===== Overview =====
Revived my Amiga 500, after 20 years. Samsung monitor has a scart connector, just right for the Amiga. I got a serial connection between Linux<->Amiga setup, and can transfer adf disk images to the Amiga, directly writing them to df0.
===== Canonical Amigashell commands =====
^command ^ meaning ^
|endcli | ends current terminal session |
|cd / | return to root directory |
|dir | directory listing |
|status | processlist ('ps ax' on Linux) |
|break 2 | ends process 2, "break 2 all" sends all break commands |
===== File transfer via AmigaBasic =====
This follows one of the ideas from [[http://www.boomerangsworld.de/cms/vc/amiga_transfer.html|here]], and copies the AmigaBASIC interpreter to the ramdisk.
cd/
copy c/copy ram:
copy c/dir ram:
# change disk to Basic disk
cd df0:
ram:dir
ram:copy AmigaBASIC ram:
===== File transfer via serial =====
* http://www.boomerangsworld.de/cms/vc/amiga_transfer.html - transfers
* First step: attach a serial nullmodem line. Execute "echo hello-amiga >/dev/ttyUSB0" on Linux, and "type SER:" on the Amiga, ensure you see "hello-amiga".
* Next: download and compile [[http://www.boomerangsworld.de/cms/apccomm/usage.html|apccomm]]
* Then, use receive.bas and AmigaBASIC to transfer apccom-nogui to the Amiga. After that, it can be used to do transfers via serial and directly write images to disks. I use an Amiga500 with memory extension, so 1MB RAM.
### pc
apccomm -s /dev/ttyUSB0 --speed 19200 Stateart.adf
### Amiga
# Boot workbench, execute shell
copy c/copy ram:
copy c/dir ram:
# put the disk containing apccom-nogui in the drive (I use the Basic disk)
ram:copy df0:apccom-nogui ram:
# put the workbench disk in the drive
apccom-nogui --serial --speed 19200 -d
===== Ideas/problems =====
* external floppy not working:
* workbench reports "DF1:BAD", sysinfo reports that the disk is not recognized. Opening it, nothing obvious sticking out. Head is not moving back/forward, but does these "small moves" when no disk is in the drive.
* Cleaned the axis used for motor movements, use WD-40 contact cleaner on contacts. Now, inserting a floppy, it spins up but never stops. The head is moved to most inner track. systest says "No READY signal: PC or Escom drive?" and "No Track 0: Drive not Present?"
* power brick: high pitch noise.
* Opened it up (the 4 screw holes were covered with solid plastic, I had to get that out with screws), but no obvious issues like bended capacitors can be seen.
* Got a hint that the coils might be the issue, they start to oscillate. Fixing them with hotglue should help.
* Idea for next debug session: run it while case is open. Form a tube with paper, start a spectrograph app on the mobile phone, point the tube at various components and try to locate the one emitting the noise
* replace inner pieces of the current power brick with new power supply, i.e. "MEAN WELL RT-50B"
* https://retrousbpower.com/
* amiga: should open it up and watch for issues like leaking caps
* retrowhitening should be done :)
* for cleaning:
* isopropylalcohol
* silicone grease/silikonfett, to lubricate
* contact cleaner/Kontaktspray, i.e. WD-40 Kontaktspray
===== links =====
* http://www.stoeggl.com/amiga/
* https://github.com/BlitterStudio/amiberry - Amiberry, for emulation
* https://whdload.de/ - allows harddisk installation of games/demos which are intended for floppy. Also c't 23/8 featured whdload