A2000

[just4funuk]

Have decided to try and bring an Amiga 2000 back to life. Only problem is its not like the good old Amiga 4000 I use to have (Wish I had never sold it)It has no harddrive interface built onboard.My question are as follows.

1)The machine has a memory expansion and what looks to be a PC XT emulator card and an ISA harddrive controller (IDE) only had a quick look will double check this.Is there a way of using the controllers on this with the Amiga side or can the controllers only be used by the PC emulator board.


Thanks for any advice will post many more questions in the future that is almost certain.

[InTheSand]

Hi,

Oh the regret of selling old Amiga stuff... Made that mistake myself with my first A500, but not with my original A1200 which still soldiers on to this day!

If I were you, I'd look for an A2000-compatible SCSI controller card. There are a couple on eBay at the moment, here and here to give you an idea.

 - Ali

[J-Golden]

did you check the ISA card against tbe HD controller cards on the Big Book of Amiga Hardware??  It might just be fir the PC emu. card but maybe not.  IDE HD's are really cheap these days...

If you never been to the BBoAH page before ther eis a link under "other places" in the main menu catagory on the left side of every Amiga.ORG page. :idea:

[FrankBrana]

The 2000 is a quite amazing machine

I have a fully loaded, as the american buddies say, and its ultra stable, good expandable, fast...

My setup is

Phase 5 blizz2060 060 @ 64Mhz
Fast SCSI 2 with 8gb Quantum drive, UltraPlex 40x and yamaha 16x burner
Fujitsu MO 256 mb
Cv64 3D
BridgeBoard for ethernet
Oktagon IDE
Multi IO

The best you can do is to get a turboboard, which usually comes with SIMM ram banks ( except gvp ones, which you have to avoid ) and scsi interface. then a Z2 capable GFX card, and youre almost done

Regards

[michaelB]

Your question:  "Is their any way of using the ISA hard drive
controler on the PC bridgeboard to work with the Amiga side"
- the answer is *yes* there is.

It's the way I started out many years ago with a 2286 bridgeboard.
You need the bridgeboard Janus software, and jlink command as
I remember.  The sequence works like this:
You still have to start a minimul boot with a floppy to
transfer to the PC hard drive after it is mounted.  Just
setup the hard drive with two or more partitions, msdos FAT16
and another couuple for the Amiga which you format later.

if you need info send me a message, I believe I have all the
software and details for you.

BTW, is it an IDE/ATA interface (single 40 wire ribbon) or more often
an ST506 ("mfm") interface - two ribbon cables?

seeya

Michael

[just4funuk]

MichaelB

Think the Harddrive controller was IDE as the connector looks like standard 40pin socket from what I remember. Will try to check this over the weekend. If this is correct would like to try the method you are suggesting.(untill I get a SCSI controller off ebay)

Thanks again to everyone has posted and to anyone who continues to post. Any idea or suggestions are welcome.

[motrucker]

FrankBrana wrote:

The best you can do is to get a turboboard, which usually comes with SIMM ram banks ( except gvp ones, which you have to avoid ) and scsi interface. then a Z2 capable GFX card, and youre almost done

Regards

Even the GVP can be great, just make sure it is fully populted with RAM if you buy one.
Mine is much like yours, except I have a GVP 040/SCSI, a GVP Spectrum video card, and a megachip 2000. Having 2Mb of chip RAM helps, even with the graphics card.

[just4funuk]

Have just purchased a ADSCSI 2080 Ram Upgrade For Amiga 1500 / 2000 and I have a Fusion 68040 card on the way.

So once the Boards are installed hope to have spec Below

Amiga 2000 16MB
Fusion Forty 68040 Accelerator Card
ADSCSI 2080
Have a 1GB HD drive in it at the moment but hopefully will get a larger one.

Next will be a Graphics Card.

Thank you ebay

motrucker wrote:

FrankBrana wrote:

The best you can do is to get a turboboard, which usually comes with SIMM ram banks ( except gvp ones, which you have to avoid ) and scsi interface. then a Z2 capable GFX card, and youre almost done

Regards

Even the GVP can be great, just make sure it is fully populted with RAM if you buy one.
Mine is much like yours, except I have a GVP 040/SCSI, a GVP Spectrum video card, and a megachip 2000. Having 2Mb of chip RAM helps, even with the graphics card.

