**Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)

[wbrejnia]

So I have a clue if the AMIGA Bridgeboard 5.25" DOS Floppies are corrupt of if it's something else (like I damaged something).

I have a box of 10 5.25" floppies. I bought a new box a couple of years ago when my HDD hunt started.

8 of them were never used.

So if I put a Formatted BOOT DISK in, or a unformatted disk, I get a quick "BOOT DISK FAILURE MESSAGE".

In my opinion if the Formatted Boot disk was slightly corrupted, the BridgePC would at least spend a second more trying to read it. But it doesn't.

Time to move things into the 486 (Empty the cards) and see if something can be built for the WD controller and HDD (but I must have 3.25" DOS BOOT floppies to work with as a starting point).   Maybe hook in just the C: (HDD)

Will prepare similar DOS floppies first, since in DOS you can only format a Floppy with the /S (system install) from a working DOS System (same version). I won't have that once I rip apart the 486.

[wbrejnia]

even on bad floppies I would expect to hear floppy main motor spinning and the head motor engaging while read light shows and the drive attempt to seek. Normally a very quick return of a error message like that without sound, indicates hardware not setup correctly or hardware failure.
Not sure if you have tried to access the bridgeboards bios -

http://home.arcor.de/kickstart/TKA/Tutorials/bridgeboard/pcjanus.html

'In the BIOS is accessed by pressing the key combination Ctrl-Alt-Esc active PC Monocrome display .'


I will probably have to buy myself a bridgeboard some day now

First, 5.25" Bridgeboard the drive does spin.  Light turns on and then the error message.
 
 *** WOW SUPER COOL, I didn't know you could get into bridgeboard BIOS **  That will be very interesting and tell me so much more ***
 
 And now something DISTURBING!!!
 
 I was so close, but didn't know this.
 
 The Bridgeboard has a Floppy drive Port in the back of A2088 Bridgboard only!!!!!!! (mine is a A2088).
 You can hook up a 5.25" or 3.5" Amiga Floppy to it.
 
 
 
 
 I thought it was a parallel printer port.  Even decades ago I didn't know this.
 
 **** I HAVE A 3.5" A1000 External Floppy DRIVE **
 **** I could have done everything I wanted in that Bridgeboard DOS.
 
 ** No need for 5.25" at all except to boot **
 
 
 
 
 Next steps.
 
 1) Get into Bridgeboard BIOS and see what I can do.
 2) Maybe I can boot of the 3.5" floppy.
 3) Maybe ALSO BIOS can pick up that WD controller, or Hard disk.
 
 This will be interesting.

[wbrejnia]

I'm getting excited!!!
 
 Haven't figured out how to get in BIOS (Ctrl-Alt-Esc) not working.
 
 But I disconnected the A: 5.25" disk, and have the 3.5" disk connected to bridgeboard.  After a first no A: drive failure, Bridgeboard PC is now trying to boot off the 3.5" (Drive light is on briefly), then "Boot Disk Failure".
 
 I'm sure the boot disk I am using is formatted higher capacity that the drive can handle.  Need to make a 5.25" DOS BOOT DISK at 1.44 MB or 1.2.

[wbrejnia]

Found out that the ALT-ALT-CTRL-DEL isn't really a HW BIOS, it's access to SETUP and is only Available after you get a DOS PROMPT.

(So no hope there till a boot happens)

No Luck with a MSDOS Boot. (I know it worked before on the 5.25").

All activity is proper.

1) Janus Libraries Loaded
2) Tries to boot from A: Drive (Head moves, drive spins, Led on During Read Attempt)
3) Tried to boot from B: Drive (appears that way, same behavior as A: )
-------> Boot Disk Failure for both

Could Format Type(size) be wrong.
Manual says the 3.5 A1010 Floppy should be 360K, or 720K

Tried "Format a: /F:720 /S " or " /1" for single sided (Get Paramater Not Compatible )  Can you format a 3.5" floppy 720K?

** WISH I NEVER TOUCHED THE WORKING 5.25" Booting Floppy Drive **

Failures look like below for Proof.

