New Minimig cores available

[boing4000]

Very very good work, thank you Jakub!! :-)

But I do have a problem in compiling the source code. ISE 10.1 stops with an error: "Place:1018 - A clock IOB / clock component pair have been found that are not placed at an optimal clock IOB /"

What could it be? I only used the shipped source files.

[boing4000]

@yaqube

OK where can I download ISE 9.2i? On xilinx.com is nothing to find. But right now I dont need to compile an own core. Its just about 2 things:
- Power-LED should not dim. 'NET "pwrled"  LOC = "P94" | IOSTANDARD = LVCMOS33  | DRIVE = 12  | SLEW = SLOW  | PULLDOWN ;' in Minimig1.ucf
- Switch 7/14MHz CPU Clock (not necessary but funny :-) )

[boing4000]

In first way Minimig wants to be an Amiga500 reimplemantation. This is and was the goal of Dennis to build the Minimig PCB.
If OS3.9 is much important, you can still use a real Amiga or the Natami if its released.

Right now I am really impressed how good the new firmware works :-)

[boing4000]

@Darrin: 100% agreed :-)

just tested: Pinball Dreams can write its highscore on "disk"!! *happy* ;-)

[boing4000]

Remember to strike the right balance between "testing" and "playing". My kids saw me testing a few games and then kicked me off for hours so they could play (Alien Breed, Cannon Fodder 2, Lemmings 2).

Classics never die!

Hihi thats great :lol:
Amiga is still fascinating to all generations!

[boing4000]

Easy calculation: 1000MB / 0.88MB = 1136 Floppys
Making 1120 for roundup and subtraction of minimig1.bin & kick.rom.
Also you have to create an sub folder "adf" or something to store that amount of files. A FAT16 root directory can not store that much. Also long file names take more space. One subfolder takes also at least 1 entry in the root dir.

My suggestion was and is to handel .adf files in a seperate subfolder. Inside it the FAT16 can store many many more files.
If the PIC firmware could search in \adf\ for disk images, it would be helpful to make more games/demos directly available in minimig.

(Sorry for mistype, today I dont want to ask dict.leo.org all the time ;-))

[boing4000]

@yaqube

I just tried to compile the FPGA Core in ISE 9.2i (found it for download).
The core was compiled 100% without error (only a few warnings) but Minimig only show a black screen after loading the core.
Do you have any idea what it could be?

[boing4000]

hmmmmm.... ;-)
No my PAL 15KHz Monitor can sync 50Hz and the original PAL core is working. Only when recompiling the source (in ISE 9.2i) it show a black screen and no further action.

[boing4000]

Thanks Jakub, I will check that.

EDIT:
Just did a few recompilings and now the core is working. No changes but suddenly it works... strange.

Also found out that ISE 9.2i take much more compiling time as 10.1 did. I think it would be better to use 10.1 as default compiler.
Right now I am satisfied that it works at all :-)

[boing4000]

The FPGA core is only a single file and already stored on SD card called "Minimig1.bin". You can swap, rename, copy or move this file as any other file to and from your PC/Mac.

The PIC firmware is flashed inside the PIC chip and can be updated by the PIC itself via RS232 (serial com port) and the PC software TinyBootloader.
I dont think it would be possible to let PIC update himself via "floppy simulation" is working in the same time. AFAIK the only way to let PIC reflash itself is via RS232.

I think this is already a very clean and simple way. Only thing you need ia a cardreader and null-modem cable + serial port on PC.

[boing4000]

There are also USB>RS232 converter available to do the job even on modern PC without a generic COM port. Should work fine but never tested.

@Jakub
Did you remove the 14MHz cpu clock (by Dennis) to make AR work? I just tried to let 68k run at 14MHz again and the AR is not operation well
PS: at 14MHz cpu the floppy speeds up to 40kb/s !great!

[boing4000]

@Jakub

I asked Dennis some time ago about clocking the 68000 at 28MHz, he told me it could work if the 68k-bridge module is adapted to it.
But 14MHz was definitely working in Dennis 2nd released firmware. You can find out in Minimig1.v by searching for "turbo cpu".
Dennis made it like that (out of memory):

Code: [Select]


reg cpuclk;
alwasy @(posedge vgaclk)
 cpuclk<=~cpuclk

Since vgaclk is taken out of the module I made my own version like this:

Code: [Select]


reg genclk;
always @(negedge clk28m)
 genclk=~genclk;
assign cpuclk=genclk;

It is also working 100% in Minimig without loaded ar3.rom. SysinfoV3.24 is showing factor 1.77 to A600 and factor 1.34 to B2000 :-D

I am really looking forward to your "Turbo CPU Menu", sounds very interesting!! :-)

[boing4000]

@Darrin

I think the USB port is only to update or reprogram the ARM Chip. But USB in Minimig would also be a very nice feature... if possible at all.

The last older core from me (also NTSC version) had 7/14MHz and Slowmem selectable via jumper on Spare-i/o. Most of this is now in Jakub's new core (selectable ram). I made only 14mhz available to my one now in current version.

[boing4000]

@Darrin

It was a normal release and posted somewhere in this forum ;-) But that was all out of the old core version and is no longer working together with current PIC firmware.

I can post the new 14MHz version, if Jakub can tell me where the default settings for PAL and NTSC is located?
Right now I only have PAL by default with 14MHz.

[boing4000]

Thanks Jakub, now I can build seperate PAL and NTSC core with 7/14MHz selectable via Jumper.
When you release the OSD version, my one will be obsolete and I am looking forward to that time :-)