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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Hardware News => Topic started by: ackcontrols on December 23, 2004, 05:29:16 PM
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ACK Software Controls, Inc. is pleased to announce two new products for the Amiga 1200. The first product is a Freescale 8245 based CPU card clocked at 400 MHz.
The card will have a SODIMM slot for memory expansion and also includes a Silicon Images 680 IDE controller and a Radeon Mobility graphics chip. This CPU card will fit in standard A1200 cases, but a towered system is recommended. The second product is a modular busboard and CPU combination for use with towered A1200 machines. The bus board features an AGP 1X slot and three PCI slots. Additional features of the busboard include two DDR DIMM slots for memory expansion, a Silicon Images 680 IDE controller, onboard USB and ethernet. The CPU card will initially be a 750CXe product, but other CPUs will be available. Both products will ship with an OEM version ofOS4 and contain a version of U-Boot as the firmware. Products are presently in prototype form running Linux and will be available in Q1 2005. Additional information will follow in the new year.
Sincerely,
Adam Kowalczyk
ACK Software Controls, Inc.
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cool ;-)
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This is great news. :-)
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/me removes his a1200 ad from ebay :-)
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Who are ACK ? Do they have a website ? If they have prototypes then surely some piccies could be taken ... or is this yet another Amiga hoax ... Hey every lets all kick the dead(ish) dog! ;-)
Well Amiga owners are nothing if not patient.
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:inquisitive:
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@Sparky
I don't believe its a hoax. Adam is an OS4 betatester, and was also involved with the Micro-A1 hardware.
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AFAIK they don't have their own website but are affiliated with an Ottawa (Ontario, Canada) based Amiga-shop called LiveWire Systems.
LiveWire has a website: http://www.livewiresystems.ca/ but LiveWire doesn't have any mention of this card.
Anyway, if this comes out with a reasonable price and is OS4 compatible, then I might just have myself an OS4 machine. :P
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Who are ACK ?
ACK is Adam Kowalcyk. Among other things, he's working with us on the OS 4 project.
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Great, lets hope it won't be too expensive.. and will there also be A3000/4000 versions in the future?
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Great, lets hope it won't be too expensive.. and will there also be A3000/4000 versions in the future?
Yes, A3/4000 versions are in the works as well.
ACK
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sounds great :-D I hope the cpu can be upgraded..
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Can someone please make one of these for the CD32 !!! :-D
I have the perfect design for a case that goes under the CD32 that will include space for another CDROM/ DVD ROM drive and and 2 extra CD32 expansion ports plus maybe a 1200 type expansion slot.
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@leirbag28:
And let's not forget one for your A600 that clips onto the 68k chip. :lol:
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Really cool.
I have contact ppls at my group and we re very very interested in getting some of these.
@ackcontrol
Two simple questions
If the first model ( the one whitout pci and the like ) compatible with mediator in order to use it under Os4?
Whats is the price range for each one?
You rule guy.
Best Regards
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great pieces of hardware!
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This is really great news, looks like my A1200 won't be consigned to the dustbin of history just yet! :-)
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This is the best Xmas gift yet!!! Methinks the dragon is doa?
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If I could fit one in my standard A1200 case...with onboard graphics, that would be pretty cool. (Was almost ready to ebay the 1200, guess I'll hang on to it a bit longer.)
And all the better if MorphOS ever runs on it. :pint:
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I am very interested in the first product, depending on pricing. I would like more information on it.
I checked the Freescale website, and from what I could find out the 8245 is an low-power 603E for embedded systems. Do you have any benchmarks available yet. I am not expecting to be blown away or anything, just would like to know what I can expect.
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Between this and the dragon I'm never going to find a second hand A1200 now :-o
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As a Amiga dealer I plan on selling this accelerator and the module setup as well.
This gives new life to Classic Amiga users.
You will now be able to use Amigados 4.0 and your older Amiga cards.
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will the board also have a tvout/composite port? It would be very cool to have an A1200 in the original case playing quake2 or fpse on a tv..
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@rayt:
An A1200 already comes with a composite out port. :-)
@thread:
I am wondering if this upgrade would in any way use the custom chipset from the A1200 motherboard?
