Amiga CD32 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Part 2 of 2
Stuart Tomlinson
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Version: $VER: CD32-FAQ 3.4 (08-Apr-96)
URL: http://www.lut.fi/~veijalai/faq/CD32-FAQ.html
URL: http://uptown.turnpike.net/B/blender/cd32-faq.html
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| Amiga CD32 Frequently Asked Questions - Part 2 of 2 |
|-------------------------------------------------------|
| Maintained by Stuart Tomlinson Version 3.4 |
| Email: cd32...@tomonet.demon.co.uk 8th Apr 1996 |
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[---- Expansion ------------------------------------------------------------]
Q: Is it possible to use the Aminet, Fred Fish, etc... CDs without an
expanded CD32?
A: Yes, Maarten Ter Mors has written a step by step guide of how to do
this. It's available from aminet:/docs/misc/Aminet4_CD32.txt. There can
be problems booting from some CDs if you use an unexpanded CD32 though.
Maarten wrote:
There was a little something I missed in the CD32 FAQ. Because of (yet
another) strange oddity in the Commodore 3.1 CDFileSystem, you can only
use CD-ROMs with a *lower* or equal ISO revision than the disc you
booted from (this is irrelevant to SX-1 users, for they are likely to
boot from harddrive or floppy).
The Aminet 4 CD and the GoldFish CD-ROM set by Fred Fish are two
examples of discs that use a higher revision than, say, the Weird
Science Network CD. This means that you can't access the discs properly
or at all. The solution is booting from a RAD: recoverable RAM disk. I
was asked by Urban Mueller (who does a lot of the good work on the
Aminet CDs) to write a step-by-step guide to set one up.
A: Joop van de Wege has another answer (Aminet 5 & Communicator)...
I haven't read the notice yet but I found out for myself how to do it
and its not a hassle. I'm just too lazy to write a small script file
to copy the 2 files and execute the mount command.
Step 1: copy your mountlist entry CR0: to snet:ram
Step 2: copy L:amicdromfilesystem to snet:ram
Step 3: mount cr0: on the cd32 side
Step 4 and last one: start copying files from cr0: to whereever you
want them, run programs, read guide files, search for ......
A: And another from David Law of Weird Science (Aminet & Network CD)...
We have found that CBM's filesystem in general does not cope too well
with the Aminet CDs. This may be due as you say to ISO revision
numbers. The easiest fix is to remount the CD drive as CD1: with
AmiCDRom filesystem and access the Aminet CD's as `CD1:` or
`Network:CD1/` with Sernet. When trying this be sure to set the 'T'
flag in the line 'Startup' of the mountlist. This will ensure that the
trackdisk device is used to access the CD drive. AmiCDRom filesystem
for some reason thinks that the CD drive is a SCSI device otherwise and
will probably crash the machine.
The best way to do this is setup a drawer on your amiga with the
following files in. [Call it RAM:CD1 for the mount list below - Dan.]
CD1 AmiCDRom Mountlist file.
CD1.info An icon for the above.
cdrom-handler The filesystem handler.
Mount WB3.1 Mount command.
Just ensure that the mountlist points to 'Ram:cdrom-handler' and not
'L:cdrom.handler' and that the icon points to 'Ram:Mount' as the mount
command on the NetworkCD is WB1.3 and is not suitable.
The Mountlist file is...
/* AmiCDROM filesystem */
Handler = Ram:CD1/cdrom-handler
Stacksize = 10000
Priority = 10
GlobVec = -1
Mount = 1
Startup = "DEVICE=cd.device UNIT=0 ML T R"
The version of Mount should be 38 or above (use 'Version Mount' to
check).
Q: How do I stop my CD32 resetting when I take the CD-ROM out?
A: If you boot from CD-ROM, the CD32 resets when the lid is opened. You
can either run a program such as NoReset that disables this or boot
from another device, such as RAD, floppy, or hard drive.
Q: How do I use my CD32 as a CD drive or slave drive for another computer?
A: Connect a serial link (buy a ready-made link or make your own - see the
diagram for the Aux port) between the CD32's Aux port and the other
computer. Then run either Sernet or Twin Express on the other computer
and the CD32. You'll have to find a bootable CD-ROM with one of these
programs on it and you may need to run NoReset unless Sernet and Twin
Express are on the same CD as the files you want to transfer.
A: If you have an interface attached that gives you a parallel port, you
can connect a parallel link between the CD32 and the other computer,
remembering to use a special Parnet cable and not a normal parallel
cable (otherwise you could easily fry everything). Run Parnet on the
other computer and the CD32. You'll have to find a bootable CD-ROM
with Parnet on it and you may need to run NoReset unless Parnet is on
the same CD as the files you want to transfer.
ParNFS is a replacement for Parnet, with bug fixes for Workbench 2 or
above machines (that includes the CD32). It fixes the Dir, List, and
Directory Opus bugs.
