FPGA Replay Board

[AmigaClassicRule]

Would the 060 accellerator card fit into the X500 Plus case?

I won't buy an X500 Plus case.  I need a detached keyboard.
I am only asking for AmigaClassicRule's consideration.

ChaosLord do you advice I sell my A1200 right now and take the money from it and buy the FPGA Replay directly from MikeJ and then the rest of the money I buy the case (as soon as you help me in finding a good case) and power supply etc? Then what ever money left I save up more and buy the daughterboard or do you advice I wait till the daughterboard is out?

The mere fact that FPGA Replay have build in RTG and 128 MB CHIP is SO appealing and the mere fact that a 060 @ 120 Mhz IS WAY faster than an Apollo if even if it was overclocked to 120 Mhz itself is SOOO luring! If i want to buy it from MikeJ directly how do I go about doing that and would I get some sort of tracking number to ease my mind?

[AmigaClassicRule]

Hi,
The resellers are buying from me and assembling the systems.
You can buy the components directly from me, but I do not have time to offer detailed support. The price you were quoted includes the atx io panel and atx power switcher I assume. If you want an assembled, tested system I suggest you go with the reseller.



Best,
/MikeJ

When will it be available in amigakit.com?

[AmigaClassicRule]

Hey Mike? Why not just start selling the FPGA Replay board in Amigakit.com now...until you get the daughterboard ready for release? This way...EVEN IF the daughterboard never...ever...ever...ever happens and never get released...at least this is an improvement and better version of MiniMag...and we could enjoy using a 030 processor in this FPGA Replay with better CHIP RAM, RTG support, DVI support and so on. At least if you do that...then we will buy the FPGA Replay and you can discontinue the MiniMag as this is better than the MiniMag...we can even consider it MiniMag II for example. And when you do have the daughterboard ready for release....people will upgrade their toy with this superb 060 processor. There are two reasons why this I may consider a good idea....

1) You start generating revenue which would help in further development and for the daughterboard
2) You get a statistical idea of how many people ARE REALLY interested in this item and you may even consider if it is worth manufacturing the daughterboard if there are only a handful sale.

Another good reason why this is a good idea..people who are enthusiastic and willing to buy it now...we will spend right away...but the longer it takes for release the less that person becomes enthusiastic and the more there are reasons to spend this money else where. Bills, student loans, etc.

I mean if I was you I would release it today than tomorrow...and see what happens. That is my thinking on this matter.

What do you guys think?

[AmigaClassicRule]

Oh thank you, but I'm not Jim
And I wouldn't know what to do with it

:eek: You had the potential of getting DAUGHTERBOARDS maaan.....you should have went hush hush there :rolleyes: Well...my money is waiting for the FPGA Replay...regardless of daughterboard release date available or not....Mmmmmmm 128 MB of CHIP RAM...yumm...yummm...integrated DVI AND RTG. Even the latest version of WinUAE does not give you 128 MB of CHIP RAM...

[AmigaClassicRule]

Wait until we get 4 GB chip ram..

Let me enjoy the 128 MB first then we can talk about the 4 GB :D  You know what that means though? Software in the aminet will have another added additional flavor called FPG Replay heheheh. That means I get the pleasure of download programs in aminet for FPGA Replay try it out on my A1200 and crashes with insufficient memory error hehehe .....Yet will only work in FPGA Replay heheh!! I can hardly wait for the awesome game ports...I am sure NOW...NOW we can have MMORPG games ported into the Amiga system...finally. Also I get to enjoy Quake 2 without removing the eye candy graphics, lighting, shadows and ...AND I get to have multiplayer support into it. I may even install AmiKit for it and looks as pretty as the WinUAE version...Mmmmmmmm...or even AmigaSYS 4 and not AmigaSYS 4 AGA...mmmmmmmmmmmm

[AmigaClassicRule]

I'm on my way to the music festival so I can't check exactly.
What I remember is the 68060 with heatsink does not exceed the height of the ps2 connectors - and certainly it is all within the atx panel height.

The board is half-size itx (17cm by 8cm), mechanical drawings are on the website, but I'm going to put all the docs in a cleaner fashion on the new website. It fits in any itx/atx case with two screws.

I tried hard to get two USB connectors on the back, but it would not fit on the adapter.
You can cable off the internal header to an external connector, or use a hub. Note, in this batch nearly all the boards are PS/2 - the USB ones are really for Loriano's case. I don't have the modified ATX panel yet.

For testing, the jig connects to all the IO it can. There is a loopback on the rs232 connector so all four wires there are tested. The video outputs are tested with a couple of different ramp outputs and a scope. Same for composite / svhs. Audio is connected to a pair of speakers. For audio, it's a serial bus, so it works completely or not. PS/2 is tested by the on board pico-blaze PS/2 controller and external devices.

