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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Darrin on September 06, 2008, 09:21:43 PM
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Now that the new write enabled core has been released there is a sudden rush of new interest in the Minimig v1.1 boards.
The #1 question seems to be whether a potential customer's existing monitor will work with the PAL core or what model LCD would be a good purchase to go with the Minimig.
I can't find a good source for this information so I went to the Open Circuits Minimig Software Wikki page and added 2 more tables:
1. Tested monitors.
2. Tested SD Cards.
Please help me populate these tables. If you have a Minimig and you use an LCD TV or monitor then either edit the page to include the information or post it here and I'll make regular updates myself. The same goes for the SD Cards just in case there are particular brands that don't work.
For those of you who upgrade to the new cores, please post here and/or update the games list so that we can confirm which games that previously didn't work now function correctly.
Here's the links to the Wiki:
Main Page
http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_compatibility
Software:
http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_Software_compatibility
SD/MMC Cards:
http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_SD-card_compatibility
LCD/Plasma Displays:
http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_display_compatibility
Thanks for your help.
New!
Boing4000 as released a "Turbo" version of Yaqube's cores here:
http://asc.dyndns.org/minimig/download/
Simply fit a jumper to the Minimig to have it running with a 68000 at 14MHz!
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Monitors:
1. EIZO FlexScan L568: syncs to 50Hz in PAL mode, sampling clock can be set to 910 pixels per line in PAL and NTSC mode
2. EIZO FlexScan S1931: syncs to 50Hz in PAL mode, sampling clock can't be set to 910 pixels per line either in PAL or NTSC mode.
MMC/SD cards which work:
Kingston SD 1GB
Kingston SD 50X 2GB
SanDisk Ultra II 1GB
SanDisk MMC 1GB (this card is noticeably slower than the above ones)
MMC/SD cards which don't work:
Kingston MMC 128MB (this card is not detected by Minimig although it works in a card reader and in my camera).
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Darrin wrote:
Now that the new write enabled core has been released there is a sudden rush of new interest in the Minimig v1.1 boards.
Yes, the increased interest is very cool and may lead to even more improvements to the core. Thank you Dennis for inventing the MiniMig and to all of the people working on enhancements to the original design.
In addition to the information you are collecting on the Wiki, or anywhere else, I would like to know just how many MiniMig's have been sold to and how many have been built by A.org members? Also how many total MiniMigs are out there by now?
The MiniMig is such a cool development in the history line of the Amiga. We as a community should be very proud of Dennis and what he has done. It has opened a door that will lead to many other amazing projects I think.
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Thanks. I've added them to the list. :-)
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@ Amigadave
I don't think it has ever been stated how many complete v1.1 boards were produced by aCube.
Quite a few people ordered blank boards before then, but sourcing the parts and soldering the chips was harder than expected.
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I splitted the page into software/sdcard/display sections:
http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_compatibility
Otherwise the software list will be seriously cluttered eventually.
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freqmax wrote:
I splitted the page into software/sdcard/display sections:
http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_compatibility
Otherwise the software list will be seriously cluttered eventually.
Thanks for that.
Some of the games I retested that didn't work before, but now do have got 2 entries: one to show that they don't work under the old core and another to show that they work with the new core. Do you think I should delete the old entry and just have the new one?
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Darrin wrote:
@ Amigadave
Quite a few people ordered blank boards before then, but sourcing the parts and soldering the chips was harder than expected.
Tell me about it!
I am still sourcing the last of the needed parts for my own MiniMig. :boohoo:
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Can I just add an SD brand here that works with my Minimig ?
Unity (UnityDigital) 1GB
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So Samsung 151s is actually tried and tested?
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Everblue wrote:
So Samsung 151s is actually tried and tested?
Well, the manual says it's suitable so there's absoluetly no reason to expect anything different.
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whiteb wrote:
Can I just add an SD brand here that works with my Minimig ?
Unity (UnityDigital) 1GB
Thanks. Added. :-)
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I think it's better to add an entry (as done now) for a new core. And specify if works for it. That way you can figure out if a game works with the preprogrammed core. Or if you need to update it.
Suppose you can't have NTSC with the new core, but want to run a certain game.
Try to avoid the uppercase stuff:
"MINIMIG HARDWARE COMPATABILITY"
vs
"Minimig hardware compatability"
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freqmax wrote:
I think it's better to add an entry (as done now) for a new core. And specify if works for it. That way you can figure out if a game works with the preprogrammed core. Or if you need to update it.
Suppose you can't have NTSC with the new core, but want to run a certain game.
Try to avoid the uppercase stuff:
"MINIMIG HARDWARE COMPATABILITY"
vs
"Minimig hardware compatability"
Cheers. That was my logic in leaving the older entries in place, but I was getting concerned over how long that list was getting. :-D
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monitor that doesn't work
Mecer 19 inch LCD Wide TW999-BK
works with yaqube's minimig1 file (released earlier this year) and the two I/O connectors shorted but with the new firmware/minimig1 file all I get is Input display out of range :(
so had to reflash the PIC back to older firmware
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@ulysses31
Have you tried the built which defaults to NTSC? You shouldn't have any troubles with it as you say the previous release works with your monitor without a problem.
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ulysses31 wrote:
monitor that doesn't work
Mecer 19 inch LCD Wide TW999-BK
works with yaqube's minimig1 file (released earlier this year) and the two I/O connectors shorted but with the new firmware/minimig1 file all I get is Input display out of range :(
so had to reflash the PIC back to older firmware
Was that tested with both of the new PAL core and NTSC cores? The NTSC core should work. Strange.
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yaqube wrote:
@ulysses31
Have you tried the built which defaults to NTSC? You shouldn't have any troubles with it as you say the previous release works with your monitor without a problem.
I'm going to hang slack on adding that monitor until we confirm if the NTSC core was tested.
Out of interest, have you come across any LCD monitors that wouldn't work with a NTSC core?
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@Darrin
The NTSC mode has the same sync frequencies as standard 60Hz 640x480 VGA mode which is mandatory for every PC monitor (I know almost nothing about Apple's monitors). It should work.
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yaqube wrote:
@Darrin
The NTSC mode has the same sync frequencies as standard 60Hz 640x480 VGA mode which is mandatory for every PC monitor (I know almost nothing about Apple's monitors). It should work.
Makes sense. I'd never heard of a monitor not working with the 60Hz mode. I'll add it as yes to NTSC and no to PAL which appears to be the case.
