More than 128 mB on a CSPPC?

[Dandy]

Since 1997, I'm 'proud owner' of a towered Amiga 4000 with CyberstormPPC card, which is still in use.

For a while, I also had a CyberVisionPPC graphics card, but the onboard video ram size of just 8 mB quickly turned out to be insufficient and so I exchanged it for a Voodoo4 PCI graca in the Mediator PCI busboard.

But meanwhile, also the 128 mB 64 Bit wide FastRAM on the CSPPC are too little.

But there exists - at least for WIntel-PCs - the possibility to 'alienate' the GPU and also the graphics memory on the graca and use it for calculations and as working memory, if I got that right.

The CyberVisionPPC is connected to the CyberStormPPC via a "25 mHz local PCI bus" and has "8 mB of 64 Bit wide SGRAM" onboard.

:idea:
Now I was wondering if it could theoretically be possible to make a small harware add-on with - lets say - 128 mB (or more?) of 64 Bit wide SGRAM onboard and to connect this to the „25 mHz local PCI bus“ on the CSPPC with the apropriate plug and provide this additional Ram `somehow to the AmigaOS?

Ram expansion boards like the ZorRAM can only be used for "swapping" - perhaps could more RAM be provided as working memory this way - like on WIntel PCs? It has often been raved about the fast linking of the CVPPC to the CSPPC via this "local PCI bus" - it should somehow be possible to capitalise on it, shouldn't it?

[Dandy]

I don't know about adding memory in the way you described, but there's Amiga users out there who have added more than 1GB of memory to their Amiga's through various combinations of other cards. I remember seeing a screenshot of one a while back, the number across the top of the Workbench screen looked so long, lol.

In any case, you're certainly not limited to 128MB, if you have the right budget ($$$).[

Hi Mike,

I know.
But if I got it right, the RAM beyond the 128 mB on the CSPPC cannot be used as FastRAM, it can only be used as 'Virtual Memory'.

And this is not due to lacking $$$ or Euros (hey, these were meant to be three Euro symbols: %&$#?@!%&$#?@!%&$#?@!8364;%&$#?@!%&$#?@!%&$#?@!8364;%&$#?@!%&$#?@!%&$#?@!8364; - is AOrg incapable to display the Euro symbol?), but it is due to technical limitations of the Amiga(OS).
Bummer!

[Dandy]

@dandy

no, he obviously wants it via csppc expansion slot this time,

What do you mean with 'this time'?

because he already opened other threads on similar topics.
you are reffering to a solution similar to alienating rtg ram on pci video cards available via mediator, though those cards are available via zorro memory spacew, while cybervisionppc must be available within 128mb cpu expansion window on a4k memory map, so it wouldnt solve anything, even if an extension laike that was available. the solution would rather be a completely new redesigned motherboard without such bottlenecks. you may wait for vampire standalone or better ask such questions directly on a1k.

I understand.
Bummer!

More FastRAM would be soooo welcome!

And I'm talking about fast FastRAM, as on the CSPPC (60-70 ns; 64 bit interleaved RAM access) - not about the max. 16 mB slow onboard 32 bit FastRAM or virtual Zorro 32 bit RAM...

[Dandy]

...
Sidebar, but I've gotta ask. Is that a man or woman in your avatar pic? I've been trying to work it out for a while now.

:biglaugh:
Looks a bit like Angie Merkel in her twenties...
:roflmao:

[Dandy]

@ jack-3d

@Dandy

Is there anything at OS3.9 that requires more then 128 MB RAM? I think more RAM is not needed even for WarpOS stuff.

Try to load 2 or 3 jpeg photos (each of a size of roughly 12 mB) into ArtEffect (enough virtual Ram enabled), while there are other programs (like Wildfire 7 PPC, SnapShoter and Fantastic Dreams) working in the background, and watch the available RAM disappear...
 :-(

Aside from the applications themselves, a lot of ram is consumed by the graphics you load.

As long as you use photos (each with a size of not larger than - lets say - 3 or 4 mB), all works well.
When I have just the OS and e.g. ArtEffect running and load a jpg-photo of just 4mB, ArtEffect 'unpacks' the jpg and makes roughly 70 mB of it in its working memory...

But we're living in a time where digital cameras are very high-res and one single hi-res photo can easily have a size of 12 mB...

Due to ArtEffect's internal structure already loading one single of such big hi-res photos can eat up all the FastRAM on a CSPPC...not to mention having two of them in memory for certain special effects...

Here is my recent testing of CSPPC 604e/200 060/50 (BLUE color) comparing to CSPPC 604e/366 060/66 (ORANGE color)
...

Thanks for posting the test results!

[Dandy]

...
Its easy for 128meg to be more than enough, but equally easy to have it not nearly enough.

1+

[Dandy]

@ fishy_fiz - #4:

...
In regards to csppc/a4k,
...
Your idea, could in theory work, but I don't think it'd be much faster (possibly slower) than zorram, as while the bus is 25mhz, and the ram 64bit, the bus (correct me if I'm wrong someone) is only 32bit.
...

Assuming you're talking about the data bus on the CSPPC, I got these figures for you from Wikipedia:

...
CyberStorm PPC:

This accelerator board was designed for Amiga 3000 and Amiga 4000. The accelerator board was famous for its high performance due to its 64 bit wide memory bus and PowerPC 604e processor.[25] According to Phase 5 it could sustain memory transfers up to 68 MB/s on the 68060 and up to 160 MB/s on the 604e.

...
Four 72 pin SIMM sockets accepting 128 MB RAM, 64 bit wide

I have no information regarding the speed of the data bus.