I am working on a probe test for volume production, but for a few 1000 devices function test is ok.
/MikeJ

Any idea when FPGA be release in retail stores like AmigaKit and so forth?

[AmigaClassicRule]

Any idea when we will see this product in AmigaKit.com or is this going to be a Natami clone?

[AmigaClassicRule]

weeks.
/Mike

Hey mikej does FPGA Replay have a SAGA custom chipset or just an AGA with more chip RAM? Like can someone make exclusive titles for FPGA Replay and will only work FPGA Replay or it can be emulated on WinUAE?

Can one say FPGA Replay is not a WinUAE in a hardware and that everything in it is actually custom chipset?

[AmigaClassicRule]

I think the lack of demand for SAGA (or whatever advanced AGA people are thinking about) in WinUAE says a lot of the need to do it in the FPGA. By all means give us a mode that make the functionality we already have insanely fast but do we really need new functions?

Technically you are getting new functions.

1) Insanely fast (new function)
2) More CHIP RAM (new function)

Since you already have these two might as well just add the last bit

3) Allow support for more than 64 colors per sprite....say 32 bit colors per sprite....like you see in RTG
4) Add 3D support

and you have yourself a new spanking SAGA custom chipset.

[AmigaClassicRule]

No PPC, no MorphOS or AmigaOS (besides that they would want money to port it)

It goes more than that...FPGA Replay is 68k based if there is going to be a port of AmigaOS 4.1 to run on FPGA they might as well have had two versions long time...and I mean long time ago, one PPC and one 68k...and if they went in that road...you can kiss PPC hardware good bye..because already a very tiny market who will purchase PPC will be even more tinier as no one will afford the PPC...and...then why have a PPC version in the first place...and we will head to the road of x86 port discussion all over again...and the cycle continues.

[AmigaClassicRule]

That's unfortunate I for one feel that the fpga really could be the future of the Amiga but without the support of OS4 and Morphos. I would buy a ppc card for a 1200 if I could get one and then even if I could find one will it be at a reasonable price. Yes i know they are available. Obviously the market is governed by supply and demand. BUt to pay nearly $3000 for a new OS4 system is just not in my price range as nice as it is.

Bingo.  I am buying A4000D because really it is the very classic Amiga I have always wanted o have a very long time . In the future...I will get FPGA if it is still available.

[AmigaClassicRule]

Why paying a high price for a dying hardware (caps etc) when you can get new hardware with way better specs? Since FPGA implementations became available, old Amiga hardware has no sense at all (except it you already have it).
For example: I wouln't use a pricy, old, floppy-based Amiga 500 computer anymore, the Minimig (or DE1) does the job way better, with less space, power drain, speed etc, and without any of the problems associated with software emulation (lag, un-smooth scroll, etc).
Buying old hardware is a waste of money and effort. Go FPGA, you won't look back, I can assure you that.

Yes but FPGA Replay is not offering anything new over an A4000D though (like new custom chipset, major different like way faster CPU such as 500 Mhz+)! All it is offering is more CHIP RAM and default 68060 CPU upgrade skipping on the 030, 040 and so on....it is still AGA, and the RTG it offers can be obtained from a voodoo in an A4000D for example. It is still going with a 060 processor and pretty much the same speed as A4000D and last I check all software are developed with 2 MB CHIP in mind...what is FPGA Replay offers say that I cannot get on an A4000D,except say for a small space...and newer hardware...the specs are pretty much very close to the same.  In fact if WinUAE emulates FPGA Replay it will simply emulate it by  removing the 8 MB CHIP RAM on WinUAE to 512 MB Chip RAM and poof they are both the same spec (WinUAE vs FPGA Replay)


I will still face problems watching movies on an FPGA Replay say on an A4000D without having to go HAMP route.....

[AmigaClassicRule]

There is one thing you forgot. And that is that:

a) Not everyone has a A4000 anymore (Either never got one, sold it or it broke down)

b) A4000 is not portable...AT ALL :-)

c) You must admin that ALL the discussion and stuff going on around this project is actually keeping the Amiga alive. Maybe not directly (since it's a fpga-"amiga") but indirectly it keeps the community going.

And the most important fact is that Amiga is NOTHING without its community. It is all the social happenings, the good memories and the fact that us Amiga-fans NEVER give up. These are the things which are important. The hardware itself is a product of it all.

My FPGA-Replay is great for when my buddies and I want to play old-skool amiga games "On the fly" not having to bring the whole A4000/A1200 with us. This is a win-win for us -- as we can play games and have a blast using the easy-to-carry fpga-replay to hook up in no-time anywhere we like.

