Here you can find the interactive building instructions for our memory extensions:
If you have any questions, please send a short e-mail to info (at) retrobuddys (dot) com
Have fun tinkering!
How do I create my own SD card for CaffeineOS?
First of all, you need the latest image of CaffeineOS. Simply request access to his Google Drive via the page of “CaptLeChuck” / Pedro Cotter => https://bit.ly/m/CaffeineOS. The images can be downloaded there as a torrent and as a ZIP file.
Then use the WinImager under Windows to upload to the SD card => https://win32diskimager.org/
WiFi is now super stable under CaffeineOS and even SMB share access works. The configuration is explained in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKYbILbx1p8 (English)
The recommended SD cards are the SanDiskUltra 32GB for images up to 9275 and the SanDiskExtreme 64GB for 64GB images. Both can be ordered from our store with the latest CaffeineOS. Other SD cards – whether 32GB or 64GB – may be too *small* for the image. This is because every SD card manufacturer “interprets” 32GB or 64GB differently.
Of course we do not “sell” CaffeineOS. CaffeineOS is free software, so the SD cards in the store with and without CaffeineOS have the same price. Only if the SD card is ordered together with a PiStorm is it slightly cheaper.
Dear customers,
Unfortunately, due to increased costs at DHL, we have to increase our domestic shipping costs slightly. From the current €4.99 to €5.50. As a bulk buyer, we now pay €6.10 per parcel (up to 2 kg). If things get a little heavier, we are prepared to pay €6.50. Alarming but unfortunately true – and this with an annual shipping volume of around 3000 parcels.
Everything remains the same for our European customers. Even if the €14.99 does not cover the costs, we will continue to pay a similar amount as for domestic German parcels.
Positive growth.
Nature, in the common sense, refers to essences unchanged by man; space, the air, the river, the leaf. Art is applied to the mixture of his will with the same things, as in a house, a canal, a statue, a picture.
But his operations taken together are so insignificant, a little chipping, baking, patching, and washing, that in an impression so grand as that of the world on the human mind, they do not vary the result.
Undoubtedly we have no questions to ask which are unanswerable. We must trust the perfection of the creation so far, as to believe that whatever curiosity the order of things has awakened in our minds, the order of things can satisfy. Every man’s condition is a solution in hieroglyphic to those inquiries he would put.
In case of doubt or basic questions, please send a short e-mail to info@retrobuddys.com BEFORE installation.
Download Amiga TestKit by Keir Fraser => https://github.com/keirf/amiga-stuff/releases/download/testkit-v1.20/AmigaTestKit-1.20.zip
Please always carry out installations/removals on an ESD mat with potential equalization. Never stand on a (polyester) carpet during installation.
You are now ready to install the expansion into your A600, but before you do, we recommend cleaning the CPU pins with contact cleaner or isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush or cotton swab, as they have probably accumulated all sorts of gunk/lint/etc. over the years.
Allow the CPU to dry well and then place the extension on the CPU in the correct orientation and press it down firmly until it feels firm. No effort should be required.
The socket on the memory expansion is modified and the chip is actually inserted there and not plugged in from above. Therefore, please do not constantly insert and remove it, otherwise the socket will wear out very quickly. If possible, do not shake, turn or place the computer horizontally after installation.
Before you reassemble the case, we recommend running Amiga TestKit. Use the memory option (F1), 4 MB Fast RAM must be displayed. Then start the memory test (F1 again) and let it run for 20-50 cycles: If the TestKit does not find any errors, the memory expansion is seated correctly. If errors occur, switch off the computer and try to fit the extension better by pushing it further down or turning it slightly back and forth.
It can happen that the card slowly moves out of the base over time. To avoid this, you can anchor it to the motherboard using the hole to the left of the CPU, which should match one of the holes for the feet of the hard disk bracket.
Note that, as already mentioned, the PLCC socket is not intended for this type of use, which means that the contact quality deteriorates a little each time the board is inserted or removed. So try not to remove them unnecessarily. If you notice that the contact has deteriorated so much that the machine is no longer stable, the base must be replaced.
Each memory expansion has been extensively tested by us and has been written, read and verified for at least 50 cycles with the “Amiga Testkit” without errors.
If you have received the 3D frame from us for mounting the memory expansion, you must first remove the mainboard from the housing. Then turn to the back and look for the 2 rectangular holes.
Please insert T-shaped pins into these holes. If they are too wide, please sand them down carefully with some sandpaper. For safety, we have included 2 sets consisting of pins and spacers.
If you have not received a mounting frame, then you have a memory expansion with a very strong socket from AMP which does not detach from the CPU even when you lift your Amiga by the memory expansion and you therefore do not need a frame.
Please turn the mainboard over.
Now you have to attach the round spacers with the rectangular side.
Finally, please attach and press on the memory extension and tighten it carefully with the screws supplied. Please remember that the frame is made of PLA plastic and breaks off easily.
After solid always comes from 😊
Before you reassemble your Amiga 600, please test it once with the Amiga test kit.
In the next few weeks you will find a few new products in our store. On the one hand, these are additions from the existing portfolio, on the other hand, they are completely new projects.
