New member. Old Amiga 500 resurrection story

[Rissy]

Thank you for this Solarmon, much appreciated.

I appreciate this is a hardware related part of the forum, and I suppose this whole subject is still hardware related, but I see we're starting to diverge into the realms of software for this hardware issue too. Do you suppose this is ok to continue to progress this thread in this area of the forum?

As far as Amiga Test Kit goes. Thank you. I've downloaded this on to my laptop and unzipped it for a look-see. My biggest thing now will be:

1. Do I tamper with a completely original board by cutting and soldering links in?
2. How do I get Amiga Test kit (or the German guys memtest98i) software running on my Amiga. I've now received a null model cable through the post, and a USB converter for it. I've not done anything with them yet, but I presume now I'm going to have to learn how to use these, and somehow get the Amiga to write the software discussed above, on to floppy disc?
3. How do I use this software to get it to do what I need it to do? (may become easier to understand once i load it up and take a look, but if it needs a wealth of command prompt knowledge, then I'll need to seek more help for that)

With the Amiga Test Kit software, I presume I'd still have to cut my board at jumper 7A?

I found this site here which has an Amiga Rev 6 circuit, which is really easy to read properly. I'm not sure if this is actually Rev 6 (if there was one?) or Rev 6A like my own board. Right at the end, it has Rev 6C A501, which is the same version as the one i'm waiting for Hermes to deliver to me from Ebay, so that might come in useful. I think at this point, I may have to draw my own Rev 5 A501 circuit. No one else seems to have done this already.

LINK: https://dokumen.tips/documents/amiga...schematic.html

EDIT: I have a USB floppy coming from china, which should be here I think next week. It's supposed to be DD floppy as well as HD floppy compliant. Is it just a case that I can use my laptop to copy the Amiga Test Kit files straight to a floppy using my laptop, and then put that in to my Amiga to load up? (I fear your answer will be "no")

[solarmon]

This is still about fixing your hardware, so this is not an issue carrying on in this thread.

Amiga Test Kit also has an ADF image - so if you can use this in a Gotek floppy emulator, which is a good investment. Or get it written to floppy disk - you can do this if you use Greaseweazle, which is another good (cost effective) investment.

JP7A allows you to enable/disable the expansion memory, which is required if you use my method of using Amiga Test Kit to scan and test the expansion memory.

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

This is still about fixing your hardware, so this is not an issue carrying on in this thread.

Amiga Test Kit also has an ADF image - so if you can use this in a Gotek floppy emulator, which is a good investment. Or get it written to floppy disk - you can do this if you use Greaseweazle, which is another good (cost effective) investment.

JP7A allows you to enable/disable the expansion memory, which is required if you use my method of using Amiga Test Kit to scan and test the expansion memory.

You're very patient with me, continued thanks. It's much appreciated. I have a lot to learn her, and at quite an incline!

Gotek:
So I have a Gotek (64GB) USB stick here (from a seller on Ebay), and i'm still waiting for my Gotek drive to arrive from AmigaStore.eu. Does this mean I can put my USB stick into my laptop, and add the Amiga Test Kit to it (providing it's not on there already!?) I asked the Ebay seller if the USB stick goes in the Amiga or the PC. He said Amiga. Does that rule out being able to put it into my laptop to view the contents, and to add to them?

Greaseweazle:
Is this software to run on my laptop (I have Windows 10)?
Does it allow me to access the floppy drive on the Amiga (if my laptop is connected to the Amiga using my NULL cable and USB converter - I think I still need software to get my laptop to accept the USB converter for this?) or does it allow me to write an Amiga compliant floppy disc direct from my laptop using my new USB floppy drive I'm still awaiting arrival of from China?

Sorry for so many questions. Total Noob!

[Rissy]

NULL cable

I've now managed to install a driver for my newly bought USB-serial converter, and i've looked out my newly bought NULL cable too.

Looking at the following source (Amiga Forever), it show you how you'd expect a NULL cable to be wired for a 9-way D type to a 25-way D type.

http://www.amigaforever.com/kb/13-105

My cable doesn't seem to exactly match this. Will it still work without those links in place? (see attached) It's lovely moulded cable with a 9-way on each end and also a 25-way on each end but pins 8 and 1 respectively don't have a connection to anything at all. So I can't even cut the cable half way along to mod it.

[solarmon]

@Rissy,

It should probably be OK - try it out.

Here are my notes on how I have connected up Amiga Explorer to my Amiga computers:

https://sites.google.com/one-n.co.uk...amiga-explorer

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

@Rissy,

It should probably be OK - try it out.

Here are my notes on how I have connected up Amiga Explorer to my Amiga computers:

https://sites.google.com/one-n.co.uk...amiga-explorer

Superb, lots of reading there, thank you! I'll soon let you know when i next get confused!

[Rissy]

Hi again, so I am set up with Putty, and my questionable NULL modem cable with my serial converter connected to my laptop. I've set the serial handshake settings as per your link above, and attempted to initiate an ECHO command from Workbench 1.3 (the only thing I have on a floppy disc which will do anything operating system like) in a SHELL window...

If I type "echo chris", this gives me back "chris" in the line below.

If I type "echo chris >ser:" I get back "Invalid argument to ECHO" in the line below, and nothing appears at the Putty PC connected side.

What am I doing wrong?

[solarmon]

@Rissy - try it with a capitalised "SER:"

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

@Rissy - try it with a capitalised "SER:"

Yeah, i thought that too, but that produced the same results. I tried all sorts of combinaitons of uppercase and lowercase, but no joy

[solarmon]

OK, at this point I would want to check that the Amiga serial port is actually OK.

