**Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)

[wbrejnia]

XTs need drivers for everything except basic graphics, keyboard, floppy, clock. Some will mount cards automatically from ROM on the card if the BIOS supports it, but rare with XT and 8 bit ISA gear. Wasn't a "standard" way to do that, IIRC. Stone Age, really.

The A2000 is not that dissimilar, but at least it has a 16 bit autoconfig bus. The Amiga was always nice graphics with a slow processor nailed to it, really. You had to fit more processor power, but at least you could. CPU cards came much later on the PC. ATs were nice, but they were never Amigas.

Anyway, you got all the resources out there, just consult them and think about cracking the data out, whatever it was. I'm guessing it's student stuff, which can turn out surprisingly useful later in life.

 Thanks for that clarification.  No point wasting time on what won't work.  DRIVERS NEEDED (don't have them).
 
 You mention that some cards will automount from ROM.  What caught my attention on the documentation I found, is the WD HD card does have an Embedded format tool that can be accessed from DOS in some kind of Debug command.  But who knows what that means.
 
 I will take one last look at that workbench disk just in case there is a clue, but can't see anything special being there.  It's boot the Bridgeboard PC fine. What else could it do without access to the HD on the PC side.
 
 Anyway to save me time on Limitation of Amiga Tools. If I remember correctly there is a way to access a 3.5" Amiga Floppy from a Windows PC. (Correct?).
 
 Amiga Explorer is one way. Correct?
 
 Another tool I noticed on my Explorer computer is ADFread.
 
 I need to read back on this thread since there was mention of other tools for scanning and stripping/recovering corrupt disks.

[wbrejnia]

One other option (846 PC).
 
 I just got permission from my friend who lent me that 486 PC.  He doesn't need it and if I break it he doesn't care.
 
 So I'll rip it apart and see if the WD Controller card will fit in there with the Hard drive.  Maybe (doubt it) BIOS will pick it up.
 
 Can't hurt to try.

[darkage]

if you havent done so, please read the manual.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/a2088xt

A2088-A2286.pdf


I get the feeling there might be alot of stabbing in the dark within this thread.

How about visit the local Commodore user meetup ? http://www.tpug.ca/

[darkage]

dupe post

[wbrejnia]

if you havent done so, please read the manual.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/a2088xt

A2088-A2286.pdf


I get the feeling there might be alot of stabbing in the dark within this thread.

How about visit the local Commodore user meetup ? http://www.tpug.ca/

WOW!! TPUG (Toronto Pet User Group) is still around. (They meet like 15 minutes from my house. Incredible)
I used to attend those club meetings  decades ago for the Commodore 64 Knowledge. Even met Jim Butterfield.
Very interesting. I got to make the next meeting and bring the Amiga in the back of the VAN.

Yes this is stabbing in the dark. It's all I have with my limited knowledge.

I did look up the bridgeboard before your post and was working on this.

BRIDGEBOARD SPEC SAYS
-------------------------------------------------------------
Floppy Disks: Supports up to 2 floppy disk drive from the following:
1. One PC-only external drive (3.5" or 5.25") 2. Two PC-only internal drives of same computer type (PC or Amiga),
3.5" 1.44MB PC drive, 3.5" 720KB/880KB PC or Amiga drive, 3.5" 880KB/1.76MB dual-speed Amiga drive, 5.25" high density, or 5.25" low density. 3.
One shared 3.5" Amiga drive Card Type: Uses both Amiga bus and PC ISA bus. Occupies one of the two combined positions
.-------------------------------------------------T

Thus the Bridgeboard will support TWO Floppy drives.
I hooked up a 3.5" to the Bridgeboard using the cable from the 486.
3.5" Drive spins up on boot attempt, but says Bad DiskFormatting a 1.44MB DISK version of DOS to try. Could be the 3.5" drive isn't compatible.

[darkage]

or maybe the disk your trying to access has deteriorated alot.  

Theres a regular Monthly Amiga user group meeting just around the corner from my house as well.   I was like wow they will do that these days.  I have to make an effort to attend one day.

