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The Amiga CD32 FAQ 2000
Table of
Contents
The original CD32 FAQ Parts 1 and 2 stopped being
updated late 1996. Interest in the CD32 and the Amiga platform in
general deteriorated between 1996 and 1998 so it made sense that
the FAQ was 'as done as it was going to get' and lay dormant for a
couple of years. The late 1990's, however, recognized a surge in
classic gaming - arcade, console, and computer. Emulators have been
written for nearly all classic gaming outlets - including the great
Amiga computer.
As PC compatible computers got faster (breaking
1Ghz and beyond shortly), it became quite feasable to emulate the
Amiga computer. Pretty well, too. Emulation has breathed new life
into the Amiga and also the CD32. Being an active and avid CD32
owner myself and seeing the rise in interest, I figured it might be
time to resurrect the CD32 FAQ and give it a much needed facelift
and update for the 21st century.
The FAQ has been translated into HTML for a number
of reasons. One, HTML is the language of the Internet - and the
Internet is where people are. Two, people expect to be able to
navigate documents quickly and easily. HTML allows for this. Three,
we can add life to the FAQ with images and media. This will help
the beginners to the system see a real picture, and not just an
ASCII drawing. Four, HTML is universal. People emulating CD32 on an
Amiga, PC, Mac, or BeOS can all see the FAQ the same.
There are many new areas to the FAQ, like PC
emulation of the CD32. I understand that the die-hard Amiga fans
(I've been there, folks) might feel threatened or offended by this
inclusion into 'an Amiga FAQ'. Despite the evil ways of the PC
(grin), emulation of the Amiga platform has really stirred an
interest. Many who have tried it emulated have decided to buy a
real Amiga. Software is trading and selling like it was the 'good
ol' days'. The newsgroups are ALIVE. It seems only right to include
the emulation community within this updated 'new for the 21st
century' FAQ. I hope I have your support.
I've been trying to update references and
information as much as possible - delete dead information (like
links and companies and 'Escom stuff'), offer new information,
answer questions I've been seeing asked on the newsgroups and
email. As always, I welcome ALL new information, corrections, etc.
Email me here with
this information.
This FAQ is based LARGELY on the original CD32 FAQ
Parts 1 and 2. I removed much of the data I felt was probably
grossly out of date, and this included the contributor's list of
email addresses. I do not want these people to be left out - much
of this new FAQ is thanks to them. If you contributed to the
original FAQ and wish to have your contact information available
here, please let me know and I'll get you in ASAP.
If you would like to translate the FAQ (and
hopefully maintain that localization of it) into other languages, I
welcome your help! Please email me and let me know you are working
on it. I'd like to at least have the languages Spanish, French,
German, Italian, and Portuguese.
Thank you for continued support and efforts in
keeping the Amiga alive and well.
- Shane
R. Monroe
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: What are the technical details of the
CD32?
A: As read below ...
Motorola 68EC020
clocked at 14.32Mhz. 32 bit data path. 24 bit address space
(limited to additional 8M of 'fast' RAM due to CD32 system
design).
None.
None.
1M (8 megabits)
of operating system.
2M (16 megabits)
of 'chip' RAM. 1K of 'flash' RAM.
Multi-session,
double speed, top loading, caddy-less design. Max transfer about
330K/s. Custom controller based (not IDE or
SCSI).
Kickstart/AmigaDOS version 40.6, release 3.1.
Customisations for CD32 specifics. Custom chipset AGA custom
chipset from 4 chips. Chips are called Akiko, Alice, Lisa, Paula.
See the Jargon List for what they
do.
1 x 6 pin
mini-din type. Combined serial/keyboard
connector.
2 x 9 pin D
type. Accepts CD32 joypads, Amiga mice, joysticks, Megadrive
joypads, Master System joypads.
Composite,
S-Video, RF (for televisions). French CD32s have a combined SCART
& S-Video port in place of the S-Video port.
2 x RCA standard
fixed output level. 1 x mini stereo headphone jack adjustable
output level.
1 x
microchannel. For FMV cartridge or other system
expansions.
Custom 11 button
wire based, 9 pin D style. 1 supplied, additional joypads can be
purchased separately.
Adds enough
connectors and ports to make it possible to use your CD32 as a
computer.
Play CD-i
Digital Video or Video CDs.
Most Amiga
keyboards can be plugged into a CD32.
All Amiga mice
can be plugged into the CD32. Some games will be easier to
control.
Connected to the
Aux port, allows you to use the CD32 as an external CD-ROM drive
for other computers.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: What's the Competition Pro
CD32 joypad like?
A: It's completely compatible with the C= CD32 joypad.
Some good things said about it are that it's shaped like a
Megadrive joypad, the diagonals are easier to get to, it feels less
delicate, it has turbo and auto fires, and it has a slow motion
button. Some bad things said about it are that it's shaped like a
Megadrive joypad and the diagonals are more difficult to get to.
Obviously a bit subjective.
The CD32 Competition Pro Joypad
Q: Where can I
purchase a CD32 Competition Pro Joypad?
A: In the U.S., try Centsible Software (they bought out just about
everyone including Paxtron). Any U.K./Germany/Other retailers out
there still carry them? Let me know.
Q: Is it possible to
plug other types of controller into the controller port?
A: Yes, but you'll lose access to most CD32 joypad
buttons.
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CD32
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Megadrive/Genesis
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Master System
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Joystick
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Amiga mouse
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Select
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B
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A
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Fire
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Left Button
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Stop
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C
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B
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(Second fire)
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Right Button
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Play
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(Third fire)
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Middle Button
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Shuffle
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Loop
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Rewind
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Forward
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Q: Is it possible to connect a
6-button Megadrive or SNES joypad to the
CD32?
A: As far as I know, it can't be done unless
you're good with a soldering iron, but if anyone has managed to do
this then I'll stick the details in here.
Q: Is it possible to
use the CD32 joypad on normal Amigas?
A: It works fine. Some newer Amiga games are
even taking advantage of the extra buttons (shuffle, loop, etc...).
Many older Amiga games that use the keyboard for weapon select will
use the stop button instead (eg. Project-X, Apydia, Turrican
2).
Q: Is it possible to
both connect both a joypad and a mouse and use them
together?
A: The joypad should be plugged into
controller port 1 and the mouse should be plugged into controller
port 2.
Q: Is it possible to connect more than two
controllers?
A: There are rumours of being able to
daisy-chain 8 or even 16 CD32 joypads together, but nothing's been
seen. What will work is if you connect some kind of interface that
gives you a parallel port (eg. SX-1) and plug in an Amiga
four-player adaptor in there. The good point is that you can play
the Amiga version of Dynablaster, if you have a floppy drive. The
bad points are that it's a bit expensive and CD32 joypads won't
work when plugged into the four player adaptor (but they still work
if you plug them into the side controller ports).
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: What CDs will work with the
CD32?
A: CD32 ones (um), many CDTV ones, music CDs, Karaoke
CDs, CD+Gs (like a music CD but it has pictures or lyrics displayed
in time with the music), Photo CDs (if you load up a photo CD
reader first), and Video CDs (if you have the FMV cartridge plugged
in). Also it can read CDs meant for other computers such as the PC
and the Mac, but it's up to you to tell it how to make sense of the
files on the CD (maybe by using something like datatypes). You
won't be able to play games for other computers
though.
Q: Where can I buy
CD32 software?
A: In the U.S., try Centsible Software (they bought out just about
everyone including Paxtron). I'll add more vendors as I get
confirmation. Outside the U.S. and have a good source? Let me know.
Another good source are online auctions. I always see a handful for
sale on eBay. I also buy, sell, and trade and I have a list online
here.
Q: Is there a list of
all CD32 software currently made?
A: Both The CD32 Zone and the Amiga CD32
Source are trying to keep the most up-to-date accurate lists
available. In addition, the Amiga CD32 Source website is trying to
compile all the UNRELEASED stuff too!
Q: How can I try to
convince a game to work in PAL or
NTSC?
A: Connect an Amiga mouse into controller port
2, hold down both mouse buttons, and press the reset button. You'll
be given a boot menu where you'll be able to choose either PAL or
NTSC. If you have a keyboard then you can press any key to switch
the boot menu between PAL and NTSC so you can see what you're
doing. This is useful for NTSC CD32 owners who want to run games
that use the PAL area of the screen. Multisystem TVs connected to
any video output on or 1084s connected to the S-Video output will
work. TVs/monitors connected to the CD32 through the French CD32's
or SX-1's or CD32x's or TP9's (see diagram at end of FAQ) RGB
connector will also work fine. TVs/monitors connected to the CD32
through the composite or S-Video outputs won't work though. The
problem is that the PAL colour signal is still sent at the NTSC
frequency.
The CD32 Boot Menu
Let's put it in simple terms; You are not going to
likely play PAL games on a NTSC TV. EXPECT PROBLEMS if you try
using the above method. Problems like B&W display, rolling
picture that can't be stabilized, and missing video area where
important information like score and lives might be kept.
