Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    Case a) - You have ordered A2000, bridgeboard and IBM side harddisk.
    
    	You cannot use at all with your HD till you have the Bridgeboard.
    	All the partitionning of the disk should be done on the PC side
    	( FDISK, ADISK ). After all, where do you want to connet it?!
    
    Case b) -  You ordered also the A2090. 
    
    	Don't have an answer, but I doubt you can make pc partition
    	on the Amiga side ( unless something that I don't know comes
    	with the A2090).
    	

    
    I have the A2000,A2090,a 40mb SCSI disk and the bridge board.  Can
    I use part of the Amiga Hard Disk for IBM storage or do I need
    a hard card for a hard disk for the bridgeboard.
    
    Ira

    
>    I have the A2000,A2090,a 40mb SCSI disk and the bridge board.  Can

What kind (manufacturer) os SCSI 40mb do you have?

    
    A Connor Peripherals 40meg 3 1/2 inch drive.  Its 28 ms access.

    The last AmigaWorld seemed to indicate that it will be possible for you
    to define a virtual disk on the PC that will point back to the Amiga
    Hard Disk hanging off of the A2090. (See Feb '88 issue, page 23, bottom
    left paragraph). So unless I miss my guess, it seems that not only can
    the Amiga get to a hard disk partition on the PC side, but the PC can
    also get to the hard disk on the PC side !!
    
    Hope that helps.
    =jbf=

    .5 is correct.  I also have an A2000, A2090, bridgeboard (A2088)
    and 40MB hard disk.  From the PC side you can create a file on
    the 68000's hard disk and use it as a virtual floppy.  You can have
    to to 4 such virtual devices open at a time.
        John Sauter

    
    I have been able to use the virtual disk now.  Seems to work.  Would
    be nice to be able to boot from it.
    
    Ira

    A friend of mine has a 2000 with a bridgeboard and while in PC mode
    has problems printing?  Has anyone else experienced this problem?

    You must click the LPT icon in the PC-Window.    I have used it
    with no problems.   If you dont click it to assign the printer,
    i have seen MS-DOS hang.  
    
    Good Luck
    Ira

    Does anyone who has a bridge board in their 2000 know if there is
    a clock/calender built in.  Im gonna add a multi-io card which
    has a clock/calender and dont know if ill have two clocks
    to deal with.  I need a serial port and figure I may as well
    bring up the XT memory to 640K on the same card as a multi-io
    card.
    
    Ira
    

    When I boot the bridgeboard it always asks for the time, so I don't
    think it has a clock/calendar.  It does have an incremental time
    clock, since it keeps track of time after it has been told.
        John Sauter

This seems the best place for this.

I am looking at expanding the computing segment of my MIDI setup in the
distant future.  Currently I use the Atari ST and am going to keep that
the hub.  For various reasons I would like to not expand with another ST.

I am interested if an Amiga 2XXX/bridgeboard 286 (386??) can do the following,
which I would like to be able to do the following (or what about the
following):

 o   Run an IBM application with little or no speed loss concurrently with
     an Amiga Application with little or no speed loss.  That would allow
     an IBM MIDI application attached to an IBM MIDI interface to work
     at the same time the Amiga is talking MIDI through an Amiga interface.
     No collisions.

 o   What about IBM-AMIGA communications.  That means disk and floppy
     compatibilities, IBM -->  Amiga and Amiga --> IBM sides of the machine.

 o   Known MeSseyDOS incompatibilities, ie, things that the bridgeboard won't
     run that a clone will.

 o   Bridgeboard robustness.  Can it run MSwindows or DesqView well (as
     Jerry Pournelle would say 'well' :-)

 o   On the display, what are the limitations when running IBM and Amiga
     applications concurrently.

 o   Anything else I thought of but forgot to put down.  (Like a description
     of the various Amiga models, prices (store and MO), description of
     bridgeboard and how it works, options, etc... :-)


Is there any sort of Magic Sac/Spectre128 for the Amiga like for the ST?

Thanks

Sorry for so many neophyte questions.  My Amiga knowledge is 0.
(At one time, when it first came out, I knew some about the Amiga but that
was ages ago...)

Thanks
Chad

    One question you didn't ask which I can answer: can you run a MIDI
    interface on the Bridgeboard?  I have successfully run the Roland
    MPU-401 interface, using a GWBASIC program typed in from a magazine
    article, and with the demo version of CakeWalk.  No problems: I
    just hooked it up and it ran.
    
    I don't know of any software that will run on a clone but not on
    a Bridgeboard.  My wife bought some generic MS/DOS software a while
    ago which has a configuration feature.  You can set it for three
    or four levels of compatibility, from full IBM PC through generic
    MS/DOS.  I set it for full IBM PC, and it ran just fine.
    
    There is some Amiga software that will read and write disks in MS/DOS
    format.
        John Sauter

    
    I plan(ned) on posting a seperate note on this, but I'll mention
    it here until I can get further info...
    
    ReadySoft has shown a 128 K Mac emulator at World of Commodore.
    I don't have details yet, but it ran faster than a Mac SE, and,
    of course, used genuine Apple ROMS.
    