A: You can use The Communicator. This is a link from the CD32's Aux port
to the Amiga and a CD-ROM with a series of utilities on it...
Communicator...
Display text and graphics on the CD32.
Play Audio and Video CDs.
Transfer files to and from the CD32.
Twin Express...
Serial file transfer program, Amiga and PC versions.
Workbench...
Modified to allow the joypad to be used as a mouse.
Photolite...
Display Kodak Photo CDs.
Scala driver...
Allows Scala, running on another Amiga, to control the CD32.
There are two versions available. The Communicator Lite doesn't have a
keyboard through port or MIDI in/out/thru.
A: There is a new version of The Communicator, with the original title of
The Communicator 2. Improvements to the previous version are...
Virtual CD...
Appears to make more than one CD-ROM accessable to the host Amiga,
also stops resetting.
File Transfers...
More reliable - Zmodem.
Faster - apparently it can reach up to 210000 baud.
More compatible - works better with ISO-9660 CDs.
AGA Viewer...
View pictures and anims in any mode, including AGA.
Will also work for non-AGA machines.
Supports datatypes.
Workbench...
A newer version (doesn't say which).
Mediapoint driver...
Alows Mediapoint, running on another Amiga, to control the CD32,
including Audio and Video CDs.
Hardware...
Added A2000/A3000 keyboard port.
Serial lead is DB25 to RJ10 (telephone) and is easier to remove.
The Communicator Lite 2 doesn't have a keyboard through port, MIDI in/
out/thru, or status LEDs.
Q: How do I attach a keyboard to my CD32?
A: IBM keyboards won't function without a custom add-on to translate IBM
keycodes to Amiga keycodes (the SX-1 has this).
Plug in an Amiga keyboard into the CD32's Aux port. Amiga keyboards are
all exactly the same inside but just have a different case or plug on
the end of the lead, so you'll probably need an adaptor...
A500/+ Open up the case and build your own lead from the keyboard
ribbon to the CD32. The pinouts are at the end of the FAQ.
A600 Not possible.
A1000 Build your own adaptor from RJ-11 to mini-din. The pinouts
are at the end of the FAQ.
A1200 Not possible.
A2000 Buy an AT to PS/2 keyboard adaptor from any PC clone shop and
plug that inbetween.
A3000 Buy an AT to PS/2 keyboard adaptor from any PC clone shop and
plug that inbetween.
A4000 No adaptor - just plug it in.
CDTV Buy an adaptor - eg. from Almathera or MultiMedia Machine. Or
modify the CDTV keyboard yourself. The pinouts are at the end
of the FAQ.
A: Plug in an IBM keyboard into the SX-1's keyboard port. F11 and F12 are
used instead of the Left-Amiga and Right-Amiga keys. Print Screen is
used instead of the Help key.
A: Create a Parnet or Sernet link (see above) and run PNetKeys. This re-
directs all keyboard and mouse input from an Amiga window down the link
to the CD32. You'll have to run a version that does a 'Mount MOUSE:' on
the CD32 - no problem if you can create your own boot disk but it could
be if you're using a version from a CD-ROM.
A: Use Patrick Van Beem's CD32 Keyboard program. It's similar to PNetKeys
but it's smaller, faster, works over Twin Express or even by itself,
and converts controller input to mouse input. The program is shareware
- if you find it useful you should pay $5 or fl7.50. Patrick's Email
address is pat...@aobh.xs4all.nl.
Q: How do I use my CD32 as a computer?
A: Use a SX-1. This has...
IBM-PC AT keyboard port.
9-pin serial port.
Amiga standard parallel port.
Amiga standard RGB port.
Amiga standard floppy drive (use an external drive as DF0:. For more
drives, daisy chain them from the first one).
2.5" internal IDE connector (drive fits inside the SX-1).
3.5" external IDE connector.
SIMM socket for up to 8 meg additional RAM (restricted to 4 meg if
you intend to use the FMV cartridge too).
Audio input (karaoke).
Internal battery backed clock.
Pass through connector (for other devices, eg. FMV cartridge).
If you add the SX-1, the Aux port will not work as a serial connection
any more, but you can still attach Amiga keyboards to it, even if you
have a PC keyboard plugged into the SX-1.
Some external drives do not like the SX-1. Roctec and M3-A-1 drives are
a problem.
If you use a file recovery program on the SX-1 disk, you'll get more
utilities.
If you intend to have more than two devices attached to the SX-1, you
should think about getting a better power supply. These can be bought
separately, or you can modify another Amiga one (eg. A500) by replacing
the connector at the end of the lead.
If you add extra memory to it, it should be at least 80ms fast.
A: Use a SX32. It's small so it fits *in* the CD32 like the MPEG module.
