This document shows you how to quickly get up and running on your Aquarius⁺ Mini Edition.

Below are images of each of the four sides of the Aquarius⁺ Mini, identifying the ports and what they're used for.

The top of the Aquarius⁺ Mini case features an inset logo and five "racing lines", reminiscent of the design of other Mattel Electronics devices from the late 1970's through early 1980's. The components inside the Aquarius⁺ Mini don't usually get warm, but it's best if no other items or equipment are placed on top of the device while it's turned on.

Ports (Left to Right):

• LED light - When lit, indicates when the Aquarius⁺ Mini is functioning
• SD card slot - Your SD card goes in here. Note that this should be formatted before you insert it, and the contents of the sdcard folder should be copied to it.

There are no ports on either the left or right sides of the Aquarius⁺ Mini

Ports (Left to Right):

• Power Switch - This allows 5v from the USB Micro Power Port to power the system. When looking at the BACK of the case, RIGHT is OFF, and LEFT is ON.
• VGA Port - Plug your standard VGA monitor into this port for video output.
• Audio Out Port (Stereo)* - This 3.5mm / 1/8" stereo audio out jack can be connected to powered speakers to output the Aquarius⁺ Mini sound.
• USB Keyboard Input = Connect a USB keyboard to this port for text input. For more details go to the Keyboard page for details.
• Micro USB Power In - This is the power input for the Aquarius⁺ Mini. A USB power supply with an output current rating of at least 2.1A is recommended.

The bottom of the case is the Aquarius⁺ Mini label, indicating the model number, serial number, and manufacture date of the device. Some units may also indicate unique features of the device, such as if it is a prototype or other limited edition. Note that the label may be different from the one shown.

The label is surrounded by four foam feet, cut into a custom "macaroni" shape. This allows users to open their Aquarius⁺ Mini if they desire, although most users will never need to open the case. Note that the screw posts can be fragile and may wear out after repeated opening and reclosing of the case. Care should be taken to not strip these posts out, but hot glue or construction adhesive (cured 48 hours) can be used to "re-thread" these posts.

Now that we know where all the ports are and what they do, it's time to plug everything into your Aquarius⁺ Mini. Here's the recommended order and settings of the equipment:

1. Audio Out - The audio plug is the most noisy when plugging in because the signals are each touched as the plug is inserted, including ground. This can cause issues on some speakers (buzzing, clicks, pops, etc.) so we plug this cable in first BEFORE there are other grounded cables connected that could make an audio loop to ground (humming noise).
   • If you're attaching to a set of powered speakers, a common 1/8" / 3.5mm STEREO cable is plugged into the back of the Aquarius⁺ Mini. Sometimes these are pre-attached to the speakers. Sometimes an additional cable is needed, but most people who have used computers in the past will have at least one of these cables in their "tech drawer".
   • If you're planning on using a set of headphones, note that the audio level coming from the back of the Aquarius⁺ Mini can be louder in some headphones, so use caution.
   • If you're planning on patching the Aquarius⁺ Mini audio into a VGA to HDMI converter (with audio injection), an 1/8" / 3.5mm STEREO cable will be needed.
2. VGA Monitor - Since the VGA connector is also on the back and the VGA cable is typically the bulkiest, it's recommended that you connect it next.
   • Most modern multisync monitors will work fine with the Aquarius⁺, but it's recommended that widescreen monitors be set to 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 16:9/Wide. This displays the Aquarius⁺ content in the way it was designed.
   • The default video setting for timing is 704x480 resolution, but it can be changed to 640x480.
     • On rare occasions these resolutions are incompatible with some VGA monitors or TVs with a VGA port.
     • Some monitors require that an AUTO ADJUST be performed from the on screen display to synchronize to the frequency of the Aquarius⁺.
   • If you prefer to use an HDMI monitor, there are many inexpensive options to convert VGA to HDMI, some of which even allow patching in the Aquarius⁺ audio signal, but make sure that your monitor actually HAS speakers before driving yourself nuts trying to figure out why sound doesn't work.
3. Power - To power the Aquarius⁺ Mini, a USB Micro B power source of at least 2.1A is needed.
   • Before plugging in this cord, make sure that the power switch is off (to the LEFT when facing the FRONT of the Aquarius⁺ Mini).
   • Take care in plugging and unplugging the USB power. While a fortified USB Micro B port is used, excessive stress on the port can cause the solder lugs to fail.
   • Wait until instructed (below) before turning on the Aquarius⁺ Mini.
4. USB Keyboard - Connect your wired USB Keyboard (or dongle-based wireless keyboard).
   • Note that keyboards with internal USB hubs will not work at this time.
   • Wired USB devices such as mice, hubs, or joysticks are not currently supported.
5. SD Card - Typically, your Aquarius⁺ Mini will ship with a pre-formatted SD card that contains starter files from the sdcard section of this repository.
   • The SD card port features a click-in/click-out port that more carefully "ejects" the media.
   • Make sure the SD card LOCK is not turned on, otherwise you will not be able to SAVE files.
   • SD cards are hot-swappable, so you can change cards even while the Aquarius⁺ Mini is turned on.

