A500 ... PCI ..?

[SamOS39]

As part of my A500T project im starting work on schematics for building an expansion board with zorro2 slots... etc .. yadayada..

This may sound quite silly, i think i already know the answer  but just to be sure ..

Is it possible to have PCI slots and if so what chips do i need etc ..?

[mrmkl]

IIRC, some of the PCI interfacing chips from PLX would work for a 16-bit local bus master.

[SamOS39]

cheers.
does that mean that only various PCI cards would work..?

i mean arent PCI slots 32bit?

sorry im a complete noob :roll:

[JimS]

I think a better way to go would be to build a clockport adapter for the 500. Consider what kind of devices you'd want to use, and whether clockport devices already exist. If you roll your own, that means writing drivers as well as building hardware. With the exception of graphics cards, I can't think of any I/O cards that really need the speed of a PCI slot.

There are a lot of little modules made for embedded system designers that would be great for classic Amigas. Stuff like network cards with their own tcp/ip stack, usb hosts with their stack, mp3 players and more.

[Matt_H]

No PCI solution for any Amiga other than 1200/3000/4000 has ever been developed, so you're in completely uncharted waters for this one. If you do get the hardware functioning, there's still the software side to be dealt with.

[Piru]

im starting work on schematics for building an expansion board with zorro2 slots

Good luck with that. Zorro2 should be possible (the A500 expansion port has most of the required signals, rest can be wired from the mobo directly). You still need to know what you're doing, though.

Is it possible to have PCI slots

It is not possible in any sensible way. You'd also be responsible for writing all the controlling software and drivers.

sorry im a complete noob

That combined with the "im starting work on schematics for building an expansion board" is recipe for trouble, I'm afraid.

[Krusher]

On a note, You want to put an Amiga in a tower, assemble the questions you have in one thread. There are a lot of people here who can tell you what you can do and what not and are willing to tell you, but it's annoying to have several new threads about your subject.

[SamOS39]

@Piru

Ive learnt alot on looking at schematics etc on aminet.
and no i dont want to have to deal with software ..

I was planning on using PCI graphics and sound, so PCI is a no go i guess ..

@JimS

I might consider building a clockport adapter, or can you buy them anywhere at the moment?
IIRC amigakit were selling them at one point?

Can you get a sound card for clockport and is it possible to have more than one clockport device?

@Krusher

Sorry you are right, i guess i just wanted to do this bit by bit.
I have a few more questions to ask but i will post them in one thread  ;-)

oh yes and its already in the tower

cheers
Samm. :-)

[Tension]

Just wondering... Why did you put your A500 in a tower, rather than using an A1200 mobo?  Just seems like a lot of work even getting it up to A1200 standard. (2MB, IDE 68020 etc)

[SamOS39]

A1200T? already had one! and its so boring and over rated!

A500T is more of a challenge  :lol:

[Tension]

SamOS39 wrote:
A1200T? already had one! and its so boring and over rated!

A500T is more of a challenge  :lol:

Fair enough!!  :-D