You have a parrallel, serial, floppy, RGB and VGA-Port. You can put a
2.5'' HD on it and a 2-8 MB PS/2 Simm module. Unfortunatly FMV cannot
be used with it. It is also rumoured to come with an A1200 manual. Apart
from that it fixes the voltage problems it is more or less like the
SX-1.
Alan Redhouse wrote:
"Standard Amiga serial, parallel, FDD, RGB ports and a 15 pin VGA port.
Uses standard Amiga K/b
Has standard Simm socket for up to 8MB
Has 2.5" HDD interface and mountings for an internal unit
Everything (inc HDD) fits inside the CD32 (sockets protrude about 10mm)
Supplied with WB3.0 on CDROM (obviously has K/s 3.1 already)
VERY reliable - it must be the only Amiga accessory that we've picked up
& plugged in and its worked perfectly first time and ever since.
It really does become a portable Amiga.
Price 199.95 inc VAT"
A: Use a CD32x. This is a 19" rack mounted system for CD32s used in
professional applications. It includes remote monitoring of CD32x
units, fault detection, and options for genlocking and MPEG. There are
connectors available for...
Networking.
RGB port.
Scart port.
Floppy port.
IDE connector.
Volume control.
Stereo input and output.
Internal battery backed clock.
Mick Tinker of Index said that they're working on a home version of the
CD32x. The release date depends on when Escom starts selling the CD32
again.
Q: What are the SX-1 jumper descriptions?
A: Jumper number...
1 OFF = If you have 1 or 4 megs.
ON = If you have 2 or 8 megs.
2 OFF = If you have 1 or 2 megs.
ON = If you have 4 or 8 megs.
3 OFF = If you have memory.
ON = If you have no memory (or defeat autoconfig).
4 OFF = Normal boot time.
ON = Add 10 seconds to boot time (for slow HDs).
5 OFF = If keyboard has two Alt keys.
ON = If keyboard has no Right-Alt (Right-CTRL used instead).
Q: How do I connect up an external 3.5" IDE drive to the SX-1?
A: Make your own connector using the pinouts given in the manual. There's
no +12V supply on the 37 pin IDE plug, but you can wire in your own
power supply or take the +12V supply from the floppy port instead.
A: Make a 2.5" to 3.5" conversion cable, and wire in your own power
supply. Conversion cables can be bought as part of A1200 3.5" kits.
A: Or you can buy a box (don't know the name) from Hi-Q that sits in place
of the SX-1's lid. It lets you plug in 3.5" IDE drives and it has a
better power supply. The cost is 129.95UKP without any drive.
Q: Sometimes I have problems with my SX-1 and CD32 setup, causing
freezing, and HD lock ups. They seems to be power related, how
do I solve these?
A: They are indeed power related, but it's voltage, not wattage.
Garry Cardinal <card...@ARC.AB.CA> wrote:
"My SX-1 enhanced CD-32 began hanging when I added an IDE drive to it.
When using the hd the system would suddenly freeze. I had a 2Mb
SIMM installed, going to another SIMM or hard disk did not correct
the problem. This was all independent of FMV card presence.
My SX-1's strange behaviour persisted until I bypassed the
connections between the CD-32 power switch and the SX-1."
I soldered a standard PC power supply female molex connector to the power
switch on the CD-32 (switched side) and soldered a standard male molex
connector to the SX-1 +12 and +5 power supply distribution system as close
as possible to the 2.5" hard disk connector and ram socket.
(Of course, observe antistatic precautions. Those faint of heart, take
this text to a qualified service provider for the appropriate action. )
When I was done, my problems disappeared.
My configuration:
CD-32
SX-1 (with extra switch for memory test jumper plugging DB25 hole)
20Mb Connor 2.5
4Mb 32 bit simm
FMV card
A500 Power Supply"
Q: How do I read Mac CD-ROMs?
A: Get aminet:/disk/cdrom/AmiCDROM-1.15.lha, unarchive it, use the
following options in the installer...
Device cd.device
Unit 0.
Memory options Use any memory available.
Other options Use Rock Ridge names, if possible.
Use trackdisk.device instead of SCSI-direct.
Map filenames Don't map filenames.
General buffers 5.
Read() buffers 5.
Diskchange time 3.
CD-DA icon command None.
CD-DA icon position Workbench chooses.
Configure Mac options Yes.
Mac options Convert Mac characters to Amiga characters.
Examine CD first for a HFS partition.
Data fork extension Leave empty.
Rsrc fork extension Leave empty.
AmigaDOS device name CD1:, MAC0:, whatever you like.
Automount Yes: Mac CDs are recongnised all the time.
No: You must click on the Storage/DOSDrivers/
CD1 (or whatever) icon before using Mac CDs.
