A500 upgrade (harddisk, KS, LAN)

[Benighted]

Hi,

I have picked up my good old A500 from my parents' attic. The configuration is poor. It has a 512K expansion unit, and KS 1.2.
I would like to upgrade the machine a tad for two purposes:
1) fit in a harddrive so I can have all the games in there.
2) transfer files between PC(LAN) and Amiga. (getting it on internett seems a bit too complex: http://eabmobile.abime.net/showthrea...963#post572963)
3) Connect it to my 42" LCD screen.

Regarding point#1 I understand that you can get an old A590 or GVP drive. These aren't very easy to get and in addition they are noisy! Another option is to fit a SCSI harddrive which I read about in this thread: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=35954
This seems like a good option, but is it very difficult to get it to work? I do not have any experience with building circuit boards etc.

I guess I will also need to upgrade the KS. Should I upgrade to 3.1, or will that render all my games unusable? Do I have to buy a kickswitch or can I upgrade to an earlier ROM and be able to play all the old games? Extra RAM is also needed?

Can I just get a cable to transfer files between the amiga and PC. What software is needed for this?

Point#3 seems easy enough. Just need a composite cable and audio cables.

Any answers to my questions are very much appreciated.

edit: might have posted this in the wrong thread, so please move my post if appropriate.

[Photon]

First off, welcome!!

Get an IDE interface and a CF adapter for it. That will take care of point 1 and 2. As for point 3, well, if the TV has no support for RGB in (such as via SCART), then I guess you have to use a lesser signal.

As for kickstart, well I'd recommend 2.0+, not sure if the 3.1 ROM will need some hack to work in the A500 socket, but you'll need a kickstart switch anyway, since you don't have a beefy enough Amiga to run all the WHDload games (old games fixed to work on new Amigas startable via Workbench).

Amigakit has all the stuff above, maybe you'll have to get a CF card reader for your surfing computer if you have no such connector.

(WHDload is an alternative to having a drove of game disk images on the hdd and putting them on floppy when you'd like to play them)

[rkauer]

Those 1.2 ROM boards needs a small hack to work with 1.3+ ROMs. Also for using internal RAM expansions the 8370 Agnus needs replacing for something better (8372A for example).

[Jope]

Originally Posted by rkauer

Those 1.2 ROM boards needs a small hack to work with 1.3+ ROMs.

Or was it 2.04+ after all?

1.3 is a 256kB ROM like 1.2 was.

[Paul_s]

Dunno what you can do with regards LAN connection on a 500. That may end up being expensive. There's a parallel option which is somewhat faster than doing it through the serial port.

Is can never think of the name of it... and there's another one which escapes me - I'm sure the author of it is on here.... arrgh need a mind meld!

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

Is can never think of the name of it... and there's another one which escapes me

Hombre?

Originally Posted by Paul_s

I'm sure the author of it is on here.... arrgh need a mind meld!

ppill?

[Benighted]

Originally Posted by Photon

First off, welcome!!

Get an IDE interface and a CF adapter for it. That will take care of point 1 and 2. As for point 3, well, if the TV has no support for RGB in (such as via SCART), then I guess you have to use a lesser signal.

As for kickstart, well I'd recommend 2.0+, not sure if the 3.1 ROM will need some hack to work in the A500 socket, but you'll need a kickstart switch anyway, since you don't have a beefy enough Amiga to run all the WHDload games (old games fixed to work on new Amigas startable via Workbench).

Amigakit has all the stuff above, maybe you'll have to get a CF card reader for your surfing computer if you have no such connector.

(WHDload is an alternative to having a drove of game disk images on the hdd and putting them on floppy when you'd like to play them)

Thanks for your welcome and quick reply.

I can't seem to find IDE interface and CF adapter for Amiga500 on amigakit.eu. The only parts available are for A600/1200. Am I being completely ignorant? Maybe it's out of stock. I can't find kickswitch either.

@Rkauer
What exactly is meant by an hack on the 1.2 boards? I've read that you may have to bend the pins a bit to make them fit newer ROMs.

[rkauer]

Nope, you need to run a wire shunt from one pin to another as I can't recall the correct pin numbers.

As for parallel networking, paradyse (available at Aminet) is a good choice.

[Photon]

Originally Posted by Benighted

Thanks for your welcome and quick reply.

I can't seem to find IDE interface and CF adapter for Amiga500 on amigakit.eu. The only parts available are for A600/1200. Am I being completely ignorant? Maybe it's out of stock. I can't find kickswitch either.

Hm, no idea why he doesn't stock them. The CF adapter you saw was the EasyADF bundle I think, and that goes in the PCMCIA port on models that have'em.

But CF to IDE adapters are cheap to come by on eBay, I have one of these

I'm sure all of the things you need is easy to get, apart from the IDE interface (A500 sidecar expansion), but not too hard. SCSI is better ofc, but requires an adapter from Vesalia for 40€(?) (no CF adapters are made for SCSI, only IDE...)

If you don't use a "removable" harddisk that is easy to plug into both, you'll have to fiddle with some cable or other.