Q: Are there any games with NTSC
problems?
A:
Lock 'n'
Load - most of the games (about 80%) are PAL only.
Nick Faldo's Golf doesn't let you see the bottom of the
screen, so you can't even take shots properly because the
meters are covered up.
Video Creator has the bottom of the screen
missing. Also the animations become slowly out of sync with the
music because of the difference in speed between NTSC/PAL machines.
Almathera MAY work on an NTSC version of Video Creator (anyone know
the status of this? -Ed)
(There are many many more - please report them to us here.
-Ed)
Q: Are there any games definitely without
NTSC problems?
A:
(This is the original list from the FAQ. We've added our own notes.
Email us with
others. -Ed)
Alien
Breed
Tower Assult (Game attempts to change into PAL on its own
- will flake out most TVs and composite monitors. -Ed)
Battle Chess
Banshee (Bottom of the screen is cut off, making enemies behind you
impossible to see. Barely playable. - Ed)
Bubba 'n' Stix
Bubble 'n' Squeak
Chaos Engine (NTSC)
Defender of the Crown 2
Fire and Ice
Global Effect
Guardian
Gunship 2000
Insight Technology
Labyrinth of Time
Litil Divil
Lotus Trilogy
Microcosm
Pinball F./Sleepwalker (NTSC)
Super Stardust (Difficult to change weapons with bottom of the
screen cut off. Barely playable. - Ed)
Ultimate Body Blows
Winter Olympics
Zool
Just remember, though. Even if a PAL game displays ok in NTSC,
the timing of the game might be off enough to cause problems,
music/sound skipping, etc.
Q: What CD32 bundles are/were
available?
A: Read below ...
Original...
Diggers
Oscar
Dangerous
Streets...
Dangerous
Streets
Diggers
Oscar
Wing Commander
Spectacular
Voyage...
Chaos Engine
Microcosm
(Early versions also had the games from Dangerous Streets
included.)
Critical
Zone...
Cannon
Fodder
Diggers
Liberation
Microcosm
Oscar
Project-X
Ultimate Body Blows
Gareth Knight offers this
page for more information about CD32 (and Amiga) software
bundles.
Q: What multimedia software is available
for the CD32?
A: (We've added links to the corresponding CD Covers on
the Amiga
Emulation Zone for your convenience. Many more covers there. -
Ed)
Grolier's Encyclopedia II
Guinness Book of Records II
Insight: Technology (released for CD32, CDTV
compatible)
Video Creator
Video Creator Update 1 (Amiga CD32 issue 2)
Video Creator Extras (AUI December 1994 - on
floppy
Advanced
Military Simulator
American Heritage Dictionary
Animals in Motion
Connoisseur of Fine Arts
New Basics Electronic Cookbook
Stamps of France and Monaco
Timetable of Business, Politics
Timetable of Science, Innovation
Dr
Wellman
Fruits and Vegetables
Garden Plants
Guinness Disc of Records
Illustrated Holy Bible
Illustrated Works of Shakespeare
Indoor Plants
Musicolor
Trees and Shrubs
Women in Motion
Inter
Office
Q: What educational software is available
for CD32?
A: Read below
...
MicroFrench CD32
(Contains video sequences, but you don't have to own a FMV
cartridge to view them. More languages are
planned.)
A Long Hard Day
at the Ranch
Cinderella
Fun School 3 (under 5's)
Fun School 3 (5 to 7)
Fun School 3 (over 7's)
Heather Hits a Home Run
Moving Gives me a Stomach Ache
Mud Puddle
North Polar Expedition
Scary Poems for Rotten Kids
Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Tale of Peter Rabbit
Thomas' Snowsuit
A Bun for
Barney
Barney Bear Goes Camping
Barney Bear Goes to School
LTV English
My Paint
Paperbag Princess
Asterix English
for French 1
Asterix English for French 2
Asterix French for English 1
Asterix French for English 2
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Is it possible to directly read the
audio data from music CDs into memory?
A:
Nobody's managed to do this. The next best thing is to buy an SX-1,
plug a sampler into the parallel port, start a CD playing with one
of the CD players from aminet:/disk/cdrom, then sample directly to
hard drive.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Where do I get CD+Gs from?
A: CD+G discs used to have a little sticker on the
case, but the companies stopped this on the grounds that it
confused the general public... The only places you'll probably find
them now are in bargain bins or the odd mail order music store. You
can find a list of known CD+G music CDs at The CD32
Zone.
Q: Can I use Karaoke
CDs?
A:
Yep. They're the same thing. If you work or you know anybody
working in a pub then you could get hold of the CDs for their
Karaoke machine. Just search your favorite search engine for
"karaoke cdg" and you will find PLENTY of people to sell you
CDs.
Q: How do I play CD+Gs/Karaoke
CDs?
A:
If you have a CD+G disc, you'll be able to tell immediately - the
music player will disappear and the graphics will appear as soon as
you press play. Use the up and down directions to change language
and select to return to the music player. The rest of the
controls work as normal. Once you're back at the player, a "CD+G"
button will appear in the bottom left corner - hit select on that
to return to the graphics.
Q: How do CD+Gs/Karaoke CDs
work?
A:
The CD+G format is an extension of the standard RED-BOOK audio
format. On an audio disc there is an area known as the subchannel.
This area is used to store data for the cd player like elapsed time
etc. Some of this area is normally unused. In CD+G discs the
subchannel is used to store the CD+G data. This data consists of
commands and graphics that are interpreted by the player to produce
the CD+G display. You can see pictures of actual CD+Gs being played
at The CD32
Zone.
Fleetwood Mac - Behind the Mask CD+G
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Is it possible to display Photo CDs
without expanding to a computer?
A:
Yep, use one of these CDs before the Photo
CD...
Weird
Science Network CD
Photolite
Eureka
Olaf Barthel
wrote:
In Winter 1994 I
wrote a commercial program for this purpose. It can read both plain
Photo CDs (such as the golden Photo CD Master discs) and
interactive Photo CD portfolio discs. The program uses technology
licensed from the Eastman Kodak Corporation. It is called
"FolioworX Player" and retails for about DM 100,-. Blittersoft is
the official distributor in the UK.
This is a quick
description made after reading Asimware's info sheet (it's probably
better to read the full thing for yourself if you're interested
before making up your mind):
Asimware's Photo
CD Manager costs US $39.95/CDN $47.95 and works on the CD32 and any
Amiga with Kickstart 2 or above. It displays thumbnail images in
groups of 10 on a sort of tape deck display. From this you can
choose one or as many pictures as you want and view them as a slide
show in any order. If you've got a CD32 or an AGA Amiga it displays
them in 262144 colours, otherwise 4096.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: What does the FMV cartridge
do?
A:
If you plug in the FMV cartridge, you can play Video CDs in almost
the same way as you play music CDs. It's really a 24 bit display
card that can be genlocked with normal CD32 graphics, so you can
superimpose your own images over it (this is a feature of Video
Creator, apparently). You may also view the FMV tracks on certain
discs like the Commodore Demo CD and Cannon
Fodder from Sensible Software. (See the actual clips at
The
CD32 Zone - Ed.)
The FMV Expansion Cartridge
Q: Where can I get a FMV Expansion
Cartridge?
A: GOOD LUCK. These are as rare as
hen's teeth and are usually expensive when you DO find one.
Estimates were that only about 13,000 were made. Try online
auctions and newsgroups.
Q: Will the Phillips CD-i FMV module work
in the CD32?
A: This has been of some debate on
the newsgroups. To the best of my knowledge, the CD-i FMV will not
work in a CD32. Doesn't seem right that two completely competative
companies would have interchangable hardware. But if anyone knows
for sure differently, let me know.
Q: Where do I get Video CDs
from?
A: Try http://www.videocds.com - they seem to have a WIDE
selection. I'm quite stunned that VCD is so well supported. You may
be able to find them locally, but I wouldn't hold your
breath.
Q: Can I use CD-i Digital Video
CDs?
A:
Yep. Some don't quite follow the standard though, so if you get
rubbish on certain ones you can upgrade your FMV cartridge's ROM to
the latest version (40.30) which can cope with the non-standard
CDs. The dealer that you bought the FMV cartridge from should be
able to do this for you at a cost of about 5UKP. (Anyone know where
this can be downloaded from these days? I seriously doubt you'll
find a dealer to do it - if you do, please let me know.
-Ed.)
Q: What are the differences between Video
CDs and CD-i Digital Video CDs?
A:
You won't get the bookmarks that you find on the CD-i. That's
because the bookmarks are really a CD-i program. Instead you can
search through the disc using the normal music player controls.
CD-I's Video CDs are also encoded using Mode 2 type exclusively.
This means you will not be able to play them in most VCD players
and if you also have a PC, you will not be able to play them there
either. VCDs can be read by the native filesystem on most computers
- CD-I's cannot be.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Are there any Amiga/CD32 magazines with
CD-ROMs?
A:
In the UK (check your usual sources of foreign Amiga mags
elsewhere)...