Two icons will appear for each CD you insert - one is the CD32/CDTV/PC
partition and the other is the Mac partition. If there is no Mac
partition then both icons will be the same CD32/CDTV/PC partition.
Q: Is there an RGB output on the CD32 to connect my multisync monitor?
A: There are easily accessable RGB signal test points on the CD32's
circuit board. The diagram is at the end of the FAQ. The SX-1 and CD32x
both have RGB connectors on them.
A: Peter Kittel wrote:
If you have the French version of the CD32, you have RGB at the S-Video
jack. In this case, this jack is no more of standard "Hosiden" type,
but is a Mini-DIN with 8 pins. The four extra pins carry R,G,B, and
CSync.
<an15...@anon.penet.fi> wrote:
Cables (maybe with extra logic) are being sold in France, which allow
you to connect your CD32 to a 1084, presumably using that SCART-RGB
output.
Q: Can Amiga 1200 trapdoor or PCMCIA expansions be used with CD32?
A: No. The CD32 does not have the same expansion connectors as the A1200.
Q: Where can I find the programs mentioned above?
A: CD32 Keyboard Patrick Van Beem
NoReset Communicator (CDReboot OFF) Eureka
Network CD Weird Science
Video Creator * Almathera
Parnet Amiga CD! 3 AUI
Network CD Weird Science
Photo CD reader FolioworX Player Olaf Barthel
Network CD Weird Science
Photo CD Manager Asimware
Photolite Eureka
Sernet Network CD Weird Science
Twin Express Amiga CD! 3 AUI
Network CD Weird Science
Workbench 3.? CDPD 3 Almathera
Demo 2 Almathera
Workbench 3.0 CDPD 4 Almathera
Lock 'n' Load North West PD
Workbench 3.1 Demo Disc V2 * Commodore
Legendry Design demo CD Creative Computers
For CDs marked with a *, you'll need to connect an Amiga mouse into
controller port 2, hold down both mouse buttons, and press the reset
button. You will be given a boot menu where you should boot with no
Startup-Sequence. Then use the keyboard to run the program wanted.
If you want to run Workbench, you've already got Kickstart 3.1, so you
just need to get hold of the Workbench software. All of the versions
work work, but the later the version the better.
The C= Demo Disc V2 is available from Claude Mueller - Email him for
prices. Claude's Email address is claude....@hdclick.link-ch1.ch.
[---- Emulating a CD32 -----------------------------------------------------]
Q: Which machines stand a chance of running CD32 games?
A: You may get away with running shovelware stuff if you have an OCS or
ECS Amiga, but many CD32 games expect at least an '020, 2 meg of chip
RAM, and an AGA chipset - an A1200 or A4000.
The A1200 might be more compatible than the A4000 - some programs may
fall over because of the differences in memory and CPUs.
Q: What are the differences between the Archos, CD1200, CD4000, and
Squirrel CD drives?
A: The Archos drive uses the PCMCIA slot, emulates Akiko through software
(but as far as I know only Wing Commander uses it and that crashes,
hmm...), needs you to install the CD-ROM file system to your Workbench
before you can use the drive, needs a utility (supplied) to boot CD32
CDs, and doesn't have FMV capability.
The CD1200 isn't available yet. It uses the A1200's trapdoor slot, has
Akiko, has Kickstart 3.1, boots straight from CD-ROM, and doesn't have
FMV capability.
Peter Kittel wrote:
The CD1200 is a prototype CD-ROM drive for the A1200, which makes the
A1200 CD32-compatible. This is still in prototype, was shown on a few
fairs, and as of now it's uncertain whether it ever will get produced.
With it you get CD32 software compatibility, but no hardware
compatibility. Especially there is no chance to add the FMV cartridge
to it.
The CD4000 isn't available yet. It's a card that fits into one of the
A4000's Zorro 3 slots and a CD drive that slides into a drive bay, has
Akiko, has Kickstart 3.1, boots straight from CD-ROM, and has FMV
capability.
The Squirrel uses the PCMICA slot, doesn't appear to emulate Akiko,
needs you to install the CD-ROM file system to your Workbench before
you can use the drive, needs a utility (supplied) to boot CD32 CDs, and
doesn't have FMV capability. It's also a full SCSI interface. If you'd
like to add other SCSI devices (such as tape storage, scanners, etc...)
then it could be a better choice than the Archos. Also software updates
are regularly uploaded to Aminet (unlike Archos' where you have to try
to convince your dealer to give you a free copy).
Q: What's good/bad about a CD drive using the PCMICA or trapdoor slots?
A: If your CD drive uses the PCMICA slot, you've got a RAM board in the
trapdoor slot, it's got more than 4 meg of fast RAM, and it doesn't
Autoconfig properly, then the drive may refuse to work or you could
lose all memory above the 4 meg barrier because the PCMCIA slot and the
memory both try to use the same address space. You could only use 4 meg
or you could ask your dealer for an upgrade.
