AquariusPlus User Guide: Setting Up the System

Acquiring an Aquarius⁺

Now that you've had an overview of the Aquarius⁺, we hope you like what you've read. Some readers may already own an Aquarius⁺ system, and we thank you for taking a chance on our scrappy little 8-Bit creation. But some of you are still sizing up it's potential, so we have a couple of options for you to get to work immediately on Aquarius⁺ and the plusBASIC environment.

Aquarius⁺ Emulator

An emulator is a piece of software you run on a modern computer that looks and behaves like another (usually) older computer or game system. The Aquarius⁺ Emulator can run on Windows, MacOS, and Linux, which means that you can take the system with you and work on the go. The emulator is updated with every new release of the system. Best of all, the software is FREE to download, install, and use... a truly no-risk/no-cost option for learning and using Aquarius⁺.

• If you already have the emulator installed, you MIGHT need to uninstall the old version first.
• Click HERE for the newest release of Aquarius⁺ software. The newest version is always listed at the top of the page.
• On the Releases page, scroll down and click the triangle to the left of the word Assets to make sure it's contents are listed:
  • AquariusPlusEmu-Linux-Vx.xx.zip - Version for Linux systems.
  • AquariusPlusEmu-macOS-Vx.xx.zip - Version for macOS systems.
  • AquariusPlusEmu-Windows-Vx.xx.msi - Version for Windows systems with "polite" installer.
    • Newer versions of Windows don't recognize this as a "reliable" installer, so navigating into the "Advanced options" of the warning will allow users to over ride and install this software.
    • The default "SD Card Directory" is stored in the user's Documents folder, but can be moved wherever desired from within the emulator menu.
  • AquariusPlusEmu-Windows-x64-portable-Vx.xx.zip - Standalone version for Windows systems. Can be installed and run from a removable drive or folder the user has permissions for.

Aquarius⁺ Hardware

The Aquarius⁺ project is open source, meaning that all of the code and documentation needed to make or modify one is available for free (with appropriate attribution for non-commercial use). When mentioning an Aquarius⁺, we imply a physical device which includes a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) with components attached/soldered to it (computer chips, ports & connectors, resistors, etc.), enclosed in a protective plastic case with openings that allow the ports and connectors to be accessed, along with a label and rubber feet. Some packages include an SD memory card, a USB micro power cable, or other accessories. Sometimes the PCB alone is available, allowing users to create and customize their own case. In any case, a quick search of eBay using the phrase Aquarius+ Computer should yield good results.

Plugging Everything In

Rather than repeat information covered elsewhere in this Wiki, here are links to Quick Start setup guides for various versions of the Aquarius⁺:

• Quick Start Guide for Standard
• Quick Start Guide for Mini

Updating the System

For the first year of its availability to the public from August 2023 to August 2024, the Aquarius⁺ system software went from V0.8 to V0.33. This included many updates to both the capabilities of the system as well as improvements to plusBASIC commands. As such, the development team always recommends that users keep their system updated.

Hardware Updates

There are a few methods to update your Aquarius⁺ hardware to the most current version:

• Update Via WiFi - The easiest method is via Wi-fi, detailed here, which involves connecting to a wireless network and having the system perform the work for you.
• Update Via SD Card - Another method is to download the firmware.
  • Download the newest version of aquarius-plus.bin from the Releases page to your Windows, macOS, or Linux system.
  • Copy it to the root of your Aquarius⁺ SD card.
  • Eject it properly and insert it into the Aquarius⁺.
  • On the Aquarius⁺ type RUN "esp:settings" and hit ENTER/RETURN.
    • If this command doesn't work, try RUN "esp:settings.caq" (usually unupdated hardware acquired before March 2024).
    • If these commands didn't work, use RUN "esp:terminal.caq" (usually unupdated prototype hardware acquired before September 2023).
  • Within the Settings program, type UPDATE and hit ENTER/RETURN.
  • The system should perform the update and notify you to turn the Aquarius⁺ off and on again.
  • Ensure that the new version of the software is indicated at the top of the screen (after the startup screen).
  • Delete the update file by typing DEL "aquarius-rom.bin"
• Temporary OS Updates - If you need to work with unreleased features of the system software, follow these instructions for temporarily updating the system.
• Temporary plusBASIC Updates - If you are a developer and need to test new features of plusBASIC, you can download the most recent copy of sysrom.bin from the plusBASIC Latest Release page and copy it into the root of either your SD card or your Emulator disk folder. Note that you will have to MANUALLY remove this file after new system releases are done, otherwise your system will be stuck at that version so long as the sysrom.bin file resides in the root.

Demo Software Updates

Many versions of the Aquarius⁺ came with starter software to try, either on an SD Card or bundled with an emulator install. But as the plusBASIC language evolves, so does the software in that repository. Users are encouraged to regularly download new versions of the starter software and refresh their SD Cards or their Emulator's AquariusPlusDisk folder. Take care to NOT overwrite any programs you have worked on. Using a folder comparison application like Beyond Compare can help you to more easily merge two sets of files.

Summary

In this section on Setting Up the System we discussed how to acquire an Aquarius⁺), including options for both the emulator and physical hardware. Next, we covered how to plug everything in, followed by how to update the system both in terms of the hardware and the demo software on the SD card.

In the next section, we'll discuss how to start using your Aquarius⁺ system. to make it do interesting and useful things with plusBASIC.

If you want to go to another section, visit the Table of Contents.