A2000 2386SX Bridge Board help requested

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SvenPook

SvenPook

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Hi All,

I've got an A2000 Rev 6.2 Running Amiga OS 3.2.3 with a N2630 accelerator card in it and an A2386SX Bridge Board.

System boots just fine. But when trying to install Janus software for the bridgeboard I get asked if I have separate boot and system partitions. I tick "No" (DHO boots and is Workbench).
I check the 2386 bridge board to be installed
Then after all other questions I get:"insufficient free space on SYS: select Help for more information"
Sys: has 14gb of free space....


I disabled cache during boot in the boot options menu
and I also jumpered J403 on the N2630 disabling the 8mb fastram. Bridgeboard is fully populated with 8 megs of ram

What would be the cause of this issue and how can I remedy it?
 
Weird. I have a A2286 with a N2630 and Z2 ram disabled and no issues whatsoever. Usually when the bridgeboard has issues, Janus fails to start the bridgeboard. I have Janus version 36.83 installed.
My guess the installer has issues with the hard drive size? I'm still using the original 256Mb SCSI hard drive which came with the system.
 
You are spot on. My friend 10Marc came with the same solution. The Janus installer software cannot handle partitions larger than 2gb. So I downsized the partition and everything installed immediately.
 
Have fun! I installed Tseng ET4000's and PicoMem's with my bridgeboards to complete the bridgeboard experience.
 
SvenPook said:
Hi All,

I've got an A2000 Rev 6.2 Running Amiga OS 3.2.3 with a N2630 accelerator card in it and an A2386SX Bridge Board.

System boots just fine. But when trying to install Janus software for the bridgeboard I get asked if I have separate boot and system partitions. I tick "No" (DHO boots and is Workbench).
I check the 2386 bridge board to be installed
Then after all other questions I get:"insufficient free space on SYS: select Help for more information"
Sys: has 14gb of free space....


I disabled cache during boot in the boot options menu
and I also jumpered J403 on the N2630 disabling the 8mb fastram. Bridgeboard is fully populated with 8 megs of ram

What would be the cause of this issue and how can I remedy it?
Click to expand...
I think your boot partition 'sys' is to large for installer, several programs got this issue, therefor I never set sys larger than 400mb. Install manually. I've got A2386SX as well.
 
HomeLate said:
Have fun! I installed Tseng ET4000's and PicoMem's with my bridgeboards to complete the bridgeboard experience.
Click to expand...
How did you configure the addresses for the PicoMem? I'm fiddling here with the XT-IDE and external floppy (gotek) but the bootup still results in a failure (invalid config)
 
SvenPook said:
How did you configure the addresses for the PicoMem? I'm fiddling here with the XT-IDE and external floppy (gotek) but the bootup still results in a failure (invalid config)
Click to expand...
Check this thread for more info on using an XT-IDE with a bridgeboard: https://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=109908

I used the same bios file and I was able to use an XT-IDE with my bb. I have to check if I had to configure something in the PicoMem settings file. I have various PicoMem boards running in various systems.

EDIT: I added these lines in the config.txt file for the PicoMem to work with my bb:

BIOS C800
PREBOOT
 
Last edited:
HomeLate said:
Check this thread for more info on using an XT-IDE with a bridgeboard: https://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=109908

I used the same bios file and I was able to use an XT-IDE with my bb. I have to check if I had to configure something in the PicoMem settings file. I have various PicoMem boards running in various systems.

EDIT: I added these lines in the config.txt file for the PicoMem to work with my bb:

BIOS C800
PREBOOT
Click to expand...
Does Janus work with Picomem? Without Janus, its no problem get stuff working.

A useful thing, is that xt-ide bios can be added in the end of the bios file 'boot..." found in the pc/system drawer.
 
Flash951 said:
Does Janus work with Picomem? Without Janus, its no problem get stuff working.

A useful thing, is that xt-ide bios can be added in the end of the bios file 'boot..." found in the pc/system drawer.
Click to expand...
Yes, but you'll need to add the above lines in the config.txt.

I have PicoMem's working with an A2286 and Vortex GG. In both cases I use a hard disk image on PicoMem's SD-card and I can boot into DOS. I haven't tested its soundcard emulation or memory settings yet.
 
HomeLate said:
Yes, but you'll need to add the above lines in the config.txt.

