For Sale Amiga 4000 Checkmate fitting kit

[simon_m74]

Hi All!

I`ve finally started the design now, on the Amiga 4000/Alice fitting kit for the Checkmate 1500+ case.

No need to declare interest just yet (but welcome to do so here, or by PM).

I`m just wanting to get a feel for options I need to design in.
Please let me know about the following.

Optical Drive
Floppy Drive
Hard Drive
Checkmate style Daughterboard- based on A4000 (with ISA / bridgeboard connections)
or Firebird style - so PCI built in (I have spoke to Hese about this already) (these may be supplied as blank PCBs)
ORIGINAL FIREBIRD DAUGHTERBOARD WILL NOT FIT!
Accelerator cards (Need to research sizes - to be sure all will fit)

Please keep in mind that the checkmate case only has 2 drive bays, of which one will not be usuable due to the daughterboard, although as with the A3000 kit I did; a Gotec PCB (not in a floppy drive case) will fit in the middle bay, as well as a full 5.25 drive in the right bay.

Please let me know here of `wishes`, or by PM

 

[Xanxi]

Hi there.

4000/Alice means the A4000TX or what? I guess not if there is a daughterboard.
How many slots are there on th Chekmate style Daughterboard? About bridgeboard use, at least 3 ISA are required, one for the BB, two for at least VGA and audio board, unless the user have an uber rare VGA + audio combo card (2 or 3 do exist) but they are usually full size ISA cards and the inline zorro slot is lost. And one still need the video slot inline with a zorro slot. That ends up in a full A4000 daughterboard, so i am very curious to see how this could fit in a smaller case than the original.

I would also suggest to found way to add more places at the back to accomodate USB ports, SCSI ports, deported audio ports (such as ZZ9000AX) or whatever, because the main problem of the A4000 is there are too few slots to loose them with connectors on slot brackets and empty slots (if i make myself clear enough).

 

[simon_m74]

I`m basing the kit on a standard A4000 desktop motherboard. I assumed the Alice is the same profile, so that it would fit in a standard A4000 case?

Slots on the DB for the checkmate, will be down to 3 Zorros, one pair 24bit Video/parallel slots, and 2 ISA slots for BB
The only way to keep 3 ISA is, we loose the 24bit video/parallel slots? (I do not favour this option)

The Firebird card will have 3 Zorro and 3 PCI slots.
Both the Firebird and the Checkmate DB, would power the Amiga via ATX.

More ports on the back..... I`ll try to add a removable panel maybe under the PSU or above the serial & parallel ports, so that this could be user modded to suit different port additons.

I`m also thinking..... maybe a hard drive caddy under the PSU - there`s space - if people think its needed?

Edit: I`ve just seen Hese`s TX A4k - WOW its wonderful! And should fit in the Checkmate!
BIG PROBLEM.... Zorro (well most) cards are too tall / wide.
I guess only low profile cards would fit.....

 

[DarrenHD]

Correct, the Alice+ board from hese is essentially an Amiga 4000cr motherboard. It fits perfectly in a standard A4000 case.

 

[simon_m74]

Then the Alice will fit with the kit I`m designing.

 

[Xanxi]

Ah ok it is not the A4000TX board.

However the A4000D case is very flawed. Any service or hardware modification on an A4000D is a pain in the *** because of this. Yet the checkmate is even smaller, it is a real challenge. For my use of the A4000 I can’t sacrifice slots so I would pass.


ÉDIT : i didn’t know about the Alice +. I thought the only replica was the ACIL mobo and that Hese was doing the 4000TX mobo.

 

[simon_m74]

CF card on IDE, or HDD ?

 

[qz3fwd]

Nice to see you working on the 4000 option. The big box Amiga layouts were horrible in driving the case design but it is what it is. I might be interested in a 4000 fitting kit. I should be receiving my AA3000+ and A4000TX boards from Hese next week together with the reduced height daughterboard. Hese said the experimental daughterboard reset does not work to reset the complete computer and cannot be fixed-guess that is why it was labeled “experimental”. Keep up the good work.

 

[ElectroBlaster]

I just bought a Checkmate A1500 case. It currently has an A500 board in it.

But I do have spare A4000 boards and one in particular has had everything done to it, re-capped, modded, new sim slots the lot!
I would be interested in your 4000 mounting kit

 

[simon_m74]

I`ll keep you all updated here on progress.

 

[pTah]

Wonderful. Looking forward to this.

 

[oggie]

I'd be interested

 

[simon_m74]

Getting close.
First protoype of metalwork made.
Not perfect fitting, so redesigning it by end of week, to get new parts made nest week.

 

[Podney]

Declaring interest.

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I have a second A4000 board that needs a new home.

 

[SpodSpod]

Declaring interest.

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I PM'd you already on the EAB the other day but this may be a more convenient place to lodge my interest so I shall do so.

 

[CStich]

Definitely interested. Daughterboard could be 3 slot version of original (video slot + 2 ISA) or Firebird 3 slot.
Most likely will use 2 Zorro 2/3 slots (Fastlane Z3, Ethernet or USB) + 24 bit video slot for Scandoubler II.

 

[simon_m74]

All - Please email me at catty_sim@hotmail.co.uk with interest, - there I`ll send updates on design progress, and answer questions.

Update though.
Second prototype design almost finished. I hope to finish tonight, as I make the prototypes at my place of work, until I`m ready to outsource production.
Soon at my workplace, we`ll be lasercutting work, that is the same material I use for the Checkmate kits - so I need to get my prototypes ready for that `company` production run that I can add my parts to!

I will cross reference any questions yuo have put here and reply in email
I prefere email, as I have my emails open continously, but I dont check here often enough - sorry!

Simon