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@yaqube & Darrin
i have not tried the NTSC one yet only the PAL (tbh I forgot to test it)
I will try it later and post the results here
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ulysses31 wrote:
@yaqube & Darrin
i have not tried the NTSC one yet only the PAL (tbh I forgot to test it)
I will try it later and post the results here
Thanks. It should work with the NTSC core, but it will be nice to have it confirmed 100%.
Cheers.
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Has anyone tried KVM switches?
It would be interesting to see 4 mini-migs hooked to one monitor.
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Darrin wrote:
Thanks. It should work with the NTSC core, but it will be nice to have it confirmed 100%.
Cheers.
ok reflashed the PIC and tested NTSC core and works on this monitor.
also tested my main monitor Digimate L-2231WD 22" Widescreen 5ms TFT Monitor and works on that as well.
and I tested it with Elite (love this game)
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ulysses31 wrote:
Darrin wrote:
Thanks. It should work with the NTSC core, but it will be nice to have it confirmed 100%.
Cheers.
ok reflashed the PIC and tested NTSC core and works on this monitor.
also tested my main monitor Digimate L-2231WD 22" Widescreen 5ms TFT Monitor and works on that as well.
and I tested it with Elite (love this game)
Cheers. :-)
I'm not even going to mention how long I "tested" Elite for or how I pissed the wife off by hogging the 42" plasma and blasting out her eardrums by putting the sound through the surround sound system. :-D
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Darrin wrote:
I'm not even going to mention how long I "tested" Elite for or how I pissed the wife off by hogging the 42" plasma and blasting out her eardrums by putting the sound through the surround sound system. :-D
hehe mines at work, although I dunno what the neighbours think though....actually who cares they know what I'm like :-o :lol:
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ulysses31 wrote:
hehe mines at work, although I dunno what the neighbours think though....actually who cares they know what I'm like :-o :lol:
LOL. Just treat them like Thargoids! :lol:
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Sorry Darrin, but I've got no report for you on monitors. I'm using MiniMig with a CRT VGA monitor I had in storage.
For my SD card I'm using an Ultra SD 2 GB card I purchased for $6 each at CompUSA.com on special. They are now $9.99. I bought a bunch of them!
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a few games tested so far
Alfred Chicken - Works (I can hear music but screen Input Out Of Range appears on the monitor (NTSC and PAL cores). Minimig can be reset from the F12 menu although you can't see OSD)
Altered Beast - Works (Sega/Activision)
APB - Works (Tengen)
James Pond Aquatic Games - Works (Millenium)
Wicked - Works (Electric Dreams)
will test more as soon as I can leave Elite alone :lol:
now if Yaqube could do a 60hz PAL hack ;-)
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@ Ulysses31 & Beller:
Thanks guys - I'm off to update the Wiki...
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Boing4000 as released "Turbo" versions of Yaqube's cores here:
http://asc.dyndns.org/minimig/download/
Simply fit a jumper to the Minimig to have it running with a 68000 at 14MHz!
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It's Alive!
It will be nice to see Mini-Mig to get some upgrades in the future to allow for productivity software.
I guess UAE can help fill that slot for now.
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trekiej wrote:
It's Alive!
It will be nice to see Mini-Mig to get some upgrades in the future to allow for productivity software.
I guess UAE can help fill that slot for now.
I have plans for printer support on the Minimig, but I need Hard Drive/Hard File support first. :-)
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If the RS232 port is fast enough, a null modem cable could allow UAE to be developement software.
This of course it not new. I can not find the specs. for the rs232.
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Darrin wrote:
I have plans for printer support on the Minimig
I don't know what you have planned, but I would love to see the parallel and serial ports virtualized inside the FPGA, then connected with as few pins as possible to something like the PIC18F67J60. Then we could run either a similar board to turn the Ethernet back into real parallel and serial for stand alone use, or we could run a server app on our PCs that would let us take care of the printer side of things.
This would allow for stand alone use, but when used with a PC, it would give us the huge benefit of being able to write a server app on the PC side that would turn the output of the Amiga into something usable by modern equipment.
It might seem like an expensive way to get printer support, but given that it would allow any interface to be added with no additional hardware, it seems it would be worth it. How many pins are on the FPGA would also become a non-issue for adding new functionality, as only the connection to the PIC18F67J60 would exist.
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My solution is to use a PC too, but with Siamese v2.5 running on that same serial link we use to update the PIC.
I've used this successfully on real Amiga computers to give them 8Bit and 16Bit RTG Workbench displays from 800x600 to 1024x768 along with the ability to access all the PC drives as if they were Amiga drives and print to the PC's printer as if it was connected to the Amiga.
So, a cheap 2nd or 3rd hand Athlon/P3 box running Siamese at startup could act as a "dumb" expension card providing the Minimig with RTG graphics, a large hard drive, CD/DVD ROM and printer support all in one and (hopefully as I haven't tested this) access to any media drives attached to the PC's USB ports.
Personally, I'm just interested in access to the CD ROM and printer capabilities.
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So, I looked up Siamese, and as far as I can tell, it is a commercial hardware solution that is out of production? Am I missing something?
Obviously, I would never tell someone that they shouldn't work on the projects that they want, but I am still hoping someone will pop up with an Ethernet 'virtual port' add-on, as I would like to see something that COULD act on it's own, and it is unlikely that I would ever dedicate a full PC to running as a MiniMig card. An app on my server, sure. A full PC just for the MiniMig no.
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Belial6 wrote:
So, I looked up Siamese, and as far as I can tell, it is a commercial hardware solution that is out of production? Am I missing something?
Obviously, I would never tell someone that they shouldn't work on the projects that they want, but I am still hoping someone will pop up with an Ethernet 'virtual port' add-on, as I would like to see something that COULD act on it's own, and it is unlikely that I would ever dedicate a full PC to running as a MiniMig card. An app on my server, sure. A full PC just for the MiniMig no.
Actually, the Siamese V2.5 is software only (the earlier versions were hardware/software combos.
Yes, it's out of production (and has been for over a decade), but it is easily found on the net (I have an original copy I bought when it was available). You don't actually need a dedicated machine, as it could just hook up via the serial port to an existing PC. It also uses Ethernet (and SCSI) to connect as an option, but I haven't got around to using that yet (Not musch use with the Minimig, but I must try connecting my A4000 to it over my home network).
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Actually it's possible to use the spare I/O as 10Base-T ethernet directly by simply wiring it to an existing ethernet port on the PC/switch.
An ethernet controller can then be coded on the FPGA. Aswell as an virtual parallell( or rs232)<->ethernet bridge. Simultainiously with a SANA hw interface.