    I'll post a full rumor review as soon as I can get more info.
    
    Ed.

    the base 2xxx is an Amiga 2000 box.  That forms the basis for
    future Amigas since it has expansion slots that allows CBM
    to come out with "new" machines that a simply expansion cards
    plugged into the 2000.  That also makes it a great upward
    expansion path for the installed base of A2000s.
    
    The bridgeboard is simply an 512K ibmpc clone with implemented
    on an Amiga expansion card instead of on a motherboard.  It
    communicates with the Amiga side thru a shared memory area above
    the 640K ibmpc user memory.  Since the 2000 has real ibmpc slots
    in addition to amiga slots, you can expand it just like an ibmpc clone.
    You can even get a ibmpc graphics card and run a separate monitor for it.
    
    -dave

    BRIDGEBOARD ISSUES:
    
    1) virtual disk use with A2090:  Yes, it works quite well but it
    will not be useable as a boot disk. I use an IBM hardcard with my
    system, and since it only costs $325 (and the bridgeboard cost about
    $500 w/5.25" floppy), it seemed a better setup. I also have FastFiles
    installed and it all works great, plus the fact that the IBM side
    boots the harddisk.
    
    2) There is an IBM product by KEA systems which is an EDT emulated
    editor. This works well on Amiga 2000's also, but the keys don't
    function perfectly as provided in the default product. They are
    easy to customize however and I have it working fine.
    
    3) PRODIGY runs on an AMIGA 2000 with bridgeboard and harddisk.
    
    

    There is a PD BASIC program for the IBM "side" that will read the
    time from a data file and set the clock to it. Armed with this,
    it is an easy issue to make the amiga startup-sequence do a
    SETDATE >RAM:xxx and for the IBM AUTOEXEC.BAT file to use AREAD
    and transfer the file to the IBM side. I never have to set my IBM
    clock, it works fine.
    

    I just installed a 2286 AT type bridgeboard in my 2000HD. I am
    having a little problem when the 8UP memory board is installed.
    The 3.5" 2286 boot disk will boot and I can open the PC draw, 
    but when I click on the mono icon, I get a message " can't find
    library "  If I take the 8UP memory board out , the MS-dos side
    will load and I can use it . DIRs, copies, ect . 
    What are you other bridgeboard users, using for extra memory ?
    Has any one got there bridgeboard working with a 8up memory board ?

    I'm also concerned about the bridge board and 2.04 . What kind of 
    problems am I going to get into ?

    Thanks  Bob

Hsa anyone with a bridgeboard run MS-Windows 3.0?

I've been debating the relative merits of sticking a PC next to Ami versus
sticking one inside it. (A third alternative is doing both, over time...)

Has anyone run Windows on a 2286? On a different tack, has anyone heard of plans
for a "high end" bridgeboard, say 33MHz 386 or better?

I'd really just about decided on a PC clone, but I like to consider all options.

Thanks-
	Bob

re .18

I have the Xt bridge board and a proram expansion populated to 4 MB.  How
much memory is on your board?  If over 6MB you could be overlapping the shared
memory for the bridge board.  This just pertains to autoconfig 16 bit memory.

But basiclly the error message "cant find library" means that the Janus
library did not get loaded.  It could be anything from the Board being 
loose in the socket to the Janus files in the Expansion drawer being 
bad/missing etc etc.  Sort of a catch all I am broke message.  

In the 2.04 installation guide they warn about not reinstalling the Bridge 
Board Janus under WB 2.04 until Janus 2.1 is released (no release date 
mentioned.)  I do not know what problems will be encountered if it is 
installed under 2.04.  They also mention the need to turn off the Instruction 
Cache for those luky individuals that got one.

I just moved the files over and it works fine.  I am to chicken to try the dare
and reinstall for the fun of it.


Hope this helps
Alan

    Will I just got done talking with my dealer and he said I have too
    much memory. I have a total of 9meg in the system. 6meg on the 8 up
    2meg on the A2091 and 1meg in the system.  I will remove 4 meg and
    try it again.  

    I wonder what will happen when I install the bridgeboard software
    and 2.04 is already there.

    Thanks Bob

If you happen to run accross an extra 2 Meg and they are of the 1 X 1MB Dram 
Dip's at least 80ns.  I was thinking of adding 2Meg to my system soon, I will 
pay a reasonable price.  

(-: Just thought I could help you cut your losses.  :-)


Alan

    The memory I have is the 1 x 8 sims 80ns.

    I might just sell the extra megs. I just installed the extra 4 meg
    about a week back. I was running with 5 meg just fine, but thought
    the extra 4 meg might be useful. -> WRONG <-  I know I should have 
    waited.

    Bob
     

If I recall correctly the 8-up should be able to configured for 6 megs,
so don't remove all of the new 4 meg!

	-SES

If one meg of your 9 is chip then do not count it.  I should have been more 
exact in my note.  You can have up to 6MB of FAST RAM with a Bridge board.  
So it sounds like you only need to remove 2MB.  Assuming the configuration of
the modules allow 6MB to be installed. 

