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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Oldsmobile_Mike on December 30, 2016, 10:10:56 PM

Title: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on December 30, 2016, 10:10:56 PM
Saw these pictures posted on one of the Amiga Facebook forums.  Of course there were absolutely no details provided, lol.  :p

Edit: Googled and found this link:  https://github.com/terriblefire/tf520
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on December 30, 2016, 10:51:22 PM
Hmmm... github development shows recent activity.

Looks more like open source rather than a commercial product...

... which is FINE by me. Not so good if you don't know how to build from them. And not really cheaper (cos one off components cost more than buying in bulk).

EDIT: I did some digging, Stephen Leary is the name, based in Glasgow, Scotland. He has a youtube channel for info.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu4uiUtALy1ILAxNh7TGsmQ

I can't check it out now, got bandwidth restrictions until next week. End of the month problem.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: nyteschayde on December 30, 2016, 11:43:53 PM
Watched some of the videos. I LOVE seeing this sorta stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: CodePoet on December 31, 2016, 02:22:44 AM
Hahaha TerribleFire... Brilliant! Just subscribed to him on YouTube, very interesting videos on the development of the card
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: magnetic on December 31, 2016, 04:20:44 AM
Really cool i wish someone would make them for sale.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on December 31, 2016, 03:07:22 PM
Quote from: magnetic;818506
Really cool i wish someone would make them for sale.

The "Open Source" license release is 2.0 - manufacturers can use the design for production, but must make public any changes or enhancements to the design.

It is still a bit early to think about a production run, but theoretically it could happen.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Fats on December 31, 2016, 04:43:04 PM
Quote from: Pat the Cat;818463
Looks more like open source rather than a commercial product...


FYI, open source is not the opposite of commercial, think Arduino...
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on December 31, 2016, 05:12:30 PM
Quote from: Fats;818543
FYI, open source is not the opposite of commercial, think Arduino...

Which Arduino - the American corporation who skanked the design and had most of their products sourced in China, or the Italian developers who decided not to supply them with any more boards due to breach of contract?

Last I heard of, they were at each other's throats in the courts.

So no, I'd rather not think about Arduino right now, thank you.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: paul1981 on December 31, 2016, 05:36:25 PM
This one caught my attention last year (HC508):

Specs:

-68HC000 CPU running at 50 MHz (100% MC68000 compatible)
-40 pin IDE connector for HDD, CD ROM etc.
-Integrated CF card connector
-8 MB Fast RAM (1 wait state)
-512k FlashROM for Kickstart (1 wait state)

[youtube]VK1h65u8UIU[/youtube]

[youtube]IerD-c3Gln8[/youtube]

Check out the IDE speed!
4.5 Sys(mis)Info MIPS... not bad!
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Acill on December 31, 2016, 06:10:38 PM
The github.com site has a link to order bare boards. I placed an order for 10 which seemed to be the minimum. If I can find the time Ill make one.  I have  the tools for it,  but the project page is rather poor.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on December 31, 2016, 07:26:00 PM
Hey, I'll buy 2 of the spares off you. Minimum.

PM me a price including postage to Nottingham, UK, and I'll happily Paypal you the cash.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Acill on December 31, 2016, 08:43:56 PM
Quote from: Pat the Cat;818558
Hey, I'll buy 2 of the spares off you. Minimum.

PM me a price including postage to Nottingham, UK, and I'll happily Paypal you the cash.


Lets see what gets sent and how long it takes first.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on December 31, 2016, 09:51:51 PM
Quote from: Acill;818564
Lets see what gets sent and how long it takes first.

Affirmative Chief. Absolutely.

I was just keen to get the request in, I appreciate it will take quite a time for the boards to be made, shipped over to you, then shipped wherever.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: kneehighspy on December 31, 2016, 11:53:11 PM
all this new hardware for our old systems is amazing!  is anyone just working on a plain ide hard drive interface for the a500/a1000 similar to kippers?  since his is so hard to get, i am sure something like this would do well, i know i would pick up 4 or 5.

//kneehighspy
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Acill on January 01, 2017, 12:00:48 AM
Guy in Finland makes one called IDE68k that I picked up cheap. I think it was $60
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: kneehighspy on January 01, 2017, 12:34:04 AM
Quote from: Acill;818574
Guy in Finland makes one called IDE68k that I picked up cheap. I think it was $60


thanks, i have heard about the ide68k before, i thought they were no longer made, i will double check, thanks Acill!

//kneehighspy
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on January 01, 2017, 12:40:20 AM
Thought the IDE68k was also made by kipper?  Or wasn't one of his based on that design?  What was that other one... 206-something-or-other?  The one that was just named numbers, and every few weeks seemed to have some new version?

