[XCSSA] Hardware Hacking and Weird Stuff

[X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio]

On Sunday 03 August 2008 09:59:13 am X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio 
wrote:
[...]
> >   Is there any way to get Amiga working on modern hardware like the
> > new
> > Cell processor in PS3?
> I read some articles about people doing such things with the newer
> Amiga design - the newest AmigaOS releases run on PowerPC hardware,
> but if you want to run an old Amiga, I would emulate it. On the PS3,
> you simply "install alternate OS" (probably a Linux flavor of some
> sort is what I would recommend) and then install an Amiga emulator on
> top of it. I do not remember the names of the Amiga emulators in Linux
> off-hand, but I'm sure a big of Googling will point you in the right
> direction.

The emulator that others were hinting at is called UAE.. And yeah.. if you 
want to run Amiga emulation on the PS3, I hear Yellowdog Linux (as the host 
OS for the UAE emulator) is the way to go:
	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmPNj5DfuEM

We've had a couple of UAE demos over the years.. fun stuff.

But you will need the kickstart (hardware kernel) ROMs, etc.. and the easiest, 
most legal way to do this  is to just buy the "Amgia Forever" package..
	http://www.amigaforever.com/

FYi.. Amiga Forever is to UAE as Crossover Office is to WINE.

You can do it for free.. but the commercial version is nicer, more integrated, 
and supports a good product.


> Depending on what Linux distribution you install on the
> PS3, it may already have it ready to go for oyu.
>
> > How can I learn more hands on digital fundamentals?
>
> Come to our meetings :) Though there are other things you can do that
> others man know about. I sort of learned by doing by working on things
> with the MidiBox Project.


Courses are good for formal introduction.. but yeah.. as Tim indicates.. it's 
more fun to learn by doing. :)  You can always go back and get a formal 
overview later.. or just look at the free MIT Open Courseware (below).


> It really only teaches you what the hobbyist 
> needs to know, so you may also want to consider taking a class on it
> or something. It all depends on how deep you want to go. If you want
> to build things using microcontrollers, etc., you can pick that up
> pretty easily by playing around with it. If you want to know how to
> build things using logic gates, etc. you may want to take an
> introductory EE course.

Two to three classes would give you a good foundation:
-Intro to DC electronics
-Intro to digital electronics
-Intro to microprocessors..

 I recommend EET classes over pure EE.. EET has more hands on.. (more fun).


> Perhaps the other members can recommend a book 
> or something as well.

Radio Shack (of all places) used to have a good starter book on electronics... 
but I don't send anyone there anymore since all they really do now is do cell 
phones and consumer crap.

Here's a pretty neat little GPL open source book series on intro series on DC 
electronics:
	http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/DC/index.html

Digital electronics:
	http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/Digital/index.html


Electronics Reference Material:
	http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/Ref/index.html

A specific section from their Experiments book on doing basic breadbording:
	http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/Exper/EXP_7.html


Of course.. then there's MIT's "Open CourseWare" where you can take all the 
MIT classes for free via PDF notes and videos.  Here's the link for all of 
their EE/CS classes:
	
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/index.htm

Tweeks