New member. Old Amiga 500 resurrection story

[solarmon]

Sorry, I thought you already had a Gotek and was already able to make use of ADF files.

OK, lets start from scratch. You have Amiga Explorer and a Workbench 1.3 disk. That should be all you need to write an ADF file to floppy drive.

You need to get the AExplorer client program transferred to the Amiga over serial, run it from RAM: and then you can make use of Amiga Explorer to transfer the ADF and write it to floppy. (you basically just drop an ADF file on to DF0 in Amiga Explorer once you have it working).

The steps to do this setup can be found at:

https://www.everythingamiga.com/2017...act-flash.html

My ToADFish boot disk is just a custom Workbench disk with the serial preferences already set and the AExplorer program already on it. It also has the alternative option of using ADF Sender Terminal (PC side) and transdisk/transwarp (Amiga side) instead of Amiga Explorer (PC side) and AExplorer (Amiga side).

I hope that is much clearer now as to what you need to do.

[Rissy]

I agree with everything you've said. I think i'm understanding properly. The problem I've got is Amiga Explorer setup process not completing. I've put a video together.

[ Show youtube player ]

I cut the video without showing the evidence of the setup at least working to a degree. You can see this from the attached picture where you can see the instance of the "Setup" component being evident within the RAM DISK location. I hope my video shows what's going on. Others I've found on the internet have suffered the same thing, but managed to get around it by holding CTRL-C for 10 secs, but that doesn't even seem to work for me, as you'll see in the video why.

I can at this point only suggest it's still a Serial NULL modem cable issue, which hopefully i'll rule out by next weekend after I've received my cable connector shells etc, and made up my own, WITH the shorting links in place that this cable I have already, doesn't have.

[solarmon]

OK, I understand what you mean now.

Can you confirm what Workbench disk you are using. And you only have 512K Chip memory?

Yes, the issue seems to be that your "Type SER: to RAM:Setup" is not waiting for serial data, and breaks out immediately.

On my test A500 (tested with 512K CHIP memory and Workbench 1.3.3) even without any serial connected, typing in ""Type SER: to RAM:Setup" it will wait forever for serial data, which is what it should be doing.

[solarmon]

Also make sure you don't have anything else on the PC side using the serial port - i.e. make sure PuTTY is not still running.

[Rissy]

I’m running WB version 1.3.2 (on copied floppy disc from the 90’s, copied from the original disc back in the day. I still have the master disc here, untrialled in 2021) using kickstart V1.3 with only motherboard installed 512k RAM on a Rev 6A Amiga 500. I don’t have any other serial device active (Putty etc) while I’m trying to setup Amiga Explorer.

[solarmon]

Try the "Type SER: to RAM:Setup" without the serial cable connected - to rule it out. If the command returns immediately then there is something wrong the Amiga side.

Can you confirm your Serial Preference settings.

[Rissy]

Thanks Solarmon, I'll perhaps try that tonight when i get home from work and let you know. (I think -no wait, I should say, I hope it's just the cable. Although Putty seemed to work ok) I'm wondering also if it could be that 1Mb of RAM is required. That other Rev 6C A501 should hopefully be arriving today, so depending on its condition, I'll either try that out as is, or do some cleaning up of it before trying it in the Amiga. As long as it works, then at least I can work with 1Mb as I try to set myself up for finding the fault with the Rev 5 RAM board.

[solarmon]

I tried last night on my A500 with only 512K CHIP ram and it was working OK for me. The key is to test if/when the command returns - as something is causing it to do that.

[Rissy]

Right, a couple more videos (as these seem to speak a thousand words)

Attached is a screenshot showing my WorkBench Version in full (as it loads up)

Attached is a screenshot showing my Serial preferences set at the Amiga side. I have the same ones at the PC Serial Converter side, although Amiga Explorer advises that it does this for you when you initiate it anyway. You'll just have to trust me that I've got it set. Remember I managed to Putty back and forth between the laptop and the Amiga successfully.

Now for the videos.

Part 1
[ Show youtube player ]

Part 2
[ Show youtube player ]

Either there is something happening to interrupt the progress as a result of me not having those shorting links in place on my NULL modem cable, or Amiga Explorer is not compatible with WB Version 1.3.2. I don't have another version of WB to try out.

