What do PCI boards do?

[Amiduffer]

Someone listed a Prometheus PCI board he's selling on ebay on the ImageFX discussion list, and I looked at the stats he linked to. But I have a question about PCI overall, since it's a board that can go in my A3000.

What kind of cards go on a busboard like prometheus?

Does it replace the daughterboard currently in the A3000D? Or does it attach to the daughterboard?

[Orjan]

Heres some info:

http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=338

[amigagr]

prometheus is attached to the daughterboard, so you need an a3000T or an a3000D in tower. you can add pci vga as voodoo, soundblaster 128 or live, realtech network card, probably but not sure yet cheap usb card (depends on the openpci software).
in general, prometheus have some dma problems so not all cards working ok with it. recently e3b has been in charge to update the firmware and solve dma probs. post

[Amiduffer]

amije wrote:
prometheus is attached to the daughterboard, so you need an a3000T or an a3000D in tower. you can add pci vga as voodoo, soundblaster 128 or live, realtech network card, probably but not sure yet cheap usb card (depends on the openpci software).
in general, prometheus have some dma problems so not all cards working ok with it. recently e3b has been in charge to update the firmware and solve dma probs. post

Ah, well, I have the A3000D, so thanks for saving me some trouble. I was wondering how that would fit in that case! :-D

Are you saying that you can use regular PC cards like soundblaster or VGA, or are they specifically made for the PCI board?

[Marco]

Nope, not made for it, just regular bog-standard PCI cards, obviously there're some Amiga specific cards - like the Spider USB card, but that's the only one I can think of right now.

[Plaz]

I use a prometheus in a 4000 desktop. Because of it's size and it's orentation to the daughter card, I have to run the 4000 with the top off. A 3000 desktop would have to be opened up the same way. Currently it lets me use a cheap voodoo 3 video card and a $10 8039 based nic card to browse the internet over broadband using miami TCPIP. It also supports Voodoo 4,5 and S3 VirgeGX cards. (Not VirgeDX) There is a firmware update being worked on that will allow other DMA based PCI cards to be used. Theoretically even a sound blaster probably. BUT... currently drivers only exist for a small list of PCI cards. If like me you'd be happy with a nice P96 RTG video update and nic card for your classic, then this might be a good thing for you. But it just doesn't support most other PC PCI cards right now. For what I need, I have been very happy with the upgrade and price.

Plaz

[Amiduffer]

Currently it lets me use a cheap voodoo 3 video card and a $10 8039 based nic card to browse the internet over broadband using miami TCPIP. It also supports Voodoo 4,5 and S3 VirgeGX cards. (Not VirgeDX) There is a firmware update being worked on that will allow other DMA based PCI cards to be used.

[color=ffa500]Wow!![/color][/i], that's such a neat concept! The possiblities!!

The drivers are on Aminet, I assume. :eureka:

[Plaz]

The drivers are on Aminet, I assume. :eureka:

I think so, they are definatly available at the prometheus support site.... www.matay.com

Plaz

[Dandy]

Marco wrote:
...obviously there're some Amiga specific cards - like the Spider USB card, ...

The Spider2 is not Amiga specific - its just a standard USB2.0 Highspeed card for PCI slots.
It comes with a small CD with x86-drivers for use in every Wintel-PC - just that it is manufactured by a company well known in the Amiga-"market"...

[Dandy]

...
BUT... currently drivers only exist for a small list of PCI cards. If like me you'd be happy with a nice P96 RTG video update and nic card for your classic, then this might be a good thing for you.

But it just doesn't support most other PC PCI cards right now.
...

Well - it offers support for graphic cards, sound card, networking cards, USB cards, TV cards and the like - what kind of support are you missing?

Its just that not all *products* from all *manufactures* that are available at the next computer shop aruond the corner are supported.

But if you buy your PCI cards according the compatibility list (that comes together with the mediator and is also accessible on Elboxes web page) there sould be no problems...

[Crumb]

@Plaz

It also supports Voodoo 4,5 and S3 VirgeGX cards. (Not VirgeDX)

are you sure? All my PCI Virges are DX models and I had VirgeDX working (but special care had to be taken with drivers as you had to use p96 libraries/drivers supplied in the same update. Mixing the old virge driver with a more recent picasso96 library -or rtg, I can't remember- didn't work)

@Dandy

Well - it offers support for graphic cards, sound card, networking cards, USB cards, TV cards and the like - what kind of support are you missing?

AFAIK Sound, 100Mb networks, USB and TV cards don't work with Prometheus.

There are working drivers for catweasel MK3, Virge, Permedia2, Voodoo3/4/5 and RTL8029. But with Michael Boehmer update the cards that didn't work correctly will work :-)

[mboehmer_e3b]

AFAIK Sound, 100Mb networks, USB and TV cards don't work with Prometheus.

All PCI cards using PCI-PCI DMA will work unreliable in non-upgraded Prometheus boards. They may work for some seconds or minutes and fail with different and changing errors.

Only the gfx card drivers (Voodoo3) and RTL8029 (10MBit ethernet) will work on existing Prometheus cards without upgrade.

There are working drivers for catweasel MK3, Virge, Permedia2, Voodoo3/4/5 and RTL8029. But with Michael Boehmer update the cards that didn't work correctly will work :-)

Hopefully  :-D  We are working on it, and progress is being made.

Michael

[doctorq]

Well - it offers support for graphic cards, sound card, networking cards, USB cards, TV cards and the like - what kind of support are you missing?

Its just that not all *products* from all *manufactures* that are available at the next computer shop aruond the corner are supported.

But if you buy your PCI cards according the compatibility list (that comes together with the mediator and is also accessible on Elboxes web page) there sould be no problems...

I believe we are talking about a Prometheus PCI busboard, not a Mediator.

[Plaz]

are you sure? All my PCI Virges are DX models

I may have my DX and GX crossed, it's been a while since I tested. Definitly one worked and the other didn't. The Virge that did work was a bit flaky on my system. Finally I got a voodoo 3 and all was well.

Plaz

[justthatgood]

I guess I should feel guilty. I've had like tons of people knocking down my door wanting to get their hands on a Prometheus board, yet I haven't had any time to do anything really special with mine. I'm still waiting to see if I can get my Bianca Neve project up..