286 bridgeboard

[EdKing]

I just got a 286 bridge board from eBay, can anyone tell me how to set up a hard drive for it ? is there anywhere I can download the manual for the janus software ? I can get it to boot of off a floppy drive, but I'd like to get it to boot from a haed drive, either file or partition.

Thanks in advance

Ed King

[EdKing]

Can anyone tell me where I can find version 1.7 of DMS ?

Ed King

[blobrana]

Hum,

Error error cannot compute, insufficient data...

You mean you have one of these?


The janus software can be downloaded from here (it may contain a read me manual)
(different versions)


But have a look here ,for a general setup guide...

[Matt_H]

Setting up an actual drive is very difficult. I can get you going with a hardfile, though:

(paraphrased from the manual)

Add 'run >nil: sys/pc/pcdisk' to the startup-sequence right after BindDrivers.
From the PCInstall disk, run 'makeab drive:directory/hardfile' (with the real destination for the file).
It will ask for some drive parameters. Heads typically range from 4-8. Sectors/Track are typically 17. Cylinders max out at 1024.
Size in bytes = Heads*Cyls*SectorsPerTrack*512
4 heads, 17 sectors/track, 306 cyls will give you a 10MB drive.
Finally. create the file SYS:PC/ABOOT.CTRL; it should contain the nothing but the full path to the hardfile (EX, DH0:file)
The PC should autodetect it, and you can prep it with FDISK.

My dad ran a 486 bridgeboard many years ago with its own ISA hard card. If you want to get a real drive going, that might be the easiest way.

If a manual turns up for sale somewhere, I strongly suggest you pick it up. These things were not easy to configure.

Good luck!

[blobrana]

Hum,
A few archivers can be found here...


@Matt_H
Yeah,
doesn`t sound easy...

hehe, `PC task` sounds better option... :-)

[melott]

@EdKing

I'm in the process of getting ready to set up a 268
BridgeBoard myself. I'm going to pull the MoBo and
install the card slot extenders to make all the PC
slots 16 bit. I picked up a VGA & IDE HD/Floppy &
sound card. I have some hardware hacking to do before
I do the actual BB setup (will take me some time).
I sure would like it if you EMailed me with your
progress/problems. There isn't much I can help you
with yet.

[EdKing]

Thanks for the info, I think I have it working now. I am going through all this to try to use a PC network card to access the network from my Amiga. I'd like to get on the internet with my DSL, but would just be happy to be able transfer files faster than with a serial cable.

Ed King
 

[Argus]

@EdKing

If you're planning on using the Etherbridge program, beware it is buggy on a Cyberstorm060 system using Miamiv3.2 to go on-line via the ISA ethernet card.  It works all right, about as fast or maybe a little faster than a fast serial 56K connection, but usually crashes quite spectacularly.  Then again, this was in an A4000 with 060.  Maybe it's more stable on a different setup.  Good luck.

[EdKing]

I am going to try it on a 2000 with a FusionForty 040/28. I am still having a little trouble, have to keep working at it. I'll let everyone know my results. Once again, thanks to everyone for thier help.

Ed King

[Argus]

I've been meaning to try Etherbridge again in my A2000 with a GVP030 card, maybe it'll work better.  Too bad that you can't use an ISA video card through the bridgeboard to RTG the OS graphics display. Or I wonder if it is not possible to maybe build a simple ZII/ISA bridge to mount a cheap PC ISA graphics card like what was done with the X-Surf card from Individual Computers.

[melott]

--------------
Too bad that you can't use an ISA video card through the bridgeboard to RTG the OS graphics display.
--------------

I wondered that myself... it would be a cheap way for
A2000 users to get RTG.
If it could be done, there probably isn't anyone with
the skills interested in doing such a project.
 

[Argus]

I'd bet Jens Schoenfeld could do it.  He already made a viable Z2/ISA bridge with the X-Surf.  Maybe we should start an email campaign to him.  I bet if there were enough interested buyers, he might give it a go.  Since very old Spectrum and Picasso rtg cards seem to be going on eBay for $100 or more I think there's obviously still a market.

[melott]

---------------------
I'd bet Jens Schoenfeld could do it. He already made a viable Z2/ISA bridge with the X-Surf. Maybe we should start an email
-------------------------

If you know him.... why not give him a try??

It seems logical that if C= could direct the GFX from
the BB side to the C= GFX chips for output then the GFX
from the A2000 side could be redirected to the BB GFX
card.
If someone was to write a driver, you would see the value
of these BB's go up fast :-)

[Matt_H]

Such a device already exists. See here.

The problem with rebuilding a similar product today would probably be sourcing a large supply of decent ISA GFX cards.

[EzdineG]

It would probably be easier to purchase something like the Prometheus PCI -> ZorroIII bridge and use Voodoo and Realtek based solutions instead.  I've heard loose talk about these being (unofficially) compatible with Zorro II slots, but haven't tried/seen it for myself.  I think red still sells them for $139 along with brackets to fit it all into a desktop case.  Although it wouldn't be as slick as using your built in ISA slots, it's probably more practical.

I've currently 2 A2386 bridgeboards in my possession.  Is this "Etherbridge" capable of allowing me the use of an ISA network card on the Amiga side via one of these bridgeboards?  Can someone elaborate on that product a little more?

Thanks,
Adrian