[wbrejnia]

** NEXT STEP **  (MAKE A WORKING DOS BOOT DISK)

1) Leave Amiga Alone (Setup should work if nothing is BAD)
- Could be bad 5.25" disk
- Possible (you can't boot from a B: Drive)
- Wrong Format Sizes

2) Get 5.25" (386) Floppy drive working in Another spare Computer (If I have the parts)

3) Try formatting Floppies in other Formats sizes

4) Prove I have bootable Floppies (and put back into Amiga for tests)

[wbrejnia]

From bridgeboard guide -

Floppy Disks: Supports up to 2 standard PC floppy disk drives:
5.25" Drives: 360KB (Comes standard with 360KB drive)
3.5" Drives: 720KB (Uses Amiga external floppies drives on the external floppy connector)

What is weird about the above is I formatted the 5.25" floppy 720K and it worked. Now doesn't. Can't make another (no B: drive)

I can't format a 3.5" Floppy 720KB (DOS won't let me).  Same Floppy will  Format 1.2 M .
 
 Does the disk have to be a certain kind (hole on case? No Hole?). How does DOS know or decide if format is not possible? (DISK DRIVE makes decision)?
 
 I figure that any higher density disk can be formatted LOWER Capacity (No the other way around)

[wbrejnia]

Pat (is that what I should call you, or do you want the_cat added, you bring up a good point.

I think I "Degaussed", my 5.25" DOS Boot floppies. Place is getting cluttered and I put the floppies on top of all kinds of places. On Top of the Amiga Monitor, Near the Amiga Power Supply Transformer. They may be extra sensitive being OLD.

I'll know once I have a 2nd 5.25" floppy drive. Hoping tonight.

The setup might be fine.

The pain of legacy. Can't just use another computer (have to build one), Can't just go to variety store a pick up a box of 5.25" DOS Formatted Floppies.
 
 I guess there is no SD Floppy Emulator I could plug into the Bridgeboard?  Can't be spending money for some XT Controller Card (at this point at least)

[wbrejnia]

POSSIBLE SOLUTION to Bridgeboard Internal 5.25" disk A: Drive not working.
 
 Stumbled upon this AN (MOD) for Bridgeboard to allow the Externally Connected Floppy Drive to be recognized as Drive A:  not B:
 
 http://www.amiga-stuff.com/hardware/a2088.html
 
 I doubt it, but if I blew that internal Floppy Connector, this might be an option.  Small gotcha is this if for a 5.25" inch disk.
 
 ** MOD is drastic.  Cutting Bridgeboard Circuit Board traces, and running jumpers **
 
 For now, keeping this in my POCKET.

[wbrejnia]

You ain't kidding this is a Maze, the exit is still FAR. This isn't Stabbing in the Dark, this is a DARK MAZE.



*** I GOT THE 386 5.25" Floppy Drive working in the Amiga Explorer WinXP PC **

But the result may not be good for needs.

This at least proves the 5.25 is good, and should have work in the 386 (even same cable).

But depending what I assign the 5.25 in DOS, it either picks up, or does not.

When I assigned it as a 5.25 1.2M, it picked up and I was able to format a Floppy. But it couldn't read the DOS Boot Floppy for the Amiga PC 5.25

When I changed BIOS to 3.25 760K, it gives a "Drive Not Ready Error" for that Same Floppy I just formatted in that 5.25 Drive.

So this will be tricky.

- Will play around with various combinations:
- Might consider bring the Amiga 5.25 Floppy over to Explorer PC
- Or could I possible bring this 5.25 Floppy over to Amiga (probably not since Bridgeboard doesn't support 1.2M)

-> This just proves the 386 Floppy DRIVE is good.
-> This does not prove the 5.25 Floppy BOOTDisk is corrupted (degaussed), or GOOD (if good then something is wrong on Amiga PC bridgeboard)

Photo is to document this point of trial.