I have PicoMem's working with an A2286 and Vortex GG. In both cases I use a hard disk image on PicoMem's SD-card and I can boot into DOS. I haven't tested its soundcard emulation or memory settings yet.
Click to expand...
My setups
A4000: a2386sx (486@60), hw refresh mod, isa@12, vga, i/o ide (sd card), lpt port adlip in i/o card. Currently building a vga-amiga sw-switch box (bbswitch).

A2500: a2286at@10, 3com (Etherbridge), using Viaduct. Combo 1.44-1.2mb fdd.

A2000: a2088xt@9.5 (turbo xt mod), 360k fdd.
 
Flash951 said:
Does Janus work with Picomem? Without Janus, its no problem get stuff working.

A useful thing, is that xt-ide bios can be added in the end of the bios file 'boot..." found in the pc/system drawer.
Click to expand...
So if I get this correctly, flashing the Atmel AT28C64 on the XT-IDE would make it compatible with the bridgeboard.

Because at the moment I have created a Virtual Haddisk of 10megs, the bios (without XT-IDE installed) keeps giving an errormessage, most likely regarding the virtual harddisk.
I am able to boot from floppy after modifying a floppy cable to have it working with a Gotek.
 
SvenPook said:
So if I get this correctly, flashing the Atmel AT28C64 on the XT-IDE would make it compatible with the bridgeboard.

Because at the moment I have created a Virtual Haddisk of 10megs, the bios (without XT-IDE installed) keeps giving an errormessage, most likely regarding the virtual harddisk.
I am able to boot from floppy after modifying a floppy cable to have it working with a Gotek.
Click to expand...
What Bridgeboard? For a2288xt there is a special bios for xtide, you remove bios from xtide, config a specific address and add bios to the end of aboot file... ive not get it to work with my xtide, maybe because need the latest Janus version, and my 2088xt amiga is wb 1.3 which doesnt work with latest Janus, need 2.0+.
 
Flash951 said:
My opinion: xt ide is for XT machine. Get an i/o ide card and use sd or CF card.

Picomem is modern software emulation, not the same 'feel' and for xt 8 bit.
Click to expand...
True, but most if not all 8-bit I/O controllers are MFM.

There's a MFM SD-Card hard disk emulator available, but not cheap. In fact, I'm building one in the future to image the MFM hard disks I still use.

With the bridge board and 16-bit VGA card, all 16-bit slots are used in my A2K's. I can transform the 8-bit slots into 16-bit slots on the mainboard but I haven't had the time yet. I can use an 8-bit SCSI controller instead but with the prices these go for on eBay, I prefer a Picomem.
 
HomeLate said:
True, but most if not all 8-bit I/O controllers are MFM.

There's a MFM SD-Card hard disk emulator available, but not cheap. In fact, I'm building one in the future to image the MFM hard disks I still use.

With the bridge board and 16-bit VGA card, all 16-bit slots are used in my A2K's. I can transform the 8-bit slots into 16-bit slots on the mainboard but I haven't had the time yet. I can use an 8-bit SCSI controller instead but with the prices these go for on eBay, I prefer a Picomem.
Click to expand...
Solder in connectors for isa-16 bit, I've done to all mine.
 
Another way that saves you the slot for the controller is to use the primary IDE connector of a sound card, if it has got one that isn`t proprietary like sony, mitsumi etc. I have an sd card running on an ES1688 as I needed to save one slot and I was disappointed with the poor performance of the xtide adapter. Its bootable and gives me 2mb/s as opposed to ca. 250 kb/s with xtide.
 
Last edited:
HomeLate said:
It's on my very long todo
Click to expand...

Ramon Fuschnik said:
Another way that saves one you the slot for the controller is to use the primary IDE connector of a sound card, if it has got one that isn`t proprietary like sony, mitsumi etc. I ve an sd card running on an ES1688 as I needed to save one slot and I was disappointed with the poor performance of the xtide adapter. Its bootable and gives me 2mb/s as opposed to ca. 250 kb/s with xtide.
Click to expand...
I've bought an AW64 of that purpose, and added XTIDE bios to aboot386 file. Tested many cf cards, but cant get it to autoboot. Using an isa i/o card, so no slots for sound card. Using adlib in lpt port.
 
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