Any need for a MiniMig 3.0?

[Dwyloc]

Ok - write me down on one board and include the additional modules to it. I may be interested in that shrinked down version too when you have it done.

I have been studying your latest schematics and I think there are not much for me to add actually. Specially if you make a shrinked down version too. If you manage to drop the final unit price below €200, then it is no need for me to do more in this area regarding the hardware. The current 2.0 will continue to live and I may look into a 2.1 version where I replace the PIC with the Yaqube ARM, no other changes done. It should be possible to build these well below €100 if I don't have to do it by hand...

If you can include the memory upgrade from 2MB to 4MB on the board without requiring use too modify the board you will have the perfect 2.1 mini-itx design with the arm controller built if the board can be delivered for your target price €100 or less.

[FrenchShark]

FrenchShark, No price is good without a source where you can physically buy it

Maybe Minimig could be the slimmed cheap version, and Fpgaarcade be the fully expanded version ..?

I also use Future Electronics, they have less choice than Digikey but, on small quantities, they have unbeatable prices.

The Samsung part is : K4S281632K-UC75000. It is at $1.38.

What is completely crazy is that they are selling a 8MB SDRAM chip from Alliance Memory for $0.0111 (part number:AS4C4M16S-6TE)

As you can see, I prefer going to the cheap route... :-)

Regards,

Frederic

[wizard66]

After reading the new posts and a lot more thought, I guess that I changed my mind. Using time and effort in creating a Minimig 3.0 would most likely be an unwise effort.

Existing Minimigs have a very effective upgrade path through the use Yaqube's ARM board, piggyback RAM and TheDaddy's case.  They replicate a very nice non-AGA Amiga with more capability than most of us ever had. (28 MHz CPU, fast blitter, 4x floppy drives, hard-drive, 3.5 MB RAM, scan-doubler).  But that's where it probably stops.  Anything else is limited by the platform.  The 208-pin FPGA is stretched to its limits, and there are only a handful of free I/O ports available.

The Replay is the ideal future platform for retro machine re-creation.  Its specs are so high-end that it can replicate just about any retro machine in existence.

@Illuwatar: Maybe it's time to move to other projects, such as daughter boards for the Replay ;-)

As an owner of a self-made Minimig, my upgrade path is now clear ahead of me.  First a RAM upgrade and ARM board, then a Replay.

This is also the way for me :

I upgrade my self-made minimig with the rams and Arm-board next step Replay..

The ram mod I will do this week, the rams are to be here tomorrow  ;-)

[jkonstan]

@Illuwatar,

Since you wanted FPGA compatibility between MiniMIG_ITX 3.0 & original MiniMIG,
how about just adding the ARM controller to your MiniMig ITX and some more SRAM to it. The ATMEL ARM controller PCB does not appear to have online schematic files or online pcb files that I can find.  It would also be great if you could add the pcb gerber files on your web site that has MiniMIG_ITX since a lot of us do not have Protel PCB.

[denli]

@Illuwatar
 
If you really would like to go in a new direction, why not build a real 'Amiga-in-a-Joystick'?
 
Would it be possible to make it that small?
The only ports nedded would be the video/sound out (and maybe a powercord if batteries doesn't fit) and the SD-card slot.

[freqmax]

If you can do everything in softcore and the stick has enough RAM. And the latency for video won't screw up things any FPGA stick will do.

I think what usually hinders it is sufficient RAM and logic size of the FPGA.

[FrenchShark]

@HenryCase

Here we go:

Hello,

just a little follow-up : now, I can reveal my design :-).
We call it "MCC", you can call it Minimig 3.0 if you want...
http://www.arcaderetrogaming.com/2.html

Enjoy !

Frederic

[ElPolloDiabl]

YTMND!
That is going to make it into my Sierra Hotel computers list.:madashell:

[FrenchShark]

Hello,
I just posted 3 videos on youtube of the C64 VHDL clone running games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo33eNhapkE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9GNE3VK75w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvKJHkEA3-w

Enjoy!

Frederic