(included with Amiga User
International) - Monthly. Some sections of issue 3 are CDTV and
A570 compatible. Issue 3 was the last issue. They're still waiting
for the Commodore issue to sort itself out, so maybe it'll start up
again now that it has.
- Not regular. Issues 1
and 2 are available through Amiga Format's back issues page. Issue
3 was planned to be out on December 1st. It hasn't been seen
yet.
- Not regular.
Issue 49 has a CD32 version with some demos, a load of PD games,
and a load of reviews of the all time top 100 games. It sounds like
there could be more CD32 versions some time soon(ish). Amiga Power
was planning a second CD edition for Christmas 1995 but the death
of the Amiga game scene led to its abandonment.
- One off. Has a CD
on the front with a load of graphics, fonts, sound samples, music,
etc... You really need a CD32x or SX-1 to do anything useful with
this.
- One off. A CD-ROM based
magazine for CD32, CDTV, A570, and any CD Amiga. There was only one
issue published, the pilot issue.
- Monthly. There are two
versions - the normal one and one which costs 5UKP more and has a
full game attached to the front of the mag. Gareth Knight adds:
"CD32 Gamer was sold in two editions for issue 7 as you
suggest. However, this was the only issue to do so. The magazine
launched a daughter publication called Amiga CD32 Special that had
full commercial games on the cover."
Gareth also adds: "The CU Amiga and Amiga Format CDs were
bootable on a CD32 until sometime during 1999. Obviously a mouse
and SX32 or SX1 was required to actually use most of the
software."
There is a great write up on Amiga and CD32 magazines, their
lives and demise, located
here. Thanks to Gareth for the page.
Q: Are there any other magazines for the
CD32?
A:
Amiga Pro/32 is now Amiga Pro. No more CD32 specific section. Most
other Amiga mags have a small 1 or 2 page CD32 specific section
each month. (Anyone have any web-based Online/E-Mags going on
for CD32? Please let me
know. -Ed.)
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: What Usenet newsgroups are dedicated to CD32
discussion?
A:
Two...
Using the CD32
as a slave drive.
Add-ons for the CD32 (eg. FMV addition).
Technical talk about the CD32.
Serious issues for the CD32.
People's
opinions about games.
Hints and tips for games.
Rumours and lists of new/future games.
If your site
doesn't carry the groups, ask your system admin. You can also try
DejaNews on
the web.
Q: What on-line mags are
available?
A:
Three...
Amiga
Report aminet:/docs/mags/ar*.lha
CD32 Bits aminet:/docs/mags/cd32bits*.lha
CD32 View aminet:/docs/mags/cdvw*.lha
Q: Are there any CD32 pages on
WWW?
A:
Yep.
The CD32 Zone maintains an active list of useful CD32
websites. Please check there for a current list.
Check out the Amiga CD32 Source.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Advanced
Graphics Architecture. The name given to the latest custom chipset
for Amigas, which allows 8 bit (256) and HAM8 (262144) colour
graphics from a palette of 16.7 million. The CD32 uses AGA chipset
as do the Amiga 1200 and 4000 computers.
This chip
handles the data coming from the CD drive and includes the
functions of the CIA chips in other Amigas. It's also more famous
for chunky to planar conversion. Chunky and planar are two
different methods of storing the screen in memory. Chunky is often
used for 3D games. Planar is useful for scrolling games, and it's
the method used by the CD32. This chip quickly converts from one to
the other, helping developers to port code across from other
platforms that use chunky. (To date, no game has made use of it
that I know of it really other than Wing Commander.
-Ed.)
The replacement
for Agnus in older Amigas. Contains the Blitter and Copper, amongst
other things.
The part of the
CD32's operating system that's on CD-ROM (or floppy or hard drive).
Developers must obtain a license to distribute even a small part of
AmigaDOS on their CD-ROMs - it's copyrighted.
Your normal CD
that holds music. Given a different name for computers because
there's so many different types of CD about. The CD32 can play
these. You may also hear this referred to as "Red Book" format or
"CDDA" (Compact Disc Digital Audio).
BLock Image
TransfER. Special part of the graphics chip hardware which speeds
up many operations, by moving blocks of Chip RAM around with DMA,
while performing logical operations on them. Lines and area fills
are among the most popular uses for the Blitter.
Putting the
CD-ROM in the drive and automatically launching a program without
having to go through the operating system (eg. Workbench, MS-DOS,
Finder, etc...) and all the messing around with keyboards and mice
that it entails. CDs will only boot for the computer that they were
written for, even though the files on the CD are readable on
all CD-ROM machines (ISO-9660).
If
you intend to use the CD32 as a CD-ROM for other computers and you
don't have other storage devices (such as floppy or hard drives)
available, you must find CD-ROMs that boot up and load
communications software (such as Parnet, Sernet, or Twin
Express).
A small piece of
copyrighted code that must be on a CD-ROM in order for it to boot.
Developers must have a licence to use the
bootblock.
This is supplied
in the FMV cartridge. It decompresses the MPEG-1 picture from the
Video CD and puts it on the screen. It's also found in the CD-i's
FMV cartridge.
Compact Disc +
Graphics. A standard music CD with the addition of graphic pictures
that can be viewed with an appropriate player. CDTV and CD32 both
play CD+G discs. CD+G discs were never plentiful, and may not even
be produced any more. Learn more about CD+Gs at The CD32
Zone.
Compact Disc -
interactive. System for multimedia developed by Philips; made
available to the public shortly after CDTV was. Not expandable to a
popular computer platform such as CD32 is expandable to an Amiga.
CD-i software titles cannot be played on a CD32 and vice-versa.
There is a new cut-down version of the CD-i (smaller box, less
connectors) that looks remarkably similar to the
CD32...
A Video CD for
the CD-i. The difference is that the they also have bookmarks of
interesting parts of the film on them. These can also be played on
the CD32 with FMV cartridge, but the bookmarks are
missing.
Complex
Instruction Set Chip. Contains lots of nice instructions, but it
ain't so good in the speed department.
Similar to a
standard music CD, but it also holds information for driving MIDI
instruments.
Compact Disc -
Read Only Memory. A 5 inch polycarbonate disk with aluminium
coating, laser etched with holes for storing computer data.
ISO-9660 CD-ROMs can also hold music tracks that can be played with
a normal music CD player as well (or both - often called 'mixed
mode' or 'hybrid' discs - many CD32 discs are
hybrids).
CDTV
Commodore
Dynamic Total Vision. The previous CD based machine by C=. It
wasn't exactly a storming success, mainly due to poor marketing
(and the price). Many CDTV discs will work on the CD32, but some
need a mouse and others need a keyboard. Microcosm was
originally a CDTV project. C= gave Psygnosis some financial backing
to develop it, but the CDTV version never saw the light of day,
except for some promotional demos.
C='s attempt at
getting motion video on the CDTV before low cost MPEG decoder chips
became available. The CD32's version of CDXL can cope with
more colours and cover more of the screen. CDXLs can be about
two-thirds of the size of the screen (although they can be scaled
up slightly to fill more, but the side effect is that they look
blocky) and they can also hold mono or stereo sound. (Anyone know
of a playback method on the PC? Or an XL->MPG converter? I am
still a licensed developer, but no longer have my developer floppy
discs. Anyone out there help out? - Ed.) A list of
games that have these animations are available at The CD32
Zone.
Random Access
Memory available to both the CPU and Amiga custom chipset inside
the CD32 (and all previous Amigas). The CD32 ships with the maximum
amount of chip RAM that the AGA chipset can handle -
2M.
CO-ProcEssoR.
All Amigas feature a special co-processor as part of their custom
chipset, which allows some graphic chip functions such as colour
palette manipulation to happen asynchronously to other tasks,
freeing the CPU for other work.
Central
Processor Unit. The brains for managing data and its manipulation
inside a computer. Amigas, CDTV, and CD32 have all used the
Motorola 68000 series of CPUs.
Allows the OS to
support any graphic, sound, text, or animation format, once the
datatype information is copied to the proper folder on the
Workbench disk or hard drive. Programs can ask the OS to load the
file for them without knowing anything about the file format
themselves. This can come in very useful if you want to read
ISO-9660 CDs generated on other computers (once you've upgraded your
CD32 to a computer, of course).
Direct Memory
Access. Allows other chips apart from the CPU to access the RAM, at
the same time as the CPU. This frees up the CPU for doing other
work, whilst the Blitter is copying memory for
example.
Random Access
Memory available to the Amiga's CPU, but not the custom chipset,
thus faster for compute intensive tasks as no time sharing between
the custom chipset and CPU is involved. Adding fast RAM should
almost double the speed of the CD32 for non-graphics intensive
work. The CD32 ships with no fast RAM, but third party expansion
boxes may allow for up to 8M of fast RAM expansion if you do not
have the FMV cartridge, or 4M if used with the FMV
cartridge.
RAM which can
have data stored such that it survives being powered down. CD32
uses flash RAM to allow saving high-scores or game position
information for the next time you play. Also known as NVRAM (Non
Volatile).