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@ x56h34
Yeah but it won't display any radeon screenmodes ;)
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@rayt:
Ah, I see what you mean now. :-)
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You may joke, but is they were to ever put one in an A600, then I'm buying up as many A600s in sight to do the upgrade to.
I love the form factor of the A600, but we all know the power sucked, this would change all that.
-Alx
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I think my 1200 would crap it's pants going 400MHz! How would this work? Have a new Amiga-ish computer on a card that uses the A1200 as a power supply? hehe Well I wonder since the 1200's bus speed is what 28 MHz? Of course it wouldn't be using much of anything from the motherboard I suppose, Imagine a 400 MHz PPC OS4 machine with 512MB ram and ATI Radeon graphics (pretty current technology) with a 1985 sound chip.. would be an odd beast. Hold down the mouse buttons and have two selections:
Normal Mode (PPC)
Old-Skool Mode (68020)
:-P
Would be totally awesome, though!
-Jamie
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Very Interesting :-o
:huh:
:nervous:
:ranting:
:bigcry: I want one for my A1200 desktop
:banana:
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new cpu card with gfx card, ide controller and Ram so for what the A1200 is needed ?
I can think of joystick, mouse, sound, psu.
Great news though (but I have a BlizzardPPC+BVPPC)
Lio
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@techiebk
I checked the Freescale website, and from what I could find out the 8245 is an low-power 603E for embedded systems. Do you have any benchmarks available yet. I am not expecting to be blown away or anything, just would like to know what I can expect.
YES, it's very strange indeed. First he says about 8245 (it's ppc 603), then - about ppc 750Gx (which is afair from G3 family). Where is the truth? One more christmas joke like elbox's dragon? (they even don't have a prototype of their dragon to make photos, so no believing from me at all, because of many older jokes from everybody - amigainc, phase5's new amigas, etc..)
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Now ya talking. The integrated all-in-one solution with the ati mobility graphics sounds awesome. If you can do this for around the same price as the proposed elbox solution, I'd definately be up for one.
Awesome work, keep it up.
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new cpu card with gfx card, ide controller and Ram so for what the A1200 is needed ?
I can think of joystick, mouse, sound, psu.
The original chipset? That way you get the best of both worlds. A PowerPC CPU faster than the Blizzard, without a 68k for context switching nightmares, and access to the original chipset to run some software that would require E-UAE on the A1.
On the other hand, old Amigas are dying... The A1 is more of a future investment.
So... something for everybody ;-)
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@ackcontrols:
Can you confirm which "Radeon Mobility" chip is being used?
Thanks
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Any pics of the prototype?
Do a version of this for the A3000, and you have a customer!
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First he says about 8245 (it's ppc 603), then - about ppc 750Gx (which is afair from G3 family). Where is the truth?
If you re-read the announcement carefully, you'll see that there are actually two products announced. The first one is the 8245, while the second one is the 750CXe (it's a CXe, not GX, btw, the same as used on the original AmigaOne SE boards).
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Very interesting, i could buy one for my 1200, so also with my A1 i will have two OS4 machines.
If Elbox wants to sell the Sharks, they need to released some new informations. The Dragon is a good expansion, but a PPC board like this, it is much more better (so you can run OS4!).
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Yes, yes yes yes yes yes :-o :-o :-D :-D :-D
My A4000 awaits. :-D
Maybe I'll get one for the desktop A1200 too.
Thank you!!!!
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This is really surprising news.
Seems like we're recoveing. Seems like the 97/98 era with PowerPC announcements. And more amiga users are coming back..
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Sounds like good news for A1200 owners.
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redfox
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I am wondering if this upgrade would in any way use the custom chipset from the A1200 motherboard?
Yeah, for example will it be possible to use paula for sound under os4 on that card?(as the basic version doesn't have pci or onboard sound)
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I guess the fantasy wish that we all have about this accelerator would be that from within OS4.0, classic custom chips banging software could fall back into true 68k mode (via custom chips and the on-board 68020 CPU that are available on the A1200 mobo). :-)
I know, I know... extreme wishful thinking. :-)
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@EntilZha:
If you re-read the announcement carefully
Whoooops! =)
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I know, I know... extreme wishful thinking.
