New Minimig firmware released

[wolfchild]

Tuesday 5th May 2009

A new firmware pack for Minimig V1.1 boards has been released.

The release consists of a new FPGA core, PIC firmware and relevant documentation.

Improvements for version YQ090421 include, amongst others:
- a lot of changes to improve compatibility
- support for 2 floppy drives
- selectable floppy drive speed (double or normal)
- 28 MHz CPU turbo mode (works also with 16 MHz 68SEC000 parts)
- fast blitter mode
- selectable PAL and NTSC mode from the OSD menu
- improved usability for OSD menu
- quicker navigation through long ADF lists by keyboard shortcuts
- support for 2 MB of Chip and 1.5 MB of Slow RAM for piggy-back RAM modified boards
- scan-line emulation effect

This FPGA release is ready to use with the upcoming ARM mini-board upgrade.  Installation of the upgrade will give the following benefits:
- availability of 4 virtual floppy drives
- support for hard disk emulation through a hardfile

More information and downloads are available at: www.minimig.net

[Dwyloc]

Updating the PIC sounds like a project for the weekend, so trying out the new firmware will have to wait for now on my minimig.

Dose anyone know of a good supplier of the memory chips required to expand the ram further and someone who would be willing to do the work in the UK, as I don't think I have the solder skill required to do the work myself?

Thanks again to everyone who has worked to make this latest upgrade and minimig in general possible and available. :cheers:

[redrumloa]

Nice!! I hope the C-One specific core gets refreshed soon to reflect these changes :-D

[ajwhix]

can some one direct me to the download
for the new firmware please

[BraindeaD]

Hi ajwhix,

try at:

http://www.minimig.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=95

I think that links are allowed, if not, sorry, remove it.
Regards.

[straycat]

Thank you yaqube... 2x floppies is gonna be cool!

[kolla]

Finally!
Thanks! :banana:

[Hattig]

Sounds like a useful update.

What is the fast blitter mode?

How does a 3D game (e.g., Gunship 2000, Epic, etc) run with the 28MHz option on? With fast blitter?

2 disk drive support will be handy!

Just need to get me a minimig. What with Minimig 2s and 3s and FPGAArcades coming soon, I think this autumn could be fun :-)

[Darrin]

Here's a UK source for the RAM chips.  There's a minimum order so I had to purchase 4 of them (I could have got away with 3, but a backup set is always handy):

http://uk.farnell.com/cypress-semiconductor/cy62157ev30ll-45zsxi/sram-8mb-512kx16-3v-tsopii-44/dp/1650069

[Dwyloc]

@Darrin

Thanks now all I need to do is find someone up to fitting them as my soldering skills are not that good.