A500 Rev. 5 - problems upgrading to WB3.1 ROM
Richard Harnwell
I have recently attempted to fit a Workbench 3.1 kickstart ROM to an
A500 with a revision 5 motherboard (not forgeting to connect pin 1 to pin 31).
The result of this was a 'dead' amiga, so the original 1.3 chip was replaced
& all was well again.
A call to the supplier of the chip & software said there is a modification
that is required to revision 5 motherboards.
Does anyone know the details of this modification or how I can find out the
nearest Amiga service centre ?
Also, what is considered the best way of jumpering pin 1 to 31 ?
Ta in advance
Richard Harnwell
Byron Montgomerie
# Apologies if this has been dealt with before - I have only just subscribed.
# I have recently attempted to fit a Workbench 3.1 kickstart ROM to an
# A500 with a revision 5 motherboard (not forgeting to connect pin 1 to pin 31).
# The result of this was a 'dead' amiga, so the original 1.3 chip was replaced
# & all was well again.
# A call to the supplier of the chip & software said there is a modification
# that is required to revision 5 motherboards.
# Does anyone know the details of this modification or how I can find out the
# nearest Amiga service centre ?
# Also, what is considered the best way of jumpering pin 1 to 31 ?
# Ta in advance
# Richard Harnwell
My a500 has this modification, it basically involves isolating pin 31 totally,
connecting the traces going to pin 31 to pin 1 and then connecting pine 31 to
ground.
That is the gist of it, perhaps someone else has a more precise description of
what to do.
Regards,
Byron...
__ __
__ /// "Byron Montgomerie" Internet: by...@saturn.cs.mun.ca __ ///
\\\/// "Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? \\\///
\XX/ Remember how she said that we would meet again, \XX/
Amiga some sunny day..." -- Pink Floyd -- Amiga
Len Lekx
> A500 with a revision 5 motherboard (not forgeting to connect pin 1 to pin 31).
> The result of this was a 'dead' amiga, so the original 1.3 chip was replaced
> & all was well again.
According to the installation page sent with my 3.1 chip, the jumper from
pin31 to pin 1 is all you need.
Did you check the condition of the pins when you took the 3.1 chip out? They
might have been bent and not made proper contact.
> Also, what is considered the best way of jumpering pin 1 to 31 ?
I don't know if there is a "best" way, but...
When I got 3.1 for my 2000, I planned to move my 2.04 KS chip to my 500.
I took an IC socket and soldered a jumper between pins 1 and 31 on that. (So as
not to risk damage of the chip due to the heat of the soldering iron. ^_^) It
seems to work.
--
Later!
Len Lekx (LFL...@Booster.Tor.HookUp.NET)
(1:250/74...@fidonet.org )
Odendahl Stefan
: I have recently attempted to fit a Workbench 3.1 kickstart ROM to an
: A500 with a revision 5 motherboard (not forgeting to connect pin 1 to pin 31).
: The result of this was a 'dead' amiga, so the original 1.3 chip was replaced
: & all was well again.
Same thing happens with my friends A500 rev 3. We soldered pin 1 to pin 31
of the ROM. When we plug in the 3.1, it gives first a black and then a
funny screen that somehow looks like a copper effect. Even the power LED
is not on. When we put back the 2.0 ROM, it works flawlessly.
What happens here?
-Stefan
Byron Montgomerie
# In article <369pbu$1...@pheidippides.axion.bt.co.uk> rhar...@axion.bt.co.uk (Richard Harnwell) writes:
# > A500 with a revision 5 motherboard (not forgeting to connect pin 1 to pin 31).
# > The result of this was a 'dead' amiga, so the original 1.3 chip was replaced
# > & all was well again.
Just conneecting 31 to 1 may not work if the 1 meg agnus hack has been applied.
Stefan Schmidt
: On Wed, 28 Sep 94 08:38:22 EDT, Len Lekx did proclaim:
: # In article <369pbu$1...@pheidippides.axion.bt.co.uk> rhar...@axion.bt.co.uk (Richard Harnwell) writes:
> A500 with a revision 5 motherboard (not forgeting to connect pin 1 to pin 31).
> The result of this was a 'dead' amiga, so the original 1.3 chip was replaced
> & all was well again.
Hello,
You have to connect pin 1 and pin 31 at the socket (not the ROM!). Then you
must leave pin 31 out of the socket and connect pin 31 and pin 21 on the
ROM. This works fine at my A 500 Rev. 5 with Kickstart 3.1 (40.63).