If you want internet access on an unexpanded A500 you'll need an ultra-rare Zorro II-card that you'll have to hack, just to get somewhere to plug in the cable (dunno any details, never been tried ever AFAIK). After that you need lots of ram and special versions of the TCP/IP stack and driver for that card, and a lot of patience for the few programs you can use (FTP and possibly Links/irc. Maybe.)

I have an A500/040 with Trumpcard SCSI to IDE to CF and a 1.2/1.3/2.0 kickswitch.

If you absolutely cannot buy a harddisk interface I have a disassembled GVP something in one of my boxes in the cellar... but check on AmiBay, they can probably help you. Also try safir.amigaos.se, if you can read Swedish

[rkauer]

Another option is the IDE controller who plugs onto the A500's CPU socket (A500 IDE), but with that you must replace the 1.2 ROM with a 2.05 or 3.1 ROM.

[PowerPie5000]

Originally Posted by rkauer

Those 1.2 ROM boards needs a small hack to work with 1.3+ ROMs. Also for using internal RAM expansions the 8370 Agnus needs replacing for something better (8372A for example).

I recently got one of my old A500's running again and 1.3 ROMS work fine with it It originally had 1.2 ROMS and is one of the older A500's with the red power led.... and it's also one of the early ones where the power led turns off completely when the audio filter is enabled/disabled (dims out on newer A500's)... I'm not sure what revision the motherboard is but i am sure it's one of the oldest - i will check again when my upgrades arrive (1.5mb or 2mb RAM board with Gary adapter + A590 )

[rkauer]

I mean ROM revisions over 1.3.

[PowerPie5000]

Originally Posted by rkauer

I mean ROM revisions over 1.3.

Aah! ok... i thought you meant 1.3+ (including 1.3) My mistake

I don't think i have any need to go over KS 1.3 with either of my A500's? They both have external hard drives and ram upgrades and that is all they will ever need

[rkauer]

ROM revisions after 1.3 are needed only for the A500_IDE controller, who mimics the Gayle chip from A600.

[Paul_s]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Hombre?



ppill?

yes! you are now offically my brain-backup

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

yes! you are now offically my brain-backup

Yay!
I can just read your mind Paul

[Cammy]

I read that this A500 IDE solution is not bootable. Would it be possible to hack a Kickstart ROM so that it detects it and boots from it, similar to the hacked 1.3 ROM for A600s which allows you to boot from the IDE HDD in an A600 running Kickstart 1.3?

I have a bunch of A500s screaming for upgrades!

Benighted, you should check out www.amigamaniac.com and www.redsretro.com where you can find lots of Amiga expansions, including some that would be very handy for your A500 project. I would recommend a Kickstart ROM Switcher (made by AmigaManiac, sold by Reds'), a 500 1.3 and a 3.1 flashed EPROM, a null-modem cable for transferring files (it's the best established way of linking A500s to PCs and transferring stuff, just be patient about the slow speeds) and finally you should get the NEW RGB>PAL/NTSC adapter, which will provide your A500 with crystal clear, rock solid S-Video instead of blurry, bleeding, rolling, fuzzy, throbbing Composite.

[rkauer]

@cammy: the A500_IDE is a Gayle replacement, so it needs a 2.05 ROM (or better) to work.

There is a way to work on ancient ROMs: download grabSCSI from aminet and make a boot disk with it on [EXPAnSION] drawer and warm boot the Amiga.

[Benighted]

Thanks again for all the valuable info.

Originally Posted by Photon

I have an A500/040 with Trumpcard SCSI to IDE to CF and a 1.2/1.3/2.0 kickswitch.

If you absolutely cannot buy a harddisk interface I have a disassembled GVP something in one of my boxes in the cellar... but check on AmiBay, they can probably help you. Also try safir.amigaos.se, if you can read Swedish

With your proposed solution I recon the machine won't be bootable from the compach flash card? Can I play games directly from the card, or will they only be suitable for backup purposes?

Rkauer had sn input about an IDE solution, but requires higher ROM than 1.3 which also needs a hack. What's the pluses and deltas regarding the various way to get hd on the a500? CF vs IDE vs old gvp or a590? My uncle said there's a slight chance that he still had a A590 laying around.

I have no problem reading Swedish. That's the advantage of being Scandinavian. You automatically understand 3 different languages Although I might try one of the Norwegian first, like polarboing.no to reduce freight costs.

Internet option seems a bit to advanced, so I'll shelf that as it doesn't serve any particular goal. But I think I'll manage to connect to my PC.

@Cammy
Haven't seen those sites yet. Thanks!

Some unanswered questions still. Although things are getting a bit clearer now. Can't wait to start

[rkauer]

Originally Posted by Benighted

Rkauer had sn input about an IDE solution, but requires higher ROM than 1.3 which also needs a hack. What's the pluses and deltas regarding the various way to get hd on the a500? CF vs IDE vs old gvp or a590? My uncle said there's a slight chance that he still had a A590 laying around.

The hack it's just a jumper wire. An updated ROM is cheap and so is the A500_IDE device.

And the guy from A500_IDE is reachable by Amibay and from here, too, IIRC.