Full Motion
Video - just what it says. Full screen moving pictures. Often
mis-used by journalists to mean any picture, including those that
have 10 colours and are around the size of a postage-stamp, that's
spooled from the CD-ROM.
A plug in
cartridge that gives the CD32 capability to play MPEG-1 encoded CDs
such as CD-i Digital Video (Star Trek VI, Top Gun) or Video CDs.
Note: Only about 13,000 of these cartridges where made (which means
if you don't have one, you probably aren't going to get one). If
you find one for sale, expect to pay big bucks for
it.
Graphic
Interchange Format. GIF compression is a standard for storing still
pictures with 8 bit colour (256 colours on screen at once) and no
loss in picture quality. One of the few formats that allow for
'transparency' colors as well.
An earlier
version of HAM8, found on A500s, A2000s, and A3000s, that remains
for compatibility. This allows up to 4096 colours on screen at
once.
Hold And Modify
- 8 bit. An Amiga screen mode which can have up to 262144 colours
on screen at once by changing some colour registers on each
succeeding pixel on a given scanline. This is most useful for
static pictures or predefined animation sequences, as it is
difficult to constantly compute the best pixel colours in
constantly changing action games. HAM8 is often used to display
JPEG format pictures or predefined animations (CDXLs) with better
than 8 bit colour (256 colours), often up to near 18 bit (262144
colours) quality.
Interchangable
File Format. Developed by Electronic Arts and put into the public
domain. Any IFF file can be read in by any program that understands
the IFF format (if it's suitable - there's no point in a graphics
package loading in an IFF sound file, for example). Took off
on the Amiga in a big way, so much so that any program that doesn't
understand IFF is guaranteed not to sell. Didn't do so well on the
PC for some reason (perhaps it was too good an idea...). Note: The
PC programs ACDSee and Paint Shop Pro will both support this filetype,
although PSP will only read HAM6 images, not HAM8. ACDSee will
display both HAM6 and HAM8. Using ACDSee, you can export to a
usable format on the PC.
The different
computer manufacturers got their act together and agreed on a
standard format for CD-ROMs, unlike the mess that we're still left
with today for floppy disks. You can read any CD32, CDTV, Mac, or
PC CD-ROM in any of the others. Although the files are
readable, the file formats are still different for each computer
(unless it's the CD32/CDTV), but if you have some conversion
programs or datatypes you can display the graphics, play the
sounds, or show the text from the CD-ROM. ISO-9660 CDs are also
cunningly compatible with Audio CDs, so you can play tracks 2
onwards (track 1 is computer data) in a hi-fi, and computers can
mix the music from the Audio CDs with the sound output. (These are
also know as 'mixed mode' or 'hybid' discs. MANY CD32 discs are
hybrids.)
Joint
Photographic Expert Group - JPEG compression is a standard for
storing still pictures with 24 bit colour (16.7 million colours
on-screen at once).
The part of the
CD32's operating system that's in ROM. It contains all the code
needed to access the CD-ROM and multitask, as well as other things
that will never see the light of day unless you add a keyboard and
some kind of storage (floppy or hard drive).
Handles the
screen display. There's a palette of 16.7 million colours - each
colour made of one of 256 shades of red, green, and blue.
From that any power of 2, up to 256, or 4096 (HAM6), or
262144 (HAM8) colours can be displayed. The resolution can be most
combinations of 320, 640, or 1024 across and 256, 512, or 1024 down
(although there are other modes available).
Motion Picture
Expert Group - they've decided the format of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2
compression. MPEG-1 is the accepted standard for video compression
on CDs... It uses a variety of techniques to achieve
staggering compression ratios while still maintaining good picture
quality. Other parts of the MPEG standard include synchronized
digital audio to make the format useful for movies on CD-ROM.
MPEG-2 isn't used on CDs but it looks even better. (Note: MPEG-2 is
the format used on modern day movie DVDs which CANNOT be played by
the CD32, even with the FMV card.)
The television
standard used in America. NTSC screens cannot be as deep PAL
screens. This can lead to problems when some software written in
PAL countries is run on a CD32 using a NTSC screen. The software
may use the bottom section of the screen that NTSC owners cannot
see. This is entirely the fault of software companies, there are
enough ROM routines in the CD32 to tell the program what TV
standard it is running under and the program should make
allowances.
The television
standard used in most of Europe and Australia.
Freely
distributable networking solutions for Amigas. Uses the parallel
ports (Parnet) or serial ports (Sernet) to allow one to mount
drives on multiple machines. In this way the CD32 can access the
keyboard and hard drives of another Amiga, and the Amiga can access
the CD32's CD drive. CDTV was often used as an external CD drive
for Amiga computers via Parnet. A version of Parnet is now
available for PC computers, allowing you to link from CD32 to
PC.
An Amiga only
update to Parnet. This new version is faster and has some bug
fixes.
Gives you four
channel stereo sound. Each channel can have 64 volume levels and
can play either waveforms or sound samples at almost any pitch or
octave from RAM. This chip is used to create sound effects, or play
music from memory often when the CD-ROM is tied up for some reason
(a CD-ROM cannot be used to load game code AND play CD music at the
same time).
Transfering
pictures taken from a camera onto CD. These can be read by the CD32
if you can find a CD-ROM with a photo CD reader on it, use it as a
slave drive, or expand it to a computer and download the proper
(freely distributable) software. The Communicator is bundled with a
Photo CD reader called Photolite - this is available seperately
too. Also Weird Science's Network CD has a Photo CD reader on
it.
RecoverAble RAM
Drive. An area of RAM that doesn't lose its data when reset. Any
area of RAM can be used as RAD. Games can use it to save data in,
so it's possible to play a game of Liberation, save your place in
RAD, reset, play another game, then return to Liberation later.
Some games don't like RAD being there though.
Random Access
Memory. Specialized computer chips that can store information for
as long as they powered on or the CD32 isn't reset. RAM chips and
be read and written to by the CPU or the AGA
chipset.
Reduced
Instruction Set Chip. A CPU that contains only a limited set of
instructions. The idea is that each instruction is so simple that
it doesn't take long to execute and any of the more complicated
ones that are missing can be built up out of the simple
ones.
Read Only
Memory. Specialized computer chips that store data and instructions
for computer operation and cannot be erased or written
over.
Taking an Amiga
game, putting it on CD-ROM with no improvements whatsoever (i.e.
video clips, CD audio, etc.), and usually charging more than the
original disk version.
Connecting the
CD32 via serial or parallel link to another computer and using
networking software such as Parnet, Sernet, or Twin Express so that
the other computer can read the CD-ROM in the
CD32.
Quickly taking
data from the CD-ROM and shoving it on the screen or sending it to
the audio output, or both. Eg. CDXLs or the Microcosm
tunnels.
Three
Dimensional Objects (I think). Another CD-ROM based
multimedia/games system developed by Electronic Arts and former
Amiga people. This also is not expandable to a regular computer
system. Slightly more expensive for the both hardware and software
than the CD32. It has more limited screen resolutions. (It is even
more orphaned than the CD32. -Ed.)
A program to
transfer files from one computer to another through a serial link.
The front end works similar to FTP. There are versions of Twin
Express for the PC and Amiga.
If you have a
FMV cartridge you can play these. There were 100 films available in
August '94, and in the THOUSANDS in March 2000 - and they are still
making new ones. At the time of writing, Disney's TARZAN was
available!
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Is it
possible to use the Aminet, Fred Fish, etc... CDs without an
expanded CD32?
A: Yes...
Maarten Ter Mors has written a step by step guide of how to do
this. It's available from aminet:/docs/misc/Aminet4_CD32.txt. There
can be problems booting from some CDs if you use an unexpanded CD32
though. Maarten wrote:
There was a little something I missed in the CD32 FAQ. Because of
(yet another) strange oddity in the Commodore 3.1 CDFileSystem, you
can only use CD-ROMs with a *lower* or equal ISO revision than the
disc you booted from (this is irrelevant to SX-1 users, for
they are likely to boot from harddrive or floppy).
The Aminet 4 CD and the GoldFish CD-ROM set by Fred Fish are two
examples of discs that use a higher revision than, say, the
Weird Science Network CD. This means that you can't access the
discs properly or at all. The solution is booting from a RAD:
recoverable RAM disk. I was asked by Urban Mueller (who does a lot
of the good work on the Aminet CDs) to write a step-by-step guide
to set one up.
Joop van de Wege has another answer (Aminet 5 &
Communicator)...
I haven't read the notice yet but I found out for myself how to do
it and its not a hassle. I'm just too lazy to write a small script
file to copy the 2 files and execute the mount command.
Step 1: copy your mountlist entry CR0: to snet:ram
Step 2: copy L:amicdromfilesystem to snet:ram
Step 3: mount cr0: on the cd32 side
Step 4 and last one: start copying files from cr0: to whereever you
want them, run programs, read guide files, search for ......
And another from David Law of Weird Science (Aminet & Network
CD)...
