User avatar
sjuswede

Posted Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:25 am

I still have my original Amiga 1000, and I am immensely interested in this project. I would in that case want to fit the rejuvenator together with a 68030 TK with a 64MB expansion, for a nice "daily driver", which this Amiga used to be for me. I did my first consulting work on it, in fact. A lovely machine.

I'm not sure where to sign up for that I am interested, so I joined here to post a message. =)

// Sjuswede

User avatar
EzdineG
Springfield, MO

Posted Mon Aug 13, 2018 5:51 pm

joethezombie wrote:After reading the chip, the software will show a screen of the contents. If it is filled with all ones, then the protection fuse is blown, and you have a long road ahead. If you have a smattering of 1s and 0s, then you are golden. Save the array as a JEDEC file. You can now burn this to a new GAL16V8 (or GAL20V8 for the bigger guys) and use that part in place of the original.
I've got some really bad news for us here. I've got my hands on Eric's Rejuvenator and tried to read the PAL's with a TL866A (as GAL16v8 and GAL20V8). It appears they're all protected, as all I can see are 11111111's when read.

There's still the possibility that this reader just can't read them because they aren't official Lattice (see below.)
IMG_1205.jpg
If this is so, bad news indeed :/

User avatar
joethezombie
Twin Falls, ID

Posted Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:32 pm

That they are not Lattice doesn't matter. I thought perhaps the same-- the chip on PowerCache was an MMI. I bought new old stock MMI and AMD PAL16L8 and programmed them without the security option, and they both could be read back easily. It was fairly common practice to set the security bit by default during manufacture, so really not too surprising.

For the 16L8, there is still chance the Charles MacDonald adapter can read the chip, if the logic doesn't involve latches or flip-flops, or you'll get a partial decode of the equations along with a bunch of garbage on the latch pins output in the form of an .oe equation.

Do recognize that The Rejuvenator replaces the existing daughterboard. Most likely, the contents of the PALs are going to be very close to the original Commodore versions, which we know the equations.

I would think the best bet would be to trace the pins of each PAL and identify which signals are on which pins. Then reference the original Commodore equations and create an approximation. Then use a logic analyzer comparing the original Rejuvenator PALs with the approximation could give a very good idea of what would need fixing. Be sure your replacement chips are the same speed or faster than the existing.

Another option I have been toying with is using an Arduino Mega to send every possible combination of inputs to the chip while monitoring the outputs and create a truth table which could then be minimized to the proper equations. It's tough to realize, however. The logic can get exponentially difficult to decipher once latches, flip-flops, and output enable equations get assigned and looped back into other equations. I think the 20L8 only allows for 5 or 6 types of latches, and there are so few product terms that it just might be possible. I'm currently working on this to decode some other 20L8, I have not had any success.

Of course, if the logic is elementary, then a simple breadboard with some switches and LEDs could be used to fabricate the truth table.

User avatar
mr.t.guru

Posted Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:07 am

joethezombie wrote:Another option I have been toying with is using an Arduino Mega to send every possible combination of inputs to the chip while monitoring the outputs and create a truth table which could then be minimized to the proper equations.
This is exactly what Charles MacDonald's PAL reader does. I have one here and used it a few times to dump PALs for use with MAME. The dump is pretty raw and has to be run through a program Charles wrote which creates the equations. Then that file has to be put into WinCUPL and the jed created. Of course at any stage the read/conversion can fail either in the hardware reader or software equation converter then you have done nothing except lost a lot of time.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Aug 18, 2018 9:27 am

@EzdineG, joethezombie and mr.t.guru

Thanks SO much for all of your efforts and ideas to take this project to the next level thus far. I've posted a new update (#2) to try and capture where everything currently stands today.

User avatar
Jsdcsdja

Posted Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:20 am

This is totally awesome. As I got my old amiga 1000 back.
I am glad I found you guys and this web page. I am interested in the rejuvenator,
and interested in buying one

User avatar
amigaboy

Posted Thu May 30, 2019 2:35 pm

Hi all, i see there are quite a few of you interested in the fantastic `rejuvenator` card. It just so happens that if your interested, i have my Amiga a1000 including the REJUVENATOR up for sale on ebay, i know that the pcb card can be obtained but getting the chips is another matter, well my setup is fully working and up for grabs.

User avatar
nonarkitten

Posted Wed Jun 05, 2019 1:50 pm

amigaboy wrote:Hi all, i see there are quite a few of you interested in the fantastic `rejuvenator` card. It just so happens that if your interested, i have my Amiga a1000 including the REJUVENATOR up for sale on ebay, i know that the pcb card can be obtained but getting the chips is another matter, well my setup is fully working and up for grabs.
That's your Amiga 1000 with the AdSpeed?

I'd be willing to accept your asking price on that if you'd be willing to ship everything but the 1081 to Canada. Shipping the monitor is both risky and really expensive -- they weigh a ton.

User avatar
obitus1990
USA

Posted Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:50 pm

Posting my interest in obtaining one, now that I own an A1000.

User avatar
obitus1990
USA

Posted Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:07 pm

It's a shame it uses GALs instead of PALs...because this looks promising:

https://gitlab.com/MHeinrichs/galdurino





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