Wishing for mainboard with new component layout for A1200

[arnljot]

@alexh
Just goes to show how little I understand about hardware

MiniMig is twolayer, so much I've caught on. But are you saying that BLizzard, Cyberstorm and Apollo 060 cards are singlelayer, or much more (4++)?

What would these "good bits" of such a card be? The basic good bits that is, baring the interfacing with the Amiga side.

[alexh]

arnljot wrote:
@alexh
are you saying that BLizzard, Cyberstorm and Apollo 060 cards are much more (4++)?

Yes.

arnljot wrote:
What would these "good bits" of such a card be?

The power & ground routing mainly, handling all the extra pins, perhaps some electronics to support dual voltages.

[arnljot]

So a fair recap then for an Amiga1200-like MiniMig:

1) It must have more memory.
alexh: Is it true that a challenge with with the current design is that they must reimplement a memory controller for newer more common memory?

2) It must have a better processor than a 68000, the 68060 is best because it's 3.3v just like the MiniMig.
alexh: Are there FPGAs around that can handle a 68020 if Tobiflex's FPGA 68000 gets reimplemented as a 020?

3) Some rerouting needs to be done. Either to make it ITX (industry standard, easy to get a case) or A1200 like so that it goes right into our old boxes

4) Mass storage needs to be implemented. IDE is on the wishlist for many people.

This could end up then with an AGA A1200-like machine with either an expensive 060 or an FPGA implemented 020. PS2 ports for mouse and keyboard.

alexh: If this is done, do you think that the board would need two FPGAs? If so, what would that do to the cost of the board? If we would wait for the semiconductor industry, is it likely that we in the next year would get a cheap FPGA that hold AGA+020?

Many questions, but I'm trying to get a picture of this so that my expectations to who ever is working on the MiniMig is reasonable

Both in terms of costs (to end user), features and time scale for advances

Of course I know that you're not working on it, but you certainly understands these issues better than me.

[Protek]

On the other hand, it might make sense, if Georg's PCB design was adapted to A500. It's true that even those components are hard to come by but the design exists.

Having looked at an A1200 mobo (I know, I could've done that earlier), it doesn't help that much in fitting a PCI bus. As Piru stated, drivers would also be needed, unless existing busboard drivers can be used.

I suppose there's no hope of better WB graphics for us desktop A1200 users.

[alexh]

arnljot wrote:
alexh: Is it true that a challenge with with the current design is that they must reimplement a memory controller for newer more common memory?

Yes, but it has already been implemented by Tobiflex for the DE1 / DE2 boards.

arnljot wrote:
alexh: Are there FPGAs around that can handle a 68020 if Tobiflex's FPGA 68000 gets reimplemented as a 020?

Sure, but how much do you want to pay? And I dont see an 020 coming out any time soon. The 68000 isn't perfected yet.

arnljot wrote:
4) Mass storage needs to be implemented. IDE is on the wishlist for many people.

For MiniMig, you wouldnt want true IDE. Just re-route access to the MMC card.

arnljot wrote:
This could end up then with an AGA A1200-like machine with either an expensive 060 or an FPGA implemented 020. PS2 ports for mouse and keyboard.

Where did you get your AGA core from??

arnljot wrote:
alexh: If this is done, do you think that the board would need two FPGAs?

Depends on economics. Probably one big one.

arnljot wrote:
If so, what would that do to the cost of the board?

Too many unknowns to even speculate.

arnljot wrote:
If we would wait for the semiconductor industry, is it likely that we in the next year would get a cheap FPGA that hold AGA+020?

Of course. But what is this "waiting" you talk about? It's not like you have anything to put into an FPGA if you had one in front of you.

arnljot wrote:
Many questions, but I'm trying to get a picture of this so that my expectations to who ever is working on the MiniMig is reasonable

AFAIK there is no-one really working on MiniMig, there are about 3-4 people who play with it in their spare time, as a hobby, nothing more.

[kolla]

Get an Efike motherboard and keyrah - make them fit into A600/A1200 case - install MOS2.0 - done. :-D

Would be nice if there was Efika with only pinhead connectors instead of "tall" sockets, like certain variants of the nano-ITX cards, would make it much easier to install into odd cases, and also much more suited for embedded use. Now, how was the story for Efika2 again...?