CDTV no image??

[arttu80]

Hello all!

Recently I added such a curiosity item as a CDTV, to my little Amiga collection. It was sold as spare parts unit, so its missing Video Module from backpanel. I can't get any video output from RGB port on 1084S monitor, so I suspect it needs that Video Module, yes? Otherwise it plays audio CDs normally and seems to power up nicely. So any hints? Can I bypass that module with some jumper wire?

[arttu80]

After I examined A500 service manual and compared video port schematics to CDTV equivalent, noticed that only 4 jumper connections were needed to bypass VideoModule. Now video signal goes thru connector (CN10) to RGB connector (CN1) without card.

Heres pic of this maybe quite useless (to rest of you) mod.-->

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/images/5165/1_VIDEOMOD.jpg

I also read from http://amiga.resource.cx/mod/cdtv.html that "updating from KS1.3 requires special hardware released by third party manufacturers", but mine works fine with KS2.04 and KS3.1, so how come?

[whiteb]

After I examined A500 service manual and compared video port schematics to CDTV equivalent, noticed that only 4 jumper connections were needed to bypass VideoModule. Now video signal goes thru connector (CN10) to RGB connector (CN1) without card.

Heres pic of this maybe quite useless (to rest of you) mod.-->

http://www.amiga.org/gallery/images/5165/1_VIDEOMOD.jpg

I also read from http://amiga.resource.cx/mod/cdtv.html that "updating from KS1.3 requires special hardware released by third party manufacturers", but mine works fine with KS2.04 and KS3.1, so how come?

Perhaps they mean that the CDTV requires specific versions of 2.04+ that contain the required CDTV file systems (That control the CD Drive) in order to function correctly.

That would be my only guess as to why it would need "Special Hardware" ?

As long as the KS Chips are pin for pin compatible, it makes no difference, apart from the CD File systems etc, much in the same way there are different versions of Kickstart with, or without SCSI.Device to drive internal Hard Drives in the A1200/4000.

[Matt_H]

I believe the "special hardware" in question is either the developer Flash EPROM board or pre-burned updated EPROMs (someone here was selling some recently - I didn't know they could work without the developer board until I saw that post). They're the chips that store the special CDTV programs like the CD player and CD drive drivers. They're separate from the Kickstart chip, and I think, like so much 1.3-era software, they don't work properly with newer Kickstarts. So you might have the Amiga side of the CDTV working with a newer Kickstart, but the CD side components will probably give you trouble until you upgrade the EPROMs.

[BinoX]

The special hardware is the 2.3.0 extended ROMs.. I have a set in my KS3.1 cdtv and it all works fine (also have an 020, 8MB Fast RAM and the SCSI module with a hdd running OS3.9)

I believe, but I can't remember exactly since it was so long ago... The 2.3.0 roms are actually the roms from the A570

You can see what revision you have by looking at the number written on the rocks in the bottom left when you turn the CDTV on.

Here's an example of the standard CDTV screen (with version 1.0 extended rom)
http://amiga.lychesis.net/application/Kickstart/JimSachs_CDTV.html

[arttu80]

Thank you guys for replies! CDTV system is new to me, so I learn every time someone talk about it. I think this machine is underdog of Amigas bigtime!

The special hardware is the 2.3.0 extended ROMs.. I have a set in my KS3.1 cdtv and it all works fine (also have an 020, 8MB Fast RAM and the SCSI module with a hdd running OS3.9)

I believe, but I can't remember exactly since it was so long ago... The 2.3.0 roms are actually the roms from the A570

You can see what revision you have by looking at the number written on the rocks in the bottom left when you turn the CDTV on.

Here's an example of the standard CDTV screen (with version 1.0 extended rom)
http://amiga.lychesis.net/application/Kickstart/JimSachs_CDTV.html

But my RGB output doesn't show me any CDTV startup screen... well, maybe this thing does really need that missing Video Module.

[BinoX]

Hmmm...

There IS a jumper on the board that can disable the extended ROMs.. I think it's JP15.. somewhere near the front center..

There should be a jumper on it for the CDTV functions to work... I seem to remember it having too many pins, although I don't think it actually matters which pins you use as long as it's on there.

[arttu80]

Hmmm...

There IS a jumper on the board that can disable the extended ROMs.. I think it's JP15.. somewhere near the front center..

There should be a jumper on it for the CDTV functions to work... I seem to remember it having too many pins, although I don't think it actually matters which pins you use as long as it's on there.

Yes indeed it had JP15 disabled, because someone swapped KS2.04 in it. So after enabling CDTV functions with this jumper, machine no longer booted. So I popped old KS1.3 ROM in it and CDTV specific startup screen really appeared. Very COOL! It has v.1.0 of extended ROMs by the way.

Thanks again!