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Author Topic: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)  (Read 199026 times)

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Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #299 from previous page: February 21, 2017, 07:34:41 AM »
[486] [BIOS-Enabled] :  [IDE] -> [IDE-SDcard-Adapter -> 8GB-SD] Working like a charm (486 Screaming Fast for Disk IO)

- I couldn't risk Frying anything, so I checked the cabling pinouts (twice)
- Checked that the StarTech 2.5" to 3.5" Power connections were proper

- First Boot to BIOS picked up the 8 GB SD card :)
- But after BIOS exit. The system Hung, Power reboots failed. :(

Finally figured out the boot sequence was (C: B:) in BIOS, so was trying to boot C: Linux [Since SD card was re-used from RaspBerry PI)
Flipped BIOS to boot (A: Floppy) first that FIXED.

Some issues with Partitioning.  Couldn't modify or remove partition.

Then I did a "fdisk /mbr", that put a MBR with a Partition Cover Whole 8GB SD Card.  (Still not modifiable)

Then I noticed in FDISK the Option to REMOVE NON-DOS Partition.
-Remove the 8 GB Partition.
-Created new Partition 32 MB (ACTIVE) with DOS 6.2 [Max possible was 500MB or so]
-Formatted /s  ( ***** LIGHTNING SPEED, never seen a DOS format so fast **** )))
-Rebooted with NO Floppy in Drive.

It booted to DOS6.2.


RAN a few Dos Disk Tools on the SDcard(C: Drive).
Couldn't help laughing out loud seeing them scream on the 486, compared to IDE, or RLL drives (that I watched before).


** Moving on, to Replacing 486 BIOS, with  Lo-Tech-Adapter  on the same 486 **


 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #300 on: February 21, 2017, 08:12:19 AM »
Things went well with the 486 Adapter testings.
 Everything working perfectly.


Need just one more lucky break, testing in the Amiga.

 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #301 on: February 22, 2017, 02:09:15 AM »
NO LUCK.  Lo-Tech IDE adapter didn't work in Amiga 8088.

I contacted Lo-Tech support, they gave me another ROM to try.
The ROM is for TANDY laptop with a tweak to get around a problem with Initialization.  Learning how to Flash it on to adapter.

This has nothing to do with the IDE-adapter.  It's working in 486.
This is to do with the ISA side on 8088 (possibly).  INITIALIZATION.

The whole issue is about OPTION ROMs, which this card needs to have 8088 BIOS initialize.  If the 8088 Bridgboard PC BIOS doesn't search for OPTION ROMs, then (another Patch to ROM) may be needed.

However I can't see the 8088 PC not searching for OPTION ROMs since it does support the Western Digital Controller, and other cards that were supported on the 8 bit ISA bus side.
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #302 on: February 22, 2017, 02:16:30 PM »
Starting to move forwards toward finishing project.

The XTE ISA Patch never worked, hoping for another that will work

What's interesting, is the Hard Drive is working perfect (Other than auto booting).   After many reboots, it mount on the 8088 6.2 Dos each time.  
That RLL parameter (Precomposition 128), low level format may have done the job to wake up old Magenetic Material.

So I trust the RLL drive to start installing the final DOS applications, and will install Windows 1.2 for fun.

Need some help on a couple of annoying items.

1) Is there some Video parameter config somewhere.  When I use different workbench disks, the Workbench border moves around, a bit off the Amiga Monitor screen.  The mechanical controls on the monitor help for left and right, but not up down.

2)  This one is annoying.  I know about the keyboard file maps, peeks at them.   But when I go into PC 8088 Emulation.   My "\" doesn't work.  It works on the amiga side.    Hard to copy files on the DOS side without that working.   Is there a good tool to fix this?

3) What is really weird, but not the end of the world, is I've downloaded all current libraries and SW.

Alink, Aread, Atime, etc Doesn't work (I run Adisk, and Jdisk.sys)

When I run Alink now it produce the multi Line message, and hangs.  Before it just hung.
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #303 on: February 22, 2017, 05:52:21 PM »
Quote from: Pat the Cat;822574
Amiga keyboards come in two basic styles - the American style with big Return and Left Shift keys, and the International style with extra keys to the right of Left Shift and to the left of the Return key. These are hardware mapped to key positions 2B and 30.

