Amiga Inheritance! (now what?!)

[RedWarrior]

I just scored a truckload of Amiga 1200's- which for me is pretty exciting as I only ever had a 500, then a 2000, then a 600... the 1200's have always been the fabled awesome machines- though I guess I may have come in a little late to be amazed by AGA graphics but thats beside the point! =)

I have 8 machines- though not all have been tested so far, and one seems DOA... but I'd really like to find a way to put the machines to use again- they were used for the timetable screens at the train station- and have the train timetable softeare on them- which is potentially awesome- but the machine boots up and is waiting for input from the serial port- so it wont do much as is...

In all these years of Amiga afterlife development- have we yet found a convenient way to get data on to these old machines? Is there maybe SOME non expensive way to connect these things to USB?  I can't network them easily- though it would be amazing to get them running the timetable software again.... if I could fake the right serial port feed...

but baby steps- just fitting them out with software when all my old Amiga floppies are well past their useby date- I"m not sure how to share data among these machines etc...


Hope to hear from you guys! If there are any developers out there who might like to help get these things used in public space again- get in touch! =)

[kolla]

USB: requires subway usb controller
Network: requires pcmcia ethernetcard, if or you already have subway you can use usb ethernet.

Btw - Sweden by any chance? I remember I discovered amigas used as you describe in Sweden at some point

[Matt_H]

Nice find!

The easiest/cheapest way to get the data off those systems is probably through a CompactFlash card in the PCMCIA port. You'll need cfd.lha and a way to get it into the system. Since they're autobooting the timetable software, you'll need to boot without a startup-sequence and handle things manually from the shell.

[matt020]

It is better when people update their location so we know where they are located.

[tone007]

It is better when people update their location so we know where they are located.

Why? He didn't offer to sell you one or anything, did he?

Nosy.

[amigakid]

I want one:)  I no longer have an AGA Amiga cause my 4000 took a dump and my 1200 i sold a while ago cause I was financially strapped.  Just have my trusty 3000, 2000 and 1000 running atm  Good score by the way

[freqmax]

Method0) Make a boot disc with drivers for PCMCIA and software to copy *.*

Method1) Connect the harddisc to a PC and make an imagecopy.
(it's also possible to mount in BSD or Linux, use mount -ro)

Method2) Use a bootdisc and copy everything to floppies. Or send it via RS232....

[Jeff]

"Suggestion" Please archive the train station software for people interested in screen shots of Amiga software in unusual applications.

[RedWarrior]

Ah genius! Yeah I forgot about that- I have a CF/PCMCIA thingy somewhere... will use that.  I can post the software on here- would be great to see if anyone else can make it work!  Ideally I'd like to run it on a self contained machine- somehow hack the timetable software to read info locally instead of the network (which I don't have)... then I could use it for public events n festivals etc and put event times with fun scroll text...

Once I get the PCMCIA thing running I'll copy to CF and upload for you guys... This is the QR system from Brisbane Australia...

I did ask about how they were connected up and I think they had some things called "digi boards" which apparently made multiple serial ports- I think how they were all connected...

Very efficient system anyway...

[AmigaHeretic]

From 2003:
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2764

[scuzzb494]

I have mine on the same network as the PCs. I also have ZIP drives connected plus a CD. And what with broadband on the Miggy also I just never have a problem transfering stuff between the Amiga and the world. Thing is that the files are just so small it hardly takes a blink of an eye to transfer files. I guess data is only as good as what you do with it and other than the odd game download most the software is on floppy so your never going to be stumped for useful goodies on the Amiga.

Have fun.

PS: Wouldnt the train station software be linked to some data terminal where the operators input the actual train information. May have been also some kind of telephone link. Without the train network how is that going to work? Dunno.

All else fails just get some good floppies. Most of the Amiga software was designed in floppy sized chunks, particularly on the Amiga.

You could also set up a Parnet link. Slow, but effective.

And don`t forget the humble modem.

[gertsy]

Here's another one: I sold off one of my old 2000s in 2006 to someone from the Sydney Monorail.  He said they used them for the door systems. Not sure if that included announcements. I asked him if they had thought of using 1200s but they needed a big box amiga. So I guessed they also used a card of some kind.

[freqmax]

The commands may possible be dechipered using a hexdump string search of the binaries ..?

[JC]

Amigakit should be able to help you with whatever items you may require.

[RedWarrior]

Sorry for huge time lapse- I hope everyone on this thread originally is still alive & with us...

I'm hoping to ressurect the timetable software on these old machines - so I'm uploading a copy here for the experts to dissect.

This software needs a signal from the serial port to work properly- the information for each train platform would come in, and be updated n displayed in real time, complete with scrolltext telling you news and stay behind the yellow line =)

If there's no signal from the serial port, it just displays the train company logo.

Would anyone have an idea how I might be able to get this software to just read from a text file or something instead? Also toying with the (complicated) idea of using an arduino to send serial port signals and emulate the signal this program needs....

Hope to hear from you lot! =)
The program is PIDS... (public information display system I guess)- and looks like it might be made from Scala or something...?