MiniMig with AGA

[mikej]

The PCB assembler just sent me this :

"I am actually preparing the setup on the pick&place tonight. It's almost done, as I have all the component packages in the vision library already. So when I get the packet with the components,  I'll be ready to load the feeders and start the production. From the  optimization process, it looks like approx 6 minutes assembly per board, on the slowest of my machines. I will most likely run the boards on friday, and I will shoot a little video of the process"

The components seem to be taking quite a while to get there, but hopefully tomorrow.
I'll post a video of the assembly when I get it.

/Mike

[mikej]

Everything has arrived at the production site, so they should be built tomorrow...
Mike

[mikej]

I do post here more than other groups, but the interest has been high from the Atari and arcade game bunch as well.

oh, If you haven't been yet, visit my mates page
http://www.harryfew.com

I put a link on the fpgaarcade page and he is very excited to go from 2 hits a month to hundreds a day

He lives in China and is helping me with sourcing there.
/Mike

[mikej]

@Greg.0, where is the assembly video of fpgaarcade?

As for cores I only know of 32-bit address 68000 and AGA with 16-bit interface to CPU. My guess is 68020 or better and full 32-bit AGA might be a first "next project". Then there are all those nonimplemented chipsets to clone.

We have an enhanced version of the T68 core which has 32 bit IO and many 68020 enhancements. I also have my own CPU project which is bouncing along nicely. The video doesn't exist just yet, hopefully later today.
/Mike

[mikej]

I will be in China again next week. If the board gets here before I leave again then I can test it. If it all works out, it is possible.

I agree it would be great but the timing is tight.
/Mike

[mikej]

There is a 9 pin RS232 serial port on the back of the board, connected to the ARM and the FPGA with a jumper. It is really intended for ARM software debug, but can be cabled out to the back panel if needed.
/Mike

[mikej]

Well, sadly the board will not make it to AmiWest. I'm in Taiwan at the moment and I didn't receive the boards back from production before I left. In fact they have been very quiet so I'm a bit concernced.

I'll have to send the boys round when I get back ...
/Mike

[mikej]

They just mailed me, they got a big order in which took priority - they are basically doing me a bit of favour building such a small number.

Scheduled for tomorrow now apparently.
/Mike

[mikej]

The production company is expecting to ship them to me on Monday. They are partly assembled at the moment. It's only a few boards, so they have to squeeze them in around other things. The good news is as soon as I have tested them we will kick off the ramaining 50 odd of the first run.


/Mike

[mikej]

Latest update, the boards have been shipped back to me so I hope to get them before the weekend

There is a video of the production as well, but I haven't got it yet.
/Mike

[mikej]

Not received the boards yet
I'm chasing it....

Yes, you can order from my site when the board has been tested.
Open source always.

I'll update you when I know myself!
Cheers,
Mike

[mikej]

Boards are on the delivery truck according to tracking

[mikej]

Got the boards!
I'll put some pics up on http://www.fpgaarcade.com asap.

[mikej]

Yes, there is a JAMMA daughter board which has finished layout. I'll get it made when I have finished tested the main board. It will let you plug the board into a the cab directly.

You will still need the "core" for the game in question as well as the ROMs. You can think of the game core as the hardware of the original board, and the ROM as the software.

Best,
Mike

[mikej]

"Ah, I was hoping that this would replace the mainboard altogether. What then is the advantage of the JAMMA board you are making as opposed to the standard JAMMA board for a game?"

Yes, it will replace the original main board, all that is required is the Replay board and it's Jamma adapter. For example, if you want to run the pacman game you need the FPGA core which behaves like the original hardware and the ROMs which contain the software.

I'm also doing a vector output for games such a Asteroids.
Mike

[mikej]

"So each JAMMA game out there will need an FPGA core written for it to work on the hardware?"

Yes, as the FPGA core models the original hardware.
Different games which ran on the same/similar hardware can use the same core, like frogger/scramble.

MikeJ