However, Bridgeboard keyboard driver probably assumes American keymap, so key should be remapped to a different place, as American Bridgeboard users would not have had the "/" key in the same place.

Check around, you might have to hack a keymap file, but more likely if you select USA keymap, the key will be mapped to a different key and will become available.

Yes, I was going to try to hack they keyboard map file.  It appears to be documented within.  If I want to try International how/where do I switch it.
Quote from: Pat the Cat;822574
No idea on that front. I assumed you would be happy enough to just dump  the data from the RLL drive on an IDE hard drive. Which it looks to me  like you can do, by using the 486...

... on the other hand, if you do get the SD card booting on the  Bridgeboard with all Amigaside access too, would be a sweet system.

Perhaps you need to put DOS 3 on the SD card rather than 6.2? Strikes me  that a lot of issues could be avoided if that can be accomplished.
Interesting that you should mention this.  In the back of my mind, and in the past I have always been thinking two things.
 Switch back C: drive to DOS3.1, and thus switch back to a LOWER FAT version of MBR. The BIOS on the AMIGA-BB could be confused with DOS6.2 MBR/FAT.
I bet that BIOS was written, while DOS6.1 wasn't around. (But it didn't boot in the 486, but I never tried since I got RLL drive stable [must try again])
Will try DOS3.1 anyway, and if it works Amazing.  
And as you say, if I get that Adapter to work (not given up yet), it will be icing on the cake (Mission accomplished)

BTW. Pat, nice to hear from you again.  Was thinking you took a Vacation of something.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2017, 05:55:55 PM by wbrejnia »
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #304 on: February 22, 2017, 08:03:53 PM »
Pat,

Just to be clear. Keyboard is fine on amiga side. using CMd or notepad.
All key are correct, like "\"

Problem is I don't get blackslash in DOS prompt on 8088 pc.
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #305 on: February 23, 2017, 12:13:53 AM »
(Retro Computing Device) What is it?  What's inside? (Challenge)

I drove down to my Parents place today, and while there decided to look around the Garage Attic. With hope to find my ROM Burner Project. (Hey, to flash a ROM to upgrade my Bridgeboard).

I never found it, but this thing caught my attention.

I never really noticed it before, but it's been there for a VERY long time. (Or maybe my dad just pick it up at a garage sale ages ago).  Maybe I did. I have no idea.
My Dad used to use it to prop up his wood trailer.
It caught my attention today   since I've spent more time this last month around Retro, and storage media than ever in my life.

So I have a challenge. Can you guess what this is? (I don't yet).  What is inside?
Maybe an RLL drive, or some spare ribbon cables which I need :)


The sticker on the bottom does have model #, and name that I don't recognize.
I'll take it into my shop and crack it open (literally) to find out what it is.



« Last Edit: February 23, 2017, 12:33:12 AM by wbrejnia »
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #306 on: February 23, 2017, 12:16:30 AM »
So the Challenge question is.

What is it?  How old/ What year/Decade?

What's inside?
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #307 on: February 23, 2017, 01:59:51 AM »
LOOK WHAT WAS (Inside the Ancient Device ) !



Kidding :)  That was inside my mailbox.

Maybe it will work better than the SD adapter.  Hoping!!
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #308 on: February 23, 2017, 03:55:18 AM »
Steve Gibson from Spinrite just contacted me.

He offered  to help in the RLL drive quest.

He provided me a copy of Spinrite 3.1 which he says is Ideal for my purpose.

I really want to test that RLL drive, and now that I have it working on both the 8088 and the 486, this test will be ideal.  I'd hate to spend time setting it up (with no "\" on keyboard to copy which is tricky), and they have MBR disappear and all work gone.

Stay tuned.  I'll post the testing results.
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #309 on: February 23, 2017, 05:46:12 AM »
The Lo-Tech ISA/IDE is more than an Adapter (It's a 28 pin ROM Burner) * Shadow ROM in PC BIOS must be disabled *

I just learned this after trying to change the ROM Image (for a patch) on my LoTech Adapter.

The Version of the Adapter I have is:
https://www.lo-tech.co.uk/wiki/Lo-tech_8-bit_IDE_Adapter_rev.3

Is a Universal unit, that has a Built in Flash Burner.  I think all of them do this.

