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Operating System Specific Discussions => Amiga OS => Amiga OS 4.x (future) Hardware Compatibility Discussions => Topic started by: tiffers on July 21, 2019, 10:51:27 AM

Title: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: tiffers on July 21, 2019, 10:51:27 AM
Hello all,

I've got some questions regarding Tabor hardware compatibility, and I haven't been able to find conclusive answers anywhere, so here I am asking, especially to any Beta Testers, or A-Eon/AmigaKit directly. I'm finding that trawling through the related discussion threads with heated arguments (as is so common) just makes it impossible to get good straight technical information.

And emailing A-Eon directly and a beta tester here in Australia via his blog have resulted in no replies.


---- Quote ----
I'm looking to begin getting parts together for a Tabor system, so when the board comes out, I just have the 'small' expense of the board alone.

I'm having some issues on picking suitable hardware though, because the published specs leave some questions unanswered.

I was wondering if you'd be able to shed some light on a few questions?

The RAM is listed as DDR3 400MHz. Do I understand that this is the interface speed and suitable RAM is usually advertised as 800MHz, or PC3-6400? How well will faster RAM work in the slot (Have you tested faster SODIMMs)? I have access to PC3-8500, PC3-10200/10600 and PC3-12800. Will these all work ok?

Also some SODIMMs have an L in their 'name' like PC3L-10200. These are a lower voltage SODIMM, are these suitable? Which voltage does Tabor support/expect? I have read some SODIMMs can be dual-voltage 1.35/1.5v. Does Tabor support dual-voltage SODIMMS?

How many SODIMM slots are there? It's hard to tell from photos, but I assume only one. Is this correct? If so, I haven't been able to find 8GB SODIMMs at that speed/rating (800MHz / PC-6400), hence my question about higher speed RAM.

Is the MicroSD for UBoot supplied with the board? If so, what size will be shipped? Is the MicroSD a consumer-grade card or an industrial-grade card? Is the Tabor board compatible with industrial-grade cards? I'd like to consider having an industrial-grade card for longevity of the stored data, so long term the board stays functional (a working Tabor board 30 years later could still be cool). Will end users be able to obtain the UBoot image to write to their own cards (like an industrial-grade card), or will a procedure be available to copy the data from the supplied card to a new card?

Is the on-die SATA controller capable of interfacing with an SSD drive? Is there Trim support in firmware, or is there a recommended SSD to use for Amiga OS4.x? (I have read that no Trim support exists in AmigaOS 4.x)

What is the max sized drives the on-die SATA controller can address? What is the max size boot 'partition' AmigaOS 4.x supports?

Is the 'internal' USB header v1.x or v2.x generation? Is there just the one? I assume this would be the case, as stated specs are 2 internal ports, which is usually one 9-pin (technically 10 - 1) header.

I assume a licensed copy of AmigaOS 4.1 FE will be included with the board. Does this include an installer medium, and if so, what will the medium be? Will a Linux distro also or optionally be included? And again, which medium?

Would a 450w PSU be sufficient for a Tabor with 8GB SODIMM (PC3-12800), an SSD, a DVD-RW, an internal card reader (powered by/running off the internal USB header) and a Radeon RX480 (for example)?

Will an I/O shield for the rear ports be included or available to be purchased separately, now or in the future?

Will you be providing any information regarding which components were responsible for the 'Plus' re-spin of the board? We're a curious bunch. The components may not be important in the grand scheme, but hey, we're a community here right?
---- End ----


Adding in some questions regarding the Early Adopter offer and a1222plus.com site:

---- Early Adopter Program Questions ----

The Early Adopter Program was announced in December (Thank you!), and it offers 2 ways to register for one of the new boards.

If someone buys the [Option 1] AAA Bundle (which includes software, some hardware etc, and after some clarification on the AmigaKit site, the Enhancer Software for anyone who purchases an A1222 early adopter board) will this purchase offset the purchase price of the A1222 board, or does it net you the bundle and an advanced opportunity (only), to purchase the board at the 'full' (early adopter special) price?

Are you reserving any boards for people who are planning to wait for [Option 2] the 20% pre-purchase registration? Reading the A1222 Plus site, it looks like you're offering the board only to people purchasing the AAA bundle, for a limited time, and then if registrations are less than the production run, you'll offer the board under [Option 2]. IF [Option 1] results in all 100 boards 'selling' there will be no [Option 2] offer. Can you confirm?

Is the price of the board likely to be significantly different for people purchasing the board AFTER the early adopter program (ie the production (release to market) runs later in 2020/21 and into the future)?

---- End ----


---- A1222Plus.com Site Questions ----

The 'About' page (http://www.a1222plus.com/?page=about) for the A1222 board seems to be mostly based around the P1022 SoC specs. Is it possible you could re-compose the page to be based more around the board? Also do you think it's possible to have it in a familiar format, like that used by most PC motherboard manufacturers?