Iow, it can be done to 99% with some clever coding.
The only culprint is to make the received ethernet signal single ended. And protect the board against reverse currents. Also pay attention to ground loops when no magnetics is used.
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Interesting, but if I was to take a soldering iron to my Minimig then it would never boot again. :-D
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Darrin wrote:
Interesting, but if I was to take a soldering iron to my Minimig then it would never boot again. :-D
Don't take a soldering iron to your MiniMig. The spare IO are pins that are sticking up out of the board. Just make a plug that is wired to an Ethernet jack.
@Freqmax:
That is actually a better idea. My thought was that you could probably get away with fewer IO lines if you serialized the data going to the Ethernet chip, but failed to take into consideration that by doing the Ethernet in the FPGA, you would only need a 4? wires and an rj-45 jack to upgrade the MiniMig. There is a lot of value to an upgrade that can be had for less than $5 at a local Radio Shack. The only question would be whether the FPGA has enough space for it.
While I'm sure that most of us recognize the value of having Ethernet built into the MiniMig, I think there would be huge value in virtualizing ports across that Ethernet. Not only would it make the spare I/O pin count irrelevant, but it would allow peripherals to be placed anywhere on the network, and would allow all sorts of tricks to be played on the other side. Things like translating the printer output into something usable by a modern printer before spooling to the real thing. Another cool thing about doing it this way is that you wouldn't need to install anything special on the MiniMig. As far as it was concerned everything would be just as if it was plugged into an actual A500.
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So has anyone tried running any benchmarks on the turbo core to see how much actual difference it makes to the speed of the minimig?
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Dwyloc wrote:
So has anyone tried running any benchmarks on the turbo core to see how much actual difference it makes to the speed of the minimig?
If nobody has done it by Thursday then I will. :-)
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Any news about a possible PAL 60 Hz hacked build ?
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mahen wrote:
Any news about a possible PAL 60 Hz hacked build ?
Not yet. Yaqube is a bit busy moving house at the moment (I believe).
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To the idea of using Spare-I/O as an ethernet port would require 4 wires (2 sender and 2 receiver lines). Spare-I/O only offers 3 Bit.
As in Dennis' schematics to find:
Pin 1-2 is permanent VCC = +3V3
Pin 3 Spare-I/O in/output User0
Pin 5 Spare-I/O in/output User1
Pin 7 Spare-I/O in/output User2
Pin 9 SPI_Dout (hardwired to PIC Pin 15)
Pin 4, 6, 8 and 10 is GND
For PAL60 question... Is the NTSC firmware not working as an real Amiga using NTSC Agnus? As far as I checkt it out, all software is running like on e.g. A500 with closed NTSC jumper near Agnus. Also almost every game and demo/intro/cracktro is able to work in NTSC (I did just a test, no real need for NTSC here).
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Ok, so does that put using something like the PIC18F67J60 back as the beast way to expand the MiniMig? Or is there a simpler way to get Ethernet down to 3 or less data pins?
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May I suggest looking into the ENC28J60, connected to the expansion header? Or something like this: EXTERNAL LINK (http://global.ebay.com/gbh/viItem?ItemId=110290056990)
Maybe someone with good HDL programming skills could add an SPI block for the expansion header and implement a memory mapped SPI interface, accessible from the Amiga software side.
As for the PIC18F67J60, it seems like a PIC and ENC28J60 in one chip. Personally I see the PIC as a bottleneck performance wise, and would tend to prefer an alternative processor, paired with a separate Ethernet controller chip. An ARM7, like Yaqube is using would be the best way forward.
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Whatever gets Ethernet on the MiniMig with the smallest hardware investment possible. I just want to see Ethernet combined with the virtualization of ports over that Ethernet connection.
Can SPI be done on the pins left on the header?
Boing400 said:
As in Dennis' schematics to find:
Pin 1-2 is permanent VCC = +3V3
Pin 3 Spare-I/O in/output User0
Pin 5 Spare-I/O in/output User1
Pin 7 Spare-I/O in/output User2
Pin 9 SPI_Dout (hardwired to PIC Pin 15)
Pin 4, 6, 8 and 10 is GND
That only leaves 3 data pins, and SPI appears to need 3 + one enable line for each device. So, 4 for Ethernet. Although, pin 9 being for SPI_Dout and hardwired to PIC Pin 15, implies that SPI is already implemented. Does that mean we only need 1 of the User pins?
If the problem with that is that the three non-Enable lines are not exposed to the expansion header, then perhaps it would behoove us to try and talk Yaqube into exposing them from his board, as Pin 9 being PSI_Dout, implies that SPI lines have been run to the PIC socket that Yaqube will be plugging his board into.
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P-p-please skip the Ethernet-over-SPI thing. It's not needed and any solution using this approach will have a severe bottleneck in its path. Add the complexity of getting the ether-spi chip do the right things. And every manufacturer have their own setup..
The FPGA can do all ethernet stuff you can ever dream of. The only reason to use the MCU for ethernet is lack of i/o on the FPGA.
If there's got to be more chips. It's way more useful to have another FPGA + Ethernet_PHY rather than a more complex MCU with a lot of support chips.
Another idea came up.. maybe the NTSC/PAL, 15/31 kHz switches can be made as configuration bits on the SD-flashcard ..?
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So, Boing4000 says there are not enough pins. You say there are? Are you suggesting that the 15/31 kHz pins could be repurposed to give us the pins we need?
Would this allow us to do a simple cheap network upgrade?
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Its possible. The 15/31khz jumper is just another i/o line to the FPGA and can be reconfigured from input to output. Together with 3 Spare i/o line 4 wires are available. But it would be permanent to this core build! If once set to be an output the user can no longer change the frequence. Perhaps Jakub can also add the 15/31khz mode to the OSD :-)
Be aware that Minimig just have 1.5MB of available RAM and this will limit the TCP/IP apps to be used. Gegesis will take a lot of RAM to work, I tried it using an A1200 with 2MB Chipram and PCMCIA Nic with the famous NetBootDisk. After booting in CLI with genesis 577912 byte was already used by the TCP/IP Stack. No application was started, in Minimig would be a maximum of 917 kb free memory left.
I made some benchmarks on 14MHz version.
SysinfoV3.24 says Factor 1.77 vs A600 (using Kick 1.3)
An AIBB6.5 Minimig-Module is available here: Minimig14MHz.aibb (http://asc.dyndns.org/minimig/download/Minimig14MHz.aibb)
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Time for writing a more optimized tcp/ip stack... ;)
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Something as simple as an IRC client would be amazing. Some IRC servers provide gateways for all IM services. Would be amazing not to start a 3 Ghz computer just to chat :)
BTW, OT : did anyone try to hook up their minimig to a regular 15 Khz TV ?