NEXT STEPS:

1) Try a few BIOS Setting in Exporer PC (See if I can get a common format that will work in BOTH [ Explorer 5.25" ] and also in [ Bridgeboard 5.25"] )
 *** THAT WOULD BE A BINGO, since I could boot the Amiga PC again !! **
 *** As I was typing Post, I tried another BIO setting.  Doesn't change anything [[[ Therefore must try DOS format options /F: for other Formats **
 *** Maybe the BIOS and Hardware is kind of the MAX capacity, and DOS might be able to go lower *

2) Must get a 3.5" disk working as A: Drive on this Explorer PC to be able to boot a DOS disk, to format a 5.25 DOS boot disk on B:
(Which kind of needed to do #1 above )

3) Other crazy choices (Like move the Amiga Hard Drive and WD Controller into the 386 PC) with some kind of setup. Who knows...

[wbrejnia]

** WOO HOO !! ** (Two Drives a: 3.25" & b: 5.25" ) Working.

After many tries, and all kind of Bios Setting, I got something that works to start playing with HOPE (Hope I can make a Low capacity Disk Amiga PC can read)

Thanks to whoever mentioned the TWIST in the Ribbon cable. First cable was straight and both drives would conflict.

Then it came to figuring out the Right BIOS setting for 5.25"

I'm still not in the Clear, since I need to get a Format the Amiga PC 5.25" can read.

So next step is playing with FORMAT Commands.
Windows XP doesn't have as low level on first Glance.

Will be possible now to create a DOS 6.2, or 3.2 DOS Boot Disk with a Legacy Format Command.

This makes the 386 Obsolete at this point. Maybe later if I persue WD controller since it has the right motherboard Slots.

** One note, in above POST PHOTO and Comments.
That was not a 1.2M Format. I think it took a BIOS change for Japanese Mode 3 Drive to make it format that way by DEFAULT Format Command **

* Documenting my Setup as below so I don't forget **


NOW the Next Step is hopefully (Formatting a 5.25 Floppy the Amiga will recognize).

If that works, I can copy over whatever is needed, to 5.25 Disks for Amiga PC.

And I may get to see that BRIDGEBOARD Bios Type Menu. And Possibly the WD Bios Tool too.

Format: Possibly via DOS, or some utility I can find.

This PC has internet and a Hard Drive so my Abilities are plentiful.

Onward.......

[wbrejnia]

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...ii.........sssss
...ii..............ss
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ALIVE !! (again)


Yes indeed. The Bridgeboard is Good. Amiga PC Boots from 5.25.

(( Yes the 5.25 DOS Disk were Magnetized/Deguassed )) Unreadable


DID The Following with a 6.2 DOS Boot Disk that had "Format" command on it.
 
 (Booted Explorer PC with it, then Format /F:360 /s  and Format /F:720 )


-- Formatted a 5.25 Boot Disk 360K in Explorer PC
-- It Boots of Bridgeboard 5.25 and Amiga PC Has Dos

-- Also Formatted a 3.25" 720K Disk
-- It reads on the Bridgeboard External A1010 3.25" Drive. (Cool, never knew that was possible)

HERE IS LIVING PROOF:



Bit of time wasted on Figuring out 5.25 Boot Disks were bad (the only two I had). Now can make as many as needed.

But learned a Lot. (Now Have an External Bridgeboard 3.25 disk)

And more.

ONWARD to next Steps, which I hope will be more fun.

But next step is some Sleep for Tonight.....

[wbrejnia]

Thanks for the info. More Tool choices and options for my Toolbox drawers (right next to the Flint, Stone, Stick and string ).

So now that things are back to normal with Bridgeboard PC Booting to DOS.

Why isn't CTRL-ALT-ESC working to get to the Bridgeboard BIOS? (You don't need SW, it should just work on PC Boot (during or after boot). Correct ?)
[[[[ Does anyone have a bridgeboard that they can get to this BIO with? (One thing I was thiking is putting back my original Kickstart ROM, but better not to take anything apart right now ]]]

I first thought my ESC key isn't working (since it's beside my F1 Key which doesn't work). (What is a quick test to ensure my Keyboard ESC KEY is working?)

Is this BIOS only for the 286/386 bridgeboard or Sandwich Card and not the 2088?