Be careful what you wish for :-)
If the PPC has access to the address space of the host Amiga, it can access the custom chips under OS4 just as it can do that when running OS4 on a CyberStorm or Blizzard (before somebody adds a "sarcastic" comment: It can access the custom chips ;-)).
However, using the 68k CPU is out of question. There are too many problems involved when running the real 68k since it's not cache coherent. The JIT will emulate a 68k CPU at acceptable speed. I know the compatibility is still a problem, but it's progressing.
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@EntilZha:
Hey, that's still pretty amazing. You guys are doing an excellent job, it seems. :-)
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I too would like to see this for my 3000 or 4000, but I have to be sceptical and say "how can this product be any less expensive than and A1 board?"
I'd like to be wrong and find out I can update my ami for hundreds less than an A1, but it seems this will probably be a normally priced A1 card simply pluged in to my old case. Only the less speedy CPU would be a cost cutter. And with all the gloomy speculation out of the way.... I can't wait to find out more. :-)
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@alex
You may joke, but is they were to ever put one in an A600, then I'm buying up as many A600s in sight to do the upgrade to.
I would do the same thing. An A600 with a 400mhz PPC would be the coolest thing ever, I'd buy as many as I could afford, and then some.
As for the A1200 version, I'm getting one. Have to get myself a new A1200 too, but it'll be worth it, I haven't been this excited about something Amigarelated in years.
Now does anyone know if I would be able to run divx's allright with a 400mhz PPC?
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Will the 1200-D version have any access to the 1200's hardware, specifically sound and clockports? 'Cause if so, I've got a wickedly cool idea brewing in my head.
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Now does anyone know if I would be able to run divx's allright with a 400mhz PPC?
It depends on how the player is coded, somewhat. But given that the ATI Mobility chipset is all chunky as opposed to having to do C2P translation for the ECS, you'd be golden.
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Adam Kowalczyk use to run Matay whom created the Prometheus card.. !!!!!!!
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Adam Kowalczyk use to run Matay whom created the Prometheus card.. !!!!!!!
No, I'm totally unconnected to anyone at Matay. I did do a Linux driver for the Prometheus board, but am not affiliated with Matay nor Elbox.
Adam Kowalczyk
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I've got a uA1 coming which I'll put in a micro ITX case and carry to work.
I've also got an A4000D and a couple of A1200's. The idea of one of these is an A1200 case as my main machine is making me salivate wildly....
It would be cool if the phantasy project people can modify their case to take a uA1 OR an A1200 mobo.... :-D
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What are the chances of posting some pictures of the prototype ? Put our minds at rest that this is not yet another hoax.
Or is the prototype still in paper/brain cell form ?
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@ Sparky,
Adam has already said on Ann. "Pictures of the pre-production model will be available in the new year" So be Patient!!!
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Cool ... I shall wait and see what appears ...
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errrm its the New Year now, well actually its several weeks INTo the New Year....
Any pics? Any more info?
Will the Desktop board run with standard PSU or will we need some super meaty 400W PC PSU hack?
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and no response to PM either....
Hardly inspires confidence a product will ever appear does it?
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Any news about these acceleratorcards?
Will they be released?
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@Methanoid
and no reply to PM either.... Hardly inspires confidence a product will ever appear does it?
Not a bit, but as amigans we are full of hope as always. Seems after 4 months there would be some update/news. I wish they (all potential devs) would quit posting news releases without protos or demos to show at least. I'm still interested if you're still building though!
Plaz
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Adam is a very busy person. I have no doubt the accellerators will ship, it's just that he has alot on his plate at the moment. I just talked to him recently. We just need to be patient.
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Any updates?
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I'd like to see someone build a Cardbus controller into an expansion board like this. Mount two Type II/III sockets in the 1200's rear expansion port and you'd have a tight system with good upgrade potential.
Need a sound upgrade? Get a PCMCIA sound card.
Need SCSI? Get a PCMCIA SCSI card.
etc..
Small and compact. Just the way I like it.
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Why did you post an identical post in 2 threads?
No matter how many times you do... there still wont be the drivers U need
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Hi Everyone,
"Products are presently in prototype form running Linux and will be available in Q1 2005. Additional information will follow in the new year."
Has anyone heard anything about this recently. We will soon be hitting Q1 2006 and I haven't heard much other than what was posted here.
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Turns out it was all B.S.