We have found that CBM's filesystem in general does not cope too
well with the Aminet CDs. This may be due as you say to ISO
revision numbers. The easiest fix is to remount the CD drive as
CD1: with AmiCDRom filesystem and access the Aminet CD's as `CD1:`
or `Network:CD1/` with Sernet. When trying this be sure to set the
'T' flag in the line 'Startup' of the mountlist. This will ensure
that the trackdisk device is used to access the CD drive. AmiCDRom
filesystem for some reason thinks that the CD drive is a SCSI
device otherwise and will probably crash the machine.
The best way to do this is setup a drawer on your amiga with the
following files in. [Call it RAM:CD1 for the mount list below -
Dan.]
CD1
AmiCDRom Mountlist file.
CD1.info An
icon for the above.
cdrom-handler The filesystem handler.
Mount
WB3.1 Mount command.
Just ensure that the mountlist points to 'Ram:cdrom-handler' and
not 'L:cdrom.handler' and that the icon points to 'Ram:Mount' as
the mount command on the NetworkCD is WB1.3 and is not
suitable.
The Mountlist file is...
/* AmiCDROM filesystem
*/
Handler =
Ram:CD1/cdrom-handler
Stacksize = 10000
Priority = 10
GlobVec = -1
Mount = 1
Startup =
"DEVICE=cd.device UNIT=0 ML T R"
The version of Mount should be 38 or above (use 'Version Mount' to
check).
Q: How do I stop my CD32
resetting when I take the CD-ROM out?
A: If you boot from CD-ROM, the CD32 resets when the
lid is opened. You can either run a program such as NoReset that
disables this or boot from another device, such as RAD, floppy, or
hard drive.
Q: How do I use my CD32 as a
CD drive or slave drive for another computer?
A: Connect a serial link (buy a ready-made link or make
your own - see the diagram for the Aux port) between the CD32's Aux
port and the other computer. Then run either Sernet or Twin Express
on the other computer and the CD32. You'll have to find a
bootable CD-ROM with one of these programs on it and you may need
to run NoReset unless Sernet and Twin Express are on the same CD as
the files you want to transfer.
If you have an interface attached that gives you a parallel
port, you can connect a parallel link between the CD32 and the
other computer, remembering to use a special Parnet cable and not a
normal parallel cable (otherwise you could easily fry everything).
Run Parnet on the other computer and the CD32. You'll have to find
a bootable CD-ROM with Parnet on it and you may need to run NoReset
unless Parnet is on the same CD as the files you want to
transfer.
ParNFS is a replacement for Parnet, with bug fixes for Workbench 2
or above machines (that includes the CD32). It fixes the Dir,
List, and Directory Opus bugs.
You can use The Communicator. This is a link from the CD32's Aux
port to the Amiga and a CD-ROM with a series of utilities on
it...
Display text and graphics on the CD32.
Play Audio and Video CDs.
Transfer files to and from the CD32.
Serial file transfer program, Amiga and PC versions.
Modified to allow the joypad to be used as a mouse.
Display Kodak Photo CDs.
Allows Scala, running on another Amiga, to control the CD32.
There are two versions available. The Communicator Lite doesn't
have a keyboard through port or MIDI in/out/thru.
There is a new version of The Communicator, with the original title
of The Communicator 2. Improvements to the previous version
are...
Appears to make more than one CD-ROM accessable to the
host Amiga, also stops resetting.
More reliable - Zmodem.
Faster - apparently it can reach up to 210000 baud.
More compatible - works better with ISO-9660 CDs.
View pictures and anims in any mode, including AGA.
Will also work for non-AGA machines.
Supports datatypes.
A newer version (doesn't say which).
Allows Mediapoint, running on another Amiga, to control the
CD32, including Audio and Video CDs.
Added A2000/A3000 keyboard port.
Serial lead is DB25 to RJ10 (telephone) and is easier to
remove.
The Communicator Lite 2 doesn't have a keyboard through port,
MIDI in/out/thru, or status LEDs.
Q: How do I attach a keyboard
to my CD32?
A: IBM keyboards won't function without a custom add-on
to translate IBM keycodes to Amiga keycodes (the SX-1 has
this).
Plug in an Amiga keyboard into the CD32's Aux port. Amiga keyboards
are all exactly the same inside but just have a different case or
plug on the end of the lead, so you'll probably need an
adaptor...
Open up the case
and build your own lead from the keyboard ribbon to the CD32. The
pinouts are at the end of the FAQ.
Not
possible.
Build your own
adaptor from RJ-11 to mini-din. The pinouts are at the end of the
FAQ.
Not
possible.
Buy an AT to
PS/2 keyboard adaptor from any PC clone shop and plug that
inbetween.
No adaptor -
just plug it in.
Buy an
adaptor - eg. from Almathera or MultiMedia Machine. Or modify the
CDTV keyboard yourself. The pinouts are at the end of the FAQ.
Plug in an IBM
keyboard into the SX-1's keyboard port. F11 and F12 are used
instead of the Left-Amiga and Right-Amiga keys. Print Screen is
used instead of the Help key. If the keyboard seems to not work,
see if there is a switch on the bottom of the keyboard. Try the
other position. You may also experience some sort of 'buffering'
problem the first time you press a key after you boot up a
CD32/SX1. My solution was just to press F11 or F12 after the first
boot up and that 'clears' that buffering problem so it doesn't
adversely effect the first thing you type.
Create a Parnet
or Sernet link (see above) and run PNetKeys. This re-directs all
keyboard and mouse input from an Amiga window down the link to the
CD32. You'll have to run a version that does a 'Mount MOUSE:' on
the CD32 - no problem if you can create your own boot disk but it
could be if you're using a version from a CD-ROM.
Use Patrick Van Beem's CD32
Keyboard program. It's similar to PNetKeys but it's smaller,
faster, works over Twin Express or even by itself, and converts
controller input to mouse input. The program is shareware - if you
find it useful you should pay $5 or fl7.50. Patrick's Email address
is patrick@aobh.xs4all.nl.
Q: How do I use my CD32 as a
computer?
A: Use a SX-1. This has...
IBM-PC AT keyboard port.
9-pin serial port.
Amiga standard parallel port.
Amiga standard RGB port.
Amiga standard floppy drive (use an external drive as DF0:. For
more drives, daisy chain them from the first one).
2.5" internal IDE connector (drive fits inside the SX-1).
3.5" external IDE connector.
SIMM socket for up to 8 meg additional RAM (restricted to 4 meg if
you intend to use the FMV cartridge too).
Audio input (karaoke).
Internal battery backed clock.
Pass through connector (for other devices, eg. FMV cartridge).
- If you add the SX-1, the Aux port will not work as a serial
connection any more, but you can still attach Amiga keyboards to
it, even if you have a PC keyboard plugged into the SX-1.
- Some external drives do not like the SX-1. Roctec and M3-A-1
drives are a problem.
If you use a file recovery program on the SX-1 disk, you'll get
more utilities.
- If you intend to have more than two devices attached to the
SX-1, you should think about getting a better power supply. These
can be bought separately, or you can modify another Amiga one (eg.
A500) by replacing the connector at the end of the lead.
- If you add extra memory to it, it should be at least 80ms
fast.
- The connector is flakey at best. If things seem wrong after
plugging it in, try unplugging and re-plugging it in. Don't move
the unit while powered up.
Or use a SX32. It's small so it fits *in* the CD32 like the MPEG
module. You have a parrallel, serial, floppy, RGB and VGA-Port. You
can put a 2.5'' HD on it and a 2-9 MB PS/2 Simm module.
Unfortunatly FMV cannot be used with it. It is also rumoured to
come with an A1200 manual. Apart from that it fixes the voltage
problems it is more or less like the SX-1.
Alan Redhouse wrote:
- Standard Amiga serial, parallel, FDD, RGB ports and a 15 pin
VGA port.
- Uses standard Amiga K/b
- Has standard Simm socket for up to 8MB
- Has 2.5" HDD interface and mountings for an internal unit
- Everything (inc HDD) fits inside the CD32 (sockets protrude
about 10mm)
- Supplied with WB3.0 on CDROM (obviously has K/s 3.1
already)
- VERY reliable - it must be the only Amiga accessory that we've
picked up & plugged in and its worked perfectly first time and
ever since.
- It really does become a portable Amiga.
Or use a CD32x. This is a 19" rack mounted system for CD32s used
in professional applications. It includes remote monitoring of
CD32x units, fault detection, and options for genlocking and MPEG.
There are connectors available for...
- Networking
- RGB port
- Scart port
- Floppy port
- IDE connector
- Volume control
- Stereo input and output
- Internal battery backed clock.
Mick Tinker of Index said that they're working on a home version
of the CD32x. Anyone have an update on this product? Let me know. Read more about
the CD32x here. Compliments of Gareth Knight.
Q: What are the SX-1 jumper
descriptions?
A: Jumper number...
|
1
|
OFF = If you have 1 or 4 megs.
ON = If you have 2 or 8 megs. |
|
2
|
OFF = If you have 1 or 2 megs.
