Minimig.ca · WoRC 2026 Platinum sponsor

AmiCube & PiStorm68K.
Meet us at WoRC 2026.

September 12–13 · Waterloo

A weekend of retro computers, familiar faces and hands-on Amiga fun. Join me, Ranko Rodic, at the Minimig.ca workshop.

I’m bringing AmiCube v1.1 and PiStorm68K, with plenty to explore: AGA colour, original floppy disks, the redesigned ARM F12 menu and a choice of soft or physical CPU paths. Come see the boards and talk through the latest development work with me.

At my table, we can dig into creating ADF images from F12, copying between ADFs and real disks, and choosing a CPU setup. PiStorm68K brings Raspberry Pi acceleration and a physical 68000 option; the RTG story below follows the experiments that led to AmiCube’s native RTG Workbench.

FREE ADMISSIONALL AGES10 AM–6 PM BOTH DAYS

University of Waterloo · Engineering 7

IDEAs Clinic, Room 1427 · 263 Phillip Street

Plan your visit The AmiCube highlights

Explore PiStorm68K below →

World of Retro Computing 2026 Expo poster — September 12 and 13, free admission, University of Waterloo

WoRC 2026 Expo · Click the poster to enlarge.

Make a day of it

More than the Minimig workshop.

The 2026 programme lists more than 25 vendors and exhibitors each day, a retro LAN party, museum displays and talks spanning computer history, Atari graphics and a Tandy CoCo language-model project. Leave time to explore beyond my table. Check the official programme for the latest lineup and times.

Arriving by car

Use 263 Phillip Street / Engineering 7, not 200 University Avenue. The organizer points visitors to the Q parking lots beside the bus station; check posted parking conditions on arrival.

Questions before you come?

Admission is free for all ages. For accessibility, arrival arrangements or other venue questions, contact the WoRC organizers. Event information checked September 9, 2026.

The people. The machines. The conversations.

A little of the WoRC atmosphere.

These are my photographs and memories from WoRC 2023, not the upcoming 2026 show. Thanks again to Justus, known as Herk on Discord, for inviting me to take part. I’m looking forward to another weekend of sharing hardware, answering questions and meeting fellow retro-computing enthusiasts.

**WoRC 2023 · Ready for the show**I brought the Minimig 1.97itx to my workshop as a Bronze sponsor. The board was designed for a MiniITX case and standard ITX power, with different CPU setups ready to explore. The September 16–17 weekend was about getting those machines in front of visitors, not just describing them online.

**WoRC 2023 · CPU choices and Quake**My 2023 report covered TF030, PiStorm and a Motorola 68SEC000 running at a selected 60 MHz. I described that Minimig setup as outperforming an Amiga 3000, and reported Quake on PiStorm at 60 fps in high resolution and true colour. Those are historical observations from that configuration—not new benchmarks or guarantees for AmiCube v1.1.

**WoRC 2023 · Our first visitors**The first visitors arrived, the questions started, and the show became much more than a collection of tables. Vintage computers, games and hardware brought collectors, hobbyists and curious newcomers together. This is the Kitchener atmosphere I captured in my original report.

**WoRC 2023 · Inside an Amiga 3500**Another highlight in my report was this rare Amiga 3500 prototype. Seeing the motherboard exposed makes the history tangible: connectors, expansion slots and the actual circuitry behind a machine many enthusiasts know only from photographs. This is the 2023 exhibit, not a confirmed 2026 display.

A wave to Bil Herd and Dave Haynie

At about 32:30 in the 2023 livestream, I had the pleasure of waving to Bil Herd and Dave Haynie. Unfortunately, the audio was too poor for the conversation I had hoped to have, so I couldn’t properly explain the setup. It is still a lovely part of the weekend to look back on, even if the technology didn’t quite cooperate.

Watch the 2023 livestream at 32:30

Read my complete WoRC 2023 report →

At the Minimig.ca workshop

The AmiCube goodies I’m bringing along.

AmiCube v1.1 takes the original Minimig idea further: AGA graphics, more memory, two CPU paths and physical-floppy support. Explore the hardware and the latest board-tested developments with Ranko Rodic.

01 / GRAPHICS

AGA in FPGA logic

OCS/ECS heritage, AGA capability, an 18-bit RGB DAC and Picasso96 RTG in supported core configurations.

02 / MEMORY

128 MiB SDRAM

The SOFT profile offers 2 MiB Chip and 120 MiB Fast RAM, plus selectable Slow RAM. Memory maps depend on the core and CPU.

03 / CPU CHOICE

Soft 020 or a real socket

Use the TG68 SOFT core, or a separate HARD core for the DIP64 CPU interface. Real 68SEC000, TF534 and PiStorm paths have board-test records.

04 / FLOPPY

Real drives + ADFs

Choose real or ADF independently for DF0 and DF1. DF2 and DF3 remain virtual. Physical-disk and ADF-to-disk copying have been demonstrated.

