The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. Revision 3.1 Copyright 1990, 1991. Neil Coito and Michael Cianflone. Amiga and Kickstart are registered trademarks of Commodore-Amiga. ********************************************************************** Three Sentence Overview Of What This Thing Is: The Multi-Kickstart Board Project allows the user of an Amiga 500, 2000, or 2500 to switch between different versions of the operating system, called Kickstart. Some older software, and even some new software, are not compatible with Commodore's latest version of the operating system. This hardware project will let you use the new version of the operating system (it is *tons* better than 1.3 and below), and still remain compatible with the software that won't work under the new operating system. ********************************************************************** The files below, and the information contained with them, are NOT public domain. They are copyrighted by Neil Coito and Michael Cianflone. What this means is that you cannot take the design and information within the archive and make your own boards and sell them without prior written permission from us. What it does mean is that you are free to make your own board from this information whether you buy the board and parts from us or whether you wire-wrap your own. This archive may be freely copied and distributed as long as all the files remain unmodified and intact, and as long as there is no charge for them except a reasonable copying and media fee. The files included within this archive are: TMKBP31.doc The file you are reading right now. This file contains all the ordering information, assembly instructions, and everything else you will need to know to build The Multi-Kickstart Board Project, except pictures. TMKBP31Schematic.iff Schematic diagram of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project TMKBP31Parts.iff Diagram of what each part looks like TMKBP31Layout.iff Mechanical drawing of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project TMKBP31Ribbon.iff Diagram, and measurements of the 40 pin ribbon cable TMKBP31Switch.iff Diagram of how to hook up the 3 position switch TMKBP31Board.iff Picture of the printed circuit board showing where the optional cutting of a jumper needs to be done, and how to determine if you need the jumper cut. TMKBP31Probes.iff Diagram of the probes needed to test and troubleshoot the Multi-Kickstart Board Project. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to eliminate errors and insure compatibility, these files come with no warranty. If there is a typing error... sorry, it's not my fault it's yours :-) Also, you are at your own risk to build The Multi-Kickstart Board Project (TMKBP). If you blow up your computer or burn your house down then it's not our fault. You assume all responsibility for all information taken from this archive, and for building the Multi-Kickstart Board Project. Basically, it's not our fault if you have any problems, though we will try to help; if you have access to a modem we can be reached at: UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd ucsd nosc}!crash!pnet01!neil ARPA: crash!pnet01!neil@nosc.mil INET: neil@pnet01.cts.com There, if you're still with us, and if I haven't scared you off then continue reading and maybe you can build one of these nifty projects to almost ensure compatibility with your older software, and even a few new ones! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Compatibility: Works with all versions of the Amiga 500. Works with all versions of the Amiga 2000 including models A and B. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- General Information: The Multi-Kickstart Board Project allows the user of an Amiga 500, 2000, or 2500 to switch between different versions of the operating system, called Kickstart. These versions of Kickstart are contained on ROM chips that are normally plugged into the computer mother board. The reason for the switching ability is due to the incompatibility of older software programs, and perhaps a few new ones, with the newest version of the operating system, particularly Kickstart version 2.04. The Multi-Kickstart Board Project will enable the user to access an older version of Kickstart so that 2.04-incompatible software in the user's library may be used. The Multi-Kickstart Board Project will also allow the user to switch to the latest version of Kickstart to gain the advantages it offers with newer, more compatible software. The user removes the ROM chip from the computer mother board, inserts it into any empty socket on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project, and then inserts the 40 pin DIP connector from The Multi-Kickstart Board Project into the empty ROM socket on the mother board. When a newer version of Kickstart is purchased, that ROM is simply plugged into another empty socket on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. The user may then, with a flick of a switch, select either version of Kickstart: the older version that is more compatible with the user's collection of older software, or the newer version with its many enhancements. A third ROM socket is present on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project to allow for another, future version of Kickstart. You can build this project by obtaining all the parts yourself and wire wrapping it together on a perfboard, following the schematics, or you can order The Multi-Kickstart Board Project in kit form which includes the printed circuit board and all the parts needed to put it together. See the parts list for a detailed breakdown of the parts needed. You can also order just a printed circuit board from us if you have your own parts. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Multi-Kickstart Board Project Parts List: If you order The Multi-Kickstart Board Project printed circuit board with parts, then it comes with everything listed here except those marked OPTIONAL. If you just order the printed circuit board with no parts then, you guessed it, it just comes with a printed circuit board. COMPONENTS: REF# - DESCRIPTION R1 - 330 Ohm 1/4W Resistor R2 - 330 Ohm 1/4W Resistor R3 - 330 Ohm 1/4W Resistor C1 - .01uF 25V Ceramic Capacitor C2 - .01uF 25V Ceramic Capacitor C3 - .01uF 25V Ceramic Capacitor U1 - 74LS32 quad two input OR gate ROM1 - Any version Amiga Kickstart ROM (OPTIONAL) ROM2 - Any version Amiga Kickstart ROM (OPTIONAL) ROM3 - Any version Amiga Kickstart ROM (OPTIONAL) SW1 - Single Pole 3 Position Switch with 4 wire ribbon cable CN1 - 40 conductor ribbon cable with 40 pin DIP connector MISCELLANEOUS PARTS: QTY - DESCRIPTION 1 - The Multi-Kickstart Board Project printed circuit board 3 - 40 pin DIP Sockets 1 - 14 pin DIP Socket 1 - 2.5 feet 4 conductor ribbon cable 4 - Rubber feet or plastic spacers (OPTIONAL) All parts shown above are included in our "The Multi-Kickstart Board Project" kit except for the parts marked (OPTIONAL). We do not supply the parts marked (OPTIONAL). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ordering Information: To order The Multi-Kickstart Board Project either print out the following order form or make your own just like it and mail it, along with your payment, (make the check payable to Neil Coito) to: The Multi-Kickstart Board Project P.O. Box 60414 San Diego, CA 92166 USA ...................................................................... Please send: ____ Board(s) and parts at $14.95 each for a total of $_____ ____ Board(s) WITHOUT parts at $9.95 each for a total of $_____ if in California add 8.25% tax $_____ shipping and packaging (see below) $_____ Total $_____ TO: ____________________________________ name ____________________________________ address ____________________________________ city state zip code ____________________________________ country ..................................................................... note: DO NOT SEND CASH. Only send a check or money order. We will accept personal checks. All checks must be in US funds drawn on a US bank. ******************************************************************** ************* MAKE THE CHECK PAYABLE TO: Neil Coito **************** ******************************************************************** --------------------------------------------------------------------- Shipping and Packaging Prices: All shipping within the United States is done First Class, and all shipping done outside the United States is done by Air Mail. Shipping and Packaging: Prices are for EACH board with parts ordered. Same shipping and packaging price for each board ordered without parts. United States - $1.16 Canada - 1.22 Mexico - 1.25 Germany - 2.53 England - 2.53 France - 2.53 Australia - 3.11 These are all the main locations I could think of to ask the post office for shipping rates to. Shipping and packaging to Europe appears to be $2.53 so if you're in Europe and we don't have a shipping price for your area then just make it $2.53 for shipping. The weight of the package is 3.9 ounces so if you are somewhere else that we don't have a price for then you can go to the post office there and see what the shipping would be and add 18 cents for packaging. If you can't get to the post office and your country is not listed then make the shipping and packaging $3.50 and that should cover it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Theory Of Operation: The Multi-Kickstart Board Project is simply an extension of the Amiga's ROM socket with switching ability. The circuit board consists of three ROM sockets (ROM1, ROM2, and ROM3), three 330 ohm resistors (R1, R2, and R3), three .01uF capacitors (C1, C2, and C3), and a 74LS32 quad two input OR gate (U1). The ROM chip of the Amiga is a Read Only Memory chip that contains the operating system of the Amiga Computer called Kickstart. In order for the computer to read the contents of any memory chip, the processor has to somehow tell the memory chip that it would like to read its contents. Many memory chips have a pin call Output Enable (*OE). This pin is used by the computer system to tell the ROM chip that it is the device being selected to be read from by the processor. By decoding the address lines of the processor, a signal called *ROMEN is produced by the computer. This signal is then fed into the Output Enable pin of the Kickstart ROM. The Output Enable pin of the Amiga's ROM chip is an active low line. This means that the ROM will only respond to the address bus if its Output Enable line is low, or 0 volts. If this line is high, or 5 volts, the ROM chip will effectively take itself off the data bus and will not respond to the address bus. By taking control of the Output Enable line and steering it to one of three ROM sockets, The Multi-Kickstart Board Project is able to control which one of three ROMs will be used by the computer. When one of the ROMs is