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Documentation about the Vampire hardware

Amiga 2000 Strange Behaviour

Flavio Regis

Posts 1
02 Mar 2020 20:05


Dear All,

I am trying to install my Vampire in my A2000 to have more and easy espandability.
The A2000 works well... it has a rev. 6.2 mobo with removed battery (that has not leaked) replaced with a CR2032 + a standard floppy (DF1) and a Gotek (DF0).
If I install the Vampire in the CPU socket it works.
If I install the Vampire in the CPU slot it does not: the video output of the Amiga remains green while the Vampire DIGITAL-VIDEO video output remains black. The led, dimmed, goes on flashing.
I tried the Vampire without anything connected (apart the FDD to the mobo) and the slot adapter is mounted the right way (back arrow vs the back).

Some ideas?

Thank you


Alex K.

Posts 23
02 Mar 2020 20:21


68000 must be removed.


Chris Edwards

Posts 43
03 Mar 2020 18:27


leave it in the cpu socket anyway unless you want to leave the cover off forever, hdmi wont work even the 90 degree cables too fat, lid puts unwanted pressure on card w hdmi 90 in place. dont use the slot, i did mine first too, then went to cpu socket. 


Ali B.

Posts 24
03 Mar 2020 21:39


I have a similar issue on my A2000. There are hdmi cables that do the trick, but I could not figure out how to get it to work in the cpu slot, having the 68000 removed. So I just stuck with the 68000 socket.


Santiago Gutierrez

Posts 47
04 Mar 2020 00:32


I use Edu's adapter and the DIGITAL-VIDEO is facing to the read so you can add a hdmi extension there and be a happy camper.

I did print a 3d template so I have connected network, sd slot and hdmi port.

Having your Vampire in the cpu slot makes it easy to remove compact flash, update your firmware etc :)

I guess, everybody has different opinions :)


Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
04 Mar 2020 03:32


I had an early version of Edu's adapter and it was a tad loose. ended up just sticking it in the 68000 socket.


Ronnie Beck
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 199
04 Mar 2020 07:16


Flavio Regis wrote:

Dear All,
 
  I am trying to install my Vampire in my A2000 to have more and easy espandability.
  The A2000 works well... it has a rev. 6.2 mobo with removed battery (that has not leaked) replaced with a CR2032 + a standard floppy (DF1) and a Gotek (DF0).
  If I install the Vampire in the CPU socket it works.
  If I install the Vampire in the CPU slot it does not: the video output of the Amiga remains green while the Vampire DIGITAL-VIDEO video output remains black. The led, dimmed, goes on flashing.
  I tried the Vampire without anything connected (apart the FDD to the mobo) and the slot adapter is mounted the right way (back arrow vs the back).
 
  Some ideas?
 
  Thank you

I can produce the same (mostly) behaviour that you see.  I have almost the identical setup as you.  I get a green or a yellow screen and the blinking LEDs.  I have tried 3 CPU adapters:

1) An earlier Arananet A2000 CPU slot adapter, tin contacts, re-orients the Vampire 90% (Video connector points to back of A2000)
2) A more recent version Arananet A2000 CPU slot adapter, tin contacts, re-orients the Vampire 90% (Video connector points to back of A2000)
3) An Acil (Kipper2k inspired) A2000 CPU slot adapter, copper contacts, orients the Vampire vertically (video connector points to the top of the A2000)

The first 2 produce the behaviour you describe and despite comparing my setup with other people who have this working, I cannot make it work for me.  The third works perfectly but the orientation makes it nearly impossible to connect a H-D-M-I cable into the card with the lid on.  If I mount my Vampire into the CPU socket where the original CPU once resided, it works perfectly as well.  Currently I have left it like that.

I should point out that the Vampire V2+ is designed for the Amiga 500, not the Amiga 2000 and as such isn't officially supported.  That said, there are plenty of people with it working.

I spoke with a few electrical engineers who design custom electronics and ARM based computers at my company to see if they could workout why it the first two adapters don't work for me.  They thought that it should work and that perhaps the CPU slot is dirty.  It has been suggested to me to use isopropyl alcohol and something non-abrasive to clean the CPU slot.  Something that was pointed out to me is that the CPU slot in the Amiga 2000 is gold plated.  Using abrasive or corrosive means to clean this could remove the gold plating and lead to problems in the future (corrosion?). 

As a side note to be taken as commentary/hypothesis not so much as a statement of fact, two engineers  mentioned that copper contacts on the CPU adapter might be better longer term because of the copper/gold of the pins in the Amiga 2000's slot.  The thought this might reduce problems with corrosion long term.  Typically the practice is, or so it was explained to me, that copper contacts on a card which goes into a slot with copper contacts and tin when both the slot and car is tin.  But not a mix.  Or something like that.

If I were you, I would keep the Vampire in the CPU socket.  This is so far proving, for me at least, the most reliable.  I haven't had a problem since doing so.  I will still pursue the slot option because I want to use the ENC28J60 ethernet module with the vampire.  With the Vamp installed in the CPU socket, there isn't enough room above to fit the connector.


Santiago Gutierrez

Posts 47
04 Mar 2020 18:49


Roy, yes. I did complain to him about it long time ago. That problem was fixed.


Arananet Net

Posts 12
04 Mar 2020 19:25


Well there are too many things involved. My adapters are not nasa design, but works on most of the cases, this means that maybe the problem is not properly on the current adapter , which is just a signal translator pin by pin.

Things like powersupply can affect on the vampire behavior too, dirty or expanded pins on the cpu sockets too. A low powersupply output + a long distance between the cpu socket and my adapter can affect hdmi behavior. (could explain why with the kipper/acill adapter works)

Not everybody maintain their mobos and powersupplies, if they work, don't even bother to know the status of the capacitors, etc.

On a normal setup, with recapped motherboard and powersupply, there should be no errors.


Flavio Regis

Posts 9
08 Mar 2020 17:58


Thank you to all for sharing your experiences.
I have decided to keep the Vampire in the 68000 CPU socket... I do not want to loose too mauch time on making tries and wasting money.

My next step is to use two CF and one DVD on the single Vampire IDE channel... a few minutes ago the Amiga started... but I have decided to go dinner without any dispair SO I have not seen what the Amiga told me about the second CF!!! :) :) :)

Now I start a new 3d about next next step... a metal RJ45 plate!


Erik Piceni

Posts 8
09 Mar 2020 17:52


Hi, look for me on facebook, i olso have an Amiga 2000, maybe i can help you. I have an Arananet adapter and it works fine


Flavio Regis

Posts 9
10 Mar 2020 17:40


Erik Piceni wrote:

Hi, look for me on facebook, i olso have an Amiga 2000, maybe i can help you. I have an Arananet adapter and it works fine

I think I have found you but it's not possible to ask for the friendship. Anyway I have decided to put the Vampire directly on the CPU socket... I have now bought some backplate to connect the various... connectors... I hope I have everything for this weekend! :)
I only cannot find out a backplate for the SD/MicroSD... :(


posts 12