I would use Amiga Test Kit to perform a serial loopback test. However, you need a serial loopback adapter/dongle for the test.

[robinsonb5]

Originally Posted by Rissy

Yeah, i thought that too, but that produced the same results. I tried all sorts of combinaitons of uppercase and lowercase, but no joy

Did you try


echo >SER: chris


i.e. with the redirection before the text?


If that doesn't work, try
echo chris TO SER:

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

OK, at this point I would want to check that the Amiga serial port is actually OK.

I would use Amiga Test Kit to perform a serial loopback test. However, you need a serial loopback adapter/dongle for the test.

Its' almost like it's a SYNTAX error rather than a serial port issue isn't it? It's almost like it doesn't like the command rather than trying to execute the command but failing.

I also tried replacing "SER:" with "AUX:" and this didn't prove any different.

I then tried the "newshell AUX:" command and that produced a result at the Putty end, but whereas the screenshot on the link displays:

"New Shell process 3
3.Workbench:>"

My Putty displayed:

"New Shell process 2
2.SYS:>"

Although I appreciate the link advises to do the command "copy AUX: CON:" BEFORE the "newshell AUX:" command, I did that AFTER and got the follwing result:
"Can't open AUX: for input - invalid window description"

I then tried a few commands in the Putty window, which prompted a reaction at the Amiga and displayed results in the Putty window. See screenshot.

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by robinsonb5

Did you try


echo >SER: chris


i.e. with the redirection before the text?


If that doesn't work, try
echo chris TO SER:

I'll try that now (just rebooting from previous status) - I don't know how to close a shell after making one, and this "newshell" seems to then stop you doing other things?

EDIT: Update! Yes! "echo >SER: chris" gave me "chris" at the Putty side!

[Rissy]

interestingly enough "newshell AUX:" allows me to type commands into Putty, but "newshell SER:" doesn't. It displays the same prompt, but the keyboard doesn't respond?!

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by Rissy

I'll try that now (just rebooting from previous status) - I don't know how to close a shell after making one, and this "newshell" seems to then stop you doing other things?

EDIT: Update! Yes! "echo >SER: chris" gave me "chris" at the Putty side!

Ah! I just discovered that if you type "endshell" at the Putty end, it allows you to then change the direction of comms back to being able to send "chris" (for instance) from the Amiga to Putty again.

[Rissy]

So i've just tried following the instructions in this video (the newer version (i guess) which I have to work with here displays slightly differently):

[ Show youtube player ]

I think perhaps my cable is still showing its limitations, as I can get to the stage where I press CTRL-C (nothing happens) (12:40mins in) then I await the "BREAK" reply, which never happens. Everything else from that point doesn't work, so i've had to abandon this exercise now... Boooo!

I think I may have to buy the bits i need to make my own cable now, which will include the shorting links which are missing from my current bought cable.

EDIT: Results of a further test...

I've tried again, but a bit like using Putty, I decided to try again, but replace "SER:" with "AUX:". This produced the result of the "**BREAK" response coming up, but i didn't need to press CTRL-C for it to happen. It seemed to just come up of its own accord. From that point onwards again, it was the same result as before. I've included a screenshot now. See attached.

[solarmon]

@Rissy,

Apologies - my notes are clearly wrong for some reason. I have now corrected the mistakes.

The echo test format should be:

echo >SER: test

to send the test 'test' over the serial port.

and to receive text over the serial port:

copy AUX: *

[solarmon]

@Rissy,

I had put together a boot disk to help get ADF files transferred over to the Amiga, and to be able to write it to floppy disk:

https://sites.google.com/one-n.co.uk...uides/toadfish

I'm still testing it but it might help you out.

[Rissy]

Originally Posted by solarmon

@Rissy,

I had put together a boot disk to help get ADF files transferred over to the Amiga, and to be able to write it to floppy disk:

https://sites.google.com/one-n.co.uk...uides/toadfish

I'm still testing it but it might help you out.

Thank you for that. I'm a bit confused. If Amiga Explorer is such a well trodden path, then why is it not working for me? (Unless it IS down to my Serial NULL cable) ...or is it because i'm still stuck with the basic 512k memory right now??

Is this ADF Sender Terminal an equivalent to Amiga Explorer trying to set up a boot disk on floppy then? It still seems to require this "Transwarp" thing to be running on the Amiga side? This is my big failing. I need to be able to transmit stuff to the Amiga with nothing but Workbench 1.3 running on the Amiga, and then create a disc from whatever I pass over to Workbench 1.3 from the PC. Workbench is the only thing I have to work with, and until I get a boot disc burned (is that the right term?) on to floppy, then I'm stuck with Workbench. I seem to be stuck in a chicken/egg scenario. You need this before you can do that, but you can't do that until you have this.

Sigh. I'm getting a bit demoralised here.

[Rissy]

I attempted to follow the instructions, and managed to get a green healthy comms blob in the top right corner. So then i tried for a send command. I selected the toadfish_v1.adf file from my laptop, and it seemed to send it to the Amiga. It took about 7 mins to do this. It then asked me if i wanted to send another file. I said no. But now i'm looking at the Amiga and can't find where toadfish_v1.adf may have been sent to?

I appreciate I am stabbing in the dark here, because I don't have this transwarp thing running on the Amiga side, but that's because i need to get it there in the first place. Chicken/Egg. What to do, what to do?

EDIT: I guess what i really need is something which will transmit from PC to the RAM DISK on the Amiga over Serial so that I can then copy from RAM DISK to a blank floppy.