I propose something like the following:

THIS IS A FORMAT SUGGESTION ONLY. THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY ACCURATE INFORMATION

CPUNXP QorIQ P1022, 1.2GHz, 32-bit, e500V2, dual-core
Memory1x 204-pin DDR3 SO-DIMM Slot
  • Supports DDR3 800MHz (PC3-6400)* up to 8GB
  • Supports 1.35v, 1.5v and Dual-voltage 1.35/1.5v SO-DIMMS
Expansion Slots1x PCIe x16 physical slot, running PCIe x4 lanes
Storage2x on-board SATA 2.6 compliant connectors
  • Support HDD up To 1TB
  • Compatible with SATA SSD Drives
  • Does NOT have SSD Trim feature
Network1x Gigabit Ethernet
  • RGMII ethernet PHY
USBExternal: 2x USB 2.0 ports
Internal: 1x 9-pin USB header - provides 2x USB 2.0 ports
SoundAudio CODEC generating stereo audio out from I2S digital audio
SerialRS232 including flow control
  • Level shifting from TTL UART serial levels to RS232 levels
  • Maximum baud rate of 230,400
Fan Headers3x 3-wire headers ^
Internal I/O Connectors
  • 1x 24-pin ATX Main Power Connector
  • 1x Front Panel USB connector
  • 2x GPIO Ports
    • Support for user GPIOs
  • GPIO JTAG
  • CPLD JTAG
  • DEBUG FIDI
  • WCU Prog
  • LED ports for Power, CPU, HDD
Back Panel Connectors
  • 1x 9-pin RS232 Serial Port
  • 1x DVI-D Port**
    • 24 bit colour depth
    • Support for resolution up to 1280x1024
  • Sound
    • 1x Line-In
    • 1x Line-Out
    • 1x Microphone-In
  • 2x 1 Gigabit Ethernet
  • 2x USB 2.0 ports
* Faster SO-DIMMS may work, but are not supported.
** DVI Port connected via on-die HDMI LCD Interface
^ Supplied CPU Fan uses one fan header


On the current (12 Jan 2020) 'About' page, only 1 gigabit ethernet is listed. Previously posted info was 2 ports, as can be seen on photos of Beta Tester's boards. Which is correct?

I understand Power and HDD LED's, but what is a CPU LED? (Ie What does it indicate?)

---- End ----


Thanks,

tiffers



Edit 1: Clarification/spelling/grammar.
Edit 2: More clarification, added questions about the board, the EA program and the a1222plus.com site.

Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on July 23, 2019, 04:13:11 PM
These are all great questions...

I am concerned if we will ever see the Tabor in the wild at all considering all of the legal issues currently going on.
Anyone have any info at all regarding the Tabor and whether it has been killed or not?

Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: number6 on July 23, 2019, 06:48:29 PM
Quote from: outlawal2 on July 23, 2019, 04:13:11 PM
These are all great questions...

I am concerned if we will ever see the Tabor in the wild at all considering all of the legal issues currently going on.
Anyone have any info at all regarding the Tabor and whether it has been killed or not?

maybe some info coming here (http://www.amuc.ab.ca/amijam2019/)

#6
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on July 23, 2019, 08:18:24 PM
Thanks for that!
Will check back in August..
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: tiffers on July 25, 2019, 12:57:38 PM
All "AmigaOS 4.x" references are meant to be AmigaOS 4.1FE Update 1 (or whichever version ships with the board)
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: tiffers on August 11, 2019, 04:53:53 AM
Does anyone have any links to info from this event (if any has made it online yet)?
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: tiffers on January 12, 2020, 03:01:34 PM
Just updated the original post, because I'd still like most of these questions answered. Also added in some new questions.  ;D
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: number6 on February 25, 2020, 03:32:23 PM
@thread

Quote
Matthew Leaman informed me that, due to factory shutdowns, several of his new classic Amiga hardware products have not been shipped or are now greatly behind schedule. A-EON Technology's A1222 early Adopter development and release schedule has similarly been affected and Matthew thinks the delays could push production into the third quarter of this year.
and

Quote
Matthew also confirmed that the AAA Bundles themselves will now be shipped out the first week of March.

Source Trevor's blog - February 24, 2020 (http://blog.a-eon.biz/blog/?p=12271)

#6
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: TribbleSmasher on February 25, 2020, 05:51:23 PM
I believe to remember the Tabor was meant to be produced in Britain?
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: kreciu on February 26, 2020, 03:42:04 AM
It looks like Tabor will NEVER be released.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: Rob on February 27, 2020, 11:51:54 PM
Quote from: TribbleSmasher on February 25, 2020, 05:51:23 PM
I believe to remember the Tabor was meant to be produced in Britain?

