Microbotics Starboard for A1000 - how to...

Amiga_CDTV · 24 January 2014, 18:23

Hello.
I bought from eBay a Microbotics RAM expansion + battery backed-up clock module for the Amiga 1000. I believe it's called Starboard 2 (there is no model number or name anywhere in the case or the boards). It has 2 MB or RAM ("Main Deck" + "Upper Deck", lot of chips, RAM is working) and the Multifunction module (no FPU).

The battery holder (AA) was broken and the clock was not working (the StarTime utility couldn't even find the board). After I repaired that and put it a fresh battery, it started working.

The included original disks have applications called JDisk and StickyDisk, that are used to create a warm-boot surviving RAM disk (read only or read/write), and as far as I understand, even a bootable one. How does that work? I tried booting from the disk, it asked me if I want to run JDisk or StickyDisk, and when agreed, it copies the files from the floppy to the RAM disk (I can see the disk on workbench and access the files). However when I reboot the machine, it stays in the hand-holding-Workbench-disk-screen and doesn't boot.

I think that if I then booted the machine from a WB disk again, the RAM disk was still there with the files, so it is working for some extent. Just not booting.

I am using Kickstart 1.3 disk. A ram test program on the disk gives a guru, and the readme file states that it must be run under Kickstart 1.2 (haven't tried that yet). Could the wrong Kickstart version have some effect on the RAM-disk booting, too? I have never used even a RAD disk so I might just don't know how it should work.

1) Is the manual for this available somewhere? There are several jumpers on the boards with no markings. And surely they are meant for setting something. The manual on amiga.resource.cx doesn't really reveal too much.

2) On my A1000, I can't mount the module to the side expansion port when the module's case is on: it doesn't go deep enough to have much grip on the board - it works but it feels like it's gonna come off by itself any moment. There are two screws for fastening the module to the side expansion port of the A1000, but on my machine the screwholes on the port are too small for the screws! Actually they look more like just holes with no threads. I have been using the module without the case but that looks somewhat risky.

I have made ADF- images of the original floppy disks, if anyone is interested.

TjLaZer · 01 February 2014, 18:15

What kind of battery does it take? I need to replace mine. I have one too but am clueless to how to use it as well, would like a copy of the manual too.

Amiga_CDTV · 01 February 2014, 18:26

It's just an AAA battery, for which there is a holder on the board.

jdow · 02 February 2014, 07:43

Amiga CDTV, you cannot boot from jdisk. But you can boot and have the ramdisk survive, which can save some time on boot. I wrote the famdool thing so long ago I can't remember precisely how it worked. It was one of a series of such ram disk tools.

Amiga CDTV, the StarDrive should fit nicely to the side of the A1000. That's where mine still lives today, if I ever pull that hypertrophied A1000 out of its current storage place. It is a little precarious. It's not self-supporting - it needs to set on the same surface as the A1000. For its day it was a nice little tool.

The screw holes are for self-tapping screws, I believe. I never really used them. I never beat up on my poor machine so it stayed together nicely. I just kept adding hardware on top of hardware on top of well you get the idea.

{^_^} Joanne

24 January 2014, 18:23	#1
Amiga_CDTV Mind Walker Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 165	Microbotics Starboard for A1000 - how to... Hello. I bought from eBay a Microbotics RAM expansion + battery backed-up clock module for the Amiga 1000. I believe it's called Starboard 2 (there is no model number or name anywhere in the case or the boards). It has 2 MB or RAM ("Main Deck" + "Upper Deck", lot of chips, RAM is working) and the Multifunction module (no FPU). The battery holder (AA) was broken and the clock was not working (the StarTime utility couldn't even find the board). After I repaired that and put it a fresh battery, it started working. The included original disks have applications called JDisk and StickyDisk, that are used to create a warm-boot surviving RAM disk (read only or read/write), and as far as I understand, even a bootable one. How does that work? I tried booting from the disk, it asked me if I want to run JDisk or StickyDisk, and when agreed, it copies the files from the floppy to the RAM disk (I can see the disk on workbench and access the files). However when I reboot the machine, it stays in the hand-holding-Workbench-disk-screen and doesn't boot. I think that if I then booted the machine from a WB disk again, the RAM disk was still there with the files, so it is working for some extent. Just not booting. I am using Kickstart 1.3 disk. A ram test program on the disk gives a guru, and the readme file states that it must be run under Kickstart 1.2 (haven't tried that yet). Could the wrong Kickstart version have some effect on the RAM-disk booting, too? I have never used even a RAD disk so I might just don't know how it should work. 1) Is the manual for this available somewhere? There are several jumpers on the boards with no markings. And surely they are meant for setting something. The manual on amiga.resource.cx doesn't really reveal too much. 2) On my A1000, I can't mount the module to the side expansion port when the module's case is on: it doesn't go deep enough to have much grip on the board - it works but it feels like it's gonna come off by itself any moment. There are two screws for fastening the module to the side expansion port of the A1000, but on my machine the screwholes on the port are too small for the screws! Actually they look more like just holes with no threads. I have been using the module without the case but that looks somewhat risky. I have made ADF- images of the original floppy disks, if anyone is interested. Attached Thumbnails

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01 February 2014, 18:15	#2
TjLaZer Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tacoma, WA USA Age: 52 Posts: 1,918	What kind of battery does it take? I need to replace mine. I have one too but am clueless to how to use it as well, would like a copy of the manual too.

01 February 2014, 18:26	#3
Amiga_CDTV Mind Walker Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 165	It's just an AAA battery, for which there is a holder on the board.

02 February 2014, 07:43	#4
jdow Oh, her, from BIX. Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Southern California, USA Posts: 10	Amiga CDTV, you cannot boot from jdisk. But you can boot and have the ramdisk survive, which can save some time on boot. I wrote the famdool thing so long ago I can't remember precisely how it worked. It was one of a series of such ram disk tools. Amiga CDTV, the StarDrive should fit nicely to the side of the A1000. That's where mine still lives today, if I ever pull that hypertrophied A1000 out of its current storage place. It is a little precarious. It's not self-supporting - it needs to set on the same surface as the A1000. For its day it was a nice little tool. The screw holes are for self-tapping screws, I believe. I never really used them. I never beat up on my poor machine so it stayed together nicely. I just kept adding hardware on top of hardware on top of well you get the idea. {^_^} Joanne

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