You've now plugged in all components, so let's get this thing booted up!

Once all devices and cables have been attached to the Aquarius⁺ Mini, it's time to turn the unit on. While facing the front of the Aquarius⁺ Mini, reach to the right rear of the case and flip the power switch to the RIGHT side of the case to turn it on. So long as there is an SD card in the slot, the Blue LED should turn on, and you should hear a BEEP through the speakers.

Your monitor should show the Aquarius⁺ startup screen, prompting you to press the RETURN key to begin. After the RETURN key is pressed, you are brought to the Aquarius⁺ BASIC screen. To see what's on your SD card, type the following text and press RETURN:

dir         <- Type this and hit RETURN

A list of the folders and files at the root of the SD card are listed, followed by Ok, which is the Aquarius' way of letting you know it's done. To go into one of these folders, you use the cd (change directory) command. Let's go into the roms folder where all the original Aquarius game cartridge images are stored...

cd "roms"                      <- You type this and hit RETURN
Ok                             <- Aquarius types this
dir                            <- You type this and hit RETURN
23-07-16 11:51   16K AD&D.rom  <- Aquarius lists these items...
...
23-07-16 11:51   16K Zero-In.rom
OK                             <- ...and then says OK

Now, lets run the Mini Expander Diagnostic ROM to show that the system is connected properly.

run "Minidiag.rom"    <- Type this and hit RETURN

The Mini Diagnostic will go through the RAM and sound, and will also test the Aquarius Controllers, if you have them attached:

• Only 16K of RAM is tested, even though the Aquarius⁺ has 512k of RAM
• Only the first AY-3-8910 sound chip is tested, even though the Aquarius⁺ has TWO virtual sound chips.
• The USB keyboard can emulate SOME of the functions of the Aquarius Controller in Port 1. To test buttons 1-6, press F1-F6, and to test the control disc, press the CURSOR keys. If this is not working, press the Scroll Lock on your USB keyboard to toggle this feature.

When you are done, to RESET the Aquarius⁺ Mini, you can either switch it off an on again, OR you can press CTRL + ESC to reset via the keyboard.

Spend some time navigating the folders on the SD drive. Here are some basic navigation functions using the CD command:

CD                 <- Type this and hit RETURN to show the current PATH

CD "foldername"    <- Type this to go into a folder
CD "foldername     <- Note that the final " is optional

CD ".."            <- Type this to "back up" one folder

CD "/"             <- Type this to go to the ROOT of the SD card

The Aquarius⁺ Mini can RUN a few filetypes automatically (it LOADs and RUNs them). Search for some of these filetypes in the folders and experiment with them.

RUN "run-me.baq"   <- Loads and runs a plusBASIC program

RUN "tiledemo.caq" <- Loads and runs this legacy Aquarius Cassette file program

RUN "Utopia.rom"   <- Loads and runs this Aquarius ROM cartridge image

Some BASIC and CAQ files can be ended by pressing CTRL + C, but not always. Sometimes the CTRL + ESC reset sequence must be typed to reset the system.

Aquarius⁺ Mini can LOAD BAS (plusBASIC) files/programs without running them.

LOAD "run-me.bas"  <- Loads a plusBASIC program without running it
OK
LIST               <- Lists the lines of BASIC code
10 REM HELLO
20 PRINT "Hello!"
30 GOTO 20
OK

The program can then be RUN once loaded.

plusBASIC programs can also be saved to SD card using the SAVE command. The file is saved in the current directory, so make sure you're in the correct path to save your file.

SAVE "MyProgram.bas", ASC   <- This will save a plusBASIC program as an ASCII text file

You can also delete files on the SD card using the DEL command.

DEL "MyProgram.bas"    <- This will delete your previously saved program

Note: Later versions of plusBASIC remove the need for quotation marks around filenames when using some commands. For consistency, these quotation marks have been left in the examples above.

Now that you've explored a bit with the Aquarius⁺ Mini, you can also bring it into the 21st century...

• Connect your Aquarius⁺ Mini to Wi-Fi for online updates and to set the system clock.
• Connect your Aquarius⁺ Mini to a Bluetooth controller for a more comfortable gaming experience.

There are many more commands and parameters that can be used to work with files on the Aquarius⁺ SD card. The Aquarius⁺ User Guide guide offers more plusBASIC programming tips and tricks to unlock the features of the Aquarius⁺, or you can explore the plusBASIC Programmer's Reference Guide, a fully featured programming guide for using plusBASIC the Aquarius⁺.