Some trapdoor accelerators don't Autoconfig properly either. Notably
Amitek, Blizzard, and GVP ones. Amitek offer a free upgrade to fix this
problem. The Blizzard 1230III and the GVP 1230 '030 boards work fine,
don't know about other Blizzard and GVP boards. All of the Microbotics
boards work.
If your CD drive uses the trapdoor slot then you can kiss goodbye to
RAM expansions and accelerators.
Q: What do I need to do to run a CD32 game if I don't have the Archos,
CD1200, CD4000, or the Squirrel CD drive?
A: If you have a SCSI CD drive then you can assign CD0: to the CD drive
(if it isn't already), assign the standard directories (C:, DEVS:,
ENVARC:, FONTS:, L:, LIBS:, S:, SYS:) across to the CD-ROM and execute
S:Startup-Sequence.
A: If you have a Parnet or Sernet link to a CD32 or CDTV, you can assign
CD0: to NET:CD0, assign the CD-ROM's name to NET:<name>, assign the
standard directories, then execute S:Startup-Sequence. It's slow
though, so if you have a big hard drive, it's probably better to go for
the next option...
A: It should be possible to copy all of the CD-ROM to your hard drive by
using a Parnet, Sernet, or Twin Express link to a CD32 or CDTV, assign
CD0: and the CD-ROM's name to the directory that you copied to, assign
the standard directories to the equivalent place on the hard drive, and
execute S:Startup-Sequence.
A: The game may have an icon to double click to run it. In that case you
don't need to assign or execute anything.
A: There's a program called Cache-CDFS that's distributed in Germany. It
works on the A1200 or A4000. It sits between the CD32 game and the
Amiga's SCSI, IDE, or PCMCIA CD-ROM drive. Most CD32 games should work
once it's installed, but there have been some problems reported with
NEC 3x CD drives. It's commercial. Nobody's said how good the emulation
is. You can contact the author, Oliver Kastl, by Email. Oliver's Email
address is 10044...@compuserve.com.
Almathera are selling a bug-fixed and English language version. Video
Creator will also work once it's been installed.
A: There's another available, called CD-Boot. This works on the A1200 or
A4000. It sits between the CD32 game and Amiga's SCSI, IDE, or PCMCIA
CD-ROM drive. You can create config files for each CD. It's commercial.
One person said that the success rate was 2 out of 7 games. You can
contact the author, Thomas Kessler, by Email. Thomas' Email address is
kes...@fim.uni-erlangen.de.
A: This is a quick description made after reading Asimware's info sheet
(it's probably better to read the full thing for yourself if you're
interested before making up your mind):
Asimware's AsimCDFS can emulate CDTVs and CD32s, but the how good it is
depends on the individual machine. But it also has a music CD player,
music CD support (so the music looks like AIFF, MAUD, and RAW files),
and Photo CD support (so the pictures look like normal IFF ILBM files).
Q: What can go wrong?
A: Make sure the game can access lowlevel.library in LIBS:. If not, the
game can't use the CD32 joypad, or may not even work. If it can, you
can plug the CD32 joypad straight into the joystick port.
A: You may not be able to play the games that use the extra joypad buttons
properly if you don't have a joypad to press them with...
A: The game tries to use nonvolatile.library to save to the CD32's NVRAM.
Make sure that this can be accessed in LIBS: and you create a file
called "ENVARC:sys/nv_location" - a single line of text that is the
directory name of where you would like saved data to be stored.
A: The game could try to call some 3.1 functions that don't exist in 3.0.
Upgrading your Kickstart should fix this problem.
A: You won't hear any CD music. There's no way around this. Sometimes the
game may decide to keel over because it can't play the CD music.
A: The game tries to use Akiko. If you've upgraded to 3.1 and it still
goes wrong then there's no way around this.
Q: Are there any incompatiblities when using an Archos CD drive?
A: Here's a list. If you've got an update, let me know and I'll put the
change in here...
Work...
Alien Breed Special Ed. 7 Alien Breed T. Assault 11
Arcade Pool 11 ATR 11
Banshee 7 11 Brutal Sports Football 7
Bubba 'n' Stix 7 Bubble 'n' Squeak 7
Chaos Engine 7 D/Generation 7 11
Defender of the Crown 2 7 Diggers 7
Emerald Mines 7 11 Fields of Glory 11
Fire and Ice 11 Flink 11
Fly Harder 11 Frontier 7
Heimdall 2 7 Microcosm 7
Labyrinth of Time 7 Lemmings 11
Lost Vikings 11 Oscar 7 11
Overkill/Lunar C 11 Pinball Fantasies 11
Rise of the Robots 7 Roadkill 11
Sabre Team 11 Sensible Soccer 7
Super Stardust 11 Superfrog 7 11
The Clue 11 Trolls 11
UFO 11 Ultimate Body Blows 11
Zool 1 7 Zool 2 7
Works with a bit of messing around...
