Which CD-ROM drive solution for an A1200?

[JurassicCamper]

I seem to remember that sometime around 1994, possibly 1993, Commodore released a CD-ROM drive for the A1200 that was basically half a CD32 (ie. the pizza box lid half) and was white to match the A1200. I think it attached itself via the PCMCIA slot (could be wrong). Does anybody know any more details of this, and where I might possibly be able to get one from?

Thanks in advance!
Steve.

Never saw the light of day as a production model.
C= went bust before it went into production.

CD rom

Tap of the Internal IDE with a cheapo IDE CD-ROM.
Buy a scsi squirrel of ebay or something.

[JurassicCamper]

The A1200 Internal IDE can support 2 devices.

[edit]
Without OS3.5 or other patches Max harddisc size 4 gig max partion size 2.1 gig
[/edit]

This was first done in around 1993 with a little pcb called an alfa duo. It had a 2.5" IDE connector and a 3.5" IDE connector. You connect the A1200 IDE 2.5" connector to the one on the Alfa duo using a 2.5" IDE lead. This then gives you a standard 3.5" IDE connector.
Put your HD as Master and CDROM as Slave.
You can use IDEFIX if you want, but I used one without it for years and years until i bought a powerflyer. Then all you need is a mount list and cd-filing system that goes in devs:dosdrivers and l: respectively, use CD0 from the OS3.1 install disks .
Or a 3rd party one from aminet EG: amicdfs.

Use scsi.device unit 1


I still think i've got an old alfa-duo floating around somewhere

[JurassicCamper]

StevenJGore wrote:
Thanks again for the reply!

I'm guessing that without the alfa duo, I'm stuck?

Not really depends on how much patience you have.

You could cut a 44 wire 2.5" in lead in half, horizontally accross the cable.

As you know standard cables are corrigated. If you can then split the wires down the seam about 2 cm on each half of the ribbon, keeping the insolation intact.
Bear back the first 40 wires on each half of the cable about 8mm or so. (Red wire is 1).

At this point you should have a cable you have cut in half and beared, so if you were to join the wires back and insolate them it would work again.

Before you do that cut a connector of a single device 3.5" HD Lead

Strip back like you did with the 2.5" on and then wire this to the 2.5" IDE. Wire 1  to 1,  2 to 2 etc.

One this is complete you join the other half on the 2.5" lead back on and insolate.

So in essence you have spliced the cable and merged a 3.5" cable into the middle.

Join wires 41, 42, 43, 44 back together. These won't have a 3.5" wire joined to them. These carry the power for a 2.5" HD.

You should now be in a position if you have done this correctly, and have no shorts or crossed over cables to connect your current 2.5" HD and a 3.5" CD ROM to your internal IDE.

Tkae your time and and use a good heat shrink.

Or get a double 3.5" lead and connect the bottom of the 2.5" lead to it... 1 to 1 2 to 2 etc.
You wont need 41, 42, 43 or 44 if you do it this way.

Would you be prepared to sell me your alfa duo if you still have it, and if so, how much for?

Steve.

I think you can still get them from some places, but if not send me a PM.

[JurassicCamper]

StevenJGore wrote:
...one last thing: Can the four redundant wires (41-44) be converted to a 4-way power connector of the sort that is needed in the back of the PC CD-ROM?

No

The current these supply is only enough for a 2.5" device.

Not worth risking burning out tracks on your motherboard, by drawing too much load.

Safest way is to flip the mobo over and get a multimeter and check the voltages on the pads where the power connector is soldered and then solder the lead you mean onto these.

You could tap off the floppy connector, but that may burn out tracks and the amiga PSU might not have enough umph to power a CDROM, HD, A1200 and an accelerator / extra ram if you put that into it.

Get an old PC AT  power supply.
Cut the lead & connector about 6" from the 1200 psu. Strip back the wires left on the psu  and bear them all, make sure they do not touch, power the A1200 power supply back on and with the multimeter verify the voltages and colours on the a1200 psu.

Write these down.

Verify the voltages coming out of the AT J Connectors and note down the colours.

You need

-12V
+12V
+5V
GND

Connect the shld gnd from the a1200 lead (Unsheilded wire) to GND on the PC AT

Now match these up with the AT-PC power supply, join and insulate.

Your amiga will now be powered from a PC Power supply and you can use the D connectors to power your external HD and PC CDROM, if you have trailed your IDE lead outside the machine.

Now what a lot of people did around the early 90's, before specialist tower cases, came out was to have a PC midi case next to the Amiga, put the CDROM and HD in it using a long IDE cable, coming out of the side of the A1200. Use its Power Supply to power the A1200 so when you turn on the PC case its powers up the drives, cdrom and the a1200.

**Disclaimer**

Do all the above in this thread at your own risk.


 :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D