New A2000

[bbond007]

The computer should able to boot off the HD. I would just double check that everything is connected.

If not, then you'll need workbench disks further diagnose the HD.

See if you have those. I think you should be able to use the one labeled "Install" to run the application "HD Toolbox" to see if the computer can even see the HD.

You can also try and press both mouse buttons before the system boots to get into the "Early Boot Menu" and from there you would be able to at least see the HD is listed. I'm not 100% sure 2.x has that menu but its worth a shot.

I agree with 3.1 ROMS as a future upgrade but for 3.1 not 3.9 because of only having 8MB RAM and a 25mhz 030. For that same reason a graphics card would also be sort of useless. Maybe look at ClassicWB. http://classicwb.abime.net/

I would suggest the Indivision ECS to connect it to modern monitor.

good luck!

[bbond007]

Got it...I was investigating the HD to make sure it was spinning, which it was.  I thought I would reseat the SCSI card, and noticed the screw was stripped that holds the board down.  The board wasn't seated at all.  Must have come loose in shipping.  Booted up fine.  Only problem is the only thing I have to hook it to is an old 1702 monitor, which is in BW due to the monochrome output on the back.  I have an A500 on the way, that has an A520 with it, so hopefully I can use that interim, and at least have color.  I have a 1902A that I use on my C128, but don't know if it would work, as I know the RGB is different on the C128.  Also, no cables for the A2000.  So now I'm going to investigate CrossDos a little and see if I can get some software on there to play with.  Thanks for the help, and any more suggestions for my new to me system would be appreciated.  I looked at the Indivision ECS, but they are out of stock on them and didn't have a date on when they would have more.

Jeff

Bummer about the indivision ECS being sold out...

you could get one of these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330605923350?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_2576wt_816

i have never used one but i'd try it over paying those ebay microway FF prices.

[bbond007]

Any suggestions or links I can look at?  I am new, so don't know anything, but do read a lot.  Also, how hard is the upgrade to 3.1?

Jeff

just this...

http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=58860&highlight=2320+dell

i think it might be better to get monitor that can sync to your amiga.

the FF boards may work OK in NTSC but not at all in PAL or just be crappy on LCD in general.

the upgrade to 3.1 is simple. you'll carefully remove 2 ROM chips and replace them with 3.1 chips. Workbench is just as easy as loading 5 disks into the drive consecutively.

you might also want this. you could get rid of spinning mechanical SCSI HDs all together and possibly prep the entire HD on your PC with UAE.

http://a4000t.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68&products_id=184&zenid=03abb52d8ee234d9e1a0f16e346857a7

good luck...

[bbond007]

OK, so I am intrigued by the comments on putting a HD in a pc and formatting it using WinUAE.  I have several SCSI HD's laying around, but how do I know if they will work with the Amiga?  I think I even have a couple of SCSI controllers for a PC, but I guess need to know what version of SCSI that the Amiga takes.  The drives I have are I think around 18 Gb.  Thanks so much for all of the help.  You guys, and this site are great!

Jeff

i would just the the SCSI CF reader(that i linked above) and just build the OS on a CF with inexpensive CF-IDE adapter.

those USB->SCSI things are $$$, and what do you have at the end of the day, AOS on a drive whose MTBF was 10 years ago...

[bbond007]

Does anybody know if the A2091 RAM is just used by the SCSI controller, or should it show up in showconfig?  It has 2mb, and I verified the jumper is set for 2mb on the card, but in showconfig, it only shows 64k on a590/2091.  Also, one person asked what type of HD it had, and yes, it is 105S.  Thanks.

I almost forgot, the A2091 is a rev. 4.1 board running 6.6 roms.

The ram on the scsi cards is system ram and should just show up as additional "fast ram".

I think the 64K you are seeing is the cards ROM size.

It may be a benefit for the HD controller driver to have at least some ram on the controller to DMA into, and i think the GURU ROM may know about that, but the ram is in no way dedicated to disk IO like a cashing SCSI controller on a PC.

Like for example, my old A2000 with PP&S 040/28 which had 32MB 32bit ram but no SCSI controller. The Z-II HD controller (GVP4008, GURUROM) can't DMA into the 32BIT ram, so if you have no 16bit FAST ram, its only other choice is chip ram which already has contention for everything else.

[bbond007]

Darrin, good point on the HD limits with version 6.6 roms.  The chips look like they are just EPROMS.  If that is the only difference, if anyone knows what type of chip they are, and has the ROM files that are used, I could burn version 7 chips and replace them.  I don't know if those ROMs are still copyrighted or not, someone else might know the answers to these questions.  Thanks.

Jeff

if you can find it, it would really help the 2091 if you had a Guru ROM. Unfortunately you can't just burn the EEPROM as there is some additional circuitry on the board to accommodate the a larger that stock ROM. http://babel.de/amiga.html

[bbond007]

Any ideas on the trouble with my A520, I hope it is just bad, and not my RGB port.

A520s were notorious for running hot and burning out