Category: Acorn Archimedes

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3.5″ floppy disk cleaning kit

How to clean a floppy disk drive, the easy way

Floppy cleaning disks for any 3.5″ floppy drive are now available, our cleaning disks can be used wet (with isopropyl alcohol) or dry and can clean the read write heads, recommended if you are using old floppies that have deteriorated with age

The cleaning disks are supplied on there own, if you want to use them wet just use 2 drops of 100% isopropyl alcohol to the white inner disk material, this can be purchased online or from a chemists shop in the UK, it is flammable so please read the warning label and take care when using it.

FREE Floppy Disk Cleaning software for Amiga, Atari ST and PC

Not required but you can download these free disk cleaning utilities that move the heads over the cleaning disk to ensure a thorough clean of the magnetic read/write heads

Download link below contains floppy disk head cleaning software for the Commodore Amiga, you will need to extract the archive onto a disk and run the “HeadCleaner” executable in Workbench

Amiga Floppy Drive Head Cleaning Software

Atari ST Floppy Drive Head Cleaning Utility

 

Alternatively on an Amiga, ST or Archimedes just insert the disk and wait a few seconds, eject and then repeat the drive will try to read the cleaning disk and this will clean the heads.

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Create Amiga Disks with FluxEngine on Windows or Mac

With FluxEngine software  you can read, write and access files directly on Commodore Amiga floppy disks and is compatible with the Trumouse Greaseweazle drive kit

First download the latest version of FluxEngine from the website below, there are Windows and Apple Mac Versions

https://github.com/davidgiven/fluxengine/releases

When intstalled and run you will see the main Fluxengine menu screen shown above

 

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Retro Mouse Mat

We have a range of custom retro computing and retro-gaming themed mouse pads, ideal for use with you vintage home micro

A mouse mat, also known as a mouse pad, is a small pad that is placed on a desk or table to provide a smooth surface for a computer mouse to move on. The use of a mouse mat can provide a number of benefits for both the mouse and the user.

One of the main benefits of using a mouse mat is that it can improve the accuracy and precision of the mouse. A smooth surface allows the mouse to move more easily and accurately, which can be especially important for tasks such as gaming or graphic design. In addition, a mouse mat can also protect the surface of a desk or table from wear and tear caused by a mouse moving across it.

Another benefit of using a mouse mat is that it can help to reduce the amount of friction between the mouse and the surface it is moving on. This can help to make the mouse feel more responsive, and can also help to reduce the amount of wear and tear on the mouse itself.

In addition to these benefits, a mouse mat can also help to improve the overall comfort of using a computer mouse. Many mouse mats are designed with a soft, padded surface that can help to reduce the strain on the hand and wrist caused by prolonged use of a mouse. This can be especially helpful for people who spend a lot of time working on a computer.

Finally, a mouse mat can also be a stylish accessory for your work setup. Many mouse mats come in a variety of designs, colors and with different materials. Some mouse mats have designs that match with the gaming setup or office setup.

In conclusion, a mouse mat is a simple but effective accessory that can provide a number of benefits for both the mouse and the user. Whether you’re a gamer, graphic designer, or simply someone who spends a lot of time working on a computer, a mouse mat can help to improve the accuracy, precision, and comfort of using a mouse. It can also protect your desk or table from wear and tear and give a stylish look to your work setup. So, it is important to choose a suitable mouse mat to match your needs.

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History of 16 Bit Home Computers

The 16-bit computer era began in the early 1980s, with the introduction of several new personal computers that were more powerful and capable than their 8-bit predecessors. These computers were built with 16-bit microprocessors, which allowed them to process more data and perform more complex tasks than the 8-bit computers that came before them.

One of the most significant 16-bit computers of this era was the Commodore Amiga, which was first introduced in 1985. The Amiga was known for its advanced graphics and sound capabilities, and it was popular among gamers, graphic designers, and musicians. It featured a custom chipset that provided advanced features such as sprites, blitter and a custom audio processor, that allowed it to produce high-quality graphics and sound, that was not available on other computers at the time.

Another popular 16-bit computer of the era was the Atari ST, which was introduced in 1985. The Atari ST was a direct competitor to the Amiga and it also had advanced graphics and sound capabilities. The Atari ST was primarily marketed as a business computer, but it also found a following among musicians and gamers. It featured a Motorola 68000 CPU and a custom sound chip, that allowed for high-quality audio.