Personally I think I will use the minimig to write reports etc. as plain text files. Usually when I write something on my computer I can't help checking thousands of things on the web. In the end, I waste 90% of the time
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boing4000 wrote:
I made some benchmarks on 14MHz version.
SysinfoV3.24 says Factor 1.77 vs A600 (using Kick 1.3)
An AIBB6.5 Minimig-Module is available here: Minimig14MHz.aibb (http://asc.dyndns.org/minimig/download/Minimig14MHz.aibb)
Cool it nice to have the comparison as it helps to give a better idea of how powerful a minimig would be with hard disk emulation.
The answer being some were between an A600 and an unexpanded A1200 without AGA but with a built in scandoubler.
Which is what I was I expected but its nice to see it confirmed.
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Yes the line-test is very interesting, nearly at A1200/AGA speed.
@Jakub
I found out that maybe the DMA timing in your current firmware will switch to higher rate while writing on floppy. Tested with Kick1.3, playing .MOD file and formating a floppy disk using DosControl4. Each track writing the MOD run faster then it should. But no crash or something, also the floppy data was correct written.
In games it will not interfere until now. Tested with Pinbal-Dreams, Giana Sisters and Turrican-3.
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Anyone know what happened to the software compatibility page http://www.opencircuits.com/Minimig_Software_compatibility it now stops at Alien Breed Tower Assault?
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OK I guess someone just deleted the lower part of the page by accident so I have re-added it by taking the removed part from the edit history.
If someone has/is trying to reorganise the page sorry in advance for undoing your changes.
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@Sascha
I haven't changed anything to disk dma slot allocation. Dennis used 4 slots for disk dma transfer, Amiga uses 3. The disk data transfer speed is quite hard to estimate since many different things affect it. Disabling PIC's debug info speeds the tranfer a little. I have also experimented with 6 transfer slots and speed gain was noticeable but some games had problems with running.
I have also modified the FPGA interface to the CPU and got it running synchronously with 28 MHz clock. SysInfo reports 3.00 speed of A600. I have also run the CPU with asynchronous interface (more cycles required for synchronization) to estimate maximum operational frequency. Mine (20 MHz part) seems to work correctly with ~39 MHz (5.5x7.09MHz) but reported speed by SysInfo is 3.06 times A600. I think I will stick to 28 MHz synchronous design. Memory access speed is a drawback.
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@Jakub
OK I was just wondering about that timer speedup in playing mod files. But it will not occur at all time, maybe in a special way from a few mod player routine. CIA timer are very stable and the internal DosControl modplayer is not affected by the disk writing.
Wow thats great news :) very nice to see that the 68k can run at that speed! Maybe you can let me know the changes so I can test it on my 16MHz designed SEC000. But I think it will also run at 28MHz.
Generic question... you are using the PIC internal eeprom to store the permanent OSD settings. Will the PIC also store the settings every time a reset is triggered and no change was done? I think the eeprom is in general a flash-rom and can also be written about a maximum of say 100.000 times each bit.
I limit the changes to a minimum, don't want to stress the single bits inside the PIC too much.
Therefor I would ask if you are planing to change CPU speed in OSD to let it non permanent. Startup could be 7.09MHz and by user change set to 14-28MHz. After any hardreset (power off) the core would set the speed back to standard.
What do you think about it?
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@Sascha
Please let me know the players and conditions when you experienced playback speed-up.
The PIC's EEPROM is specified for 1,000,000 write cycles. I only store the data when exiting particular submenu and required value is different than already stored. Don't worry about wear factor.
I'm planing to change CPU speed by the OSD menu. The settings won't be affected by reset.
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Added LG 1915S 19" LCD monitor. Contrary to its specifications, it DOES support 50 Hz ! Woohoo !
However, the minimig doesn't seem to like my kvm switch : keyboard keys tend to remain hit, and I have to keep the mouse button pushed to be able to move the mouse pointer :)
Monitor detects output as 800x600. It was 640x480 with the NTSC core :)
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That's great news about getting a 28MHz CPU mode operational!
How is it with games like GunShip 2000 and Epic - they would be most improved I guess by more clock cycles?
Also would faster/lower latency RAM help with these higher clock speeds.
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Hi Jakub,
I've just tested that implied player on real OCS A500 and it shows the same behavior as in Minimig! So no problem with DMA timing or whatever :-) *happy*
If you want to try it out, take a look at this image: AMEGAPck.adf (http://asc.dyndns.org/adf/AMEGAPck.adf)
Let it boot and choose any mod file. Change floppy image while guru-message. LMB to reset and boot workbench (or doscontrol) to format any other floppy image. Real Amiga500 just freeze in 2nd formating. Music is still playing ;-)
Then I'm satisfied that PIC eeprom will take the changes for a long time!
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boing4000 wrote:
Be aware that Minimig just have 1.5MB of available RAM and this will limit the TCP/IP apps to be used. Gegesis will take a lot of RAM to work, I tried it using an A1200 with 2MB Chipram and PCMCIA Nic with the famous NetBootDisk. After booting in CLI with genesis 577912 byte was already used by the TCP/IP Stack. No application was started, in Minimig would be a maximum of 917 kb free memory left.
You are missing the point. The point isn't to put an ethernet card on the MiniMig. The point is to virtualize physical ports across an ethernet connection. You don't even need to to have a TCP/IP stack on the the MiniMig to accomplish this. something like this http://hackaday.com/2008/09/25/web-server-on-a-business-card-part-2/ puts the entire TCP/IP stack in a pic. The MiniMig could then have an IDE port coded into the FPGA. Instead of sending the command to a real hard drive, the commands would be sent over Ethernet. You would then have the choice of building a receiver board that converts the tcp/ip stream back into IDE and connects to a real hard drive, OR run a app on the file server in the basement that reads and writes to a hard drive. The benefit to this is that you would be able to add an unlimited number of ports to your MiniMig, and never have to worry about available pins again. You could virtualize IDE, Serial, Parallel, PCMCIA, Video card, Sound Card, or anything else you attach to a real Amiga. The only limit would be the speed of your connection to the Ethernet add-on, and the speed of the bandwidth of the Ethernet itself.
In fact, if the OS can even tell that the Ethernet is connected, the system is broken. If you want to run network applications, you would want a virtualized Ethernet card written in the FPGA that runs over the real connection just like every other virtualized device.