enabled, the other two ROMs remain off the data bus. They will stay off the data bus as long as their Output Enable pins stay high. The logic circuitry of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project was designed to only allow one ROM to be enabled at a time, allowing for only one operating system to be running, for example Kickstart 1.3, Kickstart 2.04 or any other Kickstart version installed in the board. Other than the Output Enable lines, all the other lines of the ROMs on the board are connected in parallel as you can see in the schematic. If for any reason all the ROMs were all enabled at the same time bus contention would exist on the data bus and the machine would crash. At the heart of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project is a 74LS32 two input quad OR gate. This device is configured as a logical switch that will only allow one Output Enable line to be activated at a time. The logic circuit is controlled by a three position switch which is used to select between the ROMs. All the lines from the Amiga's ROM socket are placed in parallel with all the lines of the ROM sockets on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project, except for the Output Enable lines of both the Amiga's ROM socket and The Multi-Kickstart Board Project's ROM sockets. The Output Enable line from the Amiga's ROM socket is sent into one of the gates of the logic chip that is configured as a buffer. This buffered signal is then fed into one of the inputs of each of the remaining three gates. The other input of the remaining gates is connected to one of the switches three positions. At each of these points a pull-up resistor is added (R1, R2, and R3). The purpose of the pull-up resistor is to keep the input of the gate at a high when it is not being pulled low by the switch. The switch activates a gate by connecting the gate's input to ground or taking it low. This condition allows only one gate to pass the Output Enable signal through its output to the ROM socket and then to the ROM sitting in that particular socket. All the other Output Enable signals stay high. On The Multi-Kickstart Board Project printed circuit board, pin 1 and pin 31 are jumpered together. This was done because earlier versions of the Amiga's motherboard had the address line A17 at pin 1, the newer versions of the motherboard have A17 on pin 31 of the ROM socket. For People that have the newer versions of the mother board, they must simply cut the trace at JMP1 on the printed circuit board. On the newer versions of the mother board pin 1 must NOT be connected to pin 31. Having these lines connected together on the newer boards will cause the computer to crash. The jumper was added to The Multi- Kickstart Board Project printed circuit board for the convenience of the people that have the older version of the mother board, and to make switching between different board versions an easy task. The purpose of the capacitors on this board is for filtering the power supply line. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tools Required To Put The Multi-Kickstart Board Project Together: The following items are required in order to put the Multi-Kickstart Board Project together. Soldering Iron Solder Wire Cutters Wire Strippers Chip Extractor or Straight-Edge Screwdriver The following items are NOT required but will make it easier to put certain components together, for example to cut the 40 pin cable down to a size that best fits your computer you should measure the length first, however you do not need a ruler if you want to eyeball it and cut what you think should fit. X-acto Knife (optional) Needle Nose Pliers (optional) Ruler (optional) Masking Tape, or Scotch Tape (optional) Permanent Marker Pen (optional) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Assembly Of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project: The assembly and testing of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project should not take very long to do. Although it is a very simple project, I can not stress it enough that you take your time and be neat with putting it together and testing it. The more time you take with putting this board together the less mistakes you are going to make and the happier you will be with the results. The less mistakes you make, the less time you will spend banging your head against the wall for making those stupid mistakes. Before starting, read all instructions and check to make sure that all the parts in the parts list NOT marked (OPTIONAL) are in the kit. For those of you that have never soldered on a printed circuit board before, this paragraph will give you a few tips to help you through this task. First of all let the soldering iron heat up for at least ten minutes prior to soldering. When soldering, it is always a good idea to keep the tip of your iron clean. Clean the tip with a damp cloth before each pass with the iron. When soldering on a board like this, it is best to use a small and pointed soldering iron tip. The most important thing to remember is what I call the "Ten Second Rule." This rule simply states that you do not leave your iron touching the printed circuit board for more than ten seconds. The reason for this is that if you let the hot iron sit on the board for more than ten seconds, you will probably lift a trace or a pad from the board because of the heat. Ten seconds is more than enough time to let the solder flow. If you must