ON = If you have 4 or 8 megs. |
|
3
|
OFF = If you have memory.
ON = If you have no memory (or defeat
autoconfig). |
|
4
|
OFF = Normal boot time.
ON = Add 10 seconds to boot time (for slow HDs). |
|
5
|
OFF = If keyboard has two Alt keys.
ON = If keyboard has no Right-Alt (Right-CTRL used
instead). |
Q: How do I connect up an external 3.5" IDE drive to
the SX-1?
A: Make your own connector using the pinouts given in
the manual. There's no +12V supply on the 37 pin IDE plug, but you
can wire in your own power supply or take the +12V supply from the
floppy port instead. Always try Redmond Cable for your odd cable needs.
Or make a 2.5" to 3.5" conversion cable, and wire in your own power
supply. Conversion cables can be bought as part of A1200 3.5"
kits.
Or you can buy a box (don't know the name) from Hi-Q that sits in
place of the SX-1's lid. It lets you plug in 3.5" IDE drives and it
has a better power supply.
Q: Sometimes I have problems
with my SX-1 and CD32 setup, causing freezing, and HD lock ups.
They seems to be power related, how do I solve these?
A: They are indeed power related, but it's voltage, not
wattage.
Garry Cardinal wrote:
"My SX-1 enhanced CD-32 began hanging when I added an IDE drive to
it. When using the hd the system would suddenly freeze. I had
a 2Mb
SIMM installed, going to another SIMM or hard disk did not correct
the problem. This was all independent of FMV card
presence.
My SX-1's strange behaviour persisted until I bypassed the
connections between the CD-32 power switch and the SX-1.
I soldered a standard PC power supply female molex connector to the
power switch on the CD-32 (switched side) and soldered a standard
male molex
connector to the SX-1 +12 and +5 power supply distribution system
as close as possible to the 2.5" hard disk connector and ram
socket.
(Of course, observe antistatic precautions. Those faint of heart,
take this text to a qualified service provider for the appropriate
action.)
When I was done, my problems disappeared. My configuration: CD32,
SX-1 (with extra switch for memory test jumper plugging DB25 hole),
20Mb Connor 2.5, 4Mb 32 bit simm, FMV card, A500 Power Supply"
You can also try a CD32 'Big Foot' Power Supply.
Q: How do I read Mac
CD-ROMs?
A: Get aminet:/disk/cdrom/AmiCDROM-1.15.lha, unarchive
it, use the following options in the installer...
| Device |
cd.device |
| Unit |
0 |
| Memory
options |
Use any
memory available |
| Other
options |
Use Rock
Ridge names, if possible.
Use trackdisk.device instead of SCSI-direct. |
| Map
filenames |
Don't map
filenames |
| General
buffers |
5 |
| Read()
buffers |
5 |
| Diskchange
time |
3 |
| CD-DA icon
command |
None |
| CD-DA icon
position |
Workbench
chooses |
| Configure
Mac options |
Yes |
| Mac
options |
Convert Mac
characters to Amiga characters.
Examine CD first for a HFS partition. |
| Data fork
extension |
Leave
empty |
| Rsrc fork
extension |
Leave
empty |
| AmigaDOS
device name |
CD1:, MAC0:,
whatever you like. |
| Automount |
Yes: Mac CDs
are recongnised all the time.
No: You must click on the Storage/DOSDrivers/CD1 (or whatever) icon
before using Mac CDs. |
Two icons will appear for each CD you insert - one is the
CD32/CDTV/PC partition and the other is the Mac partition. If there
is no Mac partition then both icons will be the same CD32/CDTV/PC
partition.
Q: Is there an RGB output on
the CD32 to connect my multisync monitor?
A: There are easily accessable RGB signal test points
on the CD32's circuit board. The diagram is at the end of the FAQ.
The SX-1 and CD32x both have RGB connectors on them.
Peter Kittel wrote:
"If you have the French version of the CD32, you have RGB at the
S-Video jack. In this case, this jack is no more of standard
"Hosiden" type, but is a Mini-DIN with 8 pins. The four extra pins
carry R,G,B, and CSync."
an159209@anon.penet.fi wrote:
"Cables (maybe with extra logic) are being sold in France, which
allow you to connect your CD32 to a 1084, presumably using that
SCART-RGB output."
Q: Can Amiga 1200 trapdoor or
PCMCIA expansions be used with CD32?
A: No. The CD32 does not have the same expansion
connectors as the A1200.
Q: Where can I find the
programs mentioned above?
A:
| CD32
Keyboard |
|
Patrick Van
Beem |
| NoReset |
Communicator
(CDReboot OFF) |
Eureka |
|
Network
CD |
Weird
Science |
|
Video
Creator * |
Almathera |
| Parnet |
Amiga CD!
3 |
AUI |
|
Network
CD |
Weird
Science |
| Photo CD
reader |
FolioworX
Player |
Olaf
Barthel |
|
Network
CD |
Weird
Science |
|
Photo CD
Manager |
Asimware |
|
Photolite |
Eureka |
| Sernet |
Network
CD |
Weird
Science |
| Twin
Express |
Amiga CD!
3 |
AUI |
|
Network
CD |
Weird
Science |
| Workbench
3.? |
CDPD
3 |
Almathera |
|
Demo
2 |
Almathera |
| Workbench
3.0 |
CDPD
4 |
Almathera |
|
Lock 'n'
Load |
North West
PD |
| Workbench
3.1 |
Demo Disc V2
* |
Commodore |
|
Legendry
Design demo CD |
Creative
Computers |
For CDs marked with a *, you'll need to connect an Amiga mouse
into controller port 2, hold down both mouse buttons, and press the
reset button. You will be given a boot menu where you should boot
with no Startup-Sequence. Then use the keyboard to run the program
wanted.
If you want to run Workbench, you've already got Kickstart 3.1,
so you just need to get hold of the Workbench software. All of the
versions will work, but the later the version the better.
The C= Demo Disc V2 is available from Claude
Mueller - Email him for prices. Claude's Email address is
claude.mueller@hdclick.link-ch1.ch. (Anyone know if this guy is
still around? Let me
know. -Ed.)
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Which
machines stand a chance of running CD32 games?
A: You may get away with running shovelware stuff if
you have an OCS or ECS Amiga, but many CD32 games expect at least
an '020, 2 meg of chip RAM, and an AGA chipset - an A1200 or
A4000.
The A1200 might be more compatible than the A4000 - some programs
may fall over because of the differences in memory and CPUs.
A good fast PC with a fat DirectX compliant video
card along with WinUAE (Amiga emulator) can play a good number of
CD32 games with a lot of configuration changes.
Q: What is the Zappo/Archos CD
drive?
A: The Zappo CD-ROM was the first 3rd party CD
drive for the A1200. It was manufactured by a French firm called
Archos during 1994/95, but was sold under the brand name "Zappo" in
the UK by the now defunct Indi Direct. (The company went into
liquidation around May 1995.) At the time (1995) the only
alternative was the Squirrel SCSI drive and the unreleased
Commodore CD1200. The drive was a standard IDE 2x CD-ROM connected
via a custom "widget" to the A1200 PCMCIA port. Despite its age it
was fairly popular for CD32 emulation and ran a large percentage of
games. However, the drive was fairly unreliable and would
sporadically switch the drive motor off (especially when accessing
large files). This comes compliments of Gareth Knight.
Q: What software came with the
Zappo/Archos CD drive?
A: Software compatibility and performance varied
according to the version number. The earliest release, version 7
came with the first batch during 1994. It was buggy and had
problems with many CDs. The final revision (v11) was bundled with
the later models during 1995. Additional software can be found at
http://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/amiga/aminet/disk/cdrom/.
The Zappo V11 distribution was supplied with 2 disks- a boot disk
that allowed you to boot directly from the drive by holding the
left mouse button, and a second disk that contained some software
drivers, CDDA and PhotoCD programs. The software was easy to
configure. All you had to do was press the LMB during bootup to
mount the drive and launch the CD32 emulation software. It was then
a simple case of configuring the joypad and booting the game. This
comes compliments of Gareth Knight.
Q: What sort of problems are
there with the Zappo/Archos CD drive?
A: AFAIK there were four main problems regarding
the CD drivers:
- Files always reported bizarre dates, usually sometime in the
future.
- File and directory names were sometimes displayed in lower
case. This depended upon how the CD was mastered. Early editions of
the Amiga Format CD suffer from this problem. The lower case
problem can be solved by replacing it with the AmiCDFS CD
filesystem which is available on Aminet in disk/cdrom/ and most
magazine CDs.
- It would not even recognise white CDs.
- The aforementioned CD motor. It would be a miracle to find an
original drive still working.
Q: What are the differences
between the Archos, CD1200, CD4000, and Squirrel CD
drives?
A: The Archos drive uses the PCMCIA slot, emulates
Akiko through software (but as far as I know only Wing Commander
uses it and that crashes, hmm...), needs you to install the CD-ROM
file system to your Workbench before you can use the drive, needs a
utility (supplied) to boot CD32 CDs, and doesn't have FMV
capability.