By doing it this way you get:
*4 pins for unlimited number of device
*Ability to connect devices at a distance
*Ability to share devices with other computers (like hard drives and printers)
*Ability to process output on remote computer before actual use. i.e., data printed to the virtual serial port can be massaged into something usable for a modern peripherals.
*Ability to use modern peripherals.
*Ability to add new devices with firmware upgrades only.
* No need to worry about a tcp/ip stack running on the MiniMig.
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"building a receiver board that converts the tcp/ip stream back into IDE and connects to a real hard drive" - It's most likely to be raw layer2 data interpretated directly.
Speaking of memory. The main problem is that the ram is SRAM instead of DRAM which means big chips to high cost.
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On my 19 inches LG LCD monitor (LG 1915S) I noticed that the picture is unequally distorted.
Indeed: when I type, in a shell "ooooooooooooooooooooooo", each o is different. Some look OK, some are too big or too small...
I tried many settings but didn't achieve anything satisfying.
Also I noticed scrollings didn't look that smooth (maybe for the same reason).
Edit : maybe it's due to the fact it has a 1280x1024 matrix, instead of 1280x960 ?
cheers !
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To achieve undistorted picture your monitor must be able to set sampling clock to 910 pixels per line. Not every monitor is capable of doing this. I have got one which can accomodate to Amiga display mode and there is no distortion and the scrolling is smooth.
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DVI/HDMI output next? ;)
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Something different... Maybe I found a bug in the current core (copper) by running the demo "Rampage by The Electronic Knights (http://www.scene.org/file.php?file=/mirrors/the_scene_archives/The_Scene_Archives_Vol_02/the_disks_are_in_here/disks_1151-1200/1180-rampage.dms&fileinfo)". The demo freeze shortly after the beginning and only show a wild flickering chipram bitmap.
Using e-uae in Linux give a clue what possibly went wrong:
"Program uses Copper SKIP instruction." --> Minimig freeze here
"B-Trap ffec at 00038066 (0xb4ee206e)" --> e-uae freeze here
Even e-uae freeze but after the point of Minimig. I think this demo is hacking the custom chips to its limit or at least in an extraordinary way.
@Jakub
perhaps you find some time to take a look at :-)
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Illuwatar is nearing completion of his miniITX-version board.
Then perhaps he can begin finish his more interesting mini minimig, featuring 10 ns SRAM and completly redesigned board with four additional spare FPGA pins available.
(http://www.illuwatar.se/project_pages/mini-minimig/images/mini03.jpg)
(http://www.illuwatar.se/project_pages/mini-minimig/images/mini04.jpg)
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Yeah, I call that a mini Minimig ;-) Nice work!
Additional info for Jakub:
Turrican-1 is unable to write its highscore to floppy. Floppy image is writeable. Here is the PIC debug dump:
Inserting floppy: "TURRIC1 ADF", attributes: 20
drive status: 03
*44:0:99E0-97C4->1:97C3-95A4->2:95A3-9384->3:9383-9164->4:9163-8F44->5:8F43-8D24->
6:8D23-8B04->7:8B03-88E4->8:88E3-86C4->9:86C3-84A4->A:84A3-8284+++->0:81C5-0000->1:0000:OK
*1:
#SYNC:
Second sync word missing...
WriteTrack: error 21
#SYNC:T44S0
WriteTrack: error 27
I hope this will help a bit to find the reason :-)
EDIT:
Just found out that e-uae also have problems in this matter:
Disk decode: checksum error on sector 1 header
Disk decode: weird sector number 18
or
Disk decode: checksum error on sector 10 header
Disk decode: weird sector number 70
This message appears in attempt to write highscore to the same adf image.
Perhaps my image is damaged, it would be helpful if anyone else could try this.
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mahen wrote:
Added LG 1915S 19" LCD monitor. Contrary to its specifications, it DOES support 50 Hz ! Woohoo !
However, the minimig doesn't seem to like my kvm switch : keyboard keys tend to remain hit, and I have to keep the mouse button pushed to be able to move the mouse pointer :)
Monitor detects output as 800x600. It was 640x480 with the NTSC core :)
The Dell Ultrasharp 1908FP also supports 50Hz refresh rate (Dell's documentation says 56Hz minimum).
Moreover, it does recognize odd resolutions like 640x512 @ 50Hz and 720x576 @ 50Hz.
Regards,
Frederic
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Is it possible to get the Minimig to output a 100 Hz vertical frequency, instead of 50 Hz ?
Indeed, some 100 Hz TV screens double the vertical frequency to get a less flickery picture. I found some very nice big CRT monitors, but, the 50 Hz mode will make me blind in a couple of hours, and the monitors don't double the frequency by themselves :)
Thanks for reading my annoying blabbering...
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This could work but require a fullscreen framebuffer in the onboard memory. The FPGA is not capable of doing this inside. Also the already limited amount of s-ram will shrink again.
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(Boing : I forgot to thank you for your previous reply ! Actually, 50 Hz is OK provided the monitor is not too big / you are not too close.)
Well, the question may have been asked already...
I have a 19" LG LCD monitor. It supports 50 Hz, so the PAL core does work. However, it apparently doesn't support a "910 pixels per line sample clock", therefore, picture is distorted horizontally, which makes horizontal scrolling look ugly.
Is that due to that fact that a 720*576 PAL screenmode is detected by the monitor as 800*600 (this is what the OSD says)?
My naïve question is : would it be possible for the Minimig to optionally output in a slightly different resolution (800x600 by adding black border for instance) in order to make it look properly with more monitors ?
I could get a 17"/19" CRT easily, of course, but definitely lack room :)
Thanks for reading this :) (BTW : I am clueless :)
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Just a reminder to let people know that there have been updates to the list of software, SD cards and Monitors. If anyone can add some new items then please do.
Meanwhile, I've ordered a C-One board and if it arrives before I have to go to work then I'll start checking the software on that too.
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Is there differences on the board you can buy (abube sell them i believe?) today, and the ones from last year ? I mean, am I screwed if I buy one today and when new fixes comes out, it will be HW dependant so I have to buy a new minimig board, or is all the fixes done in the SW of the card so I can flash it (new core?) ??
In short: Should I order one Today ? :-)
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Yes, you should order one today. So far significant improvements have been made via firmware updates only. There are other boards being worked on, but the majority of the boards out in the wild are exactly like the ones that Acube sells.