Stefan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| Stefan Schmidt | e-MAIL ssch...@rz.uni-hildesheim.de |
| |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick Bonfilio
Odendahl Stefan <oden...@avalon.unizh.ch> wrote:
>
>Same thing happens with my friends A500 rev 3. We soldered pin 1 to pin 31
>of the ROM. When we plug in the 3.1, it gives first a black and then a
>funny screen that somehow looks like a copper effect. Even the power LED
>is not on. When we put back the 2.0 ROM, it works flawlessly.
>
>What happens here?
>
>-Stefan
I too have had that "copper effect". It seems that newer 2.0 ROM chips have
had this problem, because I tried it out with a 2.05 ROM and it did this.
When IO traded it with my friend's 2.04 ROM (from his A2000) it worked fine
(with the jumper). SO... Something must be different in the newer chips.
Since this problem was solved, I have blown out my ROM somehow and had to get
another 2.0 chip. Well--same problem with the purple and black "copper
effect" screen. So, I took it to an authorized dealer (some are still
around, amazingly) and he fixed it somehow. (Right now, I am too afraid to
take my cover off in fear of blowing up another ROM or worse!! DOES ANYONE
KNOW WHAT THIS PROBLEM IS (SPECIFICALLY) ??
--
Nick Bonfilio <--> nbon...@galaxy.csc.calpoly.edu
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo PROUD TO BE AN AMIGA USER.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sooner you get behind, the longer you will have to catch up.
Odendahl Stefan
: In article <1994Sep30.0...@ifi.unizh.ch>,
: Odendahl Stefan <oden...@avalon.unizh.ch> wrote:
: >
: >Same thing happens with my friends A500 rev 3. We soldered pin 1 to pin 31
: >of the ROM. When we plug in the 3.1, it gives first a black and then a
: >funny screen that somehow looks like a copper effect. Even the power LED
: >is not on. When we put back the 2.0 ROM, it works flawlessly.
: I too have had that "copper effect". It seems that newer 2.0 ROM chips have
: had this problem, because I tried it out with a 2.05 ROM and it did this.
The 2.05 ROM is for the A600. Does this one work in an A500?
: When IO traded it with my friend's 2.04 ROM (from his A2000) it worked fine
: (with the jumper). SO... Something must be different in the newer chips.
: Since this problem was solved, I have blown out my ROM somehow and had to get
: another 2.0 chip. Well--same problem with the purple and black "copper
: effect" screen. So, I took it to an authorized dealer (some are still
: around, amazingly) and he fixed it somehow. (Right now, I am too afraid to
Hmm, I would be really interested in knowing how he did it.
: take my cover off in fear of blowing up another ROM or worse!! DOES ANYONE
: KNOW WHAT THIS PROBLEM IS (SPECIFICALLY) ??
But the 3.1 ROM does work in a rev5 A500. It refuses to work in a rev3 A500.
So I don't think there is something wrong with the ROM.
I will have another look at this problem this very weekend. I will try the
hack with pin 21 and will exchange all custom chips with their ECS equivalents.
If I get it to work, I will post the solution.
-Stefan
Christopher Dean
help me figure out what chips I need.
I have the original A500 chipset with a 1.3 ROM at the moment, with 512K Chip
memory and 4M Fast memory working with a 68000 CPU.
I'd like to upgrade to the 3.1 ROM and AGA chipset (unless there is something
better?). But first I have a few questions.
1. Can the AGA chips fit onto my motherboard directly (without adapting it in
some way)? Same question for the 3.1 ROM. If not, what do I need to get to
upgrade? I've seen A500 3.1 Upgrade Kits advertised, is this what I need?
2. I plan to get the MegaChip 500 eventually to expand my chip memory, but is
it required to run under 3.1? In addition, does the MegaChip 500 allocate the
memory from my existing 4M expansion card, or would I have to get more memory?
3. What chips is the AGA chipset made-up of and what are their capabilities?
4. Would I absolutely have to get an accelerator now, or could I manage under
3.1 without one for the time being?
That's about all of the questions I can think of for the moment. So please
email me any help you can give me. Thanks.
Email to: de...@longwood.cs.ucf.edu
!Productions
Christopher Dean <de...@longwood.cs.ucf.edu> wrote:
>I've been out of touch over the last year and a half and I need someone to
>help me figure out what chips I need.
>
>I have the original A500 chipset with a 1.3 ROM at the moment, with 512K Chip
>memory and 4M Fast memory working with a 68000 CPU.
