#Expantion
6 messages in this thread
I am still looking for the instructions to make my 500 read the expander as
chip mem.
Jerry,
I am not sure I understand your question. Are you asking how to make the
512k memory expansion on the bottom of your A500 work as chip memory or are
you asking how to make memory above 1 Megabyte in an expansion box to work
as chip memory?
There is a hack available that describes the procedure to enable 1 Megabyte
of chip memory on the later model A500s. There is a caveat to it however.
Commodore does not support this modification and most Amiga dealerships
will not do the modification until the machine is out of warranty. Some
stores, like my own, do not do the modification at all.
The only good way to increase chip memory is to add the DKB Megachip board
which will increase your internal memory to 2 Megabytes and give you the
option of making your system either a 1 Megabyte Chip machine or 2 megabyte
chip machine, depending on the Agnus chip you have installed.
You may need to buy a new Agnus if your A500 is of the older variety.
-mark=
– whappity whap whap… whap whap!!
Mark,
One clarification – DKB's MegaChip _requires_ that the ECS Agnus be
enabled in the machine, which is the same "unauthorized" modification used
to enable 1-meg Chip Ram in a 500 equipped with the ECS Agnus. While this
modification works on a lot of 500's, it is "unauthorized" because it does
NOT work on all 500's.
– BobR
Bob,
We've sold thousands of MegAChips, many of them installing in A500's
without ONE complaint about the A500 incompatibility. Most problems revolve
around one of three things. 1) Improper installation – This is probably
what got C=, too many times when the trace cut is performed, more than one
trace is cut. 2) Incompatable third party hardware – This one very seldom
occurs. 3) Incompatable software – Basicly some Euro games. This is almost
not a problem at all.
There are a number of theorys about why C= calls the A500 modification
unauthorized, but stock system incompatibilities is at the bottom of the
list in my book.
Dean
DKB Software
Dean,
I didn't mean to disparage your product, as I have the highest respect
for it and for your products in general. However, I was merely pointing
out that the installation of the MegAChip into an A500 required the same
"unauthorized" mod that the installation of the standard ECS Agnus
requires, and hence carries the same caveats (whatever they really are,
and only CBM knows for sure, other than the voiding of the warranty).
– BobR
Bob,
Yes, installing anything inside an A500 will void your warranty. This
includes the MegAChip. I just wanted to point out that the modification
does work in every A500 that we've tried it in. There are some third party
products that don't work correctly with one meg of CHIP ram enabled in
certain revisions of a500's but that seems to be the fault of those third
party products, not the A500.
Dean
DKB Software