There is a replacement board in the works for the PIC controller on the MiniMig. It is specifically being designed to be a drop in replacement for the PIC, so if and when it comes out, it will be an upgrade to the existing board.
There is also the C-One. It was originally an FPGA reimplementation of the C64. Recently, Individual computers has released an upgrade board for it. (bundled with the upgrade is the only way it is currently available) The C-One has had the MiniMig core ported to it. The biggest difference being that 68k processor is also implemented in the FPGA.
As it now stands, the MiniMig 1.1 will never be more than a very good A500 replacement. In theory, the C-One could be upgraded to an A1200 or more. The C-One is more expensive than the MiniMig though. I believe that Jens has said that the A-Clone (Individual Computers future product) is going to have AGA graphics, so I would guess it will be an A1200. This is currently speculation though, as the product has not been released.
To sum up. The MiniMig, as it stands today, is a fine A500 replacement, so it is definitely worth it.
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Palm wrote:
Is there differences on the board you can buy (abube sell them i believe?) today, and the ones from last year ? I mean, am I screwed if I buy one today and when new fixes comes out, it will be HW dependant so I have to buy a new minimig board, or is all the fixes done in the SW of the card so I can flash it (new core?) ??
In short: Should I order one Today ? :-)
Entirely up to you.
The Minimig has three parts.
Board
Pic
FPGA.
The Board is going to pretty much stay the same.
PIC, is what controls loading of ADF files, flashes the FPGA at boot etc, and FPGA is where all the Guts go.
Updating minimig is just a matter of reprogramming the PIC (IF needed), and updating the FPGA is just a matter of changing the core file on the SD card.
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Palm wrote:
Is there differences on the board you can buy (abube sell them i believe?) today, and the ones from last year ? I mean, am I screwed if I buy one today and when new fixes comes out, it will be HW dependant so I have to buy a new minimig board, or is all the fixes done in the SW of the card so I can flash it (new core?) ??
In short: Should I order one Today ? :-)
At the end of the day, unless you want to take on a major job of sourcing parts and doing some very fine soldering, you have 2 choices of boards to buy:
#1. The Minimig v1.1 from Acube
#2. The C-One from Indivision with Minimig expansion board.
The Acube Minimig v1.1 is the cheapest option. It has been heavily tested and it has a potential exciting hardware add-on in the pipeline.
The C-One has the potential to deliver a lot more, but it depends on someone not just porting the Minimig v1.1 cores over, but also developing them and introducing board specific features. The C-One actually has A1200 clockports, IDE headers, more RAM and a PCI slot, but these wont matter unless someone designs a core that will make use of them. Of course, the C-One also costs a lot more.
I've had my Minimig for some time now and I love it. Before I typed this reply I was busing playing Elite on it:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/darrin01311/SDC10256.jpg
When I first got it the games compatability was much lower and you couldn't save to ADF. Now it performs like a true Amiga and you can load and save games. The hardware add-on will give Hard Drive support and hopefully we'll see an update soon that will give a second emulated floppy drive.
If you fancy an Amiga games machine that can connect to a standard monitor, use any old cheap PS2 mouse and keyboard, always leave your joystick plugged in and doesn't need to use those unreliable floppy disks then the Minimig is just what you need.
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Hi there,
I am undecided whether to buy a Minimig or an Amiga 1200 (both would cost me more or less the same). The thing is that I want to play on a 15" TFT monitor, so an Amiga 1200 + Indivision would be the (very expensive) option. I am not really interested in AGA games. The monitor I will be using is a Samsung 15" 151s which according to the compatible monitor lists, works with both 50 and 60hz modes.
Now on for the questions :)
1. A game that runs perfectly on an the minimig, if compared to the same game running on an A1200+Indivision, next to each other, is impossible to say which is which? I am asking this because I have played around a bit with WinUAE and the scrolling is never 'right'. There is always some sort of sudden skip every now and then. I was wondering if the minimig suffers from the same thing.
2. I would like to use KVM (I will have a Sam440 connected to the same monitor/mouse/keyboard) - will it work alright with minimig? (I havent bought the KVM yet).
3. I have checked the list of compatible games, there are quite a few which are not.... Are there some known issues which have not been solved yet, and will be fixed in the future?
4. I have been reading somewhere that minimig will always have problems with compatability because 'its not cycle perfect' - whatever that means. Is this true? How does this effect games?
5. If I dont mount a floppy disk, will the minimig click every few seconds :)
Thanks!
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Everblue wrote:
Hi there,
I am undecided whether to buy a Minimig or an Amiga 1200 (both would cost me more or less the same). The thing is that I want to play on a 15" TFT monitor, so an Amiga 1200 + Indivision would be the (very expensive) option. I am not really interested in AGA games. The monitor I will be using is a Samsung 15" 151s which according to the compatible monitor lists, works with both 50 and 60hz modes.
You sound like an ideal potential Minimig owner.
Now on for the questions :)
1. A game that runs perfectly on an the minimig, if compared to the same game running on an A1200+Indivision, next to each other, is impossible to say which is which? I am asking this because I have played around a bit with WinUAE and the scrolling is never 'right'. There is always some sort of sudden skip every now and then. I was wondering if the minimig suffers from the same thing.
I don't use an Indivision, but I do use WinUAE and I have a scan doubled A4000, A3000 and A2000.
I have to say that personally I have not noticed any problems with scrolling on Minimig using the new cores (the older cores used to do some strange things). However, I've never done a side by side test, but I to enjoy scrolling shoot-em-ups.
2. I would like to use KVM (I will have a Sam440 connected to the same monitor/mouse/keyboard) - will it work alright with minimig? (I havent bought the KVM yet).
Never tried it myself. I built my Minimig into a PC keyboard. :-)
3. I have checked the list of compatible games, there are quite a few which are not.... Are there some known issues which have not been solved yet, and will be fixed in the future?
There is a new improved core right now with more fixes and 2nd floppy support, but it hasn't been released yet. Also there is a add-on board to fit into the PIC socket to allow hard drive support and updating via a USB memory stick, but again this is still in the beta phase. The genius behind this posts in this thread and we're lucky to have him.
4. I have been reading somewhere that minimig will always have problems with compatability because 'its not cycle perfect' - whatever that means. Is this true? How does this effect games?
Probably true to some extent, but then there are differences between Amigas regarding speed and chipsets so we have variations there. Again, from a personal point of view, with the exception of using the F12 key to load disk images rather than inserting floppy disks, I feel no difference between the Minimig and (for example) my A2000 or A3000.
5. If I dont mount a floppy disk, will the minimig click every few seconds :)
Thanks!