Also I goofed it was the Data cache that neede to be turned off with 
V2.04 and Janus 2.0

    Study the section in your 8UP! manual where they describe how memory
    blocks are allocated in the autoconfigured address space.  In order to
    have access to all memory physically present, you must ensure that the
    various memory blocks "fit" to form a contiguous 8 meg space with NO
    GAPS.  Memory blocks are configured in right to left order.  The board
    closest to the CPU first, then working out along the bus.  This means
    that the relative positions of boards will determine whether or not you
    have gaps in your address space.
    
    From the description in .21, it sounds like you have a configuration
    something like this:
    
    	Board	Size	Address Range
    	-----	----	------------------
    	A2091	2MB	0200000-->03FFFFFF
    	8UP-a	2MB	0400000-->05FFFFFF
    	8UP-z	4MB	0600000-->09FFFFFF
    	Bridge	2MB	xxxxxxx (no room in autoconfig range)
    
    You need to populate your 8UP card with only 2 megs in each half.  That
    will leave the required 2MB space at the end for your bridgeboard to
    configure.

    Well the memory was the problem. I took out 4 meg and all works fine.
    Thanks for all the help.

    Just to update what I have done.  I installed the bridgeboard and did
    a custom software install. Making sure that the bridgeboard software
    did not over write any 2.04 software. I used the controller's on board
    bios to low level format the drive and then use the 4.01 MS-Dos 
    to install it self.  I now have a PC draw and can boot from the MS-DOS
    hard disk.  I tried lotus and it came up fine. We will see if all the
    other ms-dos software will run.

    Bob

    Well I just ran into the first of some problems.

    1. If I try to boot the bridge in color mode, the amiga hangs and then
    reboots. I also tried to run some cga color games and the system hung.

    2. For some reason, when I boot the bridgeboard, I get only a 1/2
    screen. I don't remember changing anything, so what happen ?

    3. should I use the janus software (Amouse,Awrite,Aread) or just leave
    it along when running 2.04 ?

    Thanks  Bob
     

    Also now in EOT::AMIGA:[Upload]2500Prefs.lzh
 
    I read the warning under the WB 2.04 installation manual about no
    reinstalling the Janus 2.0 software under WB 2.04.  The problem as I
    see it is the PCPrefs program crashes if you try to save or cancel.

    This program outputs a file called 2500prefs.  This file is in the
    PC/SYSTEM directory and it consits of one byte.  It looks like bit 3
    is set to enable mono emulation.  Bit 4 is set to enable color
    emulation.  Bits 5 & 6 determine the memory range.  If equal to a 01
    its A000, 10 its D000, and 11 its E000. Bit 0 is always a 0, and bits
    1, 2 and 7 are always a 1.  The E000 is needed for a A2088 XT the D000
    is needed for the A2286 At Bridge Board.  
    
    So for my set up a A2088 with color and mono emulation enabled I 
    would copy the 2500prefs.FE file to my DF0:pc/system directory and 
    rename it 2500Prefs. Then I would drag the entire PC directory to my 
    harddisk partition and copy the Janus.Library from the DF0:Expansion 
    directory to my Harddisk partition Expansion directory.  With this in 
    place and a bootable MSdos floppy in the MSDos drive the Bridge Board 
    should boot after the BindDrivers command is executed.

    These are the different files for all possible combinations of the
    gadgets under PCPrefs V1.3.  There is also a Serial setting but mine is
    ghosted out and not selectable.  This must be for another option or
    maybe future expansion.  There is probable a bit for that also.


------------------------------------------------|------------
Gadget	E000	D000	A000	Color	Mono	| File Name
------------------------------------------------|-------------
	OFF	OFF	ON	OFF	OFF	| 2500PREFS.A6
	OFF	OFF	ON	OFF	ON	| 2500PREFS.AE
	OFF	OFF	ON	ON	OFF	| 2500PREFS.B6
	OFF	OFF	ON	ON	ON	| 2500PREFS.BE
------------------------------------------------|-------------
	OFF	ON	OFF	OFF	OFF	| 2500PREFS.C6
	OFF	ON	OFF	OFF	ON	| 2500PREFS.CE
	OFF	ON	OFF	ON	OFF	| 2500PREFS.D6
	OFF	ON	OFF	ON	ON	| 2500PREFS.DE
------------------------------------------------|-------------
	ON	OFF	OFF	OFF	OFF	| 2500PREFS.E6
	ON	OFF	OFF	OFF	ON	| 2500PREFS.EE
	ON	OFF	OFF	ON	OFF	| 2500PREFS.F6
	ON	OFF	OFF	on	on	| 2500prefs.FE
------------------------------------------------|-------------

    
    RE .28
    Copy the 2500prefs.DE to your sys:pc/system/2500prefs and reboot to
    see if this helps any.  Your problem could come from a illegal setting
    in the 2500Prefs file.  Since the program PCPrefs crashes on save who
    knows how far it got, and what it wrote to the 2500Prefs file.
    
    
    Alan