Posts by codewiz@mstdn.io
(DIR) Post #AxozewvWfA7IhpwQhk by codewiz@mstdn.io
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And that's it... phew! 😌Now I just need to solder the battery holder on top of it and the 3 legs underneath...#electronics #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #amiga
(DIR) Post #AxozexhjlugJ7MUvqq by codewiz@mstdn.io
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And voilà! The RTCPWR pin is receiving 3.3V and the oscilloscope confirms that the little quartz is ticking! 🎉#commodore #amiga #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #electronics
(DIR) Post #AxozeyCDwZ4GdulHN2 by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Today I also did a quick 3D-printing test for a pass-through bracket to bring HDMI and Ethernet ports of the Z3660 to one of the Zorro slots behind the A3000 case.Since I suck both at CADs and 3D printing, I downloaded an STL file for a dual-HDMI bracket as a starting point.I didn't expect the first try to be perfect, but I was surprised to find that someone had designed and shared a bracket skewed the wrong way! 😂Or... do Zorro and PCI have opposite chirality? 😲#amiga #retrocomputing
(DIR) Post #Axozf3lrDVXfvsTJ6e by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Parametric #CADs let you specify constraints on the sizes, distances and angles between certain lines, which can be adjusted at any time.After drawing the outlines of the HDMI and ETH connectors on the front face in the Sketch workbench, I wanted #FreeCAD to punch them as holes through the bracket's thickness.
(DIR) Post #Axozf4PuoZaJw7DIXo by codewiz@mstdn.io
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For instance, even with the early #Amiga ray-tracing packages such as Imagine and Lightwave, I'd start by drawing a 2D shape and then make a solid by "extruding" this flat silhouette along its normal. #cad
(DIR) Post #Axozf4frrGLSjag2PQ by codewiz@mstdn.io
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The "Pocket" tool in the "Part Design" workspace does exactly what I needed, but took me a while to find it among countless of unfamiliar tools offered by #FreeCAD.However, most of the jargon and the concepts I'm learning to make this simple bracket should port across all modern #CAD packages.
(DIR) Post #Axozf5A03ERqF2m6NM by codewiz@mstdn.io
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You could extrude a profile around an axis to make radial shapes such as a vase, or along a curvy path to make a pipe. And you could even scale the section along the way to make a snake.Over 30 years later, extrusion remains a fundamental construction technique provided by all modern #CAD software.#Amiga #retrocomputing
(DIR) Post #Axozf5zkwnqepYzR32 by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Real 3D, one of the first solid modelers featuring constructive geometry, boolean operations and smooth surfaces, also debuted on the #Amiga.Real 3D was very advanced for its time, but also harder to learn. I never went beyond modeling simple shapes with it, but I had an older friend who was using Real 3D for architecture.Lots of great 3D modelers and ray tracers originated on #AmigaOS:https://sites.google.com/site/3dtimeline
(DIR) Post #Axozf6j8E6916IDfm4 by codewiz@mstdn.io
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But I digress. I went to the Artisans Asylum with this rough #FreeCAD design to print it with one of the three Prusa MK3 available in the Digifab shop.A couple of nice people helped me setup various slicer parameters and the printer itself.A 0.10 mm fine print with common PLA filament takes about 40 minutes, and I had to iterate a couple of times to adjust the position of the screws, add scaffolding for the mounting screw hole on top, etc.#3dprint #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing
(DIR) Post #Axozf7z7Y8Wp0AhxKq by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Everything fits together, but I couldn't find suitable self-tapping screws to attach the HDMI pass-through.Aside for the color, I'd say it's a passable surrogate for a proper metal bracket. 👍#amiga #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing
(DIR) Post #AxozfA1fxblDKfv1ay by codewiz@mstdn.io
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I noticed now for the first time that the top Zorro slot of the #Amiga 3000 is slightly taller than the other three. This is also the position of the A2000-compatible video expansion slot; perhaps the extra clearance was needed to accommodate preexisting cards? 🤔#commodore #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing
(DIR) Post #AxozfB2QCJx2THH8Oe by codewiz@mstdn.io
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To complete my #Amiga 3000 restoration, I still need to solve a small mechanical issue: there is barely enough clearance under the drive bay for a Z3660 with a Z-Turn board on top.My Z3660 card is also slightly tilted upwards when plugged into the CPU slot, and the RJ45 connector of the Z-Turn contacrs the bottom of the frame, putting stress on the connector.
(DIR) Post #AxozfCidwpJpgW2MqW by codewiz@mstdn.io
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I could just cut an opening right over the RJ45 connector. So I took some measurements and marked the area to cut off in orange.Luckily, there is already a hole in the frame from which I can start cutting around with a hack saw.How hard could it possibly be?#vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #diy
(DIR) Post #AxozfFu66hGPYuQ3cG by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Ugh. Cutting square holes with a hack saw isn't as easy as it seems 😰I guess that's the original meaning of the term "hacking":http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/H/hacker.html#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing
(DIR) Post #AxozfHNCdy8i7T2oca by codewiz@mstdn.io
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After some filing, that hole looks a little smoother 😅
(DIR) Post #AxozfIIdCS4ozZug8O by codewiz@mstdn.io
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With tape covering the rough edges, the result is almost presentable 😌#amiga #vintagecomputing #diy
(DIR) Post #AxozfJLrHwFiFsQlns by codewiz@mstdn.io
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To be honest, #Commodore designed a terrible drive bay for the #Amiga 3000.It's so bad that someone felt the need to design a new split frame with much improved ergonomics:https://www.amibay.com/threads/amiga-3000-drive-bay-frame-split.2444489/I should probably get in line to obtain one of these when the next batch of production happens.#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #mechanics #cad
(DIR) Post #AxozfMKYDFzNUgqGgK by codewiz@mstdn.io
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The hole in the drive bay is almost a perfect fit for the RJ45 connector of the Z3660.I can start reassembling the A3000 chassis...
(DIR) Post #AxozfRgiIHgi6sFXQ8 by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Since I couldn't figure out what happened and how to repair the FFS directory structure, and re-transferred the #AmigaOS 3.2 system I normally use in UAE.The problem never reappeared, so perhaps it was just FFS being prone to corruption when writes are interrupted by a crash. And this #Amiga was rebooted numerous times while I was chasing the remaining hardware and software stability issues.Anyway, these are some of the joys and sorrows of #vintagecomputing ❤️
(DIR) Post #AxozfSzXRmLA9Y45Oy by codewiz@mstdn.io
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Found the perfect companion for my #Amiga 3000: this beautiful NEC MultiSync with a horizontal range of 31-110 kHz!I pulled it from the basement of my house and tested it briefly: it still works, and the picture quality is perfect after degaussing the CRT and adjusting a few display controls ❤️