Googled trying to find it and found this instead:  https://www.tapatalk.com/topic/29565-amibay/87471-cf-ide-68k-card-for-amiga-500-new

Sure would be nice if we had a bonafide resource listing all these projects instead of just "guys in their garage".  Something that would also make it easier to support them.  Wishful thinking, I know!  ;)
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: IanP on January 01, 2017, 01:30:17 AM
Be aware that the github project linked in the first post is a different "Accelerator" to the one in the facebook image. The first is an experiment in interfacing a 68020 to the 68000 socket and has minimal performance improvement over the 68000 (using a separate fast ram expansion may help). The image is of a 68030 accelerator board with fast ram, FPU and IDE which is still very much under test and development (revision 1 has some PCB issues). If you click on the parent "terriblefire" directory of the github you'll see the tf530 project but it is only a placeholder for now until the board has been proven.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: zipper on January 01, 2017, 11:16:44 AM
Quote from: Oldsmobile_Mike;818578
Thought the IDE68k was also made by kipper?  


It was designed by member mrmkl - last active 2011 here. Recent home is
http://www.mkl211015.altervista.org/ide/
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on January 01, 2017, 02:36:57 PM
Quote from: IanP;818583
Be aware that the github project linked in the first post is a different "Accelerator" to the one in the facebook image. The first is an experiment in interfacing a 68020 to the 68000 socket and has minimal performance improvement over the 68000 (using a separate fast ram expansion may help). The image is of a 68030 accelerator board with fast ram, FPU and IDE which is still very much under test and development (revision 1 has some PCB issues). If you click on the parent "terriblefire" directory of the github you'll see the tf530 project but it is only a placeholder for now until the board has been proven.

Indeed, developer has only just fitted an FPU and is having issues getting it to fire up.

The whole project is in very early stage, but he just started his first thread on eab forums... clever guy, feeling his way.

Basically he's trying to build small as he can, working up (eventually, no time frame) to a CD32 accelerator. Lots of stages in between.

So, it's not a project at this stage for people who want an off the shelf A500 accelerator, it's more of a tech demonstrator to show how Amiga devs can still develop hardware. It might lead to very successful boards, but you are quite right, it is not fair to anybody to say things or mislead things at this stage.

So, I'm sorry to give the impression the 020 board has RAM - it doesn't.

And Acii, the boards will almost certainly need some wire wrap additions, but that's fine by me. I'm still game. :)
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Fats on January 01, 2017, 07:05:45 PM
Quote from: Pat the Cat;818545
Last I heard of, they were at each other's throats in the courts.


You are a little bit behind (https://blog.arduino.cc/2016/10/01/two-arduinos-become-one-2/), and even if not it still shows that open source hardware can be sold commercially.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on January 01, 2017, 07:14:48 PM
Quote from: Fats;818638
You are a little bit behind (https://blog.arduino.cc/2016/10/01/two-arduinos-become-one-2/), and even if not it still shows that open source hardware can be sold commercially.

:laughing:

Quote
... theoretically it could happen.        
:laughing:

I am not going to attempt the number of githubs that will never be commercially produced.

Some are, in vast numbers. The teeny, tiny, minority of successful designs.

I wish I could do more than wish the man all the best and try and help over the internet properly, checking the design with Eagle, building one, etc. I just haven't time right now, got a deadline on... old habits die hard...
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Fats on January 03, 2017, 04:53:03 PM
Quote from: Pat the Cat;818639
Some are, in vast numbers. The teeny, tiny, minority of successful designs.


Nothing different from the proprietary projects that never reach commercial introduction let alone success. Advantage with github is that attempts are documented and can be build upon.

I'd rather talk about hobby projects as opposite of commercial projects, and hobby projects don't necessarily have to be open source either.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on January 03, 2017, 05:10:38 PM
Quote from: Fats;818888
I'd rather talk about hobby projects as opposite of commercial projects, and hobby projects don't necessarily have to be open source either.

That's true. One reason I've never published any of my code is - it's embarassingly inelegant.

Might shove the binaries out one day, they're pretty intense demos if you want to VJ with Amigas. Truly open sourcing it would just be too humiliating.
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: Pat the Cat on January 04, 2017, 08:27:37 AM
Well, TerribleFire is not standing still. Got the RAM and Autoconfig sort of there, MMU recognized, board happy at 25MHz. Still got some issues to resolve, then the IDE port...

.,, then it's good to go. :) Latest vid is just showing the difference between 25MHz Frontier and regular A500 Frontier, and he's not even using NTSC for an extra speed boost;-

https://youtu.be/XRO9j2G9owc
Title: Re: Another new homebrew accelerator?
Post by: paul1981 on January 04, 2017, 12:03:40 PM
The 7MHz 68000 Frontier would be a bit better with some Fast RAM. Not much, I know... :)