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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: McTrinsic on January 15, 2004, 09:29:45 AM

Title: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: McTrinsic on January 15, 2004, 09:29:45 AM
Hi all,

this time I need some help with real hardware - hacking. Ihopy any of you could help me with this.

I am looking for an adaptor, a sort of a riser card, for the Amiga 2000 VIDEO SLOT.

That means, I want the card that is put into the Videoslot to be parallel to the mainboard instead of standing on it.

Similar adaptors for PCI and AGP exist,  is anyone of you able to make one for the Video Slot???

Thanks a lot,
McTrinsic
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: bloodline on January 15, 2004, 09:51:57 AM
Quote

McTrinsic wrote:
Hi all,

this time I need some help with real hardware - hacking. Ihopy any of you could help me with this.

I am looking for an adaptor, a sort of a riser card, for the Amiga 2000 VIDEO SLOT.

That means, I want the card that is put into the Videoslot to be parallel to the mainboard instead of standing on it.

Similar adaptors for PCI and AGP exist,  is anyone of you able to make one for the Video Slot???

Thanks a lot,
McTrinsic


That shouldn't be too hard to make just pop down to Maplin/Tandy/Radio Shack and pick up some conenctors and a PCB prototype board and then just move the traces across the board and stich the connector on at 90degrees  :-)

Simple!!!

-Disclaimer- I have never tried this and wouldn't want to.
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: Jope on January 15, 2004, 10:09:47 AM
Quote
That shouldn't be too hard to make just pop down to Maplin/Tandy/Radio Shack and pick up some conenctors and a PCB prototype board and then just move the traces across the board and stich the connector on at 90degrees

Yeah, probably won't degrade the signal TOO much.

You can also do this with a few lengths of flat cable, but it'll be a tedious job. :-)

The connectors are just normal ISA 16bit extension connectors for the A2000 video slot.
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: McTrinsic on January 15, 2004, 10:14:27 AM
Well, nice idea, BUT:

youre talking to someone who never has soldered, and the only thing I have in electronics was to exchange cards and chips...

By the way, I have been checking the Classic Amiga Hardware Resource Sites, and I am wondering if it is worth it: I would liek to use all graphic modes of the ECS on a VGA monitor ... Anyone who can recommend one?

McTrinsic
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: bloodline on January 15, 2004, 10:14:57 AM
Quote

Jope wrote:
Quote
That shouldn't be too hard to make just pop down to Maplin/Tandy/Radio Shack and pick up some conenctors and a PCB prototype board and then just move the traces across the board and stich the connector on at 90degrees

Yeah, probably won't degrade the signal TOO much.



The signal should be fine you would only be moving the lines half an inch or so.
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: bloodline on January 15, 2004, 10:18:34 AM
Quote

McTrinsic wrote:
Well, nice idea, BUT:

youre talking to someone who never has soldered, and the only thing I have in electronics was to exchange cards and chips...

McTrinsic


See if you can find an ISA adaptor card them :-)
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: McTrinsic on January 15, 2004, 10:33:46 AM
So you mean I should get two of these:

http://www.mycableshop.com/sku/ISAR-04A.htm ,

cut the smaller part of both and have the adapter?

Nice idea again,

but... looks costly.

McTrinsic
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: bloodline on January 15, 2004, 10:37:27 AM
Quote

McTrinsic wrote:
So you mean I should get two of these:

http://www.mycableshop.com/sku/ISAR-04A.htm ,

cut the smaller part of both and have the adapter?

Nice idea again,

but... looks costly.

McTrinsic


Looks about right, but I don't know how  the A2K video slot was Keyed.
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: bloodline on January 15, 2004, 10:41:17 AM
Looking at this picture:

(http://www.amiga-hardware.com/a2320amber_sm2.jpg)
and
(http://www.mycableshop.com/300x300/isar-04-a.large.jpg)

It looks to me like that adaptor you found would not fit fine, since the key is in the centre :-(
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: Castellen on January 15, 2004, 10:44:20 AM
Just get yourself a PicassoIV GFX card.
Not only does it have a section where the video slot edge connector can break out and be connected to the remote A2000 video slot, it also picks up Amiga motherboard video from the video slot and scandoubles them so you can use any standard 31kHz monitor.

Plus you can use nice 24 bit screenmodes for workbench and stuff if you want to.
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: Jope on January 15, 2004, 10:48:06 AM
Quote

So you mean I should get two of these:

Yes, but only if you're absolutely sure that you will never be able to learn to solder.

If you decide to go the expensive route, be careful not to cut any of the 16bit side traces with your hacksaw! Then you'll need to start soldering for sure. :-)

Soldering tips:
- Be sure that the iron is hot before you start, if it only just started to melt the solder then wait for a little longer.
- Heat the components a bit before applying the solder, otherwise it'll just stick to your iron's tip or roll of as balls, splashing on your desk and in your lap (I still have nice round scars on my lap for soldering in shorts and not being careful ;-)
- Don't use a lot of solder! If you seem to be using a lot and are not accomplishing much, your component isn't hot enough for the solder to melt on it's surface!
- Practice on some scrap pcbs and components first.

And this is meant to be an encouragement: I got my first soldering iron when I was 10, and yet somehow I managed to connect components together with only a basic understanding of how it should be done. The first joints I made weren't that pretty, but I got better with practice. (I didn't realise you need to heat the components too in order for the solder to stick ;-)

Don't be scared, it doesn't take much practice. :-)
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: on January 18, 2004, 09:05:12 AM
Hi McTrinsic,

Quote
That means, I want the card that is put into the Videoslot to be parallel to the mainboard instead of standing on it.


Won't the power supply be in the way?  What exactly are you planning on doing?  You can not put the Amiga 2000 motherboard into a PC tower case, the board is too big.     :roll:
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: Kronos on January 18, 2004, 09:09:01 AM
@Fly

Sure you can ....

/me can count on that on his 8.5 fingers :-o
Title: Re: Looking for help with hardware hacking...
Post by: McTrinsic on January 18, 2004, 07:31:26 PM
Quote

Won't the power supply be in the way?  What exactly are you planning on doing?  You can not put the Amiga 2000 motherboard into a PC tower case, the board is too big.     :roll:


No, its not in the way if the riser card lets the chips face down, or if the card is tilted to the left  from behind.

I want to use this on a Phoenixboard, not on an A2000. They got the same Videoslot.

Have fun,
McTrinsic