resolder a point on the board, let the board cool down before reapplying the iron. Remember, whenever you solder, treat the board gently. When you solder, it is a good idea to use a flux core solder. Another good tip to remember is to first place the iron at the point to be soldered THEN add solder to that point. DO NOT put too much solder at each point, put enough just to get the job done. There are some drawings included within this archive that may help you put this project together (see the first section of this file for their names and what they are pictures of). You may look at them with any program that display standard Amiga IFF pictures, and you may print them out so that you have them at hand. Now we will begin putting the Multi-Kickstart Board Project together. You may check off each number as you perform each step so when you take a break you can easily continue where you left off. [ ] 1. Read this entire document before going on to step 2! Never work on a project until you have read all the instructions at least once! [ ] 2. If you would like to test the blank board for shorts prior to putting it together, you can assemble the continuity tester shown in the drawing "TMKBP31Probes.iff". If you do not have access to the supplies to build the continuity tester, or if you do not want to test the board for shorts, then check off steps 2 and 3, and go on to step 4. If you do want to test the board for shorts, then using the continuity tester shown in the drawing, check to make sure that the +5 volt line and ground line are not shorted together. To do this touch the (+) probe of the continuity tester to the pin 14 location of U1 on the board and the (-) probe to the pin 7 location of U1 on the board. If the LED lights, that means there is a short. If this condition exists, check the board for a short and remove that short. [ ] 3. If you've built the continuity tester, then check and test the board for open lines and shorts by using the continuity tester and the schematic in the drawing "TMKBP31Schematic.iff"; check to see that all the lines on the printed circuit board are connected as they should be. [ ] 4. Now we are going to solder the four sockets to the printed circuit board one at a time. Place the three 40 pin IC sockets on the top side of the printed circuit board so that pin 1 of the socket is in the top left corner of each of the socket locations marked ROM1, ROM2, and ROM3. Place the 14 pin IC socket in the top right corner of the board in the location marked U1. Pin 1 of this socket is at the bottom left. When placing the sockets on the board and prior to soldering, make sure you do not bend any of the pins. The top side of the printed circuit board is the side with the silkscreen stating the name and revision number of the board. Refer to tips 5, 6, and 7 (in the "Tips For Building The Multi-Kickstart Board Project" section) for a few helpful hints. [ ] 5. Solder the three capacitors (C1, C2, and C3) to the printed circuit board. The capacitors are non-polarized and can go in either direction. They go in the locations marked C1, C2, and C3. The capacitors are .01uF capacitors. Refer to tips 5, 6, and 7. [ ] 6. Solder the three resistors (R1, R2, and R3) to the printed circuit board. The resistors go in the locations on the printed circuit board marked R1, R2, and R3. Just like the capacitors the resistors can go in the board in either direction. All three resistors are 330 ohm resistors. Refer to tips 5, 6, and 7. [ ] 7. If you have an Amiga 2000, see "Installation Of The Multi- Kickstart Board Project" to determine which motherboard revision you have. This is necessary in order to determine the length and orientation of the 40 wire ribbon cable used in step 8. [ ] 8. You will eventually need to cut the 40 wire ribbon cable to a length that you feel will fit in your computer properly. We give you a six inch cable so that you can cut it down to the size that best fits your system. On a newer revision Amiga 2000 a length of about 1.75 inches works good, but double check to make sure. On the older revision 2000 the ROM was put into the machine reverse of how it is in the 500 and newer version 2000; on the old version, pin 1 of the ROM is facing forward. We have never seen the old revision Amiga 2000 except in pictures. We figure that if you have the old version you will have to mount The Multi-Kickstart Board Project upside down with the red stipe facing forward, keep this in mind when measuring the length of your cable. On a 500 the length you choose will depend on what other items you may have stuffed under your 500's cover. After you get a good length, add about a half an inch for soldering purposes. [ ] 9. Now cut the cable. [ ] 10. Once the cable is cut, peel the wires away from each other about a half inch. See cable drawing "TMKBP31Ribbon.iff". [ ] 11. Strip the ends of all the wires about 1/8 of an inch. [ ] 12. Tin the ends of the wires with solder. [ ] 13. Pin forty of the cable is the wire with the red stripe. See cable drawing "TMKBP31Ribbon.iff" for wire and hole numbering. We will call the top of the cable the part that faces up when the teeth of the connector points down. Starting with the red wire, bend every other wire up at a forty five degree angle and the other wires down at a forty five degree angle. This zig-zag pattern will allow the cable to fit in the holes labeled CN1. [ ] 14. Place the wires in the holes by matching the numbers in the