The CD1200 isn't available yet. It uses the A1200's trapdoor slot,
has Akiko, has Kickstart 3.1, boots straight from CD-ROM, and
doesn't have FMV capability. This drive was officially canned (I
was there when they canned it). I haven't heard anything otherwise.
If you would like to see what it would have looked like and its
features (so you can be further angered by its failed release),
then Gareth Knight recommends this
page.
Peter Kittel wrote:
"The CD1200 is a prototype CD-ROM drive for the A1200, which makes
the A1200 CD32-compatible. This is still in prototype, was shown on
a few fairs, and as of now it's uncertain whether it ever will get
produced. With it you get CD32 software compatibility, but no
hardware compatibility. Especially there is no chance to add the
FMV cartridge to it." (It never made it past prototype. Escom
didn't think it was worthy enough to continue, but instead a $2700
A4000T was. -Ed.)
The CD4000 isn't available yet. It's a card that fits into one of
the A4000's Zorro 3 slots and a CD drive that slides into a drive
bay, has Akiko, has Kickstart 3.1, boots straight from CD-ROM, and
has FMV capability. (Anyone have any dirt on this drive? Bet it
never shipped. -Ed.)
The Squirrel uses the PCMICA slot, doesn't appear to emulate Akiko,
needs you to install the CD-ROM file system to your Workbench
before you can use the drive, needs a utility (supplied) to boot
CD32 CDs, and doesn't have FMV capability. It's also a full SCSI
interface. If you'd like to add other SCSI devices (such as tape
storage, scanners, etc...) then it could be a better choice than
the Archos. Also software updates are regularly uploaded to Aminet
(unlike Archos' where you have to try to convince your dealer to
give you a free copy).
Q: What's good/bad about a CD
drive using the PCMICA or trapdoor slots?
A: If your CD drive uses the PCMICA slot, you've got a
RAM board in the trapdoor slot, it's got more than 4 meg of fast
RAM, and it doesn't Autoconfig properly, then the drive may refuse
to work or you could lose all memory above the 4 meg barrier
because the PCMCIA slot and the memory both try to use the same
address space. You could only use 4 meg or you could ask your
dealer for an upgrade.
Some trapdoor accelerators don't Autoconfig properly either.
Notably Amitek, Blizzard, and GVP ones. Amitek offer a free upgrade
to fix this problem. The Blizzard 1230III and the GVP 1230 '030
boards work fine, don't know about other Blizzard and GVP boards.
All of the Microbotics boards work.
If your CD drive uses the trapdoor slot then you can kiss goodbye
to RAM expansions and accelerators.
Q: What do I need to do to run
a CD32 game if I don't have the Archos, CD1200, CD4000, or the
Squirrel CD drive?
A: If you have a SCSI CD drive then you can assign CD0:
to the CD drive (if it isn't already), assign the standard
directories (C:, DEVS:, ENVARC:, FONTS:, L:, LIBS:, S:, SYS:)
across to the CD-ROM and execute S:Startup-Sequence.
Or if you have a Parnet or Sernet link to a CD32 or CDTV, you can
assign CD0: to NET:CD0, assign the CD-ROM's name to NET:, assign
the standard directories, then execute S:Startup-Sequence. It's
slow, though, so if you have a big hard drive, it's probably better
to go for the next option...
Or it should be possible to copy all of the CD-ROM to your hard
drive by using a Parnet, Sernet, or Twin Express link to a CD32 or
CDTV, assign CD0: and the CD-ROM's name to the directory that you
copied to, assign the standard directories to the equivalent place
on the hard drive, and execute S:Startup-Sequence.
The game may have an icon to double click to run it. In that case
you don't need to assign or execute anything.
Alternatively, there's a program called Cache-CDFS that's
distributed in Germany. It works on the A1200 or A4000. It sits
between the CD32 game and the Amiga's SCSI, IDE, or PCMCIA CD-ROM
drive. Most CD32 games should work once it's installed, but there
have been some problems reported with NEC 3x CD drives. It's
commercial. Nobody's said how good the emulation is. You can
contact the author, Oliver Kastl, by Email. Oliver's Email address
is 100447.3361@compuserve.com.
Almathera are selling a bug-fixed and English language version.
Video Creator will also work once it's been installed.
Also, there's another available, called CD-Boot. This works on the
A1200 or A4000. It sits between the CD32 game and Amiga's SCSI,
IDE, or PCMCIA CD-ROM drive. You can create config files for each
CD. It's commercial. One person said that the success rate was 2
out of 7 games. You can contact the author, Thomas Kessler, by
Email. Thomas' Email address is kessler@fim.uni-erlangen.de.
AsimCDFS: This is a quick description made after reading Asimware's
info sheet (it's probably better to read the full thing for
yourself if you're interested before making up your mind):
Asimware's AsimCDFS can emulate CDTVs and CD32s, but the how good
it is depends on the individual machine. But it also has a music CD
player, music CD support (so the music looks like AIFF, MAUD, and
RAW files), and Photo CD support (so the pictures look like normal
IFF ILBM files).
Your friend's PC might be able to play them as well
- with limited success.
Q: What can go
wrong?
A: Make sure the game can access lowlevel.library in
LIBS:. If not, the game can't use the CD32 joypad, or may not even
work. If it can, you can plug the CD32 joypad straight into the
joystick port.
You may not be able to play the games that use the
extra joypad buttons properly if you don't have a joypad to press
them with...
The game tries to use nonvolatile.library to save to the CD32's
NVRAM. Make sure that this can be accessed in LIBS: and you create
a file called "ENVARC:sys/nv_location" - a single line of text that
is the directory name of where you would like saved data to be
stored.
The game could try to call some 3.1 functions that don't exist in
3.0. Upgrading your Kickstart should fix this problem.
You won't hear any CD music. There's no way around this. Sometimes
the game may decide to keel over because it can't play the CD
music.
The game tries to use Akiko. If you've upgraded to 3.1 and it still
goes wrong then there's no way around this.
If you are using emulation under another OS, be
sure you mimic the exact configuration of a CD32 - no FAST RAM, no
FPU, etc. These can REALLY make a difference.
Q: Are there any
incompatiblities when using an Archos CD drive?
A: Here's a list. If you've got an update, let me know
and I'll put the change in here...
| Alien Breed
Special Ed. (7) |
Alien Breed
T. Assault (11) |
| Arcade Pool
(11) |
ATR
(11) |
| Banshee
(7,11) |
Brutal
Sports Football (7) |
| Bubba 'n'
Stix (7) |
Bubble 'n'
Squeak (7) |
| Chaos Engine
(7) |
D/Generation
(7, 11) |
| Defender of
the Crown 2 (7) |
Diggers
(7) |
| Emerald
Mines (7, 11) |
Fields of
Glory (11) |
| Fire and Ice
(11) |
Flink
(11) |
| Fly Harder
(11) |
Frontier
(7) |
| Heimdall 2
(7) |
Microcosm
(7) |
| Labyrinth of
Time (7) |
Lemmings
(11) |
| Lost Vikings
(11) |
Oscar
(7,11) |
| Overkill/Lunar C (11) |
Pinball
Fantasies (11) |
| Rise of the
Robots (7) |
Roadkill
(11) |
| Sabre Team
(11) |
Sensible
Soccer (7) |
| Super
Stardust (11) |
Superfrog
(7,11) |
| The Clue
(11) |
Trolls
(11) |
| UFO
(11) |
Ultimate
Body Blows (11) |
| Zool 1
(7) |
Zool 2
(7) |
| Arabian
Nights (11) |
Disable fast
RAM |
| Beneath a
Steel Sky (11) |
Use a Joypad
in port 1 |
| Microcosm
(11) |
Load from
Workbench |
| Jungle
Strike (11) |
Disable fast
RAM |
| Kid Chaos
(11) |
Switch music
off |
| Quick
Thunder Rabbit (11) |
Disable fast
RAM |
| Zool 2
(11) |
Switch music
off |
| Guardian
(7) |
Crashes
after one game |
| Project-X
(7) |
Crashes
after a few levels |
| Ultimate
Body Blows (7) |
Crashes
after one game |
| Alfred
Chicken (11) |
Battle Chess
(7) |
| Beavers
(11) |
Cannon
Fodder (11) |
| Chaos Engine
(11) |
Chuck Rock 1
(11) |
| Chuck Rock 2
(7) |
Defender of
the Crown 2 (11) |
| Diggers
(7) |
Disposable
Hero (11) |
| Fire Force
(11) |
Frontier
(11) |
| Global
Effect (7) |
Guardian
(11) |
| Gunship 2000
(7) |
Impossible
Mission 2025 (7) |
| James Pond 3
(7) |
Lemmings
(7) |
| Lotus
Trilogy (7) |
Liberation
(11) |
| Litil Divil
(11) |
Nick Faldo's
Golf (11) |
| Nigel
Mansell (11) |
Morph
(7) |
| Out to Lunch
(11) |
Pinball
Illusions (11) |
| Pirate's
Gold (7,11) |
Ryder Cup
Challenge (7) |
| Simon The
Sorcerer (7,11) |
Sabre Team
(7) |
| Soccer Kid
(11) |
Striker
(7,11) |
| Super Putty
(7) |
Universe
(11) |
| Video
Creator (7) |
Wembley
International (7,11) |
| Whale's
Voyage (11) |
Wing
Commander (7,11) |
The numbers are for the version of the software. Some work on 7
but not 11, some work on 11 but not 7. There's nothing listed for
version 9 at the moment, but if it works on 7 or 11 then it maybe
it could work on 9, and if it works on 7 and 11 then it definately
should work on 9. There's no version 8 or 10. Anyone confused?
