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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: mark_k on May 11, 2015, 06:18:28 PM

Title: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Frame Buffer wanted
Post by: mark_k on May 11, 2015, 06:18:28 PM

Hi,

Does anyone have the software disk(s) which came with the Impulse FireCracker 24 or Mimetics Frame Buffer products?

I'd like to get hold of those in order to reverse-engineer it to figure out how those old frame buffer cards work.

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: danbeaver on May 11, 2015, 09:46:27 PM

Yes for Firecracker 24; send me a pm

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: mark_k on May 14, 2015, 09:04:49 AM

Thanks a lot for your help!

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: mark_k on May 14, 2015, 05:02:03 PM

There's something I'd like to check about the FireCracker-24 hardware.

The board picture at amiga.resource.cx (http://amiga.resource.cx/photos/firecracker,1) shows one 28.63636 MHz crystal/oscillator. Near the top right of the board there is a green component (just below VR9). That could be another crystal, but I can't make out what's printed on it from that picture. If you have a FireCracker-24, could you tell me what's printed on that component?

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on May 14, 2015, 10:18:04 PM

Quote from: mark_k;789281

Near the top right of the board there is a green component (just below VR9)

That's the flux capacitor.  You feed it 1.21 gigawatts and your Amiga will go back to 1985 and correct the timeline to fix computing as we know it today.  :lol:

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: danbeaver on May 14, 2015, 11:26:12 PM

Mike is correct, "ICC, 0.1 +/ 5%, 100V" shows up on the Digi-Key site as a Flux capacitor requiring 1.21 gigawatts but not exceeding 100 volts; this means you will need a resistor to drop either that lightening strike or that nuclear (as opposed to Nuculear -- Texans) reaction to bring the voltage down to the point that the Blue Smoke does not escape and thus release the genie from within.  If you remember Burl Ives from "The Brass Bottle," (1964) with Tony Randall and Barbara Eden, you will see that the latter actress went on to play The Genie in the TV sitcom version of that movie, as she was slightly hotter than Burl Ives.  It is indeed the blue smoke that gives electronic components their magical qualities, and the subsequent release leads to a loss of bladder and bowel control when it happens to a really rare or expensive board.

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on May 14, 2015, 11:29:16 PM

All that, for the princely sum of .05 cents! (http://www.taydaelectronics.com/0-1uf-100v-5-mylar-film-capacitors.html)

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: mark_k on May 17, 2015, 05:06:37 PM

By some uncanny coincidence :) the latest beta version of WinUAE now has FireCracker-24 emulation! Check it out here (http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=1020250&postcount=222).

Some things are still unknown though. Having a copy of the FC24 manual and/or other software that works with the FireCracker could help there.

Title: Re: Software for Impulse FireCracker 24 and Mimetics Fame Buffer wanted
Post by: danbeaver on May 17, 2015, 09:16:58 PM

ADPro had a save module, the Install Disk has a "paint program" and the manual says to install the disk and vague ideas on its use.

As I like to say in the Retro Amiga world, "Son, you're on your own!"

(http://www.amiga.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4174&d=1431893743)