drawing "TMKBP31Ribbon.iff" and then solder the wires to the board. Refer to tips 8, 9, and 10. [ ] 15. The last thing you need to do is assemble the switch harness. The switch harness consists of the three position switch and the four wire ribbon cable that connects to it. Peel each wire on the four wire switch cable at both ends about half an inch. [ ] 16. Strip those wires. [ ] 17. Tin those wires. [ ] 18. Following the drawing "TMKBP31Switch.iff", solder the wires, as shown, to the switch. In operation the switch should allow only one wire at a time to be connected to ground (GND). [ ] 19. Now that the switch harness is finished, solder its wires to the board using the numbers on the board and the drawing "TMKBP31Switch.iff" as a guide. Refer to tips 8, and 9. [ ] 20. Place the 74LS32 (U1) into the U1 socket. Be VERY careful that you do not bend any of the pins. Make sure that you insert the chip in the right direction. Pin 1 at the bottom left. Pin 1 is at the end of the chip that is marked with a notch. We are now finished with assembly of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Testing Of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project: Before you place your ROMs into any of the sockets it is a good idea that you run through this little test to make sure that the logic circuitry on the board is operating correctly. Running through this test will help pin point and solve any problems before they happen. For this test you will need to obtain the parts and construct a simple logic probe as shown in the drawing "TMKBP31Probes.iff". If you are not able to get the parts to build the logic probe, or you do not want to test what you have just built, then skip the rest of this section and go on to the section "Installation Of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project" [ ] 1. Apply +5 volts to the left side of one of the capacitors and ground to the right side of one of the capacitors. This will energize the board. [ ] 2. Place the (+) probe of the logic probe on pin 14 of U1 and the (-) probe on pin 7 of U1. The LED should light. If the LED does not light then U1 is not receiving power. If this is the case disconnect power and look for an open or short circuit and fix it. Once you pass this test go to the next step. [ ] 3. Connect pin 12 of the ribbon cable to +5 volts. Next take the (-) probe and touch pin 12 and take the (+) probe and touch pin 21 of each ROM socket. The LED should stay off at each of these points. Repeat this test for each switch position. If the LED turns on at any of these points re-check the switch wiring and board traces. If all the wiring is okay, the 74LS32 is bad, replace the chip and test again. Once you pass this test go to the next step. [ ] 4. Disconnect the +5 volts from pin 12 of the ribbon cable and connect pin 12 of the ribbon cable to ground. Take the (-) probe and touch it to pin 12 and the (+) probe and touch pin 21 of each ROM socket. With the switch in position one, pins 12 and 21 of socket ROM1 should be the only ones to light the LED. Place the switch to position two, touch pins 12 and 21 of all the ROM sockets, and now pins 12 and 21 of ROM2 should be the only ones to light the LED. Place the switch to position three, touch pins 12 and 21 of all the ROM sockets, now pins 12 and 21 of ROM3 should be the only ones to light the LED. Repeat this test several times with the switch in different positions to insure proper operation. If the board failed this test recheck the wiring of the switch and check the board for opens and shorts, and fix the problem. If you do not find any opens, shorts or other problems replace the 74LS32 (U1) and retest. Once you pass this test, disconnect the ground from pin 12 of the ribbon cable. Your project is now ready to install in your Amiga computer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Installation Of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project: The instructions below are based on the instructions that Commodore provides with the 2.04 Kickstart ROM. We added more steps to the installation instructions so that they could be used for The Multi- Kickstart Board Project. Installation instructions for both the 500 and the 2000 are provided. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Installation Instructions For Amiga 500 Systems: [ ] 1. With power disconnected and the 500 upside down, remove the six screws holding the case together with a #10 torx driver. [ ] 2. Place the 500 right side up and carefully remove the top cover. [ ] 3. Disconnect the keyboard harness and the ground strap. [ ] 4. Using a pliers, bend up the four tabs that hold the shield, then remove the four screws that also hold the shield. The shield should come out by lifting it straight up. [ ] 5. The Kickstart ROM will be located to the right of the 68000, in the U6 position. It should be marked 315093-01 or 315093-02. [ ] 6. Remove the Kickstart ROM from the motherboard and place it in any one of the ROM sockets on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. Also place your 2.04 Kickstart ROM in any one of the other ROM sockets. The placement of the ROMs is up to you. Place them in the positions that you feel comfortable with. The ROM positions 1, 2, and 3 match the switch positions 1, 2, and 3. Refer to tips 11, and 12. [ ] 7. There are many different versions of the Amiga 500 motherboard. You will have to determine which mother board you have and make