MiniMig + PowerPC = OS4 Hardware for all

[AndrewBell]

Jethro_Tull wrote:
However, if  OS4 Classic and the Amiga virtualisation software are sold seperatly, wouldn't that beat the licensing issues?

That depends on the contract between Hyperion and AInc.

After all, OS4 is intended to run on classic hardware, no harm done from from Hyperion's part.  As for the Amiga virtualisaton software, it could be sold seperatly, without any of Amiga Inc's precious IP included, thus avoiding their wrath and sidestepping any licensing issues.  Cloanto, would simply supply the legal Kickstart files if they're needed to run OS4.

Again, it depends on the existing contract. I'm 100% certain that AInc wouldn't just accept the situation. An independent, open-source VM would be harder to pursue in the courts though.
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SUZUKI X-90

[IOWASURFER]

What a fantastics breath of fresh air!!!

I am certain this maybe the next step forward..

I would think that as accelerators got faster the new
MACMINI could keep up with the technology and keep us on the BOING BALL!!!!!!

Joe..

[Hans_]

AndrewBell wrote:
Interesting idea. Probably wouldn't count as a classic Amiga as far as the license goes.

Here's a prediction: I bet Piru will say it's impossible, pointless, too much effort, or all 3.

It wouldn't matter about the license, as it's not an OEM version. If you managed to adapt the MiniMig design to add a PowerPC, you could just buy a copy of OS4 for the classic and use it. AFAIK, you won't need to prove that you have a classic Amiga to buy it.

One issue would be getting a PowerPC chip that's compatible to one of the existing ones that Amiga OS4 runs on.

Hans


Hans

[XDelusion]

This is the sort of thing I'm dreaming of, or at least a Minimig with a slot for an 040 or 060 which can be ordered off Ebay for pennies. Then of course it would need at least 128MB of Fast RAM and I'd say I'd be pretty happy. I think Scala, DigiBooster, OctaMED, and what ever else should be pretty happy in that enviroment.

Of course PPC would be icing on the cake.

[spihunter]

@downix,

I don't think anyone has made a PPC card for the A500.

there was one displayed at a Amiga show somewhere at some point. I remember seeing a picture of it. I dont know if it was real or if it ever worked or not.

[downix]

Jethro_Tull wrote:
Why is the gain minimal?  Having a relativly inexpensive open platform for OS4 is definitly not a minimal gain!  

Relatively inexpensive is very, relative.  Relatively inexpensive compared to a POWER6 CPU or SPARC64 CPU, sure.  But compared to the Ekifa, it's expensive for the performance you'd be getting.  The development board is approx $900 per-unit.  Production, you'd still be looking at easily twice the cost of the MiniMig.

[AeroMan]

Hi,


     The 680XX family is way expensive. By the same price of a  68060, you could get a bunch of PPCs... The numbers below came from Freescale´s site:

     MC68EC060RC50 (cheapest) - $102.09
     MC68060RC60 (really expensive dude) - $524.99
     MC68EC040FE20A (cheapest) - $61.51
     MC68040RC40A (expensive dude) - $309.30
 
While a PPC system on a chip comes from...

     SPC5200CVR400BR2 (most expensive) - $19.71

Quite nice for 760 MIPS and OS4 possibility. We just need AGA in a FPGA to be really nice ! :-D

[little]

I think that adding a PPC to the minimig would be a deviation of the roadplan. But do not fear, I bet that AmigaOS 4 will be ported to the efika, efika2, sam440 and PowerPC macintosh. How can I be so sure? Because the only reason to release AmigaOS 4 for the amiga is to test Ainc, if they cannot prevent Hyperion from doing it they will sell it for the other platforms. Doing only a release for the few active PPC equipped amiga computers would provide little sales. But selling it for other platforms can bring a steady flow of cash. Then is also the posibility that support for it would be added to winuae. But a PPC powered minimig is not the roadmap IMO, coldfire is much better (and cheaper, the 5207 is less than $6 USD :-p )

[AJCopland]

This idea isn't impossible and has already been discussed in the original MiniMig thread but it is much harder to do than the MiniMig v1.x

There were lots of reasons but look at the efforts of people to make new PPC accelerators for the A1200/A4000 that have come to nothing.

