, I will answer your questions. I use Deluxe Paint 3 for creating the graphics and titling that is genlocked over live video. I do have a complete Video Toaster setup, but, I can not drag that out into the field.
 
The reason why I do not use my Amiga 3000 is because it has a tendency to over-heat.  I can leave my Amiga 500 tower on all the time and it never over-heats.  The case is slightly larger then an Amiga 3000, but much more durable.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: marcfrick2112 on August 12, 2010, 09:00:06 AM
Ohhhh, I wish I could help you better, but have you checked aminet, etc. about A500 Zorro adapters, info, etc.? OK, a big box Amiga setup might be easier,etc.... but my first miggy was a 500, so I really would like to see you max that baby out.... no matter what the trouble.....

Hmmm, cv64d's post made me think.... The busboard may or may not need its' own power... but do you have enough power for the beast generally? A High-power PSU should be a priority for a 500*, especially as you expand it.....

About hooking up the 3000 keyboard... have you tried googling 'amiga keyboard pinouts' or tried http://www.pinouts.ru (http://www.pinouts.ru/)   ?

And, a reset switch........... hmmmmm, I seem to recall that it is possible to add this..... my A1200T Power Tower has a reset button, it doesn't work tho' .... :angry:

Also, here's something....
http://theweeks.org/toms-stuff/top.txt



*Some ppl. like A500 PSU's, I know.... I had 2 crap out on me :(
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: SaMiga on August 12, 2010, 11:12:28 AM
Actually.. I just hooked ub an A2000 keyboard to one of my A600 boards.
with a little help from these links.



--> http://koti.mbnet.fi/udioica/mod_a600lang/index.html
--> http://www.mylinuxisp.com/~jdbaker/oldsite/images/A5h_A2k_CDTV_kbd.gif
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: tone007 on August 12, 2010, 11:24:27 AM
Quote from: SaMiga;574456
Actually.. I just hooked ub an A2000 keyboard to one of my A600 boards.
with a little help from these links.


Won't do much good for an A500, but luckily it's even easier to get an A2000 board going on the A500.

Compare the pinouts:

A2000:
Pin   Function
1    KCLK
2    KDAT
3    n/c
4    GND
5    +5 Volts

A500:
Pin   Function
1   CLOCK
2   DATA
3   RESET
4   +5V
5   N/C
6   GND
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: scuzzb494 on August 12, 2010, 11:02:21 PM
My Checkmate has an external keyboard connected to the 500. Don`t be fooled by the 1500 badge. This was made before the A1500 was created. Sadly no carrying case though somewhat light.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz86.htm

What did have a neat handle was the C128D Plastic.. Plus the keyboard locked into the bottom of the unit.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/a_scuzz_jun12/a_scuzz_jun12_01.jpg

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz17.htm

Have fun.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Selles on November 18, 2010, 02:04:08 PM
Ok, I did manage to get an Amiga 2000 / 3000 keyboard to work.
 
Only ram boards and other simple 5 volt Zorro II boards work in the Zorro II adapter.  SCSI boards and other complex boards will not work.  Maybe the -5 v and 12 v lines are missing.
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Darth_X on December 02, 2012, 05:13:38 AM
Quote from: Selles;574330
Hello everyone, I am new to Amiga Org. I am building an Amiga 500 tower for doing titling and genlocking. The motherboard is revision 6 with a 1 meg Agnus and 1 meg of chip memory. Kickstart 3.1 and a high density disk drive installed. I also installed a SuperGen genlock and a Micron Tech. Inc. Amiga 500 Interconnect board (zorro II adapter).
 
Everything is working fine except the Amiga 3000 keyboard and Zorro II adapter. The Amiga 500 is not "seeing" any board plugged into the Zorro II adapter board. Also, any of you know how to hook up an Amiga 3000 keyboard to an Amiga 500 motherboard?  Oh, and I want to hook up a reset switch.  I do not want to Control-A-A.  The Atari ST computer has a reset swith, I wonder if something like that can be hooked up to my Amiga 500 tower?


This sounds like a cool project. Anyone know why this guy is banned?
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: B00tDisk on December 02, 2012, 05:52:41 AM
he was a doomy sockpuppet
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Dandy on December 03, 2012, 12:32:18 PM
Quote from: stefcep2;574407


There were plenty titling software for Amiga.  IMO the best was Scala.  
...



The shortcoming of Scala is that you cannot switch to modern rtg screenmodes.
If you want to use it, you'll need the possibility to display one of the old, crappy Amiga video modes.

It is completely useless on my Amiga4000 PPC with Mediator and Voodoo4 graphics card and TFT monitor.

Bummer!
Title: Re: Amiga 500 Tower with SuperGen
Post by: Dandy on December 03, 2012, 01:06:56 PM
Quote from: Selles;574330


...
Also, any of you know how to hook up an Amiga 3000 keyboard to an Amiga 500 motherboard?  



Aside from getting the circuit diagrams and looking there for ways of connecting an Amiga 3000 keyboard I do only know of an (theoretical) way to connect PC keyboards to an A500:

It could be a solution to get hold of a clock port expansion for the A500 (I have a weak remembrance that once there was a hardware add-on for the A500 offering an A1200-compatible-clockport, but can't remember the name a.t.m.. There you could (in theory) connect one of E3B's USB cards for clockport(Algor/Subway) (http://www.e3b.de/usb/index_e.html), that can be operated with Anaiis USB stack for low-spec Amigas (http://aminet.net/package/driver/other/anaiis).
Now you can connect USB-keyboard and USB-mouse. Possibly also a 10 mBit network interface card works? That should allow for the fastest possible file transfer with old, low spec Amigas...

But I never tested the USB solution - therefor I wrote "in theory". I don't know for sure if a network card works with Anaiis - but you could ask Gilloo:
Contact address
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any mail, comments, suggestions, documentations are welcome!

Please send a mail with the title "ANAIIS" at the following mail address
gilles dot pelletier at voila dot fr

Enjoy USB on old classic Amiga.
And remember: Only Amiga makes it possible!



Quote from: Selles;574330


Oh, and I want to hook up a reset switch.  I do not want to Control-A-A.  The Atari ST computer has a reset swith, I wonder if something like that can be hooked up to my Amiga 500 tower?



Perhaps you prefer the new Microsoft keyboard (see attached)?
;-)