modifications accordingly. The revision number of the mother board is printed on the top right front corner of the mother board. [ ] 8. If you have a Rev 3 or a Rev 5 mother board you must have pins 1 and 31 of the ROMs jumpered together. In this case you do not have to do anything because The Multi-Kickstart Board Project already has this done at JMP1. [ ] 9. If you have a Rev 6A or higher motherboard you must cut the jumper at JMP1 on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project with an X-acto knife or something equivalent (refer to the drawing "TMKBP31Board.iff" to find the jumper). If the 2.04 Kickstart ROM comes with a jumper connecting pins 1 and 31 you must also cut or remove this jumper. [ ] 10. Place the board gently inside the Amiga. Take the 40 pin DIP connector and insert it into the ROM socket of the mother board. The red stripe on the cable should be to the back of the computer and The Multi-Kickstart Board Project should be sitting to the right of the 68000. Pin one of the ROM socket is in the top left corner. When inserting the DIP connector make sure that you do not bend any of the pins on the connector or misalign the connector. After inserting the DIP connector examine the connection to make sure it was done properly and that no bent pins exist. Refer to tips 11 and 12. [ ] 11. Now comes the time for you to mount the board. On one of our computers we simply glued a piece of nonconductive and nonstatic foam underneath The Multi-Kickstart Board Project and simply let the board sit on top of the mother board. On another computer we glued plastic feet to the board and let it sit on the mother board. It is okay to mount the board any way that is acceptable to you as long as you do not short any lines on the mother board or The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. [ ] 12. The next thing you need to do is run the cable for your switch. It is best to run the cable through one of the holes in the back of the computer. For the most part any way of running the cable should be okay as long as you don't pinch or scrape the wire on any sharp piece of metal. Refer to tip 12. [ ] 13. Before putting your computer completely back together it might be a good idea to confirm that the system is working properly with The Multi-kickstart Board Project installed. Put the computer together to the point where it will work. Set the switch to a ROM position and turn on the computer. The computer should boot as normal into that version of Kickstart. Turn off the computer and set the switch to the next ROM position. Turn on the computer again; the computer should now boot into that version of Kickstart. Repeat this test for all the ROMs that you have installed. If the computer does not operate as expected check your installation. If the installation seems okay and the system still does not work as expected, repeat the tests on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project (in the section "Testing Of The Multi-Kickstart Board Project"). If everything worked out okay and the ROMs switch properly, you can now put your computer back together, put your tools away and play. Refer to tip 12. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Installation Instructions For Amiga 2000 Systems: [ ] 1. With the power off, remove the cover of the 2000 by taking out the five screws holding the cover to the body of the computer. Take the cover off by sliding it toward the front and up. [ ] 2. Remove the power supply and disk drive assembly by taking out the seven screws holding it to the body. You should also disconnect the power supply and drive cables from the motherboard. [ ] 3. You must now determine the revision of the mother board and the location of the Kickstart ROM. The older version of the 2000 mother board has "© 1986 COMMODORE","AMIGA 2000" and "MADE IN GERMANY (BSW)" on the left side of the board. The Kickstart ROM is located at U2, just to the right of the 68000 with pin 1 toward the front of the machine. The newer version of the 2000 motherboard is marked with "B2000-CR" in the lower left corner. The Kickstart ROM is located at U500, which is located just to the right of the 68000 and below Fat Agnus. Pin 1 of the ROM is located toward the back of the machine. The ROM should be marked with the number 315093-01 or 315093-02. [ ] 4. Remove the Kickstart ROM from the mother board and place it in any one of the ROM sockets on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. Also place your 2.04 Kickstart ROM in any one of the other ROM sockets. The placement of the ROMs is up to you. Place them in the positions that you feel comfortable with. The ROM positions 1, 2, and 3 match the switch positions 1, 2, and 3. Refer to tips 11,and 12. [ ] 5. For the older version motherboards you must have pins 1 and 31 of the ROMs jumpered together. In this case you do not have to do anything because The Multi-Kickstart Board Project already has this done at JMP1. [ ] 6. If you have the newer version mother board you must cut the jumper at JMP1 on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project with an X-acto knife or something equivalent (refer to the drawing "TMKBP31Board.iff" to find the jumper). If the 2.04 Kickstart ROM comes with a jumper connecting pins 1 and 31 you must also cut or remove this jumper. [ ] 7. Place the board gently inside the Amiga. Take the 40 pin DIP connector and insert it into the ROM socket of the mother board. The red