>
>I'd like to upgrade to the 3.1 ROM and AGA chipset (unless there is something
>better?). But first I have a few questions.
>
>1. Can the AGA chips fit onto my motherboard directly (without adapting it in
>some way)? Same question for the 3.1 ROM. If not, what do I need to get to
>upgrade? I've seen A500 3.1 Upgrade Kits advertised, is this what I need?
There is no way to add AGA to a non-AGA machine. The best you can do on
a 500 is get a DCTV, but it won't let you play AGA games, if that's your
intention. (I seem to remember rumours of an AGA expansion from a 3rd
party, but that was years ago, and I haven't heard anything since...)
The 3.1 ROM just plugs in where the 1.3 one is at the moment. (Make sure
you get the one for the 500 though! :)
>2. I plan to get the MegaChip 500 eventually to expand my chip memory, but is
>it required to run under 3.1? In addition, does the MegaChip 500 allocate the
>memory from my existing 4M expansion card, or would I have to get more memory?
It comes with the RAM already...
>3. What chips is the AGA chipset made-up of and what are their capabilities?
I can't remember the names, but seeing as you can't add them, it's not
important.
>4. Would I absolutely have to get an accelerator now, or could I manage under
>3.1 without one for the time being?
Well, 3.1 is faster than 1.3, so you won't need an accelerator per se,
but you ought to get one anyway. An unaccelerated 500 is a pig.
>That's about all of the questions I can think of for the moment. So please
>email me any help you can give me. Thanks.
Email, schmemail. If you post to half a dozen newsfroups, you better
look there for replies!
--
!Productions 1994
GCS -d+ H+ s++:- g+ p? !au a- w+++ v* C+++ UB+++A++++ P++ L++ E+ N+++ K+ !W---
M-- V po- Y+ t++ 5+ jx R G? tv++ D- B--- e+ u** h f r++ !n y+
"Everything I say is shit." - David Connors.
Christopher Dean
>Email, schmemail. If you post to half a dozen newsfroups, you better
>look there for replies!
I do look for replies, but I don't want to miss any (My news server doesn't
hold the messages for a great amount of time). Thanks for the info though.
kmd
Odendahl Stefan
: I will have another look at this problem this very weekend. I will try the
: hack with pin 21 and will exchange all custom chips with their ECS equivalents.
It worked! I connected pin 21 and 31 on the ROM, connected pin 1 and 31 on
the socket and left pin 31 out when putting the chip in the socket.
Thanks to the one who suggested this.
-Stefan
P.C. Smith ESE UG
>memory and 4M Fast memory working with a 68000 CPU.
ahh.. those were the days :)
>
>I'd like to upgrade to the 3.1 ROM and AGA chipset (unless there is something
>better?). But first I have a few questions.
3.1 *and* AGA ... ?? Are you sure?? Call me Mr. Uninformed but I don't think you can do that %-)
well not from an A500 at least.
Mark Jackson
> I've been out of touch over the last year and a half and I need someone to
> help me figure out what chips I need.
>
> memory and 4M Fast memory working with a 68000 CPU.
1.4 ROM ??? Surely 1.3 !
> I'd like to upgrade to the 3.1 ROM and AGA chipset (unless there is something
> better?). But first I have a few questions.
3.x and AGA limits you to an A1200 or an A4000
> 1. Can the AGA chips fit onto my motherboard directly (without adapting it in
> some way)? Same question for the 3.1 ROM.
No. Yes.
> 2. I plan to get the MegaChip 500 eventually to expand my chip memory, but is
> it required to run under 3.1? In addition, does the MegaChip 500 allocate the
> memory from my existing 4M expansion card, or would I have to get more memory?
Dunno
> 3. What chips is the AGA chipset made-up of and what are their capabilities?
They're made of silicon ;-)
> 4. Would I absolutely have to get an accelerator now, or could I manage under
> 3.1 without one for the time being?
More power !!
Most of your questions are pintless, cos you've stated you want AGA. Both
the AGA machines already have 2 Meg of Chip ram, and have more powerful
CPUs than your current A500.
Basically, forget about upgrading your A500, spend the money on a new
A1200 or A4000
Mark
--
.-----------------------------------------------.
| Mark Jackson | ma...@mpfj.demon.co.uk |
| H/W Dev | Ma...@stek.demon.co.uk |
| Spectra-Tek (UK) Ltd | <Boring .sig or what!> |
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