Update on all the PCBs

So remember all those PCBs I ordered? Let’s break down what worked and what didn’t. What Worked So first up, both my ROM adapters worked without a problem. So we now have a Low Profile Amiga ROM switcher and a Low Profile Microbee ROM switcher. Both built around using turned pins to keep the profile

Not a Soldering Iron in Sight

Updates Starting with an update on existing projects, I have the Amiga MIDI project working. I’d accidently crossed the input and output lines on the MAX2323 chip. A quick bodle later and it was working. It’s now corrected in the master PCB. I also have permission from Grzegorz Kraszewski to release my version. That was

Not much going on…

Mostly I have been working on building a Retro Chip Tester so I can start diagnosing things faster with the Amigas. This is actually for the Artifactory, but I plan to use it for a bit before I drop it off to them. If nothing else, I want to get through the backlog of 4116

What Next?

I’m in a contemplative mood today, and I’ve been thinking about my collection. Specifically I have been thinking about what I want to get next. Here are my thoughts. Computers At this point I am really not going out of my way to buy any more computers with two exceptions. If someone offers me a

Some Glue, Some Art

While I have made absolutely no real progress on my Microbee, I did make some progress on the Amiga 500 and the Amiga 1000. Firstly, the Amiga 1000 is currently booting off Kickstart before dying in its tracks. It’ll boot Kickstart, reboot and then lose synchronization on the screen. Basically dead in the water. At

Life Gets in the Way

It’s been nearly a month without a post. While some things have happened in the meantime, not a lot of new developments have occurred. Microbee: First the bad news I was supposed to be bringing one of my Microbees to the Perth Amiga Users Group gathering, so of course, I chose the DRAM 128k with

Stuff coming down the pipe

So it’s been a while since I did anything major. I did do another spin (My third so far) at the laser cut Microbee case, which revealed I needed to refactor parts of it. I tried to make a fastening system so the upper half and the lower half could be screwed together, but I

Posting will slow for a while

So I’ve gone back to work after an extended holiday, so output is likely to slow for a bit. However, I’m still doing retro “stuff” so I thought I’d share some of it. One of the coolest projects I completed on the weekend was building an MT32Pi Hat. This consists of a Raspberry Pi running

Bits and Bobs

Well, here we are again. Amiga 2000 I built up the -5v rail for the A2000 and fully reassembled it. Unfortunately the A2000 is presenting with a black screen. No synch or other signs of life. Not the end of the world, but it does mean it’s on hold until my new Oscilloscope arrives. Mac

A Tale of Two Systems (And their Horrible Batteries) Part 1

In parallel, I’ve started fixing both the Amiga 2000 and the Quadra 950 boards. Both had extensive battery damage. In both cases I’d neutralised the battery alkaline with vinegar, water and isopropanol washes. I started with the Amiga. AMIGA 2000 Evaluating the board, I ended up pulling off all components and sockets in about a