Amstrad Mega PC / Amstrad Mega PC Plus

Thanks for sharing all of those photos. I was unaware of SD card IDE solutions until now. I've been using Compact Flash for years and something like that could save me alot of money in the future.

 

Whoops! Looks like the original links died in the first post - updated!

 

Hi.

I have a megapc and broken monitor. I'm looking for a monitor to replace it, but it's complicated. I would like to know monitors that serve me for megapc. I know that acorn akf50 is valid, but also difficult to get. I would like to know a monitor that is easier to get and run 100% on my amstrad megapc. I have tested lcd monitor multisync and they do not work (samsung, benq, ..) sorry for my bad english. Thank you.

 

Hey @Perro, @Ronnie might be able to help with that, he had an LCD (Samsung) working! Paging @Ronnie, @Ronnie

 

Thank you.

 

Oh, I dug a little deeper and here's some super secret private conversation between @Ronnie and me - Shhh, don't tell @Ronnie!

Basically is the same mixer for the Atari ST (see pic below) but for the TeraDrive and Mega PC you MUST leave out all of the resistors seen there. The IC mixes Hsync and Vsync to create Composite Sync. Also, the only VGA output pins to the monitor used for the TeraDrive and Mega PC are RGB, the GND's, and the IC made Csync which goes to the Hsync pin. Remember to only use these VGA pin signals because the Amstrad Mega PC for example also has audio pins and whatnot on its connector that will cause problems if connected directly. What I did was to get one of those cheap Chinese 2port VGA + Audio switchers (2 PC's to 1 monitor switcher) and I modded the VGA output of it with said pins and with the added Sync mixer chip, which believe it or not, is getting its external +5V power from a iPhone 4 USB AC adapter. This last is optional, as one can easily install the chip inside of each PC, but I didn't want to.

Here's the IC Sync mixer schematic pic. Did I mention? Leave out the resistors shown there for the TeraDrive and Mega PC applications.



Also, apparently there are a whole bunch of new and old LCD monitors that can handle both the 15kHz and 31kHz signals. My unit is a Dell U2410F but it looks like other newer Dell models like the SR2320L, ST2320L, ST2410, U2410 and some Samsung Syncmasters among others can do it not problem. Who knows and with luck, maybe you already have a compatible one at home.


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I haven't had the chance to test any of this and then I went ahead and sold my flash new Samsung screen... if any of this works for you, just shoot a thanks to @Ronnie! Best of luck!

 

Hi.

Can you explain how megapc can be seen on a monitor in DTV mode connected in PC mode?

 

Hola.
Buenas noticias!!!
Con el LG M1917A el mega pc funciona!!!!

 

Dammit, I did German in high school studies many eons ago. If I'm correct, that's some other language LOL

Hola hola! (Am I doing this right?)

 

Yes, it's Spanish. I'm spanish. And the joy of checking that the monitor worked, I expressed it in my language.

 

I like the exclamation marks Very glad you got it to work!

 

I just picked up a Mega PC, am in the process of getting it configured to my liking. Unlike many people, I had no problem with the CMOS battery: no explosion, no leaking - not even a drop. Of course I immediately snipped out the long-dead battery. I've read about quite a few Mega PC owners soldering in either a new barrel battery or a CR2032 holder w/anti-recharging diode. I can't understand why someone would go to all that trouble, when I just lazily attached an AA-battery "kit" to the external battery input on the motherboard. Specifically, I'm using this one from Ultimateapple2 which they market for the Apple IIgs but obviously it has wider applications...

https://www.ultimateapple2.com/cata...in_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=21

I've also installed a 50MHz Cyrix 486 SRx2 "snap-in" upgrade (as I have the need for speed), Intel 387SX 16-25MHz coprocessor (just for kicks), 16MB system RAM and the video RAM upgrade. Before I put the machine into (hyper-)active use I'm going to install a little fan over the CPU, because that sucker runs HOT and the included heat sink won't fit (there's no clearance space under the FDD+HDD cage).

Thing came complete w/original monitor, keyboard, mousey and manuals. Whoopiee!!! Like some other owners have reported, my monitor is finicky about turning on: the power button doesn't always stay locked in when pressed. Luckily once it does come on, it stays on. Other than that everything works like a charm. What a neat, quaint little machine. I'm glad I finally picked one up.

All I really need now is a 60Hz mod for the Mega Drive side. Why? Because I'm a USA-ican who doesn't appreciate his games running ~17% slower than he's used to!

I'm going to start doing some "hard core" [!] testing of the onboard Ad Lib support, to see if anything's different from the usual fare. I've already noticed that PCM playback thru the YM3812 either doesn't work at all, or works with hiccups: at least in the case of Super Fighter and Sango Fighter which are the only (of the few!) games I've thus far tested that actually bother to support this "feature." Using a real, authentic Ad Lib sound card, the PCM plays back 100% with no issues, 100% of the time. So... a curiousity at this point.

