Task: Transfer Files to Your Amiga 600 or 1200 Using a Compact Flash to PCMCIA Card Adapter
Needed: Amiga 6oo or 1200, CF to PCMCIA Adapter, CF Card or SD to CF Adapter
Time: 15 to 30 Minutes
Introduction
The Amiga 600 and 1200 featured a PCMCIA (aka PC Card) slot that provided a convenient expansion port. At the time, PCMCIA was primarily associated with laptops, but Commodore used it to give these Amigas flexible expansion capabilities. Today, the slot is commonly used for CompactFlash adapters, SRAM cards, network adapters, and modern storage solutions that make transferring files to and from the Amiga much easier.
The PCMCIA slot is especially useful because it allows expansion without opening the computer or installing internal hardware. Many Amiga users use it to quickly move ADF, WHDLoad, and image files between modern systems and real Amiga hardware. Although somewhat underutilized during the original commercial life of the Amiga, the PCMCIA slot with a CompactFlash adapter effectively provides the Amiga with a simple removable external hard drive solution. This has become one of the easiest and most popular ways to transfer software, install games, and expand storage on the Amiga 600 and 1200.
Instructions
Step 1 is to purchase a PCMCIA card for your Amiga. I got mine from Amazon f or less than $20. This one accepts a CF card.
Step 2 is purchase a CF card or CF card adapter that will hold the files you want to transfer. I purchased two CF cards and neither would format. Very frustrating. I ended up purchasing another CF card adapter that accepts a micro SD card. You will need to be sure the SD card is Fat32 formatted. I recommend a 1-4GB SD card. I first used a 32GB card and the Amiga was slow to read and interact with it.
Step 3 is to download and run the CF_Install.adf file from Aminet. This is a floppy disk image that contains a script that can be run to automatically install the drivers. I put the ADF file on my Gotek and then used that to make a real floppy disk as the script looks for files on drive 0 (Gotek is drive 1). Once on a floppy I opened the floppy drawer and right clicked on the INSTALL icon and chose execute command from the Workbench menu bar and then typed RUN INSTALL to run the script. Once done you can remove the disk and reboot. The output of the script is shown below.
Step 4 is to give it a try! Put some files on the SD/CF card and carefully insert the PCMCIA card in the side of the Amiga and boot. You should see the hard drive mounted on the desktop. Opening it should reveal the files. If you don’t see anything you will need to right click on the window and use the Workbench menu to select SHOW ALL files. From there you can copy them over to the Amiga.
Comments
I am really happy to have this option as I have cracked open my Amiga 1200 many times to put new files on my CF card hard drive.