In a new episode from Retro4U, Neil dives into building the Amiga Denise, a compact Mini-ITX Amiga motherboard designed for modern tinkerers with retro hearts. Sponsored by PCBWay, this episode kicks off a multipart series where Neil carefully constructs the Denise motherboard—one capacitor, one resistor network at a time.
This Mini-ITX board isn’t just a pretty face. Building the Amiga Denise means embracing a board that supports the full Amiga 500 chipset—Agnes, Gary, Denise, the gang’s all here. It even includes two Zorro II slots, PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports, and support for RTG VGA graphics output. For anyone who’s ever dreamed of getting a classic Amiga online or onto a BBS, there’s even a Z2 LAN card waiting in the wings.
A Classic Heart in a Modern Frame
The Denise board brings together old-school charm and new-school practicality. It’s a rare piece of kit that supports both original Amiga chips and modern PC connectors. With dual Zorro II slots, it’s flexible enough for RTG graphics and network expansions, making it more than just a tribute—it’s a full-featured rebuild.
Neil unboxes the board, shows off the components, and explains the plan: install capacitors and resistor networks first, then tackle sockets and chips later. He’s methodical about it, using a printed BOM sheet from Digi-Key and highlighting each step.
Capacitor Chaos and Resistor Roulette
Soldering on this board isn’t for beginners. Neil’s quick to point out just how close the pads are. Even experienced builders might flinch at the precision required. There’s even a moment of tension when he nearly confuses a 470-ohm resistor with a 47-ohm one—but crisis averted.
He works slowly, focusing on accuracy over speed, and offers some practical advice: if this is your first rodeo, start with something simpler—like an Amiga 500 Plus board.
Preparing for What’s Next
With most capacitors installed and resistor networks underway, Neil’s nearly through the trickiest parts. He’s waiting on a proper CPU socket (because, no, turn-pin sockets are not welcome here) and will soon move on to installing Zorro slots, ports, and chips. A few components may come from an Amiga 500 Plus donor board—like the crystal.
What’s Still to Come?
Neil teases future additions: an RTG graphics card for VGA output, a SIM module with 2MB RAM, and the exciting possibility of getting this custom Amiga online. Building the Amiga Denise continues in the next episode, and if the board powers on without smoke or sparks, we’re in for a real treat.
Anyone interested can pick up their own Denise PCB from Tindie or Flamelily, and full details are on Enterlogic’s project page.