[wbrejnia]

or maybe the disk your trying to access has deteriorated alot.

Your not kidding.  I had to try 6 floppies to format a 3.5" successfully.  They are all degrading.
 
 and now I face something worse.  The only 5.25" DOS floppy I have won't boot.  Amiga PC tries, but it won't boot, so it's also deteriorated from using it these last few days.  
 
 I'm really stuck since I didn't have any luck putting in the 3.5" into the Amiga PC (tried all kind of combos.  I figure it's formatting capacity, or just different generation Floppy controllers-Floppy Drives).

 I'm deteriorating into a Dead end, if I don't come up with a fresh idea or workaround.

[darkage]

Your not kidding. I had to try 6 floppies to format a 3.5" successfully. They are all degrading.
 
 I'm really stuck since I didn't have any luck putting in the 3.5" into the Amiga PC (tried all kind of combos.  I figure it's formatting capacity, or just different generation Floppy controllers-Floppy Drives).

 I'm deteriorating into a Dead end, if I don't come up with a fresh idea or workaround.

I would just purchase a Gotek floppy emulator.   That way you can just deal with floppy images instead of physical oxidised media.

For PC  -  http://bit.ly/2j3iOfl  

For Amiga - the above floppy emulator will need its firmware updated to work on an amiga.   You can purchase one online already modified for Amiga use.  http://bit.ly/2jRcWKu

This would save alot of heart ache.   imagine just keeping all your floppy images (.adf image) on fat32 formatted usb plugged into the gotek floppy emulator and then selecting from the device which image to use in DF0:    simple.


even if you use physical floppies, you still have to create disks from archives or images which can be a hassle at times.

[wbrejnia]

I would just purchase a Gotek floppy emulator. That way you can just deal with floppy images instead of physical oxidised media.

For PC - http://bit.ly/2j3iOfl

For Amiga - the above floppy emulator will need its firmware updated to work on an amiga. You can purchase one online already modified for Amiga use. http://bit.ly/2jRcWKu

This would save alot of heart ache. imagine just keeping all your floppy images on usb plugged into the gotek floppy emulator and then selecting from the device which image to use in DF0: simple.

Thanks.  If I do go forward with upgrading (I actually might) it won't be with all this flaky unreliable stuff.

[darkage]

Thanks.  If I do go forward with upgrading (I actually might) it won't be with all this flaky unreliable stuff.

demo video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUxsmQxJZ3c

[wbrejnia]

THREAD Coming to an END ( WHY ALL THIS FUSS over a STONE AGE Hard Drive)

So in case anyone is wondering why all this struggle and not just upgrade as suggested.

This thread and attempt was purely to get access to that Original Hard Drive that I used in University on the PC Side.

I spent my money on an Amiga. Had no interest in XT PC's, but needed one for Electronics School.
And on that Drive, I'm 95% sure is a Electronic Copy of my Thesis Paper, which I lost the Hard Copy years ago in a flood.

Would be cool to read it again, and show my Son who is actually starting a High School Courses in a few weeks in Computer Programming and Robotics Automation. For me to.

So not sure if it's appropriate or Norm to share, but what the heck not, this Thesis Project was probably something folks Use even Today for the Kickstart Burns.

The THESIS was a UNIVERSAL EPPROM & Single Chip MicroProcessor Programmer. A real working model at the end of Graduation (1991).

I have some paper photo's that my Mom recently passed on to me.

Here is the Programmer.


It was Truly Universal since it could handle any Chip that fit into that Socket.

Inside shows the Interface Board, with Programmable Voltage Power Supply to handle any Chip Voltage required.


To handle various Chip Pinouts, there was a Custom Cartridge Module that plugged into the back to re-route the addressing, data buses and power.

I have the Module sitting on my shelf in my office (the rest was lost)
I actually got this module back last March 2016, when my Dad Passed away (I was going thru his stuff). He kept it for years.
That moment when I found the module it shook me up, and got me on this mission to get the Thesis.


