Enter the DRAGON

[DJS]

ELBOX COMPUTER is proud to announce its breath-taking new product for Amiga 1200 computers - DRAGON ColdFire. DRAGON is a ColdFire-based accelerator card combined with the PCI/AGP Expansion busboard.



With its DRAGON ColdFire development, Elbox brings to Amiga computers top performance of the latest Freescale's ColdFire V4e core based-processor, the successor of the 68k dynasty. DRAGON-equipped Amiga computers are ready to run most of the 68k Amiga programs/applications several times faster when compared against Amiga 1200 with the fastest 68060 accelerators.

'By combining many attractive features like the high-performance ColdFire processor, fast DDR memory, AGP graphics, powerful PCI 66MHz technology and comprehensive software support, DRAGON-equipped Amiga computers turn into modern, fast and extremely functional power machines,' said Maciek Binek, president and CEO of Elbox.

The DRAGON's mainboard and the DRAGON's ColdFire CPU card are designed on two separate circuit boards. With modular design, the DRAGON can be easily upgraded and configured to meet the needs of the most demanding Amiga users.


DRAGON Technical Specification:

• ColdFire MCF5475 processor (410MIPS) running at 266MHz
• Two sockets for DDR-266 SDRAM modules, support up to 1GByte of memory (1GB/s peak)
• One AGP slot (264MB/s peak access from the main processor)
• Five 66/33MHz, 32-bit PCI slots, PCI 2.2 compliant (264MB/s peak)
• 2MBytes of 32-bit Flash memory (containing upgradeable DRAGON firmware)
• Asynchronous design with fast access to Amiga 1200 motherboard hardware
• Multi-channels DMA support (PCI <-> PCI, PCI <-> DDR, PCI <-> AGP, PCI <-> A1200)
• Auto-Recharge Battery-backed Real Time Clock
• Four high-speed programmable serial (UART/USART/IRDA/modem) controllers (optional)
• One Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and two FastEthernet 100Mbps controllers (optional)

ColdFire processor:
The DRAGON ColdFire will initially be available with the fastest ColdFire MCF5475 processor in clock speed of 266MHz. MCF5475 features the V4e ColdFire core with MMU, dual precision FPU and EMAC. The 266MHz version of the ColdFire MCF5475 processor provides raw performance of 410MIPS.

Up to 1GB of DDR SDRAM:
The DRAGON comes with two DIMM slots for ultrafast DDR-266 SDRAM memory. This high-speed memory rushes data at up to 1GB/s throughput. It is over 25 times faster compared against the fastest A1200 accelerators available so far. As memory is scalable up to 1GB, you can add RAM to meet increasing demands of your applications and workflow.

AGP Graphic Slot:
The DRAGON comes with the 3.3V 66MHz AGP slot which supports up to 264MB/s data throughput. The following AGP graphics cards will be supported: Radeon 9700, Radeon 9500, Radeon 9200, Radeon 9000, Radeon 7500, Radeon 7000, Voodoo 5, Voodoo 4, Voodoo 3.

PCI Expansion Slots:
The DRAGON comes with five 66/33MHz, 32-bit PCI slots compliant with the PCI 2.2 specification. The DRAGON system can be configured with PCI 66MHz or PCI 33MHz expansion technology. All PCI slots provide DMA capability. The DRAGON's ColdFire processor has linear access to the 4GB PCI space.

Multi-channel DMA support:
DRAGON hardware provides Multi-channel DMA support. PCI bus master cards can provide DMA accesses to all DRAGON resources: the AGP card, DDR memory, other PCI cards and the Amiga 1200 motherboard space. DRAGON' PCI-to-DDR Direct Memory Access can reach up to 264MB/s throughput. This feature allows even the fastest mass storage PCI controllers to run at their top performance.

2MB of 32-bit Flash memory:
DRAGON includes 2 MBytes of the 32-bit extremely fast Flash memory. It includes factory-programmed DRAGON's boot firmware and diagnostic software. Flash ROM allows remapping of the Amiga Kickstart, as well.

FastEthernet 100Mbps and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (optional):
The DRAGON's MCF5475 processor has one built-in Hi-Speed USB 2.0 controller and two FastEthernet 100Mbps controllers. External ports for these controllers will be available on an optional module. Hardware-acceleration encryption (DES, 3DES, RC4, AES, MD5, SHA-1, RNG) is built into the processor. Dual-channel architecture permits single pass encryption and authentication.

High-Speed serial controllers (optional):
Up to four programmable serial controllers (PSCs), each with separate 512-byte receive and transmit FIFOs for UART, USART, modem, codec, and IrDA 1.1 interface, are built in the DRAGON's MCF5475 processor. External ports for these controllers will be available on an optional module.

Compatible Tower systems:
The DRAGON ColdFire busboard is designed to be used in the following tower systems: Mirage 1200, E/BOX 1200, Power Tower, Winner Tower and Infinitiv Tower. Besides, an Elbox custom-designed case for the DRAGON ColdFire system will be announced soon.