LOL. By one of those "ticking" pyramid things that pianists use and put it next to the Minimig. :-D
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Darrin wrote:
At the end of the day, unless you want to take on a major job of sourcing parts and doing some very fine soldering, you have 2 choices of boards to buy:
#1. The Minimig v1.1 from Acube
#2. The C-One from Indivision with Minimig expansion board.
I think you forgot another choice.........
What about Illuwatar's MiniMig in Mini-ITX v2.0 form that is looking more orders so it can go to production? He is offering it as a bare board and also assembled, but the assembled ones will take some time to get, as he is doing all the work himself (I think) and putting them together one at a time. It looks like a very good design and will fit standard Mini-ITX cases. The cost for a bare board is very low.
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amigadave wrote:
I think you forgot another choice.........
What about Illuwatar's MiniMig in Mini-ITX v2.0 form that is looking more orders so it can go to production? He is offering it as a bare board and also assembled, but the assembled ones will take some time to get, as he is doing all the work himself (I think) and putting them together one at a time. It looks like a very good design and will fit standard Mini-ITX cases. The cost for a bare board is very low.
True, but because he's a one-man operation and cannot give any timeframes I left him off the list. I love his design and I'd like to see Acube or someone do a factory run, but if you want a pre-assembled board any time soon then you could be in for a long wait.
I was really tempted to get one myself (my kids love my Minimig v1.1 and I was going to let them have it in their room) and sent an email. But due to the many variables involved I grabbed a C-One instead.
To the majority of people, including those with some soldering skills, a bare board is about as much use as a beer mat. There are still people sat on bare v1.1 PCBs who haven't finished sourcing their own parts yet.
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"There is a new improved core right now with more fixes and 2nd floppy support, but it hasn't been released yet. "
What does upgrading a core involve? Just putting a different program on the memory card thing?
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Everblue wrote:
"There is a new improved core right now with more fixes and 2nd floppy support, but it hasn't been released yet. "
What does upgrading a core involve? Just putting a different program on the memory card thing?
That, and sometimes also reprogramming the PIC via the serial interface.
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Cheers o/
One more thing, can someone test 1869 and Venus the Flytrap please :)
THanks!
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Everblue,
Don't forget to get one of my gorgeous cases for your Minimig! :-)
http://www.loriano.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
and the latest version is here:
http://www.loriano.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/new.htm
Of the second batch I have only got 20 left... :-)
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Darrin: What hardware add-on ? Will this HW add-on be something specific to dennis' design, or possible also with the Illuwatar ITX version of the board ?
Palm
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Palm wrote:
Darrin: What hardware add-on ? Will this HW add-on be something specific to dennis' design, or possible also with the Illuwatar ITX version of the board ?
Palm
There's a link to it here with some details. It will fit into the PIC socket on the "Dennis" v1.1 board.
http://www.minimig.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11
I don't know about the ITX board.
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Darrin wrote:
Everblue wrote:
So Samsung 151s is actually tried and tested?
Well, the manual says it's suitable so there's absoluetly no reason to expect anything different.
I have checked the manual. It says vertical frequency has to be between 56 and 75hz.
Isnt minimig 50hz (or 49.9 to be exact) at PAL mode?
This (http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=uk&CttFileID=28045&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=C&ModelName=151S&VPath=UM/200301/20030125151045333_151S_EN.pdf) is the link for the Samsung 151s manual.
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Everblue wrote:
I have checked the manual. It says vertical frequency has to be between 56 and 75hz.
Isnt minimig 50hz (or 49.9 to be exact) at PAL mode?
This (http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=uk&CttFileID=28045&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=C&ModelName=151S&VPath=UM/200301/20030125151045333_151S_EN.pdf) is the link for the Samsung 151s manual.
Yes, the unhacked PAL core needs 50Hz.
By that link it certainly needs the NTSC core or the hacked PAL. However it states: "Design and specifications are subject to change without prior notice.", so earlier ones might have been different.
I didn't enter that model myself (only Samsung I own is a multisystem VCR and a digital camera), but I'm sure I checked online when you asked either in a online manual or on a online shop's specifications page (Tiger Direct, Newegg, etc). The manual in the link does not look familiar.
If in doubt don't buy it. It's kind of annoying now because I don't know whether to trust what has been entered or go with the manual. I think I'll change it to PAL = NO to be safe. It makes me wonder whether it may have been tested by a user with the 60Hz PAL core without even knowing it.
If you have that monitor at home then stick to the NTSC core (but try the PAL). One thing I discovered when testing all of those games is how few are actually PAL only (Rodland is the only one that springs to mind), some have a PAL/NTSC toggle while the rest are obviously NTSC when viewed on a PAL screen as indicated by the larger border at the bottom of the screen than the top.
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One of the advantages of the MiniMig's size is that if the store will allow it, you could take the MiniMig with you and hook it up before you buy, if they have the model of monitor/TV on display and plugged in and they have an extra outlet for your power supply.
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@denli on 2008/9/30 14:38:22 & mini minimig
I've always dreamed about being able to develop embedded products around Amiga. Mini minimig would fit in that space pretty nicely.
1) Amiga68k development tools available
2) powerfull for many needs
3) if PAL/NTSC video out is possible, then home automation & information via un-used analog TV connectors, with astounding multimedia effects (all TV broadcasts are now digital here in finland, so analog TV band is totally free in the *ss of a TV)
4) because it has audio out it could do also networked music playback @home
5) it could speak automa"g"ically (alarms, greetings, information etc...)
What it needs extra is 10mbit ethernet adapter in those extra FPGA pins. :-)
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I went ahead and ordered a Minimig :)
Meanwhile I am preparing a folder with .adf files... I have 5 main qustions:
1. Is the filename for .adf files limited in length?
2. Can I use subfolders (for example put multi-adf games in 1 subfolder)?
3. I have noticed in the game compatibility list that there is version '080408'. What does this mean?
4. In case that my TFT doesnt do 50hz, I could run the games in NTSC mode for 60hz... How do I do this?
5. Is it possible (just wondering) to use an RGB/SCART cable with minimig for a normal TV?
Anything else I should be aware of, please let me know :)
thanks!
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@Everblue
1. Is the filename for .adf files limited in length?
No, but due to FAT format is advisable use the 8.3 format for filenames (8 chars for name and 3 char for extension)
2. Can I use subfolders (for example put multi-adf games in 1 subfolder)?
Not yet. Maybe in future releases of firmware it can be done, meanwhile all files must be in root directory.
