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

[leofoe]

I just stumbled upon this thread...
I only read it briefly, because it's a lot of posts.

As far as I understand you want to read an MFM harddisk connected to a bridgeboard in an Amiga 2000. I also have this setup and an A1000 with A1060 too. Both working! The A2000 with a hardfile (IIRC) and the Sidecar with a Filecard (Controller with MFM HDD).
In the A2000 I even have got an ISA NIC and I can access the internet on the Amiga side using the Etherbridge software.

I have been fiddling a very long time to get the A1000/1060 setup working. And it was just because of the floppy drive AND the HDD were bad. As soon as I got replacements it started working nice. I only had to disable a lot of bad blocks on the replacement drive. I used a software tool to know which blocks. You do not need any drivers.

I also tried one of those ISA/XT/IDE cards you mention. Unfortunately it did not work in the A1060. It worked in a PC.

So, if you still have any questions on how to setup, I maybe helpful. There is also an expert on bridgeboards on the German a1k.org. We could contact him if needed as I understand German.

A video to see the A1000/A1060 booting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PamfEkIbQU


Regards,
Leo

[leofoe]

If you have a replacement MFM disk you can find out if the disk itself is the problem.

[leofoe]

You cannot run an MFM-drive on the ISA/IDE adapter. MFM is not the same as IDE. Even if they have the same connector.

[leofoe]

This is what I get when trying to boot from the IDE HDD on the ISA/IDE adapter:

[leofoe]

The expert on Bridgeboards: BlindGerMan: http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33435

[leofoe]

This picture is from a long time ago. I do not use this adapter. In stead I have a filecard with a replacement MFM drive that works OK (see the video).

In the thread on a1k.org that I mentioned, someone has also tried to get the ISA/IDE adapter to work. He seems to have succeeded with very specific alterations/settings.

[leofoe]

WARNING!It has some issues with 2.1 and does not work at all with Amiga Kickstart and AmigaOS 3.0 and 3.1 (could generate lots of Guru Meditations at any moment)

My A2000 with Kickstart 3.1 rom and Workbench 3.9 works fine with it's Bridgeboard.

[leofoe]

I booted WB 3.1, and put in BB install disk.
A simply drag and Drop of JANUS.library wasn't possible since no space on WB3.1 disk.

There are special Bridgeboard install disks with everything needed on them.

[leofoe]

And does you setup work with access to HD on ISA slot side.
Does Aread and Awrite work from one side to other?

I use a hard file on the A2000.
On the Sidecar the harddisk is split in an Amiga and DOS partition.
I have never used Aread and Awrite, so not sure if that works.

[leofoe]

I think this thread may have useful information for you.
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=76395