FPGA Replay Board

[espskog]

Cheers Mike for the update. I hope you're not getting too frustrated. Remember: Beer is your friend.

You could not be more right :-)
 
Espen

[espskog]

One other thing.
The Replay board has a set of standad IO modules to talk to the ARM CPU, input devices, DRAM, audio and video etc. One of the reasons to modify and modernize the Amiga softcore so it can use my blocks.
 
This results in a design which is actually a bit easier to port to other hardware.
These blocks are also used by the other softcores making it a lot easier to get new stuff up and running.
 
Mike

Do you have some info on whether there is or will be a compatible C64 core that can read/write the SDCard ?
 
Espen

[espskog]

Yes, I have a working C64 core but not an accurate SID at the moment.
Work is on-going reverse engineering the analog part of the chip at the moment (see visual6502.org for details of how it is done)

Great news. Is the SD card access also in place already for loading of D64 files just like ADF's on the MiniMig ?

And, will SID feature filter effects ?


Espen

[espskog]

Don't be shy to show screenshots and youtube clips from the board :-D

[espskog]

Just out of curiosity: What would it take to redesign the OSD so that it resembles the early startup and has mouse support ? When the OSD menu gets lots of options, it might be cool to have a graphical menu system for configuring --- unless this eats up all the ARM memory ?

[espskog]

Using the cursor keys to configure is fine by me.  What I would like is a way to save several confurations:

Basic A500-like with KS1.3, OCS, 1 drive, etc @ 7MHz
Super Minimig with KS3.1, best chipset available, maximum RAM, hard file, etc
etc
etc

I second that. That's a very good feature, and it should not even take up much space either.

Espen

[espskog]

More RAM = more cost.

I think the goal should be to get this board out as it is and into the hands of customers and then look at making a v2 with higher specs if the demand supports it.

Let's face it, we have a machine here capable of performing above 68030 speeds at the price of a 68030 CPU card.  Upgrading to a new, improved board ever 12-18 months and selling the old one should be within everyone's budget.

True. And we have to bare in mind that when it comes to retro commodore hardware and the newer clones and fpga boards, we're opening our wallets as wide as we can without hesitation. We enjoy paying for them -- and that is a pretty rare phenomenon :-)


Espen

[espskog]

I assume someone elses wallet will get its expense expanded ..

I already had to install a secondary expense-expanderadapter to the already piggybacked expense-expansion board. It has opened up for extremely high flow of expenses to the output of the wallet ;-)

Espen

[espskog]

I'm looking forward to some videos of CPU intensive demos and games -- Doom, Gloom and what have you.

Definitely. It will be the same feeling as when you were a kid at Christmas eve

Espen

[espskog]

Yaqube / Mike: I am wondering what is the resolution which the Replay board (with daughterboard attached -- if that changes things resolutionwize) will work with. I a going to buy a LCD monitor which has the same native resolution as the Replay board will output so that I get best image quality (no scaling).

I think I discussed this some months ago with you, and the 1650x1080 resolution came up I think. Will we be able to run e.g. P96 so we can scale up our workbenches to this resolution ? If you have any data here, i'd be very glad to hear so I can plan the LCD i need to use

Espen

[espskog]

Someone remind me of Mike's current ETAs for releasing this for sale? I'm gonna poop myself waiting

Haha...dude, you said it there It's gonna be very cool

[espskog]

When it will have a working c64 core (with SID filters ) that can load/save D64 files using the SD card --- then I will drool for 24 hours until paramedics come and give me a shot and one of those nice shirts which have the option to lock the arms on the back with all the straps....;-)

[espskog]

Hi Mike. Any idea what'll be the asking price for the board ? Just ballpark will do...




Espen

[espskog]

Bump. Less news is better than no news

[espskog]

Could you try to explain the main differences between NatAmi which just announced its board on this forum and the Replay board. I am definitely pro-replay but I am still curious about the side-by-side differences and how they operate + their potentials.


-What are the main technical differences ?
-Do they offer the same functionality ?
-Are they meant to cover the same area of use ?
-A big price difference ?
-Production difference ? (Handmade / Machine made)
-What can A do that B does not ?


//Espen

[espskog]

@ALL: Thanks for all the discussions on the topics i raised. Nice to see so many others are eager to see the Replay board "on the shelves" sometime very soon

Personally, I will go for the Replay board as I believe it is the coolest of them all. I will of course add the daughterboard and I do hope thet  RTG will be supported in the future so I can use the Replay board also as my "dekstop amiga" :-)

Thumbs up for MikeJ and Yaqube and also to the original minimig-author who started this whole crazyness