3. I have noticed in the game compatibility list that there is version '080408'. What does this mean?
I think that it refers to firmware version, but I'm not sure. The last one (done by Yaqube) is the most compatible and feature-rich.
4. In case that my TFT doesnt do 50hz, I could run the games in NTSC mode for 60hz... How do I do this?
Just use the NTSC core instead PAl core (I didn't try it because my TFT supports PAL core).
5. Is it possible (just wondering) to use an RGB/SCART cable with minimig for a normal TV?
No, the Minimig only has a VGA video output.
Hope it helps you...
Regards
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"Just use the NTSC core instead PAl core (I didn't try it because my TFT supports PAL core)."
Hmmm alright.... but:
1. Will i have to reflash the minimig once I get it?
2. Will all games support NTSC?
Thanks!
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Everblue wrote:
I went ahead and ordered a Minimig :)
Excellent. :-)
Meanwhile I am preparing a folder with .adf files... I have 5 main qustions:
1. Is the filename for .adf files limited in length?
Yes, it is 8+3 characters max (eg. "ELITE.ADF" or "RODLAND.ADF"). However the name can be longer but it will be displayed as "ALIENB~1.ADF" instead of "ALIENBREED1.ADF" and take up the space of 2 files.
So, I highly recommend you name your ADFs something short to fit into the file format.
Also, the files don't list alphabetically when you put them on the SD card, however Jacub wrote a nifty program to run on the PC which will shorten your ADF file names for you and sort them into alphabetical order.
PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you.
2. Can I use subfolders (for example put multi-adf games in 1 subfolder)?
No.
However, you can have subfolders for storing extra files in. I keep the old cores, different Kickstarts, etc in folders on the SD CARD.
The equivalent of changing your Amiga's ROMS on a Minimig is dragging the ROM image you want out of a folder and into the root directory of the SD Card.
3. I have noticed in the game compatibility list that there is version '080408'. What does this mean?
That was the core released by Jacub on 08/04/2008 with ECS and floppy write support enabled which I used to re-test programs that had previously failed. That's why you can see the same program listed more than once. It allows you to see which programs wouldn't work initially and which ones now do. If Jacub releases his dual floppy core for Xmas then you'll start seeing games tested with "122508" (Not that I believe this will happen - it's just an example).
4. In case that my TFT doesnt do 50hz, I could run the games in NTSC mode for 60hz... How do I do this?
Jacub releases each core as separate PAL and NTSC files. Put both in a folder on our SD card and then copy the NTSC one to the root and boot the Minimig to see if everything works. You should see the Minimig initialize and the "floppy hand appear". Load a game and make sure everything works. Now, replace the NTSC core in the root directory with the PAL one and try that. If you get a picture then your Monitor supports 50Hz and you can stick with it, otherwise just put the NTSC core file back in the root.
5. Is it possible (just wondering) to use an RGB/SCART cable with minimig for a normal TV?
Depends. As long as the TV supports the refresh rates then you'll be OK.
Anything else I should be aware of, please let me know :)
thanks!
I always keep a copy of my SD Card on my PC. Be aware that your Minimig is just like a real Amiga. If you load an ADF image that has a virus in the boot block then you'll infect the Minimig - but it won't write the virus to the SD Card. Now, if you swap ADF images using F12 while infected then the virus could write itself to the new ADF. I had this happen just before I left home where a virus from (I think) "POW" took out my bootblocks on Speedball2 and Rodland (Rodland had a virus checker that warned me it had happened). Fortunately all I had to do was copy the uninfected ADFs from the PC back to the SD Card and to make sure that I switch the Minimig off after playing POW and before loading another game.
If you have any questions then feel free to email me and I'll be happy to help if I can.
Also, there's a support site at www.minimig.net.
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1. Will i have to reflash the minimig once I get it?
No. The minimig uses 2 files:
-minimig1.bin: put it in the root of the card. There are 2 versions of it PAL and NTSC.
-.hex file: is the file to flash the PIC
So, to change PAL/NTSC core you only must copy the right minimig1.bin in the card, but no flash the PIC.
2. Will all games support NTSC?
Since I only use the PAL core I don't know if all games works in the NTSC core. I think that you maybe loss some of screen's botton in PAL games... but I'm not sure.
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Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Is the filename for .adf files limited in length?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, but due to FAT format is advisable use the 8.3 format for filenames (8 chars for name and 3 char for extension)
Sorry! as Darrin says there's a 8.3 limit in order to avoid the ~ symbol in the filenames.
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@DARRIN
Wow, thanks for the very extensive reply - I'm truly and utterly impressed.
I am hoping in a few weeks I will be contributing to the games compatibility list!
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BraindeaD wrote:
2. Will all games support NTSC?
Since I only use the PAL core I don't know if all games works in the NTSC core. I think that you maybe loss some of screen's botton in PAL games... but I'm not sure.
If I remember well many PAL games did not go down on the screen all the way, so my guess is that with NTSC mode, those games will fill the screen nicely. Games making use of all the screen would have the bottom bit chopped off.
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One more thing - I formatted the MMC as fat32, is that ok?
I'm on a mac.
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I'm not sure if FAT32 will work - I use FAT16.
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Everblue wrote:
If I remember well many PAL games did not go down on the screen all the way, so my guess is that with NTSC mode, those games will fill the screen nicely. Games making use of all the screen would have the bottom bit chopped off.
Correct. The only one I've noticed this on so far is Rodland which is clipped at the bottom in NTSC and fine in PAL.
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Also Pinball Dreams for instance.
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mahen wrote:
Also Pinball Dreams for instance.
Ah yes! Thanks for reminding me. :-D
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5. Is it possible (just wondering) to use an RGB/SCART cable with minimig for a normal TV?
Yes, you just need to build (or get somebody to build or buy one) a straight VGA to SCART adapter cable and set the Minimig's screen output jumper to 15Khz. I do this and get a brilliant picture on my TV.
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This would be awesome. Pinouts anyone? What about audio? Can you get it from the audio jack straight into scart?
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This would be awesome. Pinouts anyone? What about audio? Can you get it from the audio jack straight into scart?
It's actually a rather simple cable to make. The SCART and VGA pinouts (amongst tons of others) can be found at The Hardware Book (http://www.hardwarebook.info/).
Just connect the obvious pins together with the exception of at the VGA side connect the HSYNC pin to the SCART composite in pin and the VGA VSYNC pin to the SCART blanking signal pin via a 75 Ohm resistor. The audio is easier, just buy a regular jack to jack audio lead, cut one end off and wire it to the SCART audio in pins.