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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Hardware News => Topic started by: Spidi on June 13, 2017, 10:30:48 PM

Title: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: Spidi on June 13, 2017, 10:30:48 PM
CD32 Expansion Slot

(https://retro.7-bit.pl/images/CD32EXSL_450.png)

CD32 Expansion Slot has been designed specifically for Amiga CD32 and true to its name, provides a way to expand your Amiga’s specs (with devices such as RAM memory expansion, MPEG decoder etc.). The one extra feature of this card is a VGA port (providing standard Amiga 15 kHz RGB signal).

View details https://retro.7-bit.pl/?lang=en&go=projekty&name=CD32EXSL



Wicher 500i

Wicher 500i turbo card has been designed for installation inside Amiga A500/A500+ computer. It supports 68000/68010 CPUs (using PLCC68 package), up to 8 MB of Fast RAM (using standard SIMM72 memory modules) and IDE 2,5” hard drives. CPU clock speed can be set up to 50 MHz.

(https://retro.7-bit.pl/images/wicher500i_450.png)
View details https://retro.7-bit.pl/?lang=en&go=projekty&name=wicher500i
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: jj on June 21, 2017, 05:00:40 PM
So does this give the ability to add a1200 trapdoor expansions to cd32 ?  I'm confused
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: Matt_H on June 21, 2017, 05:53:36 PM
No, it's essentially the same as the bridge card used to connect the FMV cartridge, but with the addition of a VGA port for easier connection to monitors. I think the intent is for it to be a low-cost way of getting a VGA port onto a CD32, with the expansion slot being an added bonus for those few internal-only peripherals (FMV cartridge, I think there's an RTC, maybe a few others).
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: BozzerBigD on June 21, 2017, 05:59:45 PM
Quote from: Matt_H;827414
No, it's essentially the same as the bridge card used to connect the FMV cartridge, but with the addition of a VGA port for easier connection to monitors. I think the intent is for it to be a low-cost way of getting a VGA port onto a CD32, with the expansion slot being an added bonus for those few internal-only peripherals (FMV cartridge, I think there's an RTC, maybe a few others).

What a weird idea?! So it's just a SX-32 backplate without the accelerator and missing ALL the ports other than a VGA port! Why? Is a re-engineered DCE 030 board to follow or are they in league with the Vampire team providing a path to a Vampire CD32?

Plus doesn't the Indivision CD32 model give a VGA port plus scan-doubled screen modes? Why would you choose this instead?
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: Matt_H on June 21, 2017, 06:41:14 PM
Quote from: BozzerBigD;827415
What a weird idea?! So it's just a SX-32 backplate without the accelerator and missing ALL the ports other than a VGA port! Why? Is a re-engineered DCE 030 board to follow or are they in league with the Vampire team providing a path to a Vampire CD32?


It does open the door to future expansion such as you describe, but I don't know what they're planning.

Quote
Plus doesn't the Indivision CD32 model give a VGA port plus scan-doubled screen modes? Why would you choose this instead?


I suspect this will be a hell of a lot cheaper. And it doesn't require opening the case to get to the motherboard, for those who care about such things. On my CD32, at least, the RF shielding is soldered shut.
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: Rob on June 21, 2017, 08:00:49 PM
Quote from: BozzerBigD;827415
What a weird idea?! So it's just a SX-32 backplate without the accelerator and missing ALL the ports other than a VGA port! Why? Is a re-engineered DCE 030 board to follow or are they in league with the Vampire team providing a path to a Vampire CD32?


They have a basic RAM and IDE card planned.  If a Vampire CD32 was produced it could be plugged into this too.

Quote

Plus doesn't the Indivision CD32 model give a VGA port plus scan-doubled screen modes? Why would you choose this instead?


The VGA port on this adapter outputs 15Khz.  You can use it with a multiscan VGA monitor or make up cables for SCART TVs or you CM8833 or whatever.  The VGA connector is used because it's easier to source that the 23-pin connector.

Kipper2k also made similar boards which also included a PS2 keyboard adapter and 23-pin Amiga RGB.  There was also a later revision which had SCART RGB which also included the audio signals.
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: Iggy on June 22, 2017, 03:32:49 PM
Quote from: Matt_H;827417
It does open the door to future expansion such as you describe, but I don't know what they're planning.



I suspect this will be a hell of a lot cheaper. And it doesn't require opening the case to get to the motherboard, for those who care about such things. On my CD32, at least, the RF shielding is soldered shut.


Does installing an SX32 require opening the machine? It should not be a requirement for an accelerator, as all the needed signals are on the expansion port.
The SX1 certainly needs no internal modifications.
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: kolla on June 22, 2017, 03:53:36 PM
Quote from: Iggy;827441
Does installing an SX32 require opening the machine?


Nope, no need for that. Though, the CD32 is perhaps the easiest Amiga model to open up.
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: BozzerBigD on June 22, 2017, 04:48:59 PM
@Iggy

No internal modification were needed with the SX32 (unless you wanted to use a PC keyboard which required an additional wire attached to a pin on the SX32). You just needed to open it up so that the board fits inside the case. It's slightly to big to fit through the slot and so you need to removed the screws to insert the board inside the machine. A very snug fit but a great design.
Title: Re: New products from Retro 7-bit
Post by: Crom00 on June 23, 2017, 07:38:47 PM
Honestly?

This looks like a rework or scaled back copy of the Kipper CD32 adapter that had a RGB port AND a keyboard adapter. Kipper hasn't been able to get the code for the Keyboard controller so that feature is  disabled. I got one from Kippa within the past year.

I think they want to get the Vampires into all kinds of Amgias at some point.
CD32 Vamped would be mindblowingly cool!