Task: Purchase and Install a PiStorm for Your Amiga 600
Needed: Amiga 600, Amiga 600 PiStorm, Compatible Raspberry Pi, MicroSD Card, Philips and Hex Screwdrivers
Time: 30-60 minutes or longer
Introduction
I recently purchased an Amiga 600 computer and immediately ordered a PiStorm device to expand its capabilities. I have previously posted about the PiStorm upgrade for the Amiga 500 and 1200 that provides CPU acceleration, tons of additional fast RAM, and a virtual hard drive from an SD card all with the help of a Raspberry Pi computer. This is a must have upgrade and the PiStorm for the 600 is different from both the 500 and 1200.
Installation of the PiStorm in the 600 is pretty straightforward and does not require any soldering or modifications.
Instructions
First, purchase a PiStorm for the Amiga 600. There are several options on eBay. I bought mine from an eBay seller in the Ukraine for about $60. Several other sellers were more expensive.
Second, you will need a Raspberry Pi to provide the hardware emulation. In the past, most people purchase either a Pi 3A+ or a Zero 2 W. I went with the Zero 2 W because I had one in my collection. However, these are hard to source from reliable sites. A good option is the Pi 3B that seems be in stock from sources such as Adafruit from around $35.
Third, it is time to prepare the motherboard for installation of the PiStorm. Remove the case. There are six Philips screws on the bottom to remove. Once removed, you may need to provide gentle pressure on the sides of the case with a flat tool as there are some clips holding it together. Gently lift the top from the bottom. There is a keyboard power connector on the bottom right to unplug and the keyboard ribbon in the back. Once the keyboard is free, you will need to remove the floppy drive and any hard drive that is present. You will then need to remove a single hex screw holding the front of the motherboard to the bottom of the case. Remove the RF shield and motherboard. You can remove the hard drive holder as it will no longer be needed. You will next need to remove the hex screws on the back that hold the motherboard to the RF shield. There are sets of two next to each port. I used a small wrench to loosen each. You should now be able to remove the RF shield + motherboard from the bottom of the case. Finally, to free the motherboard you will need to bend up some of the RF shield tabs found around the exterior. The motherboard is now ready for the PiStorm.
Fourth, we now need to install the standoffs that hold the PiStorm flush with the 68000 CPU for close contact. My PiStorm included two small black standoffs each with two small Philips screws as shown below. Insert two of the screws from the bottom of the motherboard in the holes used by the hard drive mount to the immediate left of the 68000 CPU and a little further to the right as shown below. You will need to screw them through the metal islet. Once through, twist the black standoffs firmly on each as shown below.
Fifth, it is time to insert the PiStorm on top of the 68000 CPU. It should click in place. While holding it firmly in place over the CPU insert and tighten the two remaining screws into the standoffs to firmly hold the PiStorm to the board. This will ensure it maintains close contact. The first time I did this and booted I got a green screen. Tightening the screw some more fixed the problem. Do not overtighten as you might break the board.
Sixth, it is time to mount the Raspberry Pi. Note the text on your PiStorm indicating the orientation. On mine, the Pi Zero 2 W is upside down facing the back of the computer as shown below.
Seventh, it is time to prepare your SD card with the PiStorm files. Refer to my previous post about setting up a PiStorm for the Amiga 500. In short, you have two options. You can download a prepared image and write that image to the SD card using something like the Raspberry Pi Imager software. Popular image packages or distros include Caffeine OS (free), Coffin OS (commercial), and AmiKit (commercial). You can also use the Emu68 imager that writes the PiStorm files to one partition and your AmigaOS files to another.
Once you have imaged your SD card insert it into the Pi. You can now reassemble your Amiga 600 and boot it up. Below is my successful boot with a Workbench 3.2.3 image I prepared with WHDLoad games and the iGame selector.
Comments
The PiStorm allows you to have tons of fun with your Amiga 600 by providing a faster CPU and tons of RAM. As you can see below, I have mine running a 68040 CPU. Also, all the files are on the SD card with 4GB partitions (Workbench, Games, Utilities, Misc). The only thing missing is native AGA graphics that you get with the 1200. Aside from that, this is a gaming and computing monster. The only thing left to do is to upgrade the chip RAM to 2MB. I will do that in a future post.