That's 28 pin rom is Silicone Storage Technology ROM that can be burned over and over again.
http://www.jotrin.com/product/parts/39F010A_70_4C_WH

So you can burn any image into the CHIP, even if you have a computer board with a 28pin ROM.  The basic concept could be expanded to more pins. Using the ISA bus on your PC and the Flash Software which will run in DOS + the image you want to burn.

I first struggled and it didn't work for me. Then Lo-tech support asked me to check I didn't have ROM shadowing turn on at the Adress I was burning to. C800h.  

Sure enough my 486 was set for Shadow ROM=Intro-486



As soon as I disabled it, it flashed in a split second.

Interesting to know you can build a ROM burner for a few bucks.
And chips are dirt cheap too.

Not that you need this technology any more for daily use.
But in the Retro world,  I wish I could upgrade my Bridgeboard BIOS
Wonder how many pins that chip is?
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #310 on: February 23, 2017, 05:59:20 AM »
THIS MIGHT be KEY to getting Janus Working (ARead, Write, etc) Properly on Bridgeboard PC.

I stumbled upon this email some guy wrote back in 1993.
http://www.cucug.org/amiga/amiinfo/reviews/A2386SXBridgeb.txt

He explains what Janus files need to go into PC DOS side and where!!
Something the Manuals doesn't explain. "Manual just refer to DOS manual"
Also things the Auto install doesn't do.

I noticed I had these files from my Bridgeboard SW download, but didn't copy them over.

Some of them are certainly for the 286/386 bridgeboard, but it's hard to tell which ones are needed beyond Jdisk.sys (maybe no more for 8088).

Plus as discussed above, some older versions of these files, like "fdisk provided" don't like DOS 6.2 and if you get other copies, don't like DOS3.

Another puzzle to solve, since all my solutions so far force me to have a 5.25" floppy to boot, and still have a C: Hard drive.

I don't like that, since 5.25 disk are not reliable.

The Hard file solution I got working, will only work if Hard Drive controller is removed.

I need to have the 8088 boot without a 5.25" floppy.
"Jlink is the only way" without a bootable "C:" Hard Drive.

(One or the other must work for me)

 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #311 on: February 23, 2017, 09:33:36 AM »
WOW!  A paper (typed and hand drawn diagrams) copy of Amiga Training Manual (Course)
(Including many details on architecture of A2000 Components, Signals, Bridgeboards, Bridgeboard Install steps)


https://computerarchive.org/files/comp/hardware/amiga/Amiga_Training_Course.pdf
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #312 on: February 23, 2017, 02:55:20 PM »
Quote from: Raffaele;822612
USEFUL HINT

In MS-DOS just as like in Windows, if you are typing, despite of the keyboard you are using, you may add any character of the standard ASCII sequence by simply pressing and holding ALT on the keyboard followed by numeric keyboard insertion from 0 to 255.

ALT+126 obtains for example tilde character "~".
Raffaele,

Everything in above 3 posts is Super!  

- Going to setup  DOS keyboard properly (top priority, since missing '\' is insane when trying to do file manipulation)

- Now I know what to do with those Extra files provided with the Bridgeboard DOS installs disks.  (Some may not apply to 8088 , but that DRIVEPARM looks interesting I saw it in my 486 machine setup)

AND your KEYBOARD (ALT+xxx) trick is Amazing.
(I actually need that for general use)

Here is a very good A-Z DOS setup guide.   (too much for my 8088, but covers everything)
http://legroom.net/howto/msdos
« Last Edit: February 23, 2017, 03:05:56 PM by wbrejnia »
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #313 on: February 23, 2017, 03:09:50 PM »
Anyone have any info on Bridgeboard BIOS Rom Upgrades?

The Lo-Tech Flash ROM chip matches the ROM chip on the Bridgeboard.
If I can get a  copy of the Upgrade ROM image, I can have it installed for testing purposes

- (Proof that it will it work to fix IDE/Flash-Drives).
- Possibly fix the C: drive boot issue too.

If BB BIOS Upgrade works, that would be a big improvement.
 

Offline wbrejniaTopic starter

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Re: **Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)
« Reply #314 on: February 23, 2017, 05:33:57 PM »
Quote from: leofoe;822623
I think this thread may have useful information for you.
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=76395
This thread is amazing.  :) :) :)  Links within are even better.
There is a link to technical manual with all the RAW keycodes, especially for my missing "\"

I'll need days to read this stuff.