[comp.sys.amiga.hardware] 2088 BridgeCard

armhold@topaz.rutgers.edu (George Armhold) (05/03/90)

System:
	A2000, 1 Meg.
	A2088 Bridgecard, Janus 2.0
	A2091 HD controller and 40 Meg quantum HD.
	OS 1.3

I've been having some problems with getting the BridgeCard to work properly 
under OS 1.3.  Since getting the Janus 2.0 update, I haven't been able to
get the color mode PC to work.  The BridgeBoard boots up ok, but the text
is not visible.  That is, if you type 'dir', the disk drive runs for a while 
and (presumably) does a directory listing.  But you can't see anything on the
screen- no text.  It works fine in mono mode though.  

Another problem- we just got the A2091 with a 40 meg quantum (!!!), and I'm
trying to get the BridgeBoard to see the HD.  I've created a 5 meg partition
on the HD, and I'd like to use it solely for the PC.  According to the docs,
I can map the  c: drive on the PC to any Amiga drive (floppy, HD, RAM DISK.) 
via the "PCDisk" program on the Amiga side, and the "Jlink" program on the
PC.  Whenever I run PCDisk the BridgeBoard locks up.  I can reset it via
CTRL-ALT-DEL, and it starts to re-boot, but locks up just before it should
start accessing the disk.  The only way I can get the PC back is by re-booting
the entire Amiga.  It seems as if the Amiga and the PC are unable to
communicate with each other. Is this a bug in Janus 2.0 or am I doing 
something wrong?  Also, what is the "PCHard" program for?  Assuming this all 
gets worked out, would it be able to boot the bridgecard directly from the 
5 meg partition on the Amiga HD?  

Thanks for any and all help,

-George

markv@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (05/03/90)

> I've been having some problems with getting the BridgeCard to work properly 
> under OS 1.3.  Since getting the Janus 2.0 update, I haven't been able to
> get the color mode PC to work.  The BridgeBoard boots up ok, but the text
> is not visible.  That is, if you type 'dir', the disk drive runs for a while 
> and (presumably) does a directory listing.  But you can't see anything on the
> screen- no text.  It works fine in mono mode though.  

With Janus 2.0 (actually the only version I've ever played with) the
bridgeboard emulates two monitors, one Monochrome, one CGA.  Each of
the Programs PCColor, and PCMono that opens a window emulates this
monitor.  A jumper on the bridgeboard sets what the defualt boot is.
To get the PC to work with the CGA window type:
	MODE CO80
Which says 80 col color mode (you can do MODE CO40 for that old 8 bit
look). To go back say
	MODE MONO
You can put these commands in your autoexec.bat file, or if you happen
to have the case open, move the jumper.
 
> Another problem- we just got the A2091 with a 40 meg quantum (!!!), and I'm
> trying to get the BridgeBoard to see the HD.  I've created a 5 meg partition
> on the HD, and I'd like to use it solely for the PC.  According to the docs,
> I can map the  c: drive on the PC to any Amiga drive (floppy, HD, RAM DISK.) 
> via the "PCDisk" program on the Amiga side, and the "Jlink" program on the
> PC.  Whenever I run PCDisk the BridgeBoard locks up.  I can reset it via
> CTRL-ALT-DEL, and it starts to re-boot, but locks up just before it should
> start accessing the disk.  The only way I can get the PC back is by re-booting
> the entire Amiga.
The Janus 2.0 software has a program "PCBoot" that forces a total
hardware reset of the PC board without having to reboot the Amiga.

> Also, what is the "PCHard" program for?

With 2.0 Janus stuff, dont use JLink, use PCHard.  PCHard creates a
low-level hard drive emulation of a PC hard drive.  I mean *low
level*.  Even Norton Utilities will think its dealing with a REAL pc
harddrive.  PCHard formats a file as a complete virtual hard disk.  It
does the whole file so you don't have to mess with fillling up the
drive the first time you use it business (like with JLink).

>  Assuming this all 
> gets worked out, would it be able to boot the bridgecard directly from the 
> 5 meg partition on the Amiga HD?  

With a PCHard (not Jlink) partition, the Bridgeboard will boot
directly off of C: (The virtual hard drive).
 
> Thanks for any and all help,

If you have the Janus 2.0 software you need to beg borrow or steal a
manual.  The manual explains PCHard (and AMouse, the virtual PC Mouse)
among other things that just didn't exists in the old software and
manual.
 
> -George
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