Supported AGP and PCI cards:

• Graphic cards (Radeon 9700, Radeon 9500, Radeon 9200, Radeon 9000, Radeon 7500, Radeon 7000, Voodoo 5, Voodoo 4, Voodoo 3)
• Sound cards (Sound Blaster 4.1 Digital, Sound Blaster 128 and cards based on the ForteMedia FM801 chipset--e.g. Terratec 512i Digital)
• Serial ATA controllers (SiI 3114 support in development)
• Spider Hi-Speed USB 2.0 controllers
• TV tuner cards (based on Bt848/849/878 and FUSION 878/879)
• Fast Ethernet 100Mbps cards (based on RTL8139 chipset)
• Ethernet 10Mbps cards (based on RTL8029 chipset)

Pricing and availability:
The DRAGON ColdFire is planned to be available by the end of January 2005 for a very attractive price, offering superior price/performance ratio. The suggested retail price is 349 EUR. (VAT excl.)

Registered owners of Elbox Mediator 1200 PCI busboards will receive a special incentive upgrade offer in January 2005.

If you have any questions related to the DRAGON ColdFire busboard, email them at dragon@elbox.com. Answers to most frequent inquiries will be published in FAQ section of the Elbox website.

DRAGON - The Dawn of the New Era

[rayt]

Two sockets for DDR-266 SDRAM modules

erm.. maybe I'm stupid but does it have sdram or ddrm ram?

[Dan]

I belive it when I see it.

[kd7ota]

If this product makes it and is released.....

I will have to bring out my 1200 and get it ready.

Also for the ones who bag on it from ever being released, and it does come out....Sad day for them.  :-D  :-)

Ill wait and see if it ever makes it.  :-)

[djbase]

Sounds nice

[System]

Forgive me for asking what is potentially a stupid question.  What OS and utilities actually run on this card?

(I haven't really followed the coldfire story, sorry)

Wayne

[Dagon]

AmigaOS 3.9 and most of the utilities of the classic  Amiga since coldfire is compatible with the 68k series.

[Piru]

since coldfire is compatible with the 68k series

ColdFire is not compatible with the 68k series.

[kas1e]

maybe emulation here ? but it must be too clear code
=> i think we have one of new amiga old_amiga, amiga1 , pegasos, etc,etc, CF amiga now ?

[dammy]

Poster: Piru  Posted: 2004/12/17 12:31:18

ColdFire is not compatible with the 68k series.

Weren't the missing instruction sets added to the later model coldfires?

Dammy

[Dan]

Most of them.
I think that it was only a handful that needed to be trapped.
There has been some lengthy discussions on this and Coldfire 68k JIT.

But whats the point?
I can get a  UAE-pc-machine thats faster at systemfriendly 68k-programs for the same amount and this accelerator doesn´t fit in a desktop A1200.

[boing]

Can we see some links showing which instructions this particular Colfire mpu supports and does not support?

  I would much rather run tight 680X0 code than PPC code. Have any of you seen the PPC instuction set?  I got an PPC Assembly language book and was mortified. Yech- it was enough to make me reconsider the x86.  I wonder how much bigger the core exec/kernel OS of the PPC version of AmigaOS is.  Between 3.9 and 4.0 there shouldn't be many changes that would account for a much larger size, other than the PPC not being as code-efficient a chip as we were lead to believe.  Fair warning: first person to talk about RISC gets slapped.

   If the ColdFire supports most of the common 680X0 instructions (and addressing modes) and the net effect is that it runs several times faster than a 68060, then i'm interested.  I'd rather run my tiny and tight Amiga 68K code mostly-natively than run it interpretively on some PPC box with an emulator and Amiga sticker slapped on (or run some bloated PPC C code).  

   What's even more troubling is the off-the-shelf card approach we see for the video-graphics subsystems on the new "Amigas" or Amiga-like contenders.  Why have none of them thought to include a module to add elegant Amiga videographic features to the gfx cards they plan to slap in? (They have, it just requires more resources than the splintered efforts have. Where is Richard Branson when you need him?)  Sure the new cards can be 3D bit bangers, but we still need real hardware Sprites, multiple playfields, real collision-detection, an Amiga instruction-compatible copper (it's trivially simple), genlocking, etc.  If the core AGA features (or an extension) could be overlaid with existing AGP gfx systems, that would be very good indeed.  In effect mixing the current AGP cards with something that's still very Amiga-like (gee, and MMU for AGA register redirect would be nice for compatibility).

   If only we had all pooled our money some 5 years ago to fund Mick Tinker and Jeri Ellsworth to work together on that one subsystem.  Then these new Amiga-wannabe machines would be more than just PPC boxes with AmigaOS and Amiga hardware emulators.

   In any event, depending on the price, I'd be very interested.  And could you cram this and an A1200 moboard into an A500 case?

[golem]

My twopenneth...I would quite like this to be true but I don't entirely trust a company that has a website where you can still order a Shark PPC and they will take your money. Now they post this on their website. If it is vapor it makes me very angry that they have so little morals they play with us in this way. I'm prepared to be proved wrong but come Feb 2005 and if there is no sign of it Elbox will receive a second black mark in my book. But if it is real well they kept it under their belt until it was ready which is quite admirable I suppose.

[DaNi]

can load ppc software using the coldfire.library or only enables the 680x0 emulation?
What AmigaOS work with this new hardware? OS3.9 or OS4?

[SamuraiCrow]

3.9