Arabian Nights 11 Disable fast RAM
Beneath a Steel Sky 11 Use a Joypad in port 1
Microcosm 11 Load from Workbench
Jungle Strike 11 Disable fast RAM
Kid Chaos 11 Switch music off
Quick Thunder Rabbit 11 Disable fast RAM
Zool 2 11 Switch music off
Sort of works...
Guardian 7 Crashes after one game
Project-X 7 Crashes after a few levels
Ultimate Body Blows 7 Crashes after one game
Doesn't work...
Alfred Chicken 11 Battle Chess 7
Beavers 11 Cannon Fodder 11
Chaos Engine 11 Chuck Rock 1 11
Chuck Rock 2 7 Defender of the Crown 11
Diggers 7 Disposable Hero 11
Fire Force 11 Frontier 11
Global Effect 7 Guardian 11
Gunship 2000 7 Impossible Mission 2025 7
James Pond 3 7 Lemmings 7
Lotus Trilogy 7 Liberation 11
Litil Devil 11 Nick Faldo's Golf 11
Nigel Mansell 11 Morph 7
Out to Lunch 11 Pinball Illusions 11
Pirate's Gold 7 11 Ryder Cup Challenge 7
Simon The Sorcerer 7 11 Sabre Team 7
Soccer Kid 11 Striker 7 11
Super Putty 7 Universe 11
Video Creator 7 Wembley International 7 11
Whale's Voyage 11 Wing Commander 7 11
The numbers are for the version of the software. Some work on 7 but not
11, some work on 11 but not 7. There's nothing listed for version 9 at
the moment, but if it works on 7 or 11 then it maybe it could work on
9, and if it works on 7 and 11 then it definately should work on 9.
There's no version 8 or 10. Anyone confused? Good.
A: Also check out the Archos Overdrive home pages. Have a look in the
Internet section for details.
[---- Software developers --------------------------------------------------]
Q: Are there any licence agreements that have to be made to produce CD32
software?
A: The first real problem is in making a bootable CD32 disc. This requires
special software and license/royalty agreements which were available
from the C= developer programs.
Developers who obtained these rights before the C= liquidation may be
able to master the CD-ROMs with the appropriate boot/system files, for
you - as your publisher.
On the other hand, now that the C= liquidation is over, you should be
able to apply for your own developer status and publish your own CDs.
Escom are the new owners. It seems they're only going to market the
CD32 as a set-top box, but they could start making more early 1996 or
do a proper Amiga CD system.
Q: How do I master my own CDs?
A: This is a quick description made after reading Asimware's info sheet
(it's probably better to read the full thing for yourself if you're
interested before making up your mind):
Asimware's Master ISO costs US $550.00/CDN $720.00 and works on an
Amiga with Workbench 3, a SCSI controller, 1.3 gig of HD space, 16 meg
of RAM, and a CD recorder. It can create ISO 9660 CD-ROMs with 8.3 and
long file names from one or more volumes, Music CDs (Red Book) from
CDDA, MAUD, or AIFF files, and CDs which are a mixture of the two. It
can also make CDTV and CD32 bootable CDs (you need a developer licence
though). It supports Yamaha CDR100, Pinnacle RCD-202, Philips CDD-521,
and CDD-522 CD recorders.
Q: What are the authoring capabilities available for the CD32?
A: Theoretically, any standard Amiga development tools for AGA machines
should be useful for developing applications that run on a CD32. This
would include Multimedia tools with freely distributable players, C
compilers, assemblers, etc.
Q: What are the popular development tools?
A: Popular Multimedia authoring packages for the Amiga include...
AmigaVision Professional CanDo
HELM Interplay
SCALA Multimedia
Popular C compilers include...
DICE GNU C
SAS/C
Popular 68K assemblers include...
DevPacIII Macro68
Popular image manipulation software include...
AdPro ImageF/X
ImageMaster
Popular music related software include...
AudioMasterIV Bars&Pipes Pro
Deluxe Music 2 MusicX
OctaMED professional Sonix
SuperJAM! Trackers - too many to mention
Popular 3D modelling software include...
Caligari Imagine
LightWave (Video Toaster) Real3D
Popular 'video painting' programs include...
Brilliance Deluxe Paint IV AGA
DCTV Paint EGS Paint
Opal Paint TV Paint
XI Paint
Contact the software company involved with your favourite authoring
software for more information regarding CD32 specific development.
[---- Pinouts --------------------------------------------------------------]
CD32 Aux port... View straight on. 6 pin mini-din.
Female type. Combined kboard/serial.