[just4funuk]

A2000
Have installed SCSI Card and Fusion Forty.

Problems I have which need possible help.

Which OS would be more stable on machine WB2 or WB3.

Have little luck in getting WB2 installed and running.Have got WB3 to copied to Hd0: by using instructions in ADSCSI manual. copy DF0: Hd0: all

But due to scripts on disk have to insert floppy disk half way through install.Does work but would like to install the WB correctly is there any where I can get an install utility to setup the WB correctly. Must point out wouldnt work with either of the original WB disks 2 or 3 had and but had an old disk that could of been used on A1200 many years ago this is the one I am booting machine at the moment with then I assign in shell.(so HD is used)


thanks in advance for any help


 

[Argus]

Silly question perhaps, but what ROM version is installed on the m/b?  You're going to need version 2.04 or better to install Workbench 2.1 or version 3.1 to install Workbench 3.1.  Check the 40 pin dip style chip to the right of the 68000 cpu on the m/b, if it reads 37.xx it's a 2.0x ROM while 40.68 would be a 3.1 ROM.

Also, there may be compatibility problems with the Fusion Forty and 3.1 ROM.  You need iirc the newer boot roms on the FF itself to autoboot a 3.1 bootable partition.  I don't have a FF but maybe someone else here can tell you.  There's also the BBoAH (big board of amiga hardware).

[just4funuk]

Running Kickstart Version 2.0 (37.175)

Have tried using WB 2.05
and WB 3.0 Disks

Am going to see if I can get SCSI CDROM drive to work.As have approx approx 20-30 Amiga CD cover Disks that I would like to Access .Instead of copying the Data across on 720K format PC disks which is not always possible.Also can burn Aminet data to disk on PC and use on Amiga.(Sorry for using the word PC)

Thanks For any advice


 

[just4funuk]

have now got Workbench 2.05 installed on Harddisk but have to boot via floppy and re-assign as trying to boot from Harddrive causes machine power light to flash and machine to just re-boot.

1) So at present hold mouse to stop machine booting from Harddisk.Insert Workbench 2.05 Floppy in DF0: and IDSCSI in DF1:

2)Assign Devs and c to df1: ADSCSI Floppy Disk

3)run ICDmount (all drives come up and now re-assign to DH0:)

4)Works ok like this but cant install IDEFIX97 to get CDRom support as Floppy does not have enough space).Would also pref if it just booted of Harddrive would make life so much easier.

Poss solutions might try but need some advice before spend money I dont need to.

Method one is to play with Startup sequence to find what is causing machine to reboot in loop as seems to work off Floppy if Disabel auto-boot of garddisk.

Method two is remove Kickstart Rom chip from A500+ and put it in A2000 and then try re-installing Workbench 2.05.Will ADSCSI 2080 and Fusion Forty be ok under Kickstart 2.05.

Method three is to Buy Kickstart 3.1 and install Workbench 3.0 (Will Fusion forty and ADSCSI work under this setup).

Any advice gratefully received  

[glitch]

I understand that you copied the OS from the Workbench floppy to the hard drive partition.  Do you not have the set of OS2.0x floppies?  Like ones labelled Install, Workbench, Extras, etc?  If so, I would try a proper install by booting off of the Install disk...

Good luck!

[TjLaZer]

Some SCSI cards do not function with the Fusion Forty, you can get the newer ROM update to fix that....

What version of the Fusion Forty Plug 'N Go ROMs do you have?  (Hit ESC on bootup and enter the F40 menu to see)  If you have older ROMs you cannot use Kick 3.1, you need V 3.4 of the PNG ROMs (I have them available see my site)

[just4funuk]

Glitch

Have to be honest didn't know there was an install disk as have two sets of Workbench 2.05 and both only have Workbench,Extras and Fonts.So thought I had a full set of  Workbench 2.05 disks.Thanks for the info.


TjLaZer

Hitting escape had no effect all I can say is I get a Fast kick loading screen when it boots.Holding right  mouse button while booting brings up a Fusion forty control menu SetFF operation NOFASTKICK or exit below this greyed out are the following options FastKick with a tick instpack no tick and diagnostic.Then below this is a cancel button which exits the menu.TjLazer thanks for the link to th eproms but dont have anyway at present of using them rom images.So with the infomation you have supplied think I will try to get either Workbench 2.05 or 2.1 installed on it corrcetly.