stripe on the cable should be to the back of the computer if you have the newer version mother board, and toward the front of the computer if you have the older version mother board. When inserting the DIP connector make sure that you do not bend any of the pins on the connector or misalign the DIP connector. After inserting the connector, examine the connection to make sure it was done properly and that no bent pins exist. Refer to tips 11, and 12. [ ] 8. Now comes the time for you to mount the board. On one of our computers we simply glued a piece of nonconductive and nonstatic foam underneath The Multi-Kickstart Board Project and simply let the board sit on top of the mother board. On another computer we glued plastic feet to The Multi-Kickstart Board Project and let it sit on the mother board. It is okay to mount the board any way that is acceptable to you as long as you do not short any lines on the mother board or The Multi-Kickstart Board Project. On the newer version of the mother board, The Multi-kickstart Board Project will most likely sit with the component side up. Because pin 1 on the older version mother board is facing forward, you will most likely have to flip the board over and mount it with the component side down. In both cases The Multi- Kickstart Board Project will most likely sit to the right of the 68000. Refer to tip 12. [ ] 9. The next thing you need to do is run the cable for your switch. It is best to run the cable through one of the holes in the back of the computer. For the most part, any way of running the wire should be okay as long as you don't pinch or scrape the wire on any sharp piece of metal. Refer to tip 12. [ ] 10. Before putting your computer completely back together it might be a good idea to confirm that the system is working properly with The Multi-Kickstart Board Project installed. Put the computer together to the point where it will work. Set the switch to a ROM position and turn on the computer. The computer should boot as normal into that version of Kickstart. Turn off the computer and set the switch to the next ROM position. Turn on the computer again, the computer should now boot into that version of Kickstart. Repeat this test for all the ROMs that you have installed. If the computer does not operate as expected check your installation. If the installation seems okay and the system still does not work as expected, repeat the tests on The Multi-Kickstart Board Project (in the section "Testing Of The Multi- Kickstart Board Project"). If everything worked out okay and the ROMs switch properly, you now can put your computer back together, put away your tools and play. Refer to tip 12. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips For Building The Multi-Kickstart Board Project: When building projects like this for the first time, it is very easy to make mistakes and errors. I've built many electronic projects and have found many different ways of doing things that save both time and headaches. I have already built a few of these kits so that I could get a good feel of what needs to be done in order to make this a smooth and easy project to put together. Below I have put together a few tips that should help you greatly in putting this kit together. A few of them are repeats from what I said earlier in the text. 1. Make sure all the parts NOT marked "OPTIONAL" in the parts list are in the kit. 2. Read all instructions before you ever start a project so that you can get a feel of what you will need to do. 3. Do not try to finish the project in one sitting. If you rush through it you will probably make some mistakes. 4. Plan out how you are going to do something before you do it. 5. Allow the soldering iron to heat up prior to starting and keep the tip of the iron clean with a damp cloth. 6. Do not put blobs of solder on the board. Put only enough solder to get the job done. The solder should flow between the pad and the component's lead. 7. When soldering, do not allow the iron to stay on the board for more than ten seconds. 8. When cutting, peeling, and stripping, ribbon cable or any other wire, measure and mark the cable prior to doing any cutting or stripping. Use a permanent fine point marker to mark the points of cutting, peeling, and stripping. Cut the wire at the first marked point, peel the cable to the third marked point, and strip the wire at the second marked point. If you do this you will come out with a neatly prepared cable ready for installing. 9. It is a good idea to tin a wire with solder right after its been stripped so that the fine strands of wire don't break off or frizz out. 10. So that you don't peel your ribbon cable down farther than you want to go, a good idea is to place a piece of tape at the point you would like the peeling to stop. The tape will not allow you to go past that point. 11. Before turning on the power, always check for bent pins and proper alignment after installing ICs. 12. Because the inside of your computer is a static sensitive environment, do not touch any parts inside your computer unless you have grounded yourself. To ground yourself simply touch the grounded case of your computer or attach yourself to a grounded strap. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have any problems or questions we can be reached over the modem at: UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd ucsd nosc}!crash!pnet01!neil ARPA: crash!pnet01!neil@nosc.mil INET: neil@pnet01.cts.com