Minimig Setup Help

[Darrin]

Here's my old "Upgrading your PIC made easy" guide:

Required:
Minimig
Null Modem serial cable – a normal serial cable will not work unless it has a null modem adapter.
PC with a serial port (USB serial adapters work OK)
Tiny Bootloader – free software downloadable from the Internet

#1: Connect the Minimig to an appropriate serial port on a PC using your NULL MODEM serial cable.

#2: Set jumper on Minimig to from “FPGA” to the “MCU” position.

#3: Switch the Minimig on.

#4: Download and run the Tiny Bootloader program on the PC.

#5: Select the correct COM port and rate (115200)

#6: Press the "CheckPIC" button on the Tiny Boodloader display.

#7. Quickly press “PGM RESET” on the Minimig motherboard within FOUR SECONDS to establish communications between the Minimig and Tiny Bootloader on the PC.

If you succeed you should see something like the following message in a log window:

Connected to \\.\COM1 at 115200
Searching for PIC ...
Found:18F 252o/452o

If you don't you will see:

Connected to \\.\COM1 at 115200
Searching for PIC ...Not found,
ERROR!

If you get the error repeat steps #6 and #7.

#8: On Tiny Bootloader select the hex update file that needs to be written to the PIC.

#9: Select "Write Flash" on Tiny Bootloader and immediately press the reset button on the Minimig motherboard.

If you succeed you will see something like the following message:

Connected to \\.\COM1 at 115200
HEX: 6 days old, INHX8M,18Fcode, total=14552 bytes.
Searching for PIC ...
Found:18F 252o/452o
WRITE OK at 20:55, time:7.173 sec

MAKE SURE YOU LET TINY BOOTLOADER FINISH WRITING TO THE PIC BEFORE YOU UNPLUG THE MINIMIG!!!

#10: With the Minimig switched off, move the “MCU” jumper on the Minimig back to the old position “FPGA”

[Darrin]

Also note that if the ROMs from AmigaForever are encrypted then they might not work with the core.  Best to download a KS1.3 or KS3.1 ROM off the internet or ask some nice chap here to email one to you.  

[Darrin]

I THINK I read that encrypted ROMS now work... The whole encryption is XOR based anyway... talk about high-tech

LOL.  Considering they're easily available online I'm surprised they bother at all.  

[Darrin]

Thanks so much for all the great info! Must confess I'm a little surprised it won't boot straight out the box...

Do I recall that you can use an Amiga to update the PIC? I'm looking at Mac compatible USB serial adapters and bootloader software but it's looking like a fair bit of confusion as to what works.  I'm wondering if it might be easier to use my A600.  Is there any bootloader that will work with the Amiga by any chance?

That I couldn't tell you I'm afraid.

Do you have a friend or family member with a PC?  It only takes a few minutes.  Don't forget:  NULL MODEM SERIAL CABLE.  

[Darrin]

Please do not change the firmware on the Minimig - we have already updated it to the most appropriate new version.  Please wait for our Technician response to your inquiry.

We do not ship anything with old firmware on it.  We test every Minimig before sending to customers.

You need to use the appropriate files on the SD card to match the firmware we have flashed it with.  You get these if you buy an SD card with the Minimig.

That's a nice touch updating the PIC before you ship.  

[Darrin]

Sorry to hijack this minimig thread.

Does my hardfile need to be started from a boot.adf disk? I've got the hardfile enabled in the settings but it just sits at the kickstart screen on boot.

I've tried my Cloanto hardfiles and AmigaSYS.

Thanks!

No, as long as you're using the recommended 3.1 Kickstart (for the IDE driver) your HDF file should boot.  Make sure that when you created the HDF file in UAE that you did it in RDB mode.  You should then have partitioned it in HDToolbox like a real Amiga drive and then done a quick format on it.