Hardware assisted PC emulation

[danbeaver]

   With the early PC emulator boards they could take advantage of the Amiga chipset and expansion ports.
   Is it possible to make a modern one? Would it be a big speed increase over PC-task?
   Also what would be involved in making an ARM emulator board?

What would it do?  Run MD DOS 6.22?  Windows 3.1?  Linux? It seems the cost and effort would be best utilized on a proven SBC with new software like the Janus to allow the Amiga to access it?

[danbeaver]

So it makes no sense to use more up to date hardware supported by classic Amiga software?  Interesting. But why use an ARM to run Intel/AMD DOS?

[danbeaver]

Finally speaking of the address and data buses, how do you connect a Bridgeboard up to a modern processor?  As stated before, if the consumer wants to run this type of hardware/software on a more modern CPU, why would reinventing the hardware be easier than writing an update of the software?

True there are issues with opening up a window in the Z2 (original) memory space to transfer information (keyboard, mouse, files) between the two that may require a BIOS firmware update (still software) and a software port, but laying out a new CPU board, or trying to put a Pentium or greater level CPU on an existing board?  Really?  Good luck on the prototype, wire wrapping can be fun!

[danbeaver]

There is a 486 conversion for the 386SX chip that is (was) available; see http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEALED-CPU-Vintage-NOS-Cyrix-386-to-486-Clock-Doubled-Upgrade-Kit-GOLD-CPU-/291449076968?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43dbb7fce8

And a GoldenGate was made too.

This can turn a Commodore 386 Bridgeboard (SX chip) into a 486 to run those DOS based programs really faster than before...

[danbeaver]

The PC slots are just a passive backplane in 8-bit (XT-mode) or 16-bit (AT-mode) and they communicate with the PC cards the same as a PC or a SBC (Single Board Computer) at a pretty crappy 4.77 MHz (XT) rate or 6 to 8 MHz (AT).  Since they are passive electrical connections, the bus speed is set by the CPU board.  If you recall, the EISA was an ignored attempt to go 32-bit, and IBM's own microchannel was a failed (proprietary) 32-bit attempt before the AGP and PCI came into play.

[danbeaver]

Why not just set up a small Intel mb or laptop mb in your 2000 with dedicated ram and hd and video capture. Even power supply. There's enough room.
You can use a separate XGA / HDMI output to a modern monitor.
 Then you can plug your Amiga video out into the video capture card on the PC board and use simple software to display the Amiga screen on the PCs Screen.

You now have modern hardware emulating A2000. Just takes a good deal longer to get the Amiga screen up.

A single board computer just plugs into the AT bus backplane and has its own inputs for mouse and keyboards and the outputs, but unlike a true Bridgeboard ir cannot communicate with the Amiga.
http://www.voxtechnologies.com/SBCs/JUKI-745E.htm -- for example

[danbeaver]

D(a)mn, I knew there was one I forgot, and just didn't feel like Googling!