So who cares if its not the exact same as the old A4000 we used back in the days --- hey, neither are we. We got old too and are not the same anymore on the outside, but its what's inside that counts :-)


Thank you!

I see where you are coming from...but there are other things you need to consider...for one I do not have friends like you do...so this does not apply to me. Second of all, the price of FPGA Replay if I am to buy it, it is going to cost me 800 dollars at least...well my A4000D is going to cost me 600 bucks and it already comes with 040. FPGA Replay is a fast 020 that matches that of a 030 speed.

Now I need to get the daughterboard of 060 let us assume that by itself is going to cost me 400 dollars to 500 dollars...so that is 800+500=1300, so it is a price of a new SAM pretty much. My Amiga 4000D is $600 bucks...so if I want to upgrade it to 060 @ 100 Mhz...assume this "rare" board is going to cost me 600 dollars.....well I can sell my accelerator of 040 for 400 bucks....so that price drops down too 200 bucks...so my Amiga 4000D is going to cost me 1000 all in-one...still 300 dollars cheaper...but I get more with it than the FPGA Replay. For one I get a powerful RTG and the option to go PPC if I wanted too in the future. Sure the 300 or 330 Mhz is nothing and it is going to cos tmore...and chances are I am better of getting SAM...but the point is...the choice is there...I can have OS 4.1 classic if I wanted too...with FPGA Replay I cannot.

But maybe the last end of the sentence is irrelevant and weak....and does not proof your point...but the price and cost of an A4000D 060 over an FPGA Replay 060 should be enough to convince me to go through A4000D 060 as it is cheaper getting that over an FPGA Replay 060.

THE MOST TRIVIAL REASON why I want the A4000D...at least I can fill it with fan and have a roaring machine :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

[AmigaClassicRule]

Where in the world are you getting $800 for the FPGA Replay at?

It's like US $300 for the board. Add in a cheap case and psu and you are maybe at $400, tops.

Because the website that is posted on is sold for 447 or something like that Euro which is 640 dollars...add in shipping and handling say 680 or something. I did exaggerated a little bit on the price but there we go...still expensive. But you are saying 400 top that is not bad...that is actually cheaper than what I thought. However, what would the cost be if I go with the 060 daughter board? Isn't the daughter board going to cost something like anywhere between the price of the fpga and a little bit more? Obviously if I am getting stuck with 030 specs for 400 top that is still pretty expensive...because an A1200 030 accelerator isn't 400 dollars as you can see here: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Commodore-Amiga-1200-Accelerator-Apollo-1230-Mk-III-68030-40MHz-32MB-RAM-/190934642076?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item2c74976d9c .

So assume that the actually 060  board is 400...I am with 400+400=800...so for an FPGA Replay with 060 I get 800 is a decent price. However, if you tell me that the fpga replay have expansion slots like PCI, and ability to add your own video card, and ability to add your own sound card or Ethernet...or any form of expansion then not only is a decent price...but actually a cheap price and then way more affordable than an A4000D.

[AmigaClassicRule]

Your math is still wrong. 447 Euro is only $615 US dollars. Plus I don't know of anyone selling it for that. Jim Drew expects to sell it for around $300 USD. The guys in France are selling it for something like 240 Euro's. No one knows yet what the 060 expansion will cost.

Ok....the question arise then what guarantees that 060 expansion will be available? Also when will FPGA Replay be released for sale? How many times a promise have being made and failed in the end? You have to understand the reason why I am skeptical all together. Hey do not get me wrong...it is not mean I am not going to support FPGA Replay and not buy it...but I like collecting these machines...think of it as a stamp...I will buy the FPGA Replay but I also want to own the A4000D as well. I already have the A500 with me.

And in the future I want to own the PPC version of the Amiga...I will be saving my money for all these collections.

[AmigaClassicRule]

I don't see any thing hindering a PPC daugther board for the FPGAArcade, except maybe, that some one needs to design and build it.

And yes, its true, that before we have it, we can't really be sure that its actually going to be made, but I bet that the FPGAArcade and the daugtherboard will be made.

I do not do bet or gambling, but one thing for sure if you ask me to hold my breath (seeing the record history in Amiga community with false promises) this is one with a risk too high for me to hold my breath.

I am not saying ALL promises have being false...there is some promises where they became true: Minimag, ACA and naming little view...but those are not severe upgrades to go jumping about. But ones something like UltimatePPC and Natami comes as a major change to the community and the raw meat is put in front of us behind glass...we can never seem to reach it. I hope FPGA Replay will not be that raw meat.