FPGA for dummies

[b41d3r]

Hi,

I'm really noob in Amiga, and I watch all this excitement around FPGA with double dutch terms for me as I'm more into software than hardware. As a matter of fact, not at all in hardware.
Can someone tell a poor ignorant what it implies for us ?
Is it something really so marvelous for the future of our platform ?
Why ? Does it concern only the game field ?

[b41d3r]

Thanks.
What I don't still get is that if I can configure my hardware in a software fashion, what about my Amiga ?
Can it, with only help of new drivers, work in a new hardware environment ?
I thought these monolithic machines were quite impossible to separate from their initial specification. Will it work only for new Amiga OS or for the classics too ?

[b41d3r]

Yes, very much.
But I suppose there's a bonus compared to using the original machine itself apart from the capacity of changing my system at will.
If I have a classic Amiga, is there any interest for me to get this thing ?
It seems so by reading posts about it,but I don't see why.
Will it for example allow me to connect to modern printer or network card by some trick ?

[b41d3r]

And no legal infringement ?
If I need a new system, I assume I must already have it.
So, it could only provide a cheap spare system but not a way of commercializing new Amiga on the market, right ?

[b41d3r]

Thank you all, especially Billt.
Now I can graduate in a computer course thanks to you !

[b41d3r]

Well, it depends on what you're looking to do.  In my case, I need a replacement for my Amiga 4000, which sadly died some time ago

I need something which is cheap, yet which can outperform the older Amigas, and offers me something new.  I'm not really interested in something expensive, or bulky. I want something which is relatively cheap, yet powerful and expandable - and small.  For me, FPGA Replay fits the bill perfectly!

Not only can it run at 030/040 speeds, but they're working on making the core perform as well as an 060 CPU.  The Chip RAM limitation has also been removed - the Replay supports upto 50MB(!) of Chip RAM.  This makes entirely new video modes possible.  AGA can perform functions much faster, and there's no need to buy a graphics card since one's essentially included in the FPGA Replay's core.  I also like the idea of being able to use a SD Card as my hard disk.  Something about that is just really neat - and convenient too!

As for connecting to printers or network cards - well, there are USB connectors, and a slot for a daughter board expansion on the Replay.   There are plans for a daughter board which will contain a socket for a 68060 CPU, as well as ethernet and USB ports, etc. so networking should be possible if provided with compatible drivers.  I'm not really sure about printers, I'm afraid.  This isn't something I've looked into as it's enough of a problem just trying to get my printer to work with the MacBook! :lol:

Ok, so I can get into something new thanks to this hard. So Amiga would become a viable modern system. And in fact, it could compete with new Amiga if not outclass them.:hammer:  This could lead to an internal competition in Amiga world or a quick adaptation in the current Amiga.
But something troubles me, how the hell can I transmit my "real" Amiga to the FPGA ? Can I do it myself or do I need a prebuilt software ?