Having put that minor downer on the idea I do think it will happen eventually but your idea of making MiniMig into an AGA capable machine is quite an endeavour in itself as it requires redesigning the MiniMig to use a differet cpu and 32bit data and address buses etc, as well as probably changing to a different type of ram... oh and that minor matter or rewriting the OCS chipset to be AGA capable.

Like I say, good idea, think it'll happen but its gonna take time. Dennis is an electrical engineer, most of us that are coming up with these ideas are from other fields of expertise! So its taking a little while to learn any of thise stuff.

@AndrewBell
Piru's opinions are his own, but you'd be better off listening to him since he knows more about the Amiga and developing software for it than almost anyone on these boards. His sometimes rather negative seeming attitude isn't really that, he'd probably love it if you turned around with the aforementioned PPC MiniMig design totally open sourced and with a working demo board, but he's quite familiar with how difficult these things are.

Its rather like someone whos just discovered a computer programming language like basic and writtent heir first hello world program turning around and saying: "right, so how do I make Doom3"

Andy

[jj]

I wish people would give up on the Idea of coldfire.  It just cant be made to work at a decent speed with re-compiling software for it.  If you are going to do that why bother, just port to X86

[little]

JJ wrote:
I wish people would give up on the Idea of coldfire.  It just cant be made to work at a decent speed without re-compiling software for it.  If you are going to do that why bother, just port to X86

I am glad you ask, the answer is quite simple. To recompile a 68k native program for coldfire requires a minimum effort, while doing the same for a x86 platform is a quite painful endeavour. If you do not believe me look at the amount of aminet programs ported to work in the x86 AROS. But once AROS is backported to the 68k platform you can bet a coldfire version can be released with minimum effort; then emulating amiga games in a coldfire machine would become a lot easier and applications would run like a breeze.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

What about EFIKA?

[AndrewBell]

Piru's opinions are his own, but you'd be better off listening to him since he knows more about the Amiga and developing software for it than almost anyone on these boards. His sometimes rather negative seeming attitude isn't really that, he'd probably love it if you turned around with the aforementioned PPC MiniMig design totally open sourced and with a working demo board, but he's quite familiar with how difficult these things are.

First off, reread the thread and you'll see that I was/am sceptical about the idea of a PPC Minimig.

Secondly, my remark about Piru related to his "contribution" in another Minimig thread. His remarks were abrupt and unhelpful, and basically boiled down to him not wanting people to waste time on something he considered pointless. I would go as far as to call it trolling. I'm touched by his concern, but he doesn't dictate how I spend my free time.
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Toyota Stout Specifications

[downix]

AeroMan wrote:
Hi,


     The 680XX family is way expensive. By the same price of a  68060, you could get a bunch of PPCs... The numbers below came from Freescale´s site:

     MC68EC060RC50 (cheapest) - $102.09
     MC68060RC60 (really expensive dude) - $524.99
     MC68EC040FE20A (cheapest) - $61.51
     MC68040RC40A (expensive dude) - $309.30
 
While a PPC system on a chip comes from...

     SPC5200CVR400BR2 (most expensive) - $19.71

Quite nice for 760 MIPS and OS4 possibility. We just need AGA in a FPGA to be really nice ! :-D

Hrm?  The 68k I just priced was $24.94, the 200Mhz MCF547x.

[LawlessPPC]

im hoping that once os4 classic ships its gonna get into the hands of the usual ingenious amiga coders and theyll patch it to boot on efika, peg, and any other ppc hardware out there i would certainly pay a bounty for that or register the said software. I guess the ppl capable of doing it just need to see what hardware its banging on to boot an dummy the responses

[AndrewBell]

LawlessPPC wrote:
im hoping that once os4 classic ships its gonna get into the hands of the usual ingenious amiga coders and theyll patch it to boot on efika, peg, and any other ppc hardware out there

To do that you'd probably be better off with the A1 version. OS4 Classic boots from 68k first, loads the new kickstart modules, switches off the 68k and reboots on PPC. It may be possible to skip the first boot phase, but you'll still be left with a MAJOR problem. OS4 Classic doesn't have drivers for SATA, RADEON video cards etc.
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ZB50