In other news, useless Hermes pretended to attempt deliver my Ebay A501 Rev 6C RAM expansion card on Saturday. Said no one was home (utter rubbish) and went on to say that a repeat delivery attempt would be made on the next working day, which means either yesterday or today. Again, no attempt.

[solarmon]

Hi.

Thanks for the updates and videos. I see now where exactly it returns - so it looks like Amiga Explorer it doing it (or something related to it).

I've just tried it with Workbench 1.3.2 and it is working OK for me.

Can you confirm what Amiga Explorer version you are using - is it the latest one from http://dl.cloanto.com/pub/amigaforever/aesetup.exe

It looks like you have Windows 10 and a Prolific based USB serial adapter. Can you confirm what drivers you are using. On my Windows 10 laptop, I've had to use a very old v3.3.2.105 Prolific driver from 2008 to get my adapter working.

[Rissy]

Yeah of course.

The dongle I bought was this one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-to-Se...0/163094028634

If you look at the advert, it says its a PL2303 Chipset based device (although im just noticing now that it also says "32-bit" next to the windows versions. My laptop is 64-bit.

If you also look at the advert, it says "Brand: WCH.CN". When i plugged it into my laptop without a driver, it identified itself as "usb2.0-ser". So I did a google search for "usb2.0-ser driver windows 10 64 bit".

That took me to this link (first hit on google): https://www.driverscape.com/download/usb2.0-serial

The second link down (first is a deceiving advert) is then what I downloaded (3.3.2011.11)

That gave me a file called: "b768daedadcc5c22f204a7f9ccd72a84.zip", and the rest is history.

Amiga Explorer file information says it's file version 9.0.7.0 (I just downloaded it as part of my Amiga Forever Premium purchase over the weekend, so i'd have thought it was the latest one - I bought the hardware DVD version, but you also get to download it, or some of it? straight away.)

EDIT: The blue plastic housing of the USB converter dongle has "340" embossed on it (I realise there are 340s and 341s).

[solarmon]

Use the prolific drivers from:

http://wp.brodzinski.net/2014/10/01/...ow-to-install/
http://wp.brodzinski.net/wp-content/...3_Prolific.zip

But it could be also just be your null modem cable. I just use that DB25 to DB9 null modem adapter adapter:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002DEM0BS/

and connect that straight to my USB serial adapter, which looks like your one, similar to:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-co...dp/B00GRP8EZU/

This setup works on my Windows 10 (64-bit) laptop.

[Rissy]

When you run that .exe for the driver "PL2303_Prolific_GPS_1013_20090319.exe" where does it put it!?

I've uninstalled my dongle now, and i've even found a later revision of the driver for it by the manufacturer, but it still doesn't work.

I want to try your suggested one, but after executing the file, it installs the driver but doesn't tell you where its put it! not very helpful. So if i search my entire HDD, it always find the manufacturers WCH versions and installs.

Although I don't think it'll work anyway, as the readme states "Supported device ID and product strings:
. VID_067B&PID_2303 for "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port"

Mine obviously is coming up with "USB2.0-Ser!" before a driver is attached to it.

Your adaptor is constantly sold out. I checked that out at the weekend too.

As for the dongle. I think i'll make up my own cable this weekend (providing the parts arrive beforehand of course) and retry everything again before I give up on it and think about buying a new one.

[solarmon]

After you install the drivers, then you can update the driver for the serial device - select to "Browse my computer for drivers" and then "Let me pick from list of available drivers from my computer" and you should be given the list of available drivers - there you should find the one from 2008.

As per http://wp.brodzinski.net/2014/10/01/...ow-to-install/

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

After you install the drivers, then you can update the driver for the serial device - select to "Browse my computer for drivers" and then "Let me pick from list of available drivers from my computer" and you should be given the list of available drivers - there you should find the one from 2008.

As per http://wp.brodzinski.net/2014/10/01/...ow-to-install/

Oh yes, I must be tired. I didn't see that option staring me in the face! Sorry.

