Mini AmigaTWO Hardware Candidate

[Raffaele]

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6404482880.html

MPC8349E mITX is a Reference Motherboard from Freescale.

Freescale also sells to any customer the Gerber files of it giving you the opportunity to manufacture it by yourself.

Freescale is shipping a home NAS (network-attached storage) / media server reference design that runs Linux and targets power-efficient, always-on consumer products. The MPC8349E mITX Reference Platform includes a PowerQUICC-based mini-ITX board, along with a standards-based Linux software stack and SDK from Mediabolic.

Full image is here:

http://www.linuxdevices.com/files/misc/freescale_mpc8349e_mitx.jpg


PowerQUICC CPU is an evolution of e300 CPU which, in his turn, is an evolution of old PPC603e that is well known to Amigans because it equpped old Amiga Classic PPC expansion cards.

MPC 8349E features 32 KB data cache and 32 KB instruction cache, and is SoC (no need for any northbridge and no more Articia) and mainly is fully software compliant with PPC 603e, this could mean that it could also support any Amiga WarpUP compliant software.
Also MPC 8349E has security options integrated.

DES, 3DES, MD-5, SHA-1, AES, and ARC-4 encryption algorithms, as well as a public key accelerator and an on-chip random number generator. The security engine is capable of single-pass encryption and authentication, as required by IPsec, IEEE® 802.11i standard and other security protocols.

Features are of all respect:

Reference platform features listed by Freescale include:

MiniITX Form Factor

667MHz MPC8349E PowerQUICC II Pro processor

10/100/1000 Ethernet port

5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch from Vitesse

4 x USB 2.0 ports

2 x RS-232C interfaces

On-board 4-port PCI SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) controller

32-bit PCI slot

32-bit MiniPCI slot

Power supply

SATA hard drive

I think that having both one 32 bit full PCI slot and one 32 bit MiniPCI slot it could mount both a miniPCI graphic card and a full size Audio card, and so it became a complete multimedia computer.

667 MHz CPU also grants this little jewel to be similar in performances as like as AmigaONE with G3.

Some other infos:

The platform comes with a 2.6-series Linux kernel and samba (Windows networking software) pre-installed in a flash memory device. Also included is Mediabolic's Media Server, an SDK (software development kit) for creating multimedia applications compliant with DLNA and UPnP standards, according to Mediabolic.

According to Mark Kirstein, a VP at market research firm iSuppli Corporation, "Adding UPnP- and DLNA-compliant media server capabilities transforms the home NAS platform from a simple PC peripheral into an integral home entertainment system component."

iSuppli estimates that 45 million homes have networks, worldwide. It forecasts 120 networked homes by 2009, including 60 million media-enabled homes.

A slighty version of this card is sold also by Mediabolic according to fact sheets by Freescale.

http://www.freescale.com/files/netcomm/doc/fact_sheet/MEDIABOLICFS.pdf

http://www.freescale.com/files/netcomm/doc/fact_sheet/MPC8349EMITXFS.pdf

[Matt_H]

:horse: :horse:

Yes, there's plenty viable hardware available. Just get someone to come up with the cash to make it happen for the Amiga.

[Raffaele]

Matt_H wrote:

Yes, there's plenty viable hardware available.

There is a plenty of VAPOUR all around Amiga.

And also there is a plenty of OUTDATED hardware everywhere.

This platform is LESS OUTDATE than others, it is solid silicon, and it is ON SALE NOW.

It requires only a minimal effort to let it became compatible with Amiga. (I.E. a flash rom in which to store UBOOT firmware)

Just get someone to come up with the cash to make it happen for the Amiga.

There are two thing we almost need.

1) Some rich people (almost rich) who want to start a venture capital quest.

2) Contact ubiquitous Amiga Inc. owners by hiring some good detective to find them, then give'em all the money they ask for Amiga IT and finally just say them:

«And now, my dear dudes you got the cash... Amiga is not yours anymore! So: GET LOST!»

:violin: :violin: :violin:

Ahhh. Sure only this scenario could be a very happy ending for Amiga ("Disasters") Inc. and a good start to anything new related to Amiga.

[Doobrey]

Raffaele wrote:
It requires only a minimal effort to let it became compatible with Amiga. (I.E. a flash rom in which to store UBOOT firmware)

Doesn't it already have a flash rom?
There's 2 Macronix chips beside the ATX connector that look like flash to me.

[Raffaele]

Doobrey wrote:

Doesn't it already have a flash rom?
There's 2 Macronix chips beside the ATX connector that look like flash to me.

Really? I have not checked for flash roms, neither read of any flashrom in the specs of the motherboard.

If the flash rom is already present sure it is a really bonus.