Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    Anything that uses the serial or parallel port will work, although
    maybe some things that depend on the +/-5 coming out might not...
    thought I heard they were cutting some power there. Not sure.
    
    Anything that runs off the backplane (well... U know what I mean)
    will NOT work without a completely new interface from the add-on
    people. Just another reason to say "Commodore: doing their damnedest
    to destroy the world's best computer".
    
    Essentially what this means is that Scuzzy drives, MIDI boxes,
    (probably) most sound samplers, and that kind of stuff will
    work OK. Memory expansions, slot boxes, and side-connecting
    hard drives will not. I sincerely doubt Genlock will work,
    since it uses Amy's composite video out and neither the A500
    nor the A2000 have one.
    
    However, I'm sure that after a while most HW manufacturers will
    offer versions of their lines that work with the A500. So your
    best option is, like it was for us early buyers, to just sit
    and wait. Or hack something up yourself.
    
    Incidentally, the A500 can be expanded to 1M internally so at
    least you can have a 1M machine until the expansions come.
    
    -Ed

    Genlock connects to the rgb out connector on the back of the A1000.
    I don't believe that its operation has anything to do with the
    composite capabilities of the machine, as it uses RGB signals. 
    The manual that comes with the unit goes to great lengths to explain
    the theory of the operation of the unit.
    
    If you could get a D23 jumper cable, so that you could connect the
    unit to the A500...there is a chance that it would work.
    
    It would be nice if the manufacturer would answer this.  They haven't
    said anything about this yet.
    
    Do you really want Genlock?  If you really HAVE to have it, get
    an A1000 or A2000.  Both machines will give you many more options
    for video work than the A500 will.
    
    Chances are, if you do get a Genlock, that it will spend 98% of
    it's life idle.
    
    Randy
    

    the expansion connector for the 500 is just slightly different
    from the 1000's connector, it is the placement of the connector
    that is causing the major problem.  If you want to use currently
    available peripherals - they were all designed for the 1000.
    
    Modified connectors and other changes shouldn't take too long
    to come out for the 500, most amiga hardware manufacturers will
    be coming out with products to support both the 500 and the 2000.
    
    -dave

    So what you're telling me is that SCSI interfaced drives like the
    Supra and Xebex, connect to the parallel port and hence will work
    on the A500?  As far as the Genlock goes, I plan on doing a fair
    amount of video editing to add titles to home videos.  Unless I'm
    mistaken, the only way to reasonably do that is with a Genlock.
    Am I missing something here?
    
    -tl

    re: Supra and Xebex
    
    No, they connect to the expansion connector.  There are a couple
    hard disks that do connect to the parallel port, i don't think
    they are SCSI.
    
    I haven't seen any 500 to Supra or Xebex cables so far, maybe calling
    the manufacturers would provide some info on when they will be
    available.  The 500 is just too new, the original word from CBM
    was that the 2000 would be available first, then later on the
    500.  That may have disrupted some 3rd party marketing plans in
    the US.
    
    -dave
    
    

    You don't HAVE to have a genlock to do titles.  If you want them
    to overlay on top of your video, you will need one.  If you just
    want to cut to the titles, you won't need one.
    

    re: .-1
    
    Ok, I get it.  I gather then that the Genlock allows the incoming
    video signal to come through to the output signal wherever there
    is "background" color.  Thus allowing titles to be placed "on top"
    of an existing picture.
    
    As far as expansion ports go.  I'm not sure if I'm getting more
    or less confused.  Let me summarize my (mis)understanding:
    
    The A500 has the following expansion paths:
    
    1) Internal boards - Right now only memory add ons to get to 1 Mbyte

    2) External expansion bus - This is the thing that was on the
    right-hand side of an A1000, but is on the left-hand side of an A500?
    Normally used to add things like disk controllers, external memory
    cards, Genlock, etc.  Not much if anything currently available because
    its a mirror image and not an exact image of the A1000 expansion port. 
    
    3) Serial port - I gather an EIA RS-232C DB25 connector that allows
    Asynch (synch too?) communication.  On the A1000, it also provided
    �n volts on 2 pins, whereas on the A500, its unpowered, other than
    the EIA signals.  Typically used to connect either a serial printer
    or a modem (but not both simultaneously?)
    
    4) Parallel port - Used to connect a printer or some other external
    device, possibly some disk controllers/drives?  Some of the add-ons
    in this category pass the port signals through to allow "stacking"
    multiple devices on the one port.

    5) Mouse port - Obviously to connect the two button mouse.
    
    6) Joystick port - Allows a secondary input device typically for
    positioning information, like a joystick, or maybe a trackball?
    
    7) Video Connector - A DB15(?) connector that has RGB, and a composite
    B/W video signal.

    
    Have I left anything out?  And what else plugs into the various
    ports/connectors?  Coming from a PDP and/or VAX background and not
    a PC background, this all seems a bit jumbled.
    
    -tl

    re: .-1
    
    you are doing good so far... except that Genlock doesn't hang off
    the expansion bus, i think its on the parallel port.
    
    rumor from Usenet is that there is a limiting resistor on the
    power lines to the serial and parallel ports - that can be removed 
    if you want the power.  The idea is to reduce the chance that the naive
    user will fry the printer or modem.
    
    The ports you missed are:
    
    Audio, left and right channels (Stereo)
    
    External disk drive port (DB23)
    
    the 1000 has a color composite out rca jack, the 500 i think as
    monochome composite (color is mapped to shades of grey)
    
    I remember something about the 500 needing the Commodore RF modulator
    to get color composite video (in addition to RF for TV).  Guess
    they didn't sell enough modulators for the 1000 :-)
    
    On the 1000 you can connect the color composite out to the video
    in of a VCR, the VCR will do the RF modulating.
    
    The 2nd joystick port has all the pins connected the same way as
    the 1st port.  You could put a trackball, mouse, etc. on it.
    
    -dave

    Genlock uses the RGB port, not the parallel port...but all this
    seems rather silly.  Why don't you just hop down to the store and
    take a look at one.  All your questions will be answered much faster
    than they will here.
    

    Actually, none of the dealers (all two of them, both of them
    Electronics Boutique) I've found in my area have them in yet.  This
    really fries me since I've not been able to track down any other
    nearby dealers.  I called Commodore, who gave me the run around
    and then gave me the name of the local distributor and was told
    that the distributor could tell me the names of the local dealers.
    Ha!  The distributor made it sound like he thought I three eyes
    and two heads.  He couldn't tell me the names of dealers.
    
    Anywho, how does the genlock work if connected to the RGB port?
    Aren't there any controls over it as to whats "background" and whats
    not?  And if it just connects to the RGB port, shouldn't it clearly
    work on the A500?
    
    Also, some questions about software.  I gather that Aztec C
    and Manx C are different names for the same product?  And how does
    it compare to the Lattice compiler?  Who provides and what is available
    in terms of a linkage editor (linker) and object module librarian,
    or am I in left field?
    
    -tl

    Electronics Boutique in Nashua, NH didn't have the 500 either, last
    time i checked.  Maybe the chain has trouble getting them? (other
    dealers have the 500)
    
    re: Genlock  it is designed to fit under the 1000 with a L shaped
    extension up to the RGB port.  Maybe it would work on the 500 with
    a RGB cable from the 500 to the Genlock RGB connector?  
    
    -dave