I believe the beta boards were manufactured in the UK by Varysis.  After the tech handaover Trevor said the company they were working with on the redesign and production had facilities in the UK but I don't recall any mention of where the boards would be produced.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on February 28, 2020, 04:15:26 PM
Even if it is produced in Britain, many if not most of the components are coming from China or thereabouts and obviously anything coming from that part of the world right now will be affected by the Coronavirus situation.  I read an article the other day talking about how many of the components that we use for pharmaceuticals here in the US are sourced from China and that things are going to get sketchy soon regarding the ability to get the prescription drugs we need.

I have been chomping at the bit for the Tabor literally for years now, but there are certainly more important things happening currently that will affect it.
We have waited this long, waiting a bit longer due to some REALLY rare circumstances isn't important considering all of the ramifications.

At least that is my take on things anyway.

Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: TribbleSmasher on February 28, 2020, 05:04:03 PM
Certainly, but production was planned to start 'soon', therefore the parts should have been in stock already, before chinese holidays.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on February 28, 2020, 09:24:19 PM
That is a good point too Tribble.
I guess we will have to wait and see.

As usual!
 ;)
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on March 02, 2020, 09:08:30 PM
So I received my email from Amiga Kit with my serial# with the instruction to register said serial at the following link.
https://www.amisphere.com/download/a1222plus_early_adopter.php

It failed as I did not already have a login.  OK, fine I am good with that, I go to the main site and create a new login and it still fails.
Never received the confirmation email they said I would receive and I cannot login at all.   Also no way to reach anyone regarding this issue.

ZERO information on the page if you do have issues and no recourse whatsoever.

So exactly HOW do we register our serial # if the website will not allow logins using the account that was created specifically to do so?

Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: TribbleSmasher on March 02, 2020, 09:13:55 PM
You donot have to wait for the  email from amisphere.
Just use the ID given at the confirmation when the account was created as your user name. login directly.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on March 02, 2020, 09:16:54 PM
I created an account and it does not work. Has nothing to do with the email from Amigakit.
I created the account and now when I use the exact same name and password it does not work.  Again has nothing at all to do with whether I received an email from Amigakit, that was only included to show the progressions of events.

Regardless, the account I created does not work and no way to reach anyone regarding this issue
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: TribbleSmasher on March 02, 2020, 09:19:02 PM
Read slowly.
You must use the ID given to you when the account is created. Not your choosen name.

Once you are past this confirmation screen and already tried to login, you probably don't see your assigned ID anymore.

Then you are f'd and must create another account.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on March 02, 2020, 09:23:26 PM
So It asks me what I want my login to be and I provide it and then when finished it gives out a completely different ID that is used to login?  And exactly how does it provide this phantom ID?  I say Phantom because it did not show one when I signed up and as I had mentioned already I have not received anything from them since the account creation.

Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: TribbleSmasher on March 02, 2020, 09:26:00 PM
It shows a small textbox saying something like
your account with id asxxxx has been created.
login here or something like that.

That ID on top is your username.

It is a very sophisticated and smart system from a genius person, you must admit.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on March 02, 2020, 09:29:37 PM
Well since I have never seen a system that disregards what your requested login is I guess I am screwed because now that I can't see the ORIGINAL EFFING SCREEN I have no way to determine what my login is.

Another awesome and brilliant Amiga Land system.
Totally non standard account creation and sign on and if any issues whatsoever ZERO recourse.
Effing Brilliant

And for the record I am a Systems Engineer supporting thousands of PCs, servers and network equipment so I have a *little* knowledge about such things.

This is assinine

Thanks for your help just the same
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: TribbleSmasher on March 02, 2020, 09:31:55 PM
I feel you.
Make a new account with an underscore in your nick name.
There will be a whole family of nicks with underscores then.

dont wait for the mail with the data confirmation. it will never arrive.
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: First Ninja on March 02, 2020, 11:41:28 PM
Quote from: outlawal2 on March 02, 2020, 09:29:37 PM
Well since I have never seen a system that disregards what your requested login [...]
The login details you are looking for have hopefully already been sent to you. Please look for an e-mail sent to the address you specified when asking for an AmiSphere account. The topic of the e-mail should be "AmiSphere Account Registration", sent from support (x) amisphere (x) com. At the bottom part of that e-mail, you should have been assigned the user name you are supposed to use for the login. Please use that user name along with the password you chose when accessing AmiSphere. Also, please note that the login credentials are case sensitive. Best of luck!
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: outlawal2 on March 03, 2020, 02:12:56 AM
NINJA, yep sounds good but the email never arrives..
Thanks for the try though I appreciate it!
Title: Re: Specific questions regarding Tabor/A1222 hardware
Post by: number6 on March 03, 2020, 11:49:44 AM
@thread

There are also several pages of people having issues at OS4welt:
and following page (https://www.os4welt.de/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2348&start=70)

Hopefully putting this all together will result in some general helpful advice.

#6