Good.
Also check out the Archos Overdrive home pages. Have a look in the
Internet section for details.
Return to the Table of
Contents
This area is currently under
development and will be greatly expanded upon
later.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Q: Are there any licence
agreements that have to be made to produce CD32
software?
A: The first real problem is in making a bootable CD32
disc. This requires special software and license/royalty agreements
which were available from the C= developer programs.
Developers who obtained these rights before the C= liquidation
may be able to master the CD-ROMs with the appropriate boot/system
files, for you - as your publisher.
Update: March 2000 - Gateway bought the Amiga, then turned around
and sold most of it to a private party. The chances are HIGHLY
unlikely another CD32 will ever roll off an assembly line, and
while they are currently still making Amiga 4000T somewhere in the
world (I'm not positive on this one, but I read it somewhere that
someone still had a license to do so), I wouldn't hold your breath.
Gareth Knight offers up this
little tidbit about 'Escom's Plans' for the CD32. I put this in
here because the original CD32 FAQ mentioned Escom reviving the
CD32 (which obviously didn't happen :)
Q: How do I master my own
CDs?
A: This is a quick description made after reading
Asimware's info sheet (it's probably better to read the full thing
for yourself if you're interested before making up your mind):
Asimware's Master ISO costs US $550.00/CDN $720.00 and works on an
Amiga with Workbench 3, a SCSI controller, 1.3 gig of HD space, 16
meg of RAM, and a CD recorder. It can create ISO 9660 CD-ROMs with
8.3 and long file names from one or more volumes, Music CDs (Red
Book) from CDDA, MAUD, or AIFF files, and CDs which are a mixture
of the two. It can also make CDTV and CD32 bootable CDs (you need a
developer licence though). It supports Yamaha CDR100, Pinnacle
RCD-202, Philips CDD-521, and CDD-522 CD recorders.
Q: What are the authoring
capabilities available for the CD32?
A: Theoretically, any standard Amiga development tools
for AGA machines should be useful for developing applications that
run on a CD32. This would include Multimedia tools with freely
distributable players, C compilers, assemblers, etc.
Q: What are the popular
development tools?
A: Read below.
AmigaVision Professional
CanDo
HELM
Interplay
SCALA Multimedia
AMOS Professional (programming)
DICE
GNU C
SAS/C
DevPacIII
Macro68
AdPro
ImageF/X
ImageMaster
AudioMasterIV
Bars&Pipes Pro
Deluxe Music 2
MusicX
OctaMED professional
Sonix
SuperJAM!
Trackers - too many to mention
Caligari
Imagine
LightWave (Video Toaster)
Real3D
Brilliance
Deluxe Paint IV AGA
DCTV Paint
EGS Paint
Opal
Paint
TV Paint
XI Paint
Contact the software company involved with your
favourite authoring software for more information regarding CD32
specific development.
Return to the Table of
Contents
Written by Klaus Hegemann, posted as part of 'CD32
expansion port info' by Anders Stenkvist in
comp.sys.amiga.hardware, forwarded by Michael King.
If you wire up a keyboard and get characters constantly appearing
on the screen then you've wired up the keyboard clock and data pins
the wrong way around.
There are no RTS/CTS pins for high speed modems.
The serial pins are at 0/5V, if the computer you're connecting it
to has a different voltage (eg. the Amiga serial port's pins are at
+/-12V) then you need a level converter between the two.
The serial pins may not be properly buffered to use safely with
some external devices. You could damage your CD32 if you try to
hook them up without an external buffer. A diagram of a buffer is
given in the posting mentioned above.
Well, first
you must make sure that you really have the 8-pin version of that
S-Video connector (mini-DIN), this is only existant on the French
version of the CD32. Now if that's ok, then here is the pinout:
1=Red, 2=Blue, 3=Audio
(L or R, don't know), 4=Green, 5=Audio (L or R), 6=Luminance,
7=CSync, 8=Chroma
Taken from an
Email by Peter Kittel, forwarded by Olivier Cremel.
CDTV Keyboard
Connector
1
Ground
2 I / O Keyboard data
3 (I)/ O Keyboard clock
4 +5V DC
5 Unused
- Cut the plastic pin from the connector.
- Open the case.
- Find the connector where the cable is located.
- Switch leads 1-4 and 2-3.
- Close the case.
Taken from a posting by Paul van der Heu.
1
black Keyboard clock
2 brown Keyboard data
3 red Res
4 orange +5V DC
5 yellow Unused
6 green Ground
7 blue Power LED
8 violet Disk LED |
 |
Connect like this...
A500
CD32
1 -> 5
2 -> 1
4 -> 4
6 -> 3
Taken from an Email by Kimmo Veijalainen.
Usual stuff: I'm not responsible for blowing up Ami, etc; use at
own risk, etc, etc. Having said this, it did work for me. :) Ref's
used: Amiga Hardware Reference Manual (A1000) & the good ol'
CD32-FAQ.
Taken from an Email by Chris Naylor.
Put a ground jumper from pin 3 to the shield. You can modify
another Amiga power supply (eg. A500) for this by replacing the
connector at the end of the lead.
Taken from a posting by Michael Litchfield.
CD32 RGB
The RGB signals come from the D/A conversion unit
and lead directly to the expansion port. These signals are,
however, not amplified. In addition they are weakened by the
S-Video output unit.
As a result I (aim to) insert a 47 Ohm resistor to each colour
signal connection. You may also reduce the load by interrupting the
signal supply to the S-Video unit. Set pin 174 of the expansion
port to GND to achieve that (174 --> u36 (4066) signal
switches).
The sync signals connected to the expansion port
are unbuffered. As a result you may re-synchronize your Amiga by an
external tactsource. You should at least buffer the CSync line;
there is no external synchronisation possible on this pin.
Hint: make use of an XOR gate chip. You may negate certain sync
line(s) to adapt your Amiga to (old? :-( ) multiscan-monitors (the
A4000 monitor adapter box will do the same; without the possibility
of selected negation).
Written by Klaus Hegemann, posted as part of 'CD32
expansion port info' by Anders Stenkvist in
comp.sys.amiga.hardware, forwarded by Michael King.
Return to the Table of
Contents
For CD32 FAQ 2000 I removed all the old addresses from the FAQ.
Most of these people aren't answering the phones anymore, websites
are down, email bounces. If you have a vendor still open for CD32
business that hopefully has a valid website and email address,
please pass it along. I'll be posting all the known sites that I
know of shortly.
|
Company Name/Link
|
Description
|
Location
|
| Centsible
Software |
Software,
Hardware, a little bit of everything! |
U.S. |
Return to the Table of
Contents
The original CD32 FAQ
Last Maintainer: Stuart Tomlinson
Contributors listed in
the original FAQ:
|
Alan
Buxey
Alan Redhouse
Alan Thomas
Alf Edvin Torgersen
Allan Duncan
Anders Stenkvist
Bert Heise
Chris Naylor
Claude Mueller
Clive Thomas
Dan Cannon
David Avery
David Bump
David L.
David Law/Weird Science
David Mansell
Dominic Ramsey
Erik Austin
Frank Hoen/Eureka
Frederic Botton
Garry Cardinal
Gavin Moran
Geoff Adams
Gregor Rbel
Jan Willemsen
Jason Compton
Jason Quigley
Jens Kufver
Joel Corn/Darksoft
John Bump
John LaytJohn Lewis
Johan Fabry
Jonas Petersson
|
Joop van de
Wege
Jukka Kauppinen
Karl Frederick
Keith Blakemore-Noble
Kenwyn M. Smith
Kimmo Veijalainen
Klaus Hegemann
Maarten Ter Mors
Manjit Bedi
Martin Chantler
Matthew Hornyak
Michael Cox
Michael King
Michael Litchfield
Mick Tinker/Index
Nick Zajerko-McKee
Olaf Barthel
Olivier Cremel
Patrick Van Beem
Paul van der Heu
Peter Kittel
Phil Kernick
Philip McDunnough
Ralf Willinghoefer
Ralf Willinghfer
Ralph Bonnell
Robert Wells
Rob Healey
Ron
Steve Cutting
Stuart Prevost
Thomas Kessler
Tony Philipsson
William Thompson |
CD32 FAQ
2000
|
Shane R.
Monroe
|
Gareth
Knight |
Return to the Table of
Contents
|