Aaaaaaaaand that's about it for now. Where did all you other Mega PC owners scoot off to? In the words of Sebastian Krist, "Come back here."

 

I've had two Mega Pc's. One I sold and the remaining one is near by hacked to the xtreme . I did the NTSC 60Hz MD mod to both and is definitely a MUST for any Mega Pc owner. I also have every ram maxed out, with math co-processor and Cyrix upgrade. I also came across the same cpu/heatsink issue. Tried many low profile heatsinks but none did the job however I realized that when the case is put back and shut, the PSU fan sits so close to the upgrade chip that actually keeps it cool. I've been running it like that forever with no problems at all.
The upgrade is alright, is helps just a tad (not enough in my opinion). I installed a Sound Blaster Pro2 too because the built-in Adlib card wasn't cutting it for me. And lastly, my Mega PC set up includes an external cd-rom drive daisy chained with an external dual (3.5" / 5.25") Floppy Disk drive too.

Did you installed the Cyrix software to enable its cache?

 

Cool, man. Nice to know about the CPU being cooled down by the fan. Do you throw a lot of "intense" (i.e. demanding) games at it? (I'll prolly still mount a little fan over the chip out of paranoia. These little beasties are obscure and tend to be pricey after all, as you well know.)

These kinds of upgrades never work miracles, but they are nice. The "Make-it-486," for example, is a godsend for some of the Tandy line.

I'm not so concerned about Sound Blaster support since I have it in other machines. I'm likely going to install a Game Blaster instead, when all is said and done, along with a Disney Sound Source. The DSS will give me digital audio in a handful of games, at least. Better than nothing. And the Game Blaster is just cool, yo.

Yeah, I've installed the cache. My upgrade CPU came complete with disks, box and instructions -- all at the nifty price of $66!

 

To be fair I only play on it sporadically but when I do, is usually well over an hour and switching back between PC and MD. The most demanding game I have installed (if you can even say that or play it for that matter ) is Doom (still plays choppier than the 3DO counterpart).

I know what you mean, I have a Sound Blaster 2.0 with the added C/MS chips upgrade. I also have another sound card (Sound Galaxy I think SBPro2 clone) it can mimic and output Disney Sound source among other things.

$66? Wow not bad at all

 

The trouble with using a Sound Blaster with C/MS is that there are a handful of games that require detection of CT-1302 chip found only on the Game Blaster; and no one's devised work-around hacks for them yet. Trouble with being a "completionist" like myself is that the Game Blaster is extremely hard to find and expen$ive when you do.

I've got one of those Galaxy cards myself. It's a curious piece of kit indeed.

Are you a sound card buff like myself? Kinda sounds like it.

I was wondering about Doom on the Mega PC. I don't play the actual game so much, but its performance is a good indicator of the echelon of games I can expect to run on the machine. I was toying around with Wolf3d and Blake Stone the other day. While I'm very familiar with Wolf3d's Ad Lib sound effects -- they're very good, considering! -- I had never tried Blake without a Sound Blaster before. And for shame. JAM Productions couldn't be bothered to even try creating something half-decent there. Well, at least it features a rippin' soundtrack.

 

Update: My Mega PC's ISA Mega Drive card is now 60Hz modded thanks to Ronnie, so I can now play games at the proper USA speed as God intended. I can confirm that the 60Hz mode displays fine on the bundled Amstrad monitor.

I ended up installing a Sound Blaster CT-1350B with C/MS upgrade, as I didn't want to rob the PC side of DAC sound. I disabled the Sound Blaster's onboard Ad Lib chip and game port by way of jumpers, so as not to interfere with the Mega PC's native support for these.

Not a bad system setup, don'cha think?

 

Did I tell you how surprisingly well Doom runs on the 486SLC version of the Mega PC? I played through the entire game just fine, it was awesome.

Nice! I'm still looking for the Monitor, keyboard, and PC joystick - all I've got is the Mega PC (with a 486SLC Mega Plus motherboard inside) and the matching MD controller. I'm hopefully going to win an eBay auction this week for a similarly coloured Microvitech monitor that supports 15khz and 31khz, which is good enough for me as a substitute until I can track down the real monitor. Hell, I can even use my Sega TeraDrive with it!

 

My pleasure .

Hopefully, I'll eventually find a vintage monitor that meets my expectations but for now,I'm quite content with my modern LCD monitor that's able to handle both signals. This screen also has inputs for HDMI,DP, DVI, Component and even AV so I have multiple devices connected to it at once. It really is an all in one screen station to go to so no complains