More modules could be made for the Base Unit,
but the inside shows how This One Module handled the 9 different chips it supported (via toggle switches and push buttons)


I wrote the User Interface for the PC, to upload the Compiled C Code, or data to be burn via Serial cable to the base unit.


It could read chips, make copies, and burn new one. If I had it today, I copy make copies of Kickstart ROMS, or make new ones from images.

It was a fun Thesis (learned a lot) , got 95% (lost 5% for Spelling Errors. Professor was tough)


SO A COPY of that Thesis Paper is what this Thread was about.

Even if I don't get that Paper ever, my mom got me these photo's just last Christmas,
and this was the best one, the DESIGN WHITE BOARD of the Programmer from my Bedroom wall.


Thanks for everyone's help. You guys have been great. I would have given up sooner if it wasn't for you all.

I'll never give up, but I'll take it a bit slower.

Wife and kids want to kill me for blowing away a whole weekend on this.

Wally

[darkage]

nice project looks very clean and professional!   You can detect the hard drives within the bios on the 486 right ?    It might make more sense if you can try and find a way to create hard drive image file from the MFM drives via the 486.  Not sure if you have to convert he MFM drive images at all.  You will need to read up.


  Then you might be able to load the hdd image with Winuae emulator configured with a bridgeboard..    

video example - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8UUgXPnsw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnsZBX_AYKA


even if you dont take a image of the MFM drive, you could still fire up WinUAE configured with a bridgeboard to become more familiar with the setup and how the system should react minus any bad hardware disadvantages.   Might be a useful training aid on a fast modern day computer.

[wbrejnia]

You can detect the hard drives within the bios on the 486 right ? .

If you are referring to the Hard Drive in the Amiga with my school work the answer is no. If I could I'd be very close achieving my goal (Even if I were to get access to Ascii text data within since that's all I really want (read what I wrote in that Thesis Paper).

Going beyond and getting a image of either the DOS or (if an amiga partition exsists) would be the next step. If somehow possible.

However, I haven't torn apart that 486 to put in the WD controller (if it even fits into a compatible slot).

That I will try, and is my next step, along with some other hacks or as stated (Stabs in the Dark, which is true).

I am going to email that TPUG user group and see what kind of folks are member and what knowledge or part they have to assist me.
 
 THANKS for that YouTube video of the Bridgeboard emulator.  That sparks some ideas, but not even close to understanding what it would take.

[wbrejnia]

I see a Donate Link on this web site, and since I've gotten so much in so little time I feel compelled to donate a small token of appreciation to assist the upkeep and a thanks for all the information compiled here.
I clicked on it but seem like no donations are active.
Are the folks running this site collecting donations? I'd  hate to send money into a black hole.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I see a Donate Link on this web site, and since I've gotten so much in so little time I feel compelled to donate a small token of appreciation to assist the upkeep and a thanks for all the information compiled here.
I clicked on it but seem like no donations are active.
Are the folks running this site collecting donations? I'd  hate to send money into a black hole.

I clicked on the link to see what would happen and got taken to a Paypal payment page, plus an auto-response in my inbox.  So it appears to still be working if you have a Paypal account?

...which reminds me, I should probably toss a couple bucks for hosting, considering how much time I spend on here.  :laughing:

[wbrejnia]

I clicked on the link to see what would happen and got taken to a Paypal payment page, plus an auto-response in my inbox. So it appears to still be working if you have a Paypal account?

...which reminds me, I should probably toss a couple bucks for hosting, considering how much time I spend on here. :laughing:

I just made a  token donation (went thru Paypal to A-EON Technology Ltd)
I checked the monthly Goal on the Forum, it didn't update (but could take time).  Will check later.
 
 I'm not the greatest donator to charities, but I do get moved by world disasters.  Also when it come to Freeware software that I really find useful I do donate as well.  The way I see things as far as Forums like this and others. (What if the forum wasn't around, how much would one pay for excellent information pointers (past and present), especially past on Legacy technology.  Also hats off to folks like yourself who reach out and help like you did help me of free will.  That  wouldn't be possible without a place like here).