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Author Topic: MiniMig with AGA  (Read 316372 times)

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Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« on: June 25, 2010, 12:32:03 AM »
First, Congratulations yaqube for the AGA implementation!!

Oh and for the patience with the not-possible-sayers.. :D
(68060/PA-7150 softcore with Hombre chipset next? :P )

A quick look at fpgaarcade.com seems to suggest there's no DB23 connector for a floppydrive (250 kbit/s?).
BUT, if there's any wired 5V I/O one can just connect and change some code in the sources, synthesize ("compile") and should work. Because for an FPGA there's not really any dedicated "port" just loads of general I/O.

The connections seems to be:
MMC, HDMI, CVBS, S-Video, 2x PS/2, 2x Joystick.
130-pin expansion.
Debug232?, ?, VGA, 2x General I/O, Power

Any price indicators yet for the board?

As for what resolutions are possible, and other bitstream dependent applications. An DDR DRAM that is clocked at 200 MHz with an 16-bit width will give 6,4 Gbit/s ; For comparision an 68040@25 MHz will consume 0,8 Gbit/s ; video 1920x1080@60 fps 24 bpp = 3,0 Gbit/s ; audio 192 kHz 24 bit 6 channels = 0,03 Gbit/s ; ZorroIII = 1,2 Gbit/s ; PCI32/33 = 1,1 Gbit/s ; Ethernet 1G well.. = 1 Gbit/s ;)

There are some delays for each row switch and cas latency to take into account but with proper caching this will not be a problem. Good predictions on what memory sections that are worthwhile to cache will win performance points. Special care has to be taken for bitstreams that can't take disruption gracefully like video and audio. I hope the CPU and Ethernet etc.. don't mind waiting.
DDR2 have the same amount of transfers per clock cycle as DDR1. And DDR3 have very long latencies from command given to data in/out, and very special electrical interfacing (same for DDR2). To counter this sub 2 ns clocks are possible (ie FAST). So for any Amiga project DDR1 makes the best pain/performance choice. If the 2,5 V and impedance matching causes problems SDR (1 transfer/clock) at 3,3 V could make a good choice.

(I saw the answer above now regarding the floppy drive answer but still can't find it at fpgaarcade. However as said, it's easy to fix.)
« Last Edit: June 25, 2010, 02:59:38 AM by freqmax »
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2010, 12:07:48 PM »
Megadrive pads would go under, but CD32 pads have enough Commodore force in them to barely make it.. :P
Looking here: http://www.softwolves.com/arkiv/cbm-hackers/1/1696.html
MegaDrive works the same as C= joysticks, however maybe with a different pinout. So it should work. And CD32 well.. it's Commodore stuff. So should work too.

Please read up on basic electronics before asking.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2010, 12:14:24 PM by freqmax »
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2010, 02:06:42 PM »
Ohwell.. I took it as another pin mismatch so it won't work(tm).

Anyway  I found a page about connecting the Sega joypad to another console. He mentions "However, the newer Genesis controllers have a custom IC that adds the extra signals onto the same 9-wire cable. ". So the plain version should work out of the box. For the other one with an special IC one can use the following trick:

 (+5V input) --(Resistor 1-10k) -- (+3,3V output) -- (<3,3V Zenerdiode) -- (GND)

Then one just feed the +5V outputs of the joypad etc.. to this arrangement and connect the max 3,3V level to the FPGA. And ofcourse the joypad has to be feed with +5V supply.
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2010, 03:14:04 AM »
There were some hints that in order to accomplish AGA, 32-bit memory is a requirement as well as an externally 32-bit CPU. If yaqube:s AGA with 68000 is real then it's obvious that an ordinary 16-bit external CPU is enough. Or is there any situation when despite coded for 68000 a 32-bit interface for the CPU is an required?
And how about the memory?, 16-bit can provide the same amount of data, just need to double the MHz.. ;), or does the implementation use some 32-bit memory structure while keeping the CPU in 16-bit interface?

Regarding the CPU is there any benefits in implementing anything better than 68020 ..?, Because FPGA on-chip ram is quite scarce (~38 kB) so cache might be hard to implement. Maybe it's better to implement a plain 68020 and a steroid mode where certain functions are improved but still pretending to be 020 to software?, catch may be incompabilities.
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2010, 12:21:19 PM »
With bitplane DMA I assume you mean the framebuffer memory ..?
Ie the transfer of the whole screen memory to the video DAC once per frame, x times per second.
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2010, 12:20:53 PM »
If you find a matching LCD + keyboard + box it sure will work.
LCD is usually LVTTL or LVDS. Keyboard with small size might be worse, and a box fit for the purpose even worse.
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2010, 04:12:53 PM »
@mikej, Is your on-pcb-flatscreen of LVDS type?

Regarding battery, it's not trivial.But doable. The thing about laptops is to get everything to fit inside a small box and get screen + keyboard + mousepad to align properly. Space is *tight*.
Having something spread out in modules to work on the labbench is way simpler.
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2010, 04:35:58 PM »
yaqube, You'r not alone.. "fine laptop there".. *Evil grin* ;-)
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2010, 09:19:04 AM »
What hinders you from identifying a donor laptop?
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 02:36:17 AM »
Could you make a video where you solder those FPGA chips?

Chips so cool I got to wear shades .. ;)
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2010, 02:23:59 AM »
Regarding A1200 keyboard use. It's likely easy to replicate the A1200-MPU-input interface in FPGA, or in a MCU like ATtiny..
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2010, 10:45:19 AM »
How is the longterm availability of the Spartan-3E PQ208 chips..?
Any suitable replacement in terms of price/capacity and non-BGA  package?

What is the pinout of A1200 keyboard before going into that MPU?
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2010, 06:20:37 PM »
Just put a ATmega or any other MCU that has enought GPIO pins connected to the keyboard and it can do both keyboard matrix decoding and PS/2 communication.

Hint: This is a not a problem, 32-bit 68020 core + DDR2 handling is ;)
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2010, 01:41:12 AM »
What are people willing to pay for A1200 keyboard to PS/2 adapter?
 

Offline freqmax

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Re: MiniMig with AGA
« Reply #14 on: July 09, 2010, 03:50:17 PM »
I assume the softcore 68000 is using 32-bit adress bus?