Picasso IV Zorro2PCI-bridge

[jimbo100]

Looking for the roms to update a Picasso IV video card from version $1 of the Zorro2PCI-bridge to version $4.

Searching the net I need either Xilinx XC17128 & Xilinx XC1765 or Atmel AT17C128 or Atmel AT17C65 PROMs.

I have been unable to locate either set of chips.  Anyone have any idea's where I can find such items.

I did have someone from the Picasso96@yahoogroups contact me but they have been unable to find their batch of chips!

Anyone able to assist?

[jj]

I cant help sorry.  Im just curious as to what this update in roms does ?

or is it a case of wanting to be as updated as possible

[Lemmink]

Those are programable chips. When you buy them they are completely empty. Te only one that could have already programmed chips are Village Tronic themselve (probably thrown then away long ago) or you desolder it from a dead PIV. AFAIK there isn`t that much of an improvement for the enduser anyway.

[alexh]

Tobias Seiler, aka MASTATABS is your only hope.

But I fear that he is the man who says he cannot find his chips.

Tobias worked at VillageTronic alongside the late great Klaus Burkert

He got hold of all the VillageTronic Amiga stock and was going to start a small business offering PIV repairs and upgrades so I doubt he would be prepared to release the binary files you would need to program these chips.

http://www.sophisticated-development.de/

He is a great man, he sent me several replacement chips for my PicassoIV in 2004, and his Amiga Hardware Reference Manual v3 last year.

[jimbo100]

Lemmink wrote:
AFAIK there isn`t that much of an improvement for the enduser anyway.

Oh yes there is.  I can again use a A4091 SCSI card if I can get hold of version $4.

[jimbo100]

alexh wrote:
Tobias Seiler, aka MASTATABS is your only hope.

But I fear that he is the man who says he cannot find his chips.

No he isn't the man!  Tobias Seiler has ignored the emails I sent nor does it appear he is active in the Picasso96 Yahoo group.

It appears this Picasso legend has disappeared.  Shame really as it appears any chance to upgrade the Picasso IV has disappeared with him!  :-x

[Jeff]

Are these two PROMS the ones located in the lower left corner of the board by the crystal?  If so, it looks like they are socketed 8 pin DIPS. Couldn't someone with the correct version read them in with an eprom programmer and save the binary files, or are they protected? How do we know which version we have installed?

[Tahoe]

jimbo100 wrote:
No he isn't the man!  Tobias Seiler has ignored the emails I sent nor does it appear he is active in the Picasso96 Yahoo group.

It appears this Picasso legend has disappeared.  Shame really as it appears any chance to upgrade the Picasso IV has disappeared with him!  :-x

No, he IS the man. He repaired one of my P4's about three/four months ago. He actually replaced the exact bridge chip you are looking for.
I should add though: he is very busy at the moment. He has a study which takes up a lot of his time at the moment.

You are looking for the wrong chips. Usually there are 2 there, in my case he replaced it with a different chip, and only ONE. The card works brilliantly.
The sources to these chips are (i think) somewhere to be found on the net, only thing you need to do is program it. I don't have a programmer yet, although it is high on my wishlist.

[MastaTabs]

I haven't vanished.

I even did reply to your request. Seems you haven't got the reply, don't know why.

I have some chips for a replacement.

Has your card the Xilinx Xc17 variants or the Atmel ones ?

regs
Tobias

[jimbo100]

MastaTabs wrote:
I haven't vanished.

I even did reply to your request. Seems you haven't got the reply, don't know why.

I have some chips for a replacement.

Has your card the Xilinx Xc17 variants or the Atmel ones ?

regs
Tobias

No I didn't get any replies, but good to know your expertise is still around.

They appear to be Xilinx.  They have the same chip logo and similar numbers to this board
http://amigahardware.mariomisic.de/download_photos/picassoiv_3_big.jpg

I look forward to any assistance you can offer.

Thanks

[jimbo100]

Tahoe wrote:

jimbo100 wrote:
No he isn't the man!  Tobias Seiler has ignored the emails I sent nor does it appear he is active in the Picasso96 Yahoo group.

It appears this Picasso legend has disappeared.  Shame really as it appears any chance to upgrade the Picasso IV has disappeared with him!  :-x

No, he IS the man. He repaired one of my P4's about three/four months ago. He actually replaced the exact bridge chip you are looking for.
I should add though: he is very busy at the moment. He has a study which takes up a lot of his time at the moment.

You are looking for the wrong chips. Usually there are 2 there, in my case he replaced it with a different chip, and only ONE. The card works brilliantly.
The sources to these chips are (i think) somewhere to be found on the net, only thing you need to do is program it. I don't have a programmer yet, although it is high on my wishlist.

Think we might have slight miss understanding.  

When I said he isn't the man, I mean he wasn't the person who replied to me referred to in my first post.  alexh later referred to Tobias Seiler as person who may have replied to me.  I was simply saying that it wasn't Tobias.

As for looking at the wrong chips?  Not sure what you are referring too.  I understand it's two small socketed chips found in the lower left corner of the card.

I am interested thou in hearing that you have replaced it with one?  What sort of chip is that?  The biggest problem was finding the chips and everywhere I tried I was told they were no longer made.  If you have now replaced it with one it might be possible that it's a newer type!

[MastaTabs]

Well, then they have to be replaced. The Xilinx parts are one time programable the Atmel parts are Flash based and are reprogramable.

All the cards delivered by VT had two chips on them at this location because of the price.

These chips are simply chained and can be replaced by one larger(content) chip. So you can use a single xc17256 or an atmel counterpart instead of the two smaller ones.

You could also use two xc17128's.

As long as they provide enough memory you could use any combination as long as the first chip is completly programmed and the last one holds the rest that didn't fit in the first one.

[jimbo100]

The trouble I have had in previous attempts has been trying to locate xc17128 chips.  xc1765 have been ok but the larger one isn't available, certainly not on my side of the planet anyway.

I will try xc17256 now that you have provided that important information.

Does it matter which socket this chip goes into?  I would assume it would go in the top one?

If I am unable to source a replacement, are you in a position to be able to supply them?

Thanks

[MastaTabs]

usually it should be located into the 65's socket cause it needs to deliver the DONE signal to the FPGA.

If you get hold of the chips you still need to program them. That can't be done through software on the PIV. I guess you are aware of that.

I still have a small supply of programmed chips and I also have the equipment to program them.

[jimbo100]

MastaTabs wrote:
usually it should be located into the 65's socket cause it needs to deliver the DONE signal to the FPGA.

If you get hold of the chips you still need to program them. That can't be done through software on the PIV. I guess you are aware of that.

I still have a small supply of programmed chips and I also have the equipment to program them.

Well I am sure you can guess that I would like to update my Picasso IV.  Am I able to purchase an update from you?