1 I / O Keyboard data _ _
2 O Serial transmit .' V `.
3 Ground / 6 5 \
4 +5V DC | 4 O 3 |
5 (I)/ O Keyboard clock `-. 2 1 .-'
6 I Serial receive `-----' Shield
Written by Klaus Hegemann, posted as part of 'CD32 expansion port
info' by Anders Stenkvist in comp.sys.amiga.hardware, forwarded by
Michael King.
If you wire up a keyboard and get characters constantly appearing on
the screen then you've wired up the keyboard clock and data pins the
wrong way around.
There are no RTS/CTS pins for high speed modems.
The serial pins are at 0/5V, if the computer you're connecting it to
has a different voltage (eg. the Amiga serial port's pins are at
+/-12V) then you need a level converter between the two.
The serial pins may not be properly buffered to use safely with some
external devices. You could damage your CD32 if you try to hook them
up without an external buffer. A diagram of a buffer is given in the
posting mentioned above.
CD32 combined SCART/RGB port (only on French CD32s)...
Well, first you must make sure that you really have the 8-pin version
of that S-Video connector (mini-DIN), this is only existant on the
French version of the CD32. Now if that's ok, then here is the
pinout:
1=Red, 2=Blue, 3=Audio (L or R, don't know), 4=Green, 5=Audio (L or
R), 6=Luminance, 7=CSync, 8=Chroma
Taken from an Email by Peter Kittel, forwarded by Olivier Cremel.
CDTV keyboard connector...
1 Ground
2 I / O Keyboard data
3 (I)/ O Keyboard clock
4 +5V DC
5 Unused
To modify the CDTV keyboard to connect to the CD32...
Cut the plastic pin from the connector.
Open the case.
Find the connector where the cable is located.
Switch leads 1-4 and 2-3.
Close the case.
Taken from a posting by Paul van der Heu.
A500 keyboard connector... * = link
1 black Keyboard clock --------
2 brown Keyboard data A500 keyboard cable ---> 12345678
3 red Res --------
4 orange +5V DC ||||||||
5 yellow Unused 5 --------------*| | |
6 green Ground 1 ---------------* | |
7 blue Power LED 4 -----------------* |
8 violet Disk LED 3 -------------------*
||||||||
Connect like this... --------
A500 motherboard connector ---> 12345678
A500 CD32 --------
1 5
2 1
4 4
6 3
Taken from an Email by Kimmo Veijalainen.
A1000 keyboard connector...
1 +5V DC Viewed looking straight on into
2 (I)/ O Keyboard clock socket. RJ11 connector. Female.
3 I / O Keyboard data _
4 Ground _| |_
__| |__
| |
| |
| |
|__|_|_|_|__|
1 2 3 4
Usual stuff: I'm not responsible for blowing up Ami, etc; use at own
risk, etc, etc. Having said this, it did work for me. :)
Ref's used: Amiga Hardware Reference Manual (A1000) & the good ol'
CD32-FAQ.
Taken from an Email by Chris Naylor.
CD32 power port... View straight on. 4 pin din.
_ _
1 +5V .' V `.
2 +12V |1 2|
3 Ground `.3 4.'
4 Unknown `---' Shield
Put a ground jumper from pin 3 to the shield.
You can modify another Amiga power supply (eg. A500) for this by
replacing the connector at the end of the lead.
Taken from a posting by Michael Litchfield.
CD32 RGB signals...
The RGB signals are available from a test port, TP9...
| | | <--- Kickstart ROM .-. Desc Equiv pin #s
| | | |o|
| | | |o|
| `--' .----. <--- Akiko |o|
| | | |o| HSync 159
| | | : <--- TP9 |o| VSync 160
| `----' : |o| Red 163 and 164
| .. :O.--. |o| Green 165 and 166
`-------'`----------' | |o| Blue 167 and 168
^ ^ `------- |o| CSync 157
| | |o| Ground 161 and 162
Expansion port Pin 182 `-'
The RGB signals come from the D/A conversion unit and lead directly
to the expansion port. These signals are, however, not amplified. In
addition they are weakened by the S-Video output unit.
As a result I (aim to) insert a 47 Ohm resistor to each colour signal
connection. You may also reduce the load by interrupting the signal
supply to the S-Video unit. Set pin 174 of the expansion port to GND
to achieve that (174 --> u36 (4066) signal switches).
The sync signals connected to the expansion port are unbuffered. As
a result you may re-synchronize your Amiga by an external tact
source. You schould at least buffer the CSync line; there is no
external synchronisation possible on this pin.
Hint: make use of an XOR gate chip. You may negate certain sync
line(s) to adapt your Amiga to (old? :-( ) multiscan-monitors (the
A4000 monitor adapter box will do the same; without the possibility
of selected negation).
Written by Klaus Hegemann, posted as part of 'CD32 expansion port
info' by Anders Stenkvist in comp.sys.amiga.hardware, forwarded by
Michael King.