In the United Kingdom, the Acorn Archimedes was a 16-bit computer that was introduced in 1987. It was developed by Acorn Computers and it was primarily used in schools and universities. The Archimedes featured a 32-bit ARM CPU and its own custom OS (RISC OS), that made it a powerful machine, especially in math and scientific calculations.

These 16-bit computers brought significant advancements in technology and they were popular among a wide range of users. They allowed users to perform complex tasks, such as graphic design, music composition, and video editing, that were previously not possible on 8-bit computers. The Amiga, Atari ST, and Acorn Archimedes were all considered to be cutting-edge technology at the time of their release and they helped pave the way for the development of more powerful computers in the years to come.

Overall, the 16-bit era of personal computers was an important time in the development of technology and it marked a significant advancement in the capabilities of personal computers. The Amiga, Atari ST, and Acorn Archimedes were all significant players in this era, and they helped to shape the future of computing by introducing new features and capabilities that were not available on previous 8-bit computers.

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Guide to using Greaseweazle Floppy Disk Hardware Kit

This guide shows how to install Greaseweazle software with an easy to use graphic user interface on your windows PC, first download the main Greaseweazle Host Tools archive and the GUI Menu from the links below.

Main Greaseweazle Windows Software

https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle/releases/download/v1.18/greaseweazle-1.18-win64.zip

Greaseweazle GUI Windows Graphic User Interface

https://desertsagesolutions.com/software/greaseweazle/windows/GreaseweazleGUI-v2.121.zip

Now unzip the main Greaseweazle folder to your Windows desktop from the first download link

Then unzip the  file “GreaseweazleGUI.exe” from the second download link and copy it into the folder you just extracted

**Note (this file needs to be inside the main Greaseweazle Folder to work)

Then run “GreaseweazleGUI.exe”, by double clicking and you will see the main menu screen below

If your Greaseweazle hardware is connected it will show as a device inside the USB Serial ports window, to ensure the hardware is working reliably you first need to check the  data speed, It’s recommended to only use a direct connection to your PC motherboard USB 2 or faster ports, front panel USB ports and hubs may slow down the connection and cause problems and errors.

Now to test the connection speed, select “Measure Bandwidth” from the middle row, then click the “Select” button

You will now see a command window and it will give a speed reading, the test will tell you if your connection is too slow to be reliable, run the test a few times to get a consistent reading, if your connection is too slow try a different USB port on your computer or use different or shorter usb cable.

Once the speed test has passed successfully you are then ready to read and write floppy disc images, if you get verify errors when trying to write a disk try a different disk, many Double Density disks will now be over 30 year old and may be contaminated with dirt or dust or have degraded magnetic coating this  can cause verify read and write errors, for older disks try using the “erase disk” function first before trying to write an image to disk.

Setting DiskDefs 

To use the latest Disk image Definition’s  supplied with the greasweazle gui download,  select “Globals” – then choose “Use DiskDefs File“, then select diskdefs.cfg  – now latest disk definitions  will then be available in the the “Format” drop down box when writing disk images

Mac and Linux Greaseweazle Host Tools Software Direct Download Link

https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle/releases/download/v1.18/greaseweazle-1.18.zip

FloppyBridge Support – Use Real Disks with WinUAE & Amiberry Emulators

You can also use your Greaseweazle to read Amiga floppy disks directly into WinUae Emulator using the the floppybridge plugin, see guide linked below

https://trumouse.com/use-real-floppy-disks-on-winuae-amiga-emulator-with-floppybridge/

The main Greaseweazle Github Page is https://github.com/keirf/greaseweazle

 

 

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Acorn Archimedes USB Mouse Adapter

Our compact Archimedes mouse adapter allows computers that use the Round 9 Pin Mini Din type socket either on the computer or keyboard to use the majority of wired  PC USB Mice and even some modern wireless models from Logitech & Philips

No Drivers or software required, just plug in you will get 3 button support the scroll wheel button acts as the middle mouse button.

Archimedes Wireless Mice

The Logitech M330, Philips M200 and all Logitech Mice that use or include the unifying USB receiver are compatible eg MX

Modern optical mouse connected to Archimedes keyboard

 

ArcMouse USB Mouse adapter from TruMouse connected to the A3000 Mouse Port
Logitech MX master connected to Acorn Archimedes A310 Keyboard