Frequently Asked Questions
This section compiles a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) aimed at addressing common inquiries, clarifications, and concerns. Developers are encouraged to consult this section for quick references and insights.
General Questions
What is the maximum number of ROMs that the SidecarTridge Kickstart Multi ROM can support?
The board lists up to 64 ROM images. Every image is 512 KB, and a new board has about 13 MB free, room for 25 more images besides DiagROM and the rescue switcher.
Which Amiga motherboards are supported?
The A500 motherboard revisions (rev3/rev5/rev6a) and the A2000 Kickstart socket are supported using the matching carrier board. See the Compatibility page for details.
Can I use the Kickstart Multi ROM with an Amiga that is not listed?
Potentially, if a carrier board exists for that ROM socket and the board uses a 68000-compatible 512KB Kickstart layout. If your model is unlisted, contact us before purchase.
Which Kickstart sizes are supported?
Classic 256KB Kickstart 1.x/early 2.x images and 512KB Kickstart 2.04/2.05/3.x images are supported, plus custom ROMs like DiagROM and EmuTOS that use the same pinout and 512KB layout. The emulator always presents a 512KB ROM to the Amiga, so 256KB Kickstarts must be mirrored to 512KB before being copied to ROMEMUL. See the Compatibility and Kickstart conversion pages for details.
Why is the Kickstart Multi ROM limited to 16MB of flash storage?
The current ROM board uses 16MB of addressable SPI flash on the RP2350 platform.
Will the Kickstart Multi ROM support larger flash storage in the future?
This is a possibility, depending on future hardware developments.
Why do I need a RESCUE button?
The RESCUE button recovers the SidecarTridge ROM board in case of a failed firmware update or a broken image, allowing you to restore the device to a known good image. This is especially useful for developers and users who want to experiment with custom firmware.
Why is the RESCUE button not on the SidecarTridge ROM board?
Due to space constraints and the potential for users to access the RESCUE button through a cable or case hole, it is not included directly on the SidecarTridge ROM board.
Why does the Kickstart Multi ROM use a FAT12 filesystem?
The FAT12 filesystem is used to ensure compatibility with all operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is a simple and efficient filesystem that is easy to implement and use.
Why is the name of the Kickstart/ROM images limited to 63 characters?
The board keeps the list of ROM images in a small, fixed space, with 64 bytes for each name; one of them marks the end of the name, which leaves 63 characters. Longer names are cut when the list is built. The SWITCHER’s rename prompt says “max 64 characters”, but 63 can be typed.
Hardware Questions
How do I know the Kickstart Multi ROM board is powered on?
A red LED lights when powered.
Can I use the board in an A500 if the Kickstart ROM is soldered?
No. You need a socketed ROM position. If your ROM is soldered, have a technician install a socket first (see Before You Buy).
Which carrier board should I order?
Match the carrier to your motherboard revision. The A500 family is covered by two kits: A500 carrier rev5 and earlier (for A500 rev3 and rev5 motherboards) and A500 carrier rev6 and later (for A500 rev6a motherboards). The Amiga 2000 has two dedicated carriers depending on the motherboard revision: A2000 carrier rev4.2 and earlier and A2000 carrier rev4.3 and later. See Before You Buy and Compatibility for the full list.
Can I use the Kickstart Multi ROM with a modified Amiga or a CPU accelerator?
The Kickstart Multi ROM is designed, tested and supported on Amiga 500 and Amiga 2000 computers in their original stock configuration. Modified machines, including memory expansions, CPU accelerators, custom logic replacements, bodge wires and aftermarket ROM adapters, are out of scope and not covered by warranty.
If your machine is modified, please contact us before ordering. The bus timing settings in Advanced Settings may help on some accelerated machines, but those configurations are unsupported and used entirely at your own risk.
Software Questions
How do I update the firmware of the Kickstart Multi ROM?
Follow Firmware installation. To move a board from firmware v3.x to firmware v4.0.0, follow Upgrading to firmware v4.0.0.
Do I need the new SWITCHER and rescue switcher with firmware v4.0.0?
Yes. Firmware v4.0.0 works only with SWITCHER 4.0.0 and the rescue switcher 4.0.0; the older ones stop with a “not compatible” message. Upgrading to firmware v4.0.0 explains how to replace them.
Will firmware updates erase my Kickstart images?
The update file (sidecartridge-kickstart-rp2350a-update-v4.0.0.uf2) keeps your ROM images and settings. The full file (sidecartridge-kickstart-rp2350a-diagrom-full-v4.0.0.uf2) installs everything new and erases them. Either way, keep a copy of your ROM images on your computer.
How do I switch between Kickstart versions?
Use the SWITCHER on your Amiga, then switch the Amiga off and on (or reset it with Ctrl and both Amiga keys). You can also write the image’s name in DEFAULT.TXT on the ROMEMUL drive and eject it. See the User Guide for details.
My Kickstart 1.3 file is 256KB. Can I just copy it to ROMEMUL?
No. The emulator presents a 512KB ROM to the Amiga, and a plain 256KB file will not boot. Original Amiga motherboards mirror 256KB Kickstarts into the 512KB socket natively, but the emulator does not, so the file has to be doubled before use. If your source is an Amiga Forever encrypted image, the web converter does the mirror automatically. If your file is already a plain 256KB ROM, duplicate it manually as described in Already-decoded Kickstart ROMs, then copy the resulting 512KB file to ROMEMUL.
The web converter says “not an AMIROMTYPE1 encoded image”. What does that mean?
That error is shown when the file you uploaded does not start with the AMIROMTYPE1 header used by Amiga Forever encrypted ROMs. The converter is only for those encrypted images. If your file is already a plain ROM (for example a personal chip dump or a download from a non-Amiga-Forever source), do not use the converter; follow the Already-decoded Kickstart ROMs instructions instead.
Why does my 256KB Kickstart boot to a black screen or a hang?
Because the file on ROMEMUL is still 256KB. The emulator expects exactly 524288 bytes (512KB), so the Amiga reads garbage in the second half of the ROM space and fails to come up. Mirror the file to 512KB (either via the web converter for encrypted sources or with cat/PowerShell for plain dumps) and copy the 512KB result to ROMEMUL.