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Offline Dr.Bongo

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2014, 08:22:23 AM »
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Offline wawrzon

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2014, 10:48:22 AM »
Quote from: matthey;767293
I thought that was already planned with Majsta's next accelerator for the 500/2000/1000 and using the Apollo core ;).
sounds like majsta run into problems:

Quote
project was put on hold since imagine I didn't had A500 keyboard to perform some tests I wanted
Problem was with IDE controller and it seems to me that I didn't design it properly in hardware part
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=68459&page=2

however jens has actually proposed help with the project (in therms of hardware i guess), if it turns out genuine, even though remaining rather aggressively sceptical for the time being:

http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44199

i dont know if and how it progressed since.

also thor is supporting the case (within limits):

http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44678
 

Offline NovaCoder

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2014, 11:04:12 AM »
The problem I have with these kinds of ideas is that you'll end up with a 'modern' computer with a very slow old computer attached to it ;)

The main appeal of Classic hardware to most people is in running the original 68k games/demos/apps and a modern expansion doesn't fit into this appeal.

I'd personally draw the line at a really fast accelerator with an on-board HD controller but that's just my personal opinion.   I think as soon as you replace the original chipset (eg AGA) then it becomes pointless (see above).

:)
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Offline paul1981

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2014, 11:17:10 AM »
Quote from: NovaCoder;767324
The problem I have with these kinds of ideas is that you'll end up with a 'modern' computer with a very slow old computer attached to it ;)

The main appeal of Classic hardware to most people is in running the original 68k games/demos/apps and a modern expansion doesn't fit into this appeal.

I'd personally draw the line at a really fast accelerator with an on-board HD controller but that's just my personal opinion.   I think as soon as you replace the original chipset (eg AGA) then it becomes pointless (see above).

:)

I'd like to see a new cpu/graphics card combo for the A1200 trapdoor slot. How rare are those blizzard ppc's with blizzard vision? Far too rare in short.
Even an 030 card with RTG would be nice...
Suppose you could argue that there's big-box Amiga's for that sort of thing, but I'm sure a card like that would sell like hot cakes.
 

Offline wawrzon

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2014, 11:19:42 AM »
@nova
i agree. also i dont see much necessity to speed up any particular tasks by dedicated but otherwise limited hardware. general purpose accel is all im interested in so far. im also fine with living with amiga chipset bottlenecks. one can circumnavigate it with rtg solutions as an option.
 

Offline ciVic

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2014, 01:21:24 PM »
I already thought about exactly the same some months ago while I was building yet another Z80 DIY computer. I think it would be somehow easy to use an SRAM as buffer between the Zorro bus and the raspi. In fact I've already connected an SRAM chip to the GPIO pins of the raspi with transfer rates up to 80 MB/s (peak). This even works with a 5V SRAM without level shifter.

On the other hand, it depends what you call a bridge board. If you just want to use remote desktop or VNC just connect a raspi to the LAN. In contrast a classic bridge board is something that uses ISA (not possible with raspi) and can talk to VGA board, disk controller etc. Or that uses the gfx of the Amiga but indeed this would require a lot of software not just VNC. In fact this was the original idea of a bridge board, using a PC that utilizes as much amiga hardware as possible to reduce costs. Since a raspi has everything, it is basically not a bridge board, just a computer you can connec to with VNC.

However, very interesting project. Question: How to connect something to the Zorro bus? I'm not familiar with AutoConfig and a logic analyzer, Zorro prototype board etc. would be needed.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2014, 01:26:25 PM by ciVic »
 

Offline matthey

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #20 on: June 23, 2014, 03:09:02 AM »
Quote from: wawrzon;767323
sounds like majsta run into problems:


It's not like he has made it this far without struggling at times ;).

Quote from: wawrzon;767323

however jens has actually proposed help with the project (in therms of hardware i guess), if it turns out genuine, even though remaining rather aggressively skeptical for the time being:


"Aggressively skeptical" is putting it nicely. Jen's legitimately seemed to believe that good performance from a 68k core in an fpga was not possible. It seems you were right about Jens being set on MIPS or ARM for a future CloneA type project before the news of Phoenix/Apollo. Now he is probably less skeptical and more open to a 68k fpga core. It makes a lot of sense for them to work together. It's not cheap to buy hard 68k chips in quantity anymore for accelerators. Jens has the experience and skills to make high end accelerators and standalone fpga boards. The Apollo Team has a fast fpga 68k that would make them sell. I believe that Jens and the Apollo 3 live in the west/southwest of Germany (black forest area?) making it easier to get together too. Jens and Gunnar are very head strong though. I don't know how that would work out.