You can look forward to the following products:
In addition, we will offer all projects as “PCB Only” and “Kit”. We’ve had a few requests from the community for complete craft kits, especially in the last few weeks.
A few days ago Hyperion released the now 2nd update of Amiga OS 3.2 (here). Time to describe once how to make a fresh installation on a CF card with WinUAE.
I won’t go into the hardware because there’s really nothing to do. However, you need a Compact Flash card with a capacity of 4 GB, a CF-IDE adapter (see store) and of course a Compact Flash reader for your computer. This guide also assumes that you are using Windows, although it should be possible to perform pretty much the same procedure with FS-UAE on Linux or Mac.
Step 1 – Download tools
First of all, you need to download a set of software.
WinUAE – Amiga emulator
This tutorial uses the WinUAE Amiga emulator which can be found at https://www.winuae.net. We have used the version 4.10.1.
Kickstart/Workbench
You need a copy of the Kickstart ROM and the Amiga OS 3.2 CD (available here in the Store). To do so, please download Update 1 (Amiga OS 3.2.1) and Update 2 (Amiga OS 3.2.2) from Hyperion. As a Retrobuddy customer you have received a direct link from us. Please unzip the update 2 to use the latest Kickstart ROM Kickstart 3.2.2 47.111.
PFS3 file system support
We recommend using the PFS3 file system and you need to download the handler for it from http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/pfs3aio. This is not strictly necessary, but it is faster than the standard AFFS and supports larger partitions.
Win32 Disk Imager
You should use Win32DiskImager to make regular copies of CF card images or download different ones from our website as a Retrobuddys.com customer. You can find the disk imager here: https://win32diskimager.org/
Step 2 – Prepare CF card
To use the Compact Flash card in an Amiga, you must remove all previous file system information from it. To do this, start diskpart as admin in the command prompt.
First list your hard disks by typing “list disk”. This should give you a result something like this:
Next select your compact flash card, in my case it is disk 2: “select disk 2”.
Be very, very sure that you choose the right plate. You will destroy everything on it otherwise.
If you want to be absolutely sure that you have selected the correct disk, you can run the Detail Disk function to check. When you are 100% sure, run “Clean”. This deletes the file system information from the disk and makes it ready for use in the Amiga. Exit diskpart.
Adding the Compact Flash card
The next step is to add the compact flash card. For this reason, you must run WinUAE as administrator, otherwise it will not work.
Click on the “Add Hard Drive” button.
Select the Compact Flash card as the hard disk (it may be called something completely different on your computer)
Switch from UEA to IDE (Auto)
Make sure that Read/Write is enabled.
Click on the “Add hard drive” button.
Step 3 – Configure the virtual Amiga in WinUAE
Start WinUAE as administrator. This is very important (right click on the icon “Run as administrator”) => Now we need to configure the system. Please try to rebuild your “real” Amiga 1:1.
Start the virtual machine!
Step 4 – Partitioning the Compact Flash card
Now we need to partition and format the Compact Flash card for use in an Amiga.
This is how it should look when you start your virtual Amiga
Open the installation disk and the HDTools drawer.
Start HDToolbox, you should see Interface SCSI, Address 0, LUN 0, Status Unknown
This is how HDToolbox should look like when you start it with CF card installed
Click on “Change drive type” -> “Define new” -> “Read configuration” -> “Continue” to configure the CF drive (ignore the read values, the Amiga does not really understand 4 GB drive)
Click OK and go back to the list of disks in the system.
Click on “Partition Drive”.
Set up a small(er) system partition, about 250 MB. Change the name to DH0.
Set up the rest of the CF card as a partition and name it DH1.
Example of CF card partitioning
Optional: Use the file system pfs3
Activate the advanced options and then click “Add/Update”.
Click Add New File System
Enter the filename f:pfs3aio (NOT pfs3_aio-handler as claimed in the video, this is no longer correct) and click OK
Change DosType to 0x50465303 and do not forget to press Enter in the field
Click OK and OK to return to your partitions
Select DH0 and click “Change” to switch to the new file system
Select “Custom File System” or “PFS/03” (depending on your Workbench version, I think)
Make sure that identifier is 0x50465303 (otherwise change it)
Change MaxTransfer to 0x1fe00 (and press Enter)
After some development time we finally went live today. The team behind the buddies has already considered the last year whether and to what extent it would be useful. can turn an “old” hobby into a business. Our aim is to be a contact point for the retro computing community around the “old” Commodore computers and to support the HW Mod community with words and deeds.
Many people are like me, they made their first steps 30+ years ago with the first Commodore computers – no matter if VIC-20, C64 or Amiga. I myself can still. remember very well how I worked with. my soldering iron have destroyed one or the other computer. However, I also learned an enormous amount while “scrapping”. Parallel to the HW mods I also learned to program the computers – especially C64 and Amiga 500. The 64 of course only in assembler and the Amiga to. Start with C and later 100% assembler.
Also, I am self taught to the demo and cracking scene and I still find it amazing today how many of “my” demo’s and hack’s still exist.
If you have any questions, need help or support, just ping us at info at Retrobuddys dot com. We are happy to help!
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