Macrodigital Omega
Andrew McConville (1484) 17 posts |
Hi I have an MD Omega and I was just wondering how many folk on here have one and what stage are you at with it ? *Help Macrod. tells me However I know there is at least and Possibly a j revision too. But I can seem to find anyone with the flash files. It doesn’t seem to like the System updates from here and wails about toolbox modules being too old (Toolbox 1.60 – yes I know its a 2023 module but…) Have tried the HD4 build and no joy either. I’m not trying to run RO5 (yet) So, Omega owners, any one further on than me ? Andrew |
Bryan Hogan (339) 589 posts |
If you are the AndyMc from StarDot, then you’ve probably already seen my comments from there: https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=353084#p353084 Mine also has 4.03 in ROM and softloads 4.39. Why would you want to downgrade by putting RO5 on it?!? (ooh, controversial! :-) |
Andrew McConville (1484) 17 posts |
Haha π Hello again Bryan. Yep it’s me. I’m not specifically looking to put 5 on it. Just curious π€ I know a few owners aren’t on stardot very much |
Colin Ferris (399) 1809 posts |
If you want a bit of fun – how about the RPC HardDisc file. You could try the RPC RO 5 softload. Probley need the Filesystem 32bitted for the HD to work. Someone here ‘Peter’ is trying to get a 26bit version of RO5 to work on a RPC. |
Steve Pampling (1551) 8154 posts |
My understanding is that updating appropriate parts of the Boot is the purpose of the System download |
Ian Karley (65) 30 posts |
I have had a 32bit RISC OS 5 ROM image booting to command prompt on my Omega. The only real issue is the lack of 32 bitted driver modules. The Omega makes a fairly good attempt at looking like a RiscPC/A7000+ to the OS. Things only really fall down when it comes to dealing with it’s PCI bus. With a couple of tweaks the standard Harddisc4 image will also work. Mine is waiting on new caps at the moment but once it’s fixed hopefully I will find the time to look into it a bit more. |
Colin Ferris (399) 1809 posts |
Interesting project :-) I presume you tried *Desktop Does the keyboard/mouse work? PS2? If so can you work out what modules need 32biting. PS are you talking about replacing all the Capacitors? |
Andrew McConville (1484) 17 posts |
https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24395 From my machine’s recon – yes a full replacement of capacitors is recommended.
Interesting |
Colin Ferris (399) 1809 posts |
Answering my question – 2 x PS2 ports. Some Ethernet modules to port to 32bit. Was there a period of time of bad capacitors or do all electrolytes suffer from old age like us? Has anyone thought of a way of using a USB Arc/Rpc podules with RO5 drivers – along with drivers for the Omega? |
Clive Semmens (2335) 3276 posts |
Almost all* do, especially if they’ve had significant periods when they were allowed to completely discharge. Glad to see folks realise it’s electrolytics specifically – other types don’t suffer this way.
|
Rick Murray (539) 13806 posts |
It is basically two long bits of foil a strip of something like greaseproof paper between, and the whole thing soaked in gunk (that’s the “electrolytic” part). |
Clive Semmens (2335) 3276 posts |
Indeed. Another failure mode – the one usually brought on by long periods discharged (or even worse, reverse charged even if only by a volt or two) – is corrosion of the foil, which can cause mechanical damage to the paper, without the gunk actually drying up at all. (Similar problem to dendrites in batteries.) |
Andrew McConville (1484) 17 posts |
IS there any of the Iyonix stuff that works ? There are two Omega Networking Drivers – 4.34 which is slow and moo but reliable. 4.38 which is faster but ‘Dies’ with use. The Chipset RTL139 flags as 32 bit, at least it does on mine, but I assume that means PCI (32bit) Bus rather than 32 bit drivers?. |
Steve Pampling (1551) 8154 posts |
Or excessive AC in the feed to the capacitor
Hmmm. Build a MOSFET power amp, ensure a nice dual rail DC feed, ensure the ripple is smoothed out with correctly rated caps across said rails… Spend next few weeks recovering the ‘fluff’ that held the ‘gunk’ and spend just a few hours picking the metal fragments out of the ceiling and patching the holes. 1 Look, I was 11 (eleven) so a few small, inaccuracies would be expected. |
Clive Semmens (2335) 3276 posts |
I was 17 when I built a stereo pair of class B amplifiers with four EL34s, and output step down transformers wound on nice cores that had the right reluctance… but definitely didn’t have sufficiently large saturation fluxes. (I may have told this story before…?) Strangely (or not so strangely, really) a barely audible, badly distorted whisper came out of my speakers. But all hell broke loose down in the common room, where the telly had gone on the blink, with snow instead of a picture, and my music playing loudly and badly distorted instead of the programme. Apparently my music was playing on everyone’s tellies and radios for hundreds of yards in every direction. |
Rick Murray (539) 13806 posts |
In my younger days cruising electronics junk shops, I had something of a tendency for buying stupidly oversized capacitors (often salvaged from old equipment and dirt cheap) and dumping completely unsuitable amounts of power into them. It’s a wonder I’m still alive… |
Clive Semmens (2335) 3276 posts |
Taking this to Aldershot… “Youthful Indiscretions” |
Dave Higton (1515) 3497 posts |
Class B? Really? AB1 or AB2 were more likely, I’d have thought. You’d need a negative grid bias supply to achieve class B operation. |
Clive Semmens (2335) 3276 posts |
See Aldershot – Youthful Indiscretions |
Colin Ferris (399) 1809 posts |
If one compared the two modules to find the differences – is there anyone around here that understands the design of the Ethernet modules? [Edit] |
Ian Karley (65) 30 posts |
Just to drag things back
Unfortunately keyboard does not currently work
All the modules need attention but most look straightforward. The only one that has major concerns is the MicrodigitalUtils module. This is an odd creation that handles all the low level interface stuff and seems to be an extension of the firmware rather than a proper module. |
Colin Ferris (399) 1809 posts |
Does the PS2 keyboard work under RO4? Is there a serial port that can use a serial mouse? Has anyone with a working Omega saved out the microdidital module? |
Ian Karley (65) 30 posts |
Yes
Yes it does have a serial port but I expect it would run into the same issues as the ps2 port. Although I haven’t tried.
Once I have a working machine again I would be happy to. |
Andrew McConville (1484) 17 posts |
Yes me, you’re welcome to it although as I say others may have newer. How do I get it to you ? Andrew |
Colin Ferris (399) 1809 posts |
Is there a website that can hold these Omega only modules / Utils? Does RO6 softload ok? (I suppose there isn’t a way of integrating Aemulor – so RO6 can run on the new RPi’s :-) ) What is the max RAM that a Omega can use – seem from StarDot – that you can fit 512Mb but only 256Mb can be seen/used. The Omega can get a bit warm fitting some 1Gb cards. Seems a bit like the RPC emulators being limited to 256Mb :-/ Can’t be done – sounds like they said to Brunel Since the various Pi’s going up to 8Gb :-) |