05 / NEW FIRMWARE

Create empty ADF

V11R1FA adds an F12 action that creates an unformatted 880 KiB image on SD. Name it, select it in a drive, then format or copy in AmigaOS.

06 / FAMILIAR CONNECTIONS

Made to be connected

PS/2 keyboard and mouse, DB9 joysticks, analogue audio and VGA, with SD storage and two physical floppy connectors.

Built for the curious

More than a new core.

SPARTAN-6 XC6SLX100

101,261 logic cells

4,824 Kbit of FPGA block RAM and 180 DSP48A1 slices provide resources for the chipset, CPU and supporting logic.

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

SRAM, clocks & status LEDs

Six SRAM devices remain for development and auxiliary RAM uses. New 27 MHz main and 12 MHz development oscillators join visible FPGA configuration/status LEDs.

SOCKET & CHIP RAM

68000, TF cards & a wider path

32-bit Chip RAM access in the FPGA; TF030-family experimentation with a documented TF534 result. Selected socket clocks up to 60 MHz have configuration-specific board records.

AGA games compiled for 68000 can run on a suitable HARD-core setup; software requiring 020+ still needs that CPU capability. The physical SDRAM bus is 16-bit. Socket-clock results depend on the CPU, adapter and core.

Real floppies are integrated into both SOFT and HARD CPU variants, with two-drive activity LEDs. Workflows include reading original disks, real-to-real copying and transfers between ADF images and real drives.

Spartan-6 device specifications ↗

On my development bench

One motherboard. Different ways to build.

I designed the socket path to make room for real hardware experiments as well as the soft CPU. Here are the TF534/68030 and PiStorm68K configurations, plus a closer look at the AmiCube motherboard from underneath.

**AmiCube with a TF534 / 68030**The physical CPU socket gives me another development path: a real 68030 accelerator alongside the FPGA chipset.

**AmiCube with PiStorm68K**The PiStorm68K board and Raspberry Pi connect through the socket path, while AmiCube provides the Amiga hardware and display.

**AmiCube, from underneath**The underside of my AmiCube motherboard, showing the power circuitry, FPGA and ARM decoupling, and signal routing.

New in shared ARM firmware V11R1FA

Create a disk image. Right here.

The new F12 action creates an empty ADF directly on the SD card. No need to prepare every blank image on another computer.

01 / CREATEPress F12

Choose “Create empty ADF” and enter a short name.

02 / SAVE880 KiB on SD

The ARM creates an empty .ADF in the card’s root folder.

03 / INSERTPick your drive

Use the DFx image picker to mount the new file.

04 / USEFormat or copy

Format in AmigaOS, or use it as a disk-copy destination.

Your setup, one familiar key.

F12 brings CPU, chipset and RAM choices together with ADF images, HDF hardfiles and RTG control. Native-video filtering, scanlines and autofire are available from the same menu. Reset-sensitive settings are staged until an explicit reset; live display and input controls can take effect immediately.

Physical disks and images, together.

Choose a real drive or an ADF independently for DF0 and DF1; DF2 and DF3 remain image drives. The shared physical ARM controller serves both SOFT and HARD cores. Create a blank image, mount it in a virtual drive, then format it in AmigaOS or use it as a disk-copy destination.

Choose a 1–8-character name; the firmware adds .ADF. The unformatted 880 KiB image is saved in the SD root, without automatic insertion or formatting. DF0/DF1 source changes apply on an explicit reset.

Also at the workshop · PiStorm68K v1.8

Acceleration, with a way back to the physical CPU.

PiStorm68K v1.8 by AmiCube brings Raspberry Pi-powered acceleration and a physical Motorola 68000 option together on one board. Its onboard selector lets you choose a CPU path without repeatedly removing and refitting processors—a useful feature for retro enthusiasts, software testing and compatibility work. The design adds electronic CPU power switching, regulated +5 V for the Pi, protection and diagnostic LEDs on a six-layer ENIG PCB. At the World of Retro Computing Expo 2026, meet Ranko Rodic of Minimig.ca and explore how PiStorm68K fits into the AmiCube and Minimig hardware family. The latest AmiCube HARD-core development has also demonstrated Workbench through the board’s native Picasso96 RTG output with PiStorm attached. Visit the Minimig.ca workshop, hosted by a Platinum sponsor of this year’s free event.

CPU CHOICE

PiStorm or 68000

Select the Raspberry Pi/PiStorm path or a fitted physical MC68000-family CPU without repeatedly removing processors.

POWER DESIGN

Electronic power control

CPU load switches, regulated +5 V for the Pi, protection diodes, resettable fuse protection and improved decoupling.

VISIBLE HARDWARE

Six-layer ENIG + LEDs

CPU selection, signal and rail indicators support bench testing; the layout provides clearance for larger Raspberry Pi boards.