[---- Addresses ------------------------------------------------------------]
Almathera, Video Creator, keyboards, serial adaptor kit,
Southerton House, Cache-CDFS (a CD32 emulator).
Boundary Business Court, Phone: +44 (0)181 687 0040
92-94 Church Road, Fax: +44 (0)181 687 0490
Mitcham, Email: jra...@cix.compulink.co.uk (technical)
Surrey, alma...@cix.compulink.co.uk (sales)
CR4 3TD,
England.
Amiga CD32 Magazine, Phone: +44 (0)1225 442244
Future Publishing, Fax: +44 (0)1225 318740
30 Monmouth Street, Email: amfo...@cix.compulink.co.uk
Bath, amfo...@futurenet.co.uk
Avon, http://www.futurenet.co.uk/
BA1 2BW,
England.
Amiga Game Zone, Phone: +1 (217) 344 3478
103 W. California, Fax: +1 (217) 344 3478
Urbana, Email: game...@prairienet.org
IL 61801, http://uxa.cso.uiuc.edu/~razmataz/agz.html
USA.
Amiga User International, Phone: +44 (0)171 487 1076/1072
48 George Street, Fax: +44 (0)171 224 0547
London, Email: amig...@cix.compulink.co.uk
W1H 5RT, ga...@auimag.demon.co.uk
England.
Asimware, AsimCDFS, Master ISO, Photo CD Manager.
600 Upper Wellington St, Phone: Canada (905) 578 4916
Unit D, Fax: Canada (905) 578 3966
Hamilton,
Ontario,
L9A 3P9,
Canada.
Brian Fowler Computers, Distributes communicator and other things.
11 North Street, Phone: +44 (0)1392 499755
Exeter, Fax: +44 (0)1392 423480
Devon, Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30-6:30 GMT
EX4 3QS, Email: brian_...@cix.compulink.co.uk
England.
DCE Computer Service, Distributes the SX32 for 400DM.
Kellenbergerstrasse 19a, Phone: +49 208633151
46145 Oberhausen, Fax: +49 208630496
Germany.
Direct Computer Supplies, Cheap Parnet/null modem/etc... cables.
36 Hope Street, Phone: +44 (0)1782 642497
Hanley,
Stoke On Trent,
ST1 5BS,
England.
Epic Marketing, A4000 keyboards, probably sold out by now.
Victoria Centre, Phone: +44 (0)1793 490988
138-139 Victoria Road,
Swindon,
Wilts,
SN1 3BU,
England.
Eureka, Frank Hoen, Communicator, Communicator 2, Photolite.
Adsteeg 10, Phone: +31 (463) 70800
6191 PX Beek (L), Fax: +31 (463) 60188
The Netherlands. Email: ho...@iaehv.iaehv.nl
Goldtech Computer Systems,CD Gold magazine.
67 Turner Road,
Walthamstow,
London,
E17 3JG,
England.
Hi-Tech. Took over Paravision/Microbotics.
But Jaytron does SX-1 support.
Phone: +1 (805) 681 9961
Index Information Ltd, CD32x.
60 High Street, Phone: +44 (0)1256 703426
Odiham, Fax: +44 (0)1256 701023
Hampshire, Email: in...@cix.compulink.co.uk
RG25 1LN,
England.
Jaytron. SX-1 support.
Phone: +1 (214) 644 1689 (Michael Miller)
Fax: +1 (214) 669 0021
Multimedia Machine, CDTV -> CD32 keyboard adaptors,
59 Bridgeman Place, SX-1/drive/keyboard bundle.
Bolton, Phone: +44 (0)1204 387410
BL2 1DE, Fax: +44 (0)1204 380952
England.
North West PD, Lock 'n' Load, other CD32 software.
PO Box 1617, Phone: +1 (206) 351 9502
Auburn,
WA 98071-1617,
USA.
Optonica, Interplay - authoring system, Insight CDs.
1 The Terrace, Phone: +44 (0)1455 558282
High Street, Fax: +44 (0)1455 559386
Lutterworth,
Leics,
LE17 4BA,
England.
Paragon Publishing Ltd, CD32 Gamer.
Durham House, Phone: +44 (0)1202 299900
124 Old Christchurch Rd, Fax: +44 (0)1202 299955
Bournemouth,
BH1 1NF,
England.
Stefan Ossowski's CD-Boot (a CD32 emulator).
Schatztruhe GmbH, Phone: +49 (0)201 788778
Veronikastr. 33, Fax: +49 (0)201 798447
D-45131 Essen, Email: ste...@tchest.e.eunet.de
Germany.
Weird Science, Network CD, Sernet cables.
1 Rowlandson Close, Phone: +44 (0)116 234 0682
Bracken Field Chase, Email: da...@weirdscience.co.uk
Leicestershire,
LE4 2SE,
England.