Or am I doing something wrong, or setup is wrong. (I did read something about a guy having problem getting to the BIOS if Amiga-PC memory was not setup properly (Too low).

My thinking for next steps is to go thru that Bridgeboard install manual (which is great), and go step by step (Making a fresh Bridgeboard workbench with proper Config setup). Right now I have been just using the Bridgeboard Native Workbench Install disk without any customization (Good enough to prove my HW is all setup right and WORKING)

BTW, even though I have no recollection from Eons ago, that bridgeboard manual does ring Bells in my head, that I USED THAT MANUAL to setup the WD Controller and that Ocatgon Hard drive. (It is a many step process)

[wbrejnia]

Good job!

My goto website for general bootdisks is this one http://bootdisk.com/

That's a very handy site.  Nice photo's of the pretty ladies too!!

[wbrejnia]

Looking at the manual and logically thinking. Your bridgeboard actually doesn't have a battery onboard for electrical rewritable eeproms. It just has a static ROM onboard, so it probably doesnt have a configurable bios setup. The 286 onwards models have coin batteries to help store bios settings.

I too would definitely recreate all the available disks for the bridgeboard and go through the setup again. I recall theres memory locations in the documentation that the bridgeboard and isa cards have to be set to to avoid conflicts. maybe go through the setup guides from the start and see what happens.

 I agree with uou.  When I read about a guy solving issues with accessing his BIOS, he was trying to clear BIOS setting by removing battery.
 
 I bet the 2088 bridgeboard loads it's config from a files.  Possibly even PC-Preferences which I noticed doesn't exist on the Original Bridgeboard Setup disk that I'm using.
 
 So if I go thru the whole bridgeboard manual setup proces (but not format the HD), and I bring back the config file(s) from one of my original Workbench disks.  It might actually work.  (That was recommended earlier in this Thread by Pat_The_Cat.)

[wbrejnia]

Now I wished I had a bridgeboard. Seems like alot of fun

Actually been thinking of building a z80 clone to try and learn more about hardware artitecture.

http://rc2014.co.uk/

or

http://www.malinov.com/Home/sergeys-projects/zeta-sbc-v2

Z80 look cools, but you might have more fun and purpose with a Raspberry PI.

I got a really neat HDMI LCD Touch Screen Monitor for my Son's PI to build a Web Based Touch Status Screen (Which talks to my Fish tank controller, that controls his Gaming PC Monitor Power, which limits his gaming time). Basically he can see how much time he has left, can ask for more (Snooze Button). What's cool about this LCD compared to others, is it's really and HDMI screen that you can hook up to anything HMDI.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01F4RSIA2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Made for a PI1/2, not 3)

As who knows, if I complete or fail on this project, I might have a certified working bridgeboard for sale at a good price (if you have the stomach for pre-stone age Technology)

[wbrejnia]

I'll stick to building Fish Tank Dosing Pumps with Aurdino board.

I'm having enough fun with this Amiga Rebuild.

I do have some good news. THE WD Controller Card is Good.

Before embarking on the Workbench Rebuild, wanted to make sure the journey wasn't a dead end. (Still could be with the Hard Drive).

I Ran the Debug Format Tool on The Controller Card. See below, this proves we have a working card. (I DISCONNECTED THE CABLES from the HD).

I haven't gone further, and I wouldn't even know what to answer for the FIRST (Y/N) Question shown.
 
 ((( When it SAYs  [Current DRIVE is C: ] [Current INTERLEAVE is 4] , and the Drive is not hooked up, IS THIS default, OR Last Config Value stored in EEPROM ))



( I will go thru all the questions with defaults, just to post them. With HD not connected)

Now I did read a paper that this particular kind of BIOS tool on WD Controller can actual re-format, but not wipe out a drive by writing ZERO's like a Low Level Format. The Format actually refreshes the drive for longer life (like a READ, and WRITE BACK).

I'm not going to take a chance on doing any format YET. That will be at the very end, if I want to rebuild a new setup. (ie. I give up on getting my schoolwork).

TIME TO PULL OUT THE BRIDGEBOARD MANUAL and follow the steps....