Anyway, the same Error Code 10 that guy complained about. I'm getting that for every variation of Prolific driver I now have installed on my laptop. The only two it seems happy with are the older driver (2011 version first discussed above) and a newer (2019) version I then found here: http://www.wch-ic.com/search?q=CH340&t=downloads

I think that's it now. "It's game over man! ...game over!" ...at least until I try a different (proper) home made cable exactly like AmigaForever advise.

I still appreciate all your help. You've been the most forthcoming and helpful individual I've had the fortune of interacting with for some time.

Let's see what this weekend brings eh.

[solarmon]

If it doesn't quite work out for you, I can send you some disks to get you started.

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

If it doesn't quite work out for you, I can send you some disks to get you started.

That's very nice of you, thank you. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

I had a thought last night. My work have some of these serial dongles. I think i'll try to lay my hands on one today, and try that out tonight (even though i'm still stuck with my questionable cable right now)

I'm waiting on a delivery from AmigaStore.eu, and included in that actually, is a NULL modem cable which I forgot i'd shoved into my basket. I chased them up yesterday to find out if my package of bits (including things like Gotek drive) has even been sent out yet. They emailed me on the 28th Mar to say "Brexit causes problems" or words to that effect, and then went on to say that there would be a delay but they were working on it. I've never heard from them since.

The point is, I'm going to make up my own cable this weekend hopefully, and i'll have TWO dongles in which to try too.

I'll let you know how i get on once i've eliminated all those opportunities, or if I have success with any this weekend.

Thank you again for the offer of a disc. That's very kind of you. Let's see how i get on...

[Pixelfill]

not all USB serial adaptors are equal, I know we had issues at work with some that just plain didn't work for some purposes that required all the lines in a 9pin serial port. some only support simple serial terminal comms, Tx, Rx etc. and not full handshaking RTS CTS DTR etc.

Unfortunately from our experience it wasn't possible to determine what they supported from the spec, we only found out through testing which ones would work.

[Rissy]

SUCCESS at last!

Everything remains the same, except the USB serial dongle. I've helped myself to one from work. Its a "ATEN UC232A" and it identifies itself as a legitimate Prolific chipset dongle when you plug it into your PC. My work probably bought a load of them from RS components, but i'm sure they're readily available all over.

Funnily enough, although this ATEN dongle allows Amiga Explorer to finish its RAM DISK install procedure, it doesn't work with Putty to open a new shell from the laptop properly. Using both AUX: and SER: in the command gives the same result as just SER: did with the Ebay dongle. You get the prompt, but you can't type anything in the Putty window for some reason. Weird. Echoing from Amiga to PC still worked though. So there's maybe a good reason to have both these dongles accessible for the Amiga still.

I'm one step closer to meeting some objectives at last.

Next question. Is my new Amiga Explorer floppy disc (copied contents from RAM DISK to a new disc not bootable? I'm still needing to boot up WB1.3 to get access to running the Amiga Explorer software from it...?
(literally brand new floppy! - Well, old DD floppy manufacturer by 3M, which has never been formatted or written to in all its life, until tonight! That must be a rare thing these days and I had two of them. I used the other tonight for the first time too - to take another backup of my Workbench1.3 disc....just in case the original is no longer working - i've not tested it yet))

Add on question: When you copy the contents of a floppy over Amiga Explorer to your PC, is it good enough for you to literally copy that file structure back to a formatted floppy from PC to Amiga and have the resultant floppy disc be just as it was as if it was the same disc you copied to your PC in the first place? i.e. I've copied WB1.3 on to my laptop. If i formatted my WB1.3 floppy now; could i rebuild it exactly by just copying my laptop files from it back to a formatted floppy using Amiga Explorer? Would it still boot etc??

[robinsonb5]

A file-by-file copy is fine, but if you freshly format a disk, it's not bootable until you give it a bootblock.
You do that with the "install" command
> install df0:
(If you only have one drive, it's probably easiest to "copy c:install RAM:" then run it from there, so you don't install a new bootblock to the workbench disk instead!)

Note: if you're writing from a .adf file, the bootblock will automatically be included, and you don't need to worry about the install step.