PiStorm68K meets AmiCube

One hardware family. More ways to experiment.

I built PiStorm68K to make the choice between Raspberry Pi-powered acceleration and a physical 68000 more practical. The onboard selector means I can compare those paths without repeatedly pulling processors out of their sockets.

On AmiCube, the HARD core connects the FPGA chipset to the physical DIP64 CPU interface. PiStorm68K fits on that side of the system; the separate SOFT core runs the TG68 CPU inside the FPGA. The physical ARM controller remains responsible for the menu, storage setup and drive choices.

I’ve recorded boots with PiStorm, PiStorm68K and a 68SEC000, then taken the socket work further with native Picasso96 RTG. The H8 demonstration runs Workbench at 800 × 600 in 16-bit colour through AmiCube’s own display output. The graphics are provided by the AmiCube core—not added to another host simply by fitting PiStorm68K.

Electronic CPU power switching, regulated +5 V for the Raspberry Pi, protection circuitry and status LEDs are part of making the hardware useful on the bench. Follow the setup procedure when changing CPU paths; this is not live hot-switching.

Selectable PiStorm or physical 68000 path

AmiCube real-drive and ADF workflows

Native AmiCube RTG on the tested H8 setup

PiStorm68K and Raspberry Pi installed on the AmiCube motherboard

My AmiCube/PiStorm68K development setup, with a Raspberry Pi fitted.

PiStorm68K is supplied as a board-only product; a Raspberry Pi and physical CPU are not included. A500/A2000 compatibility remains experimental. Results depend on the host, core, adapter and software configuration.

A closer look at the board

The details are on both sides.

I’ve kept the board’s functions visible, from the selector and power circuitry to the labels underneath. These are photographs of the actual hardware.

**PiStorm68K, component side**The selectable PiStorm and physical 68000 paths, Raspberry Pi interface and onboard power circuitry.

**A look underneath**The PiStorm68K underside carries pin and function labels for the CPU, power and control circuitry.

**Installed on AmiCube**PiStorm68K and a Raspberry Pi fitted to the AmiCube CPU-socket side of the system.

From the hardware bench

PiStorm CPU. AmiCube RTG output.

I brought the socket CPU into AmiCube’s display path using the same Minimig/Picasso96 driver family I had already tested with the soft 020. On 9 September, my H8 setup with PiStorm reached an 800 × 600, 16-bit Workbench through the board’s own video output. The earlier SOFT capture below shows where that work began.

AmiCube and PiStorm displaying Workbench with an 800 by 600 16-bit RTG screen — 9 September: H8 cost043 running Workbench with “Minimig:800×600 16bit” selected; 65,536 colours. Photo supplied by Ranko Rodic.

Earlier SOFT-core Workbench 3.2 capture: the same Minimig/Picasso96 driver family used in the new HARD-core RTG demonstration.

The RTG milestone belongs to the AmiCube H8 core, driver and PiStorm setup. PiStorm68K alone does not add the AGA chipset or AmiCube’s VGA output. H8 is a hardware-confirmed development result; broader qualification continues.

A community with a history

New hardware. Familiar faces.

How WoRC got here

2021The expo launched with a one-day gathering in Cambridge.
2022Steckle Heritage Farm in Kitchener hosted the next edition.
2023–24Two-day expos filled the former Goudies department store in downtown Kitchener.
2025The organizers took a year off from the expo.
2026The show returns at the University of Waterloo.

Explore the official past schedules, the 2025 announcement and the 2026 event page.

The people behind the show

Co-founder and organizer Justus Jurica helped establish WoRC as a way to keep computing history accessible, especially to younger generations. Exhibitors, volunteers and sponsors turn that idea into hands-on encounters with working machines. Read the 2022 CityNews profile.

For 2026, the University of Waterloo Computer Museum helped secure the venue; its curators are also listed among the exhibitors. I’m proud to support the show again as a Platinum sponsor. Meet this year’s exhibitors and activities.

From that table to AmiCube

At WoRC 2023 I brought Minimig 1.97itx and several CPU configurations. The 2024 programme then previewed AmiCube V1 and listed Minimig.ca as a Platinum sponsor. In 2026, I’m bringing the v1.1 story forward: AGA, real floppy disks, the new ARM F12 experience and more ways to choose a CPU.

Another chapter: World of Commodore 2022

A separate event, the same love of retro computing. World of Commodore is organized by the Toronto PET Users Group. Its December 3–4, 2022 show in Mississauga included my Minimig project update. These five photographs belong to that event, not WoRC. See TPUG’s 2022 programme.

My 2022 Minimig development presentation

The World of Commodore programme included my project update at 3:15 pm on Sunday, December 4, 2022. Alongside the exhibits and vendor tables, presentations and workshops gave us room to discuss hardware, software development, games and emulation. The recording is another part of that earlier chapter—not a scheduled 2026 talk.

Watch my World of Commodore 2022 talk