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

[darkage]

I have to say Wbrejnia does the best photos with custom labelling that I have ever seen on an Amiga forum (:

[darkage]

I normally use PicPick since they provide a free limited version.

[darkage]

A2000 ide controller on ebay.de

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Tandem-IDE-Harddisk-Controller-fur-Amiga-2000-und-Amiga-3000-/192079037730?hash=item2cb8cd8522:g:y-8AAOSwImRYe4b2

[darkage]

And will that IDE card have easy to find drivers?

Pretty much all drivers can be found on this site -  http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/tandem

Has the user manual there too.   Main downside with this card is theres no autobooting.  

You could get a scsi controller and then use a scsi to ide bridge. but they can be expesive.  like $100 to $150 for the bridge adapter.  

I would check all the controllers released and short list a few you like -  http://amiga.resource.cx/dir/scsi  

Then post a wanted add on amibay.com or monitor the for sale section.

Heres  GVP Impact SCSI controller -  http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?89173-GVP-Impact-A2000-HC-8-series-II-A2000-A3000-A4000-SCSI-controller


Someone did do a electronics project to reverse engineer the a1200 or a600 gayle ide interface for a a500, etc. Theres schematics online.    These should work for a2000, just have to check for space restrictions.

some ppl have done custom projects, you may want to check with them if it fits within a a2000 case.  

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?51339-Amiga-500-4-8mb-fastmem-boards-with-IDE&highlight=kipper

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?7158-A500-IDE-adapters-PS-2-mouse-adapter-A600-CF-adapter

[darkage]

 
 But hey.   Isn't this the Card I have??
 
 http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Western-Digital-Disk-Drive-Controller-WD1002A-27X-ships-worldwide/151135715827?_trksid=p2050601.c100085.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D35909%26meid%3D6c26b0ca2f004291a1594ab724393169%26pid%3D100085%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D192079037730%26clkid%3D2018258828725410600&_qi=RTM2247628

Looks like a PC ISA card which you can only use with the bridgeboard in emulation mode ?

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/a2386sx

Past discussion about it http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4322

For regular amiga disk controller if no autoboot, then you need to use floppies to boot into WB and load the drivers for the controller.    If it had autoboot then it would have boot code within onboard ROMS so no floppy startup required.

[darkage]

This seems like a great price so far on ebay.ca, no bids and one more day left.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/COMMODORE-AMIGA-GVP-Impact-A2000-HC-8-Series-II-Rev-II-A2000-A3000-A4000-/122314705339?hash=item1c7a8649bb:g:~BMAAOSwA3dYflif

info on card - http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/impact2000hc8  

Scsi so need scsi to ide bridge adapter.

[darkage]

Some cable wiggling fixed the C: drive. 486 is back up.

But still can't see the 5.25" disk as B: drive. ( I vagely remember there was some trick to see the B: Drive. Like disconnecting the A: drive. What's weird is the BIOS show the 3.5" a: drive as a 5.25" a: drive.)
 
 The only hint I have is doing a "dir a:" or "dir b:" gives me listing of the same 3.5" disk drive.
 
 From Windows there is only an a: drive.

Not sure how you have it hooked but, but theres is normally a twist in the cable which shows which is A: and B:.  Then of course it has to be specified within the BIOS.  

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/fdd/confCable-c.html

[darkage]

I even disconnect the 3.5" a: drive, and put the 5.25" b: drive as the 2nd connection on the cable (a: & b: ) or even  ( B: by itself) no luck.  Doesn't work on the latter since OS wasn't an A: drive to boot. (that could be changed in BIOS)

Have you tried swapping the power connector to confirm that works ?  Not sure if the 5.25 floppy actually works.  You will need to do basic trouibleshooting like swapping power connector and confirm original one works on another device, changing ribbon cable if  you have a spare (if you dont have a spare push down on the end connectors to make sure its got a good bite into the cable), is there another I/O card with floppy controller you can swap it with.  maybe something is up with the card.     Would be good if you have a spare 5.25 floppy somewhere to swap with.

Edit - Off topic, but I would recommend picking up a gotek floppy emulator and try to do every off floppy images.     It needs a modified firmware to work on a amiga, but should work ootb on a regular pc.  

https://cortexamigafloppydrive.wordpress.com/
http://amigastore.eu/en/323-usb-floppy-emulator-gotek.html  (already modified firmware, cheaper to get off ebay not modified)

[darkage]

maybe even cleaning the edge connector on the floppy with some isopropyl alcohol might help ?

edit - its probably been 25 years since I touched a 5.25 floppy drive, but you might want to check it for jumper settings.  Looks like they came with termination settings.

http://blog.3b2.sk/igi/file.axd?file=2015%2F5%2F5.25-jumpers.pdf

Jumper settings on the floppy disk drives must not be changed from the default configuration
shown in the figures of the drives.
The only exception is the TM jumper (terminator), which must be removed when the 5.25"
drive is installed as the systems second drive. However, this terminator must be present if
the 5.25" drive is the only one present in the system. The terminator is always present on
3.5" drives, and is soldered on the board



Theres a cheap one for sale on ebay.ca  


http://preview.tinyurl.com/zez3qau

Edit - You could make a new friend http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=71880

Look up manual for the controller card you are using

This might be helpful http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/working-with-st-506-interface-mfm-hard.html

[darkage]

don't think it should be an issue.   Ive use to run a few cables where I move the connectors to different positions and still had puncher marks in it.    The connector pins that go into the ribbon cable are V shaped, the pin more hugs the bare wire inside the ribbon cable instead of going thru the middle.  So I don't think electrical connectivity would have been broken.     Doesn't hurt to go thru all the pins with a multimeter.  

Picture of pins on IDC connector http://rarecomponents.com/store/1282

Edit - Whats the model of 486 motherboard and I/O card that your using..   best to look up info online.    

this seems cool 5.25 floppy to usb adapter -  http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/2503

[darkage]

if you havent done so, please read the manual.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/a2088xt

A2088-A2286.pdf


I get the feeling there might be alot of stabbing in the dark within this thread.

How about visit the local Commodore user meetup ? http://www.tpug.ca/

[darkage]

dupe post

[darkage]

or maybe the disk your trying to access has deteriorated alot.  

Theres a regular Monthly Amiga user group meeting just around the corner from my house as well.   I was like wow they will do that these days.  I have to make an effort to attend one day.

[darkage]

Your not kidding. I had to try 6 floppies to format a 3.5" successfully. They are all degrading.
 
 I'm really stuck since I didn't have any luck putting in the 3.5" into the Amiga PC (tried all kind of combos.  I figure it's formatting capacity, or just different generation Floppy controllers-Floppy Drives).

 I'm deteriorating into a Dead end, if I don't come up with a fresh idea or workaround.

I would just purchase a Gotek floppy emulator.   That way you can just deal with floppy images instead of physical oxidised media.

For PC  -  http://bit.ly/2j3iOfl  

For Amiga - the above floppy emulator will need its firmware updated to work on an amiga.   You can purchase one online already modified for Amiga use.  http://bit.ly/2jRcWKu

This would save alot of heart ache.   imagine just keeping all your floppy images (.adf image) on fat32 formatted usb plugged into the gotek floppy emulator and then selecting from the device which image to use in DF0:    simple.


even if you use physical floppies, you still have to create disks from archives or images which can be a hassle at times.

[darkage]

Thanks.  If I do go forward with upgrading (I actually might) it won't be with all this flaky unreliable stuff.

demo video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxsmQxJZ3c