Copy paste from Apollo forum;
http://apollo-core.com/knowledge.php?b=1¬e=9840&z=RZQtVGIt’s been a while since release of GOLD2 in January 2017. Apollo Team has been working hard on different topics in parallel to bring Amiga users a great experience with their current and future Vampire accelerators. Let’s sum up a bit what are working on and what is coming next.
-- GOLD2.7 – « The number after the point » release --
Since GOLD2, lot of work has been made on the 68080 core. Even if we released an experimental and interim build called GOLD2.5 which added support for SDNet and library for developers, core part was still GOLD2.
Right now, Apollo Team is working quite hard on testing GOLD2.7 core which will be a major update since GOLD2. The number is small but the changes are big :
- AMMX2 : AMMX has been improved with a full new set of vector instructions
- Full rewrite of the RTG graphics driver, optimized to get benefits from the AMMX2 instruction set
- Added FastIDE functionnality (to speed up Amiga 600 on-board IDE)
- Added hardware sprites support
- Exec now handles AMMX context switching
- Added MapROM functionnality (brings EmuTOS/FreeMint/AROS for example)
- Added hybrid software/hardware FPU (with help of FEMU)
- Added HyperThreading support
- Added Bn register (E0 to E23: Data registers, fully 64bits, accessibles by AMMX)
- Added vampire.resource for developers
- Added processor.resource for developers
- Added BANK instruction
- Speed up of memory clock frequency
This GOLD2.7 will be the last core before the awaited GOLD3 core and will be released for Vampire 600 V2, Vampire 500 V2 and the upcoming Vampire V4.
-- GOLD3 – Lady SAGA on stage --
In parallel to GOLD2.7, lot of efforts have been put into bringing AGA to the 68080 core. Testing methodicaly every single known AGA games to understand how they work and create SAGA as not only an AGA reimplementation but getting it to the next performance level takes a very very long time.
The beauty behind SAGA is the speed benefit brought by the FastRAM speed to ChipRAM. With GOLD3, any AGA screen is fast. Superfast Workbench in PAL feels like your Amiga was waiting for some new fresh air. GOLD3 removed the handbrake.
GOLD3 will also make life easier for everybody as you will be able to use a single digital cable for both AGA/RTG and audio.
The dream of bringing AGA to all OCS/ECS Amigas is being a reality with GOLD3. Remember when you were young how frustrated you were with your A500 when you couldn’t run an AGA game that your friend with A1200 could ? This time will soon be over.
-- Vampire V4 --
Team work has the benefit to let us have several open tasks at the same time without having to finish them sequencially. Vampire V4 was designed silently by ceaich while work continued on the core side. Announced in August and still aiming for a general release in Q4’2017, the Vampire V4 will be a next step into the further development of a standalone product.
We were very impressed seeing how mainstream IT websites relayed the information. It means a lot for us and we are pretty confident that the product could bring old users back into the Amiga scene. That coverage has put a lot of pressure on our shoulders but is also very exciting as we are discovering new lands that were never explored until now.
Small correction by Henryk Richter
Small correction: The Exec bundled with Gold2 and 2.5 had AMMX context switching already built in.
New is: Our new VampireSupport Kickstart module enables AMMX context switching on the fly. So far, Exec 40 (3.1), Exec 45 (3.9BB2) and Exec 34 (1.3) have been successfully tested with the new approach.