Quote from: wawrzon;767323

also thor is supporting the case (within limits):


I never doubted that ThoR would help if there was going to be any kind of functional MMU. I hope ThoR gets more involved with an MMU design. That thread wasn't very long but it might not be over yet. I wish my German was better.
 

Offline biggun

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #21 on: June 23, 2014, 07:16:37 AM »
Hi Matt,

our new Cyclone 5 accelerator cards are done already.

Cheers
Gunnar

Offline SamuraiCrow

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A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2014, 08:00:04 AM »
Cool to know, Gunnar!
 

Offline donpalmera

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2014, 08:43:53 AM »
Jens is smart enough to realise you don't need to mess around with attaching a totally unsuitable ARM SBC to an Amiga to get stuff you could get with an SPI master on the Amiga and some of the shelf parts.
I'm surprised that while you guys think up these "OMG you know what would be really cool" ideas you don't think outside of the box enough to realise that an ARM SoC many times more power than the fastest m68k Amiga could just emulate the whole thing.
 

Offline KimmoK

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #24 on: June 23, 2014, 08:59:55 AM »
Quote from: donpalmera;767379
...think outside of the box enough to realise that an ARM SoC many times more power than the fastest m68k Amiga could just emulate the whole thing


Rasberry Pi can only emulate basic A500 because pi operates at the speed of 200...300Mhz Pentium PC.


Other than that...
>I think it would be really cool to create a bridgeboard that plugs into the raspberry PI...

Absolutely futile.
But there are already implementations where RPi simulates A500 FDD or ethernet card.
A lot of stuff can be done with simple RPi-A500 adaptation. No Jens needed, just DIY soldering + load of SW work.

>Maybe even emulate a powerpc chip.

RPi should be able to emulate PowerPC @ 20Mhz speed or so.

For ARM deviced, AEROS or ARIX for 1.7Ghz ODROID might be damn usefull.


For Jens to do:
-FPGA card (PCIe client) to do AGA+more emulation
-FPGA card (PCIe host) to do 68k+more emulation
-Passive backplane to house those two and perhaps to provide a few more PCIe slots
-parts to built that into ATX or DTX case
- KimmoK
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// The multicolor AmigaFUTURE IS NOW !! :crazy:
 

Offline OlafS3

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #25 on: June 23, 2014, 09:45:08 AM »
Quote from: KimmoK;767380
Rasberry Pi can only emulate basic A500 because pi operates at the speed of 200...300Mhz Pentium PC.


Other than that...
>I think it would be really cool to create a bridgeboard that plugs into the raspberry PI...

Absolutely futile.
But there are already implementations where RPi simulates A500 FDD or ethernet card.
A lot of stuff can be done with simple RPi-A500 adaptation. No Jens needed, just DIY soldering + load of SW work.

>Maybe even emulate a powerpc chip.

RPi should be able to emulate PowerPC @ 20Mhz speed or so.

For ARM deviced, AEROS or ARIX for 1.7Ghz ODROID might be damn usefull.


For Jens to do:
-FPGA card (PCIe client) to do AGA+more emulation
-FPGA card (PCIe host) to do 68k+more emulation
-Passive backplane to house those two and perhaps to provide a few more PCIe slots
-parts to built that into ATX or DTX case


thanks to the development of new options for FPGA and ARM we today have a lot of new options and I see it fairly optimistic. Hopefully Jens and Gunnar will work together in future.
 

Offline wawrzon

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #26 on: June 23, 2014, 09:48:51 AM »
Quote from: biggun;767374
Hi Matt,

our new Cyclone 5 accelerator cards are done already.

Cheers
Gunnar


for what system? a 600?
 

Offline biggun

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #27 on: June 23, 2014, 09:58:58 AM »
Quote from: wawrzon;767382
for what system? a 600?


For A500/ A1000/ A2000 / CDTV.

Card specs are:

* very fast 68K CPU
* 128 MB DDR3 Fast-memory
* SD-card usable/bootable as IDE-device
* Network interface
* RTG Graphics Card (chunky/Hicolor/truecolor) with HDMI out

The physial card design is done.
Testing / Driver development needs to be done.

Offline wawrzon

Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #28 on: June 23, 2014, 10:14:40 AM »
so is it designed or is the prototype already fabricated?
 

Offline biggun

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Re: A project I'd like to see from Jens...
« Reply #29 from previous page: June 23, 2014, 10:18:35 AM »
Quote from: wawrzon;767387
so is it designed or is the prototype already fabricated?


The boards are in production/shipment.
We expect to receive them this week.