New Uboot for Sam440ep and Sam440ep-flex

[Lecta]

Bassano del Grappa, 27 Nov 2009

ACube Systems is pleased to announce the release of a new version of U-Boot firmware for its line of motherboards Sam440ep and Sam440ep-flex.
This version addresses a number of problems and add some features and optimizations making it possible to cut down boot time by 3-12 seconds depending on the configuration of the board.

What's new in this version (for both versions):

    * faster graphic card initialization, now it takes half the time than previous U-Boot version
    * unified the first two countdowns, for an even faster boot
    * solved compatibility issues with some Radeon 9200 and 9250 gfx cards
    * reworked preference menu

Sam440ep miniITX version:

    * a Radeon HD 2400 graphic card could be now used as secondary gfx card

      http://www.acube-systems.biz/download/Sam440ep-mini_updater_20091127.zip


Sam440ep-flex version:

    * added support for Silicon Motion 502 graphic card
    * added sperimental support for Catweasel MK4 controller
    * a Radeon HD 2400 graphic card could be now used in both 33 and 66 Mhz PCI slots

      http://www.acube-systems.biz/download/Sam440ep-flex_updater_20091127.zip

Additional information:

Please note: UBoot and UBoot updater makes use of GPL code and thus are both published under GPL

. The sources can be downloaded from:

    * http://www.acube-systems.biz/index.php?page=hardware&pid=1
    * http://www.acube-systems.biz/index.php?page=hardware&pid=2

or, using a direct link, from:

    * http://www.acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-1.3.1a_20091127_prod.tar.gz

[NovaCoder]

Congrats, keep them coming guys

[Matt_H]

Any chance of an A1 version? 1.1.1 from March 2005 is packed with bugs.

[HammerD]

Any chance of an A1 version? 1.1.1 from March 2005 is packed with bugs.

I don't think ACube is on the hook for AmigaONE firmware.  Better you contact Eyetech.

[Matt_H]

I don't think ACube is on the hook for AmigaONE firmware.  Better you contact Eyetech.

We all know that's impossible. And Hyperion refuses to release source code.

[HammerD]

We all know that's impossible. And Hyperion refuses to release source code.

I guess that was why I was asking...ACube have nothing to do with Uboot for AmigaONE's.  Hyperion did work on it and if it is fully under GPL you could try to e-mail them and request the source.  Have you done that?

[Matt_H]

I guess that was why I was asking...ACube have nothing to do with Uboot for AmigaONE's.  Hyperion did work on it and if it is fully under GPL you could try to e-mail them and request the source.  Have you done that?

I believe others have, without success. But ACube do CPU repairs for A1s, so I thought there might be a chance they'd do UBoot as well.

[recidivist]

This is the first I hear of two video cards  in Sam; so can all video  be set up to run on the  slot card ?
Amiga  OS getting 3d soon?
 This announcement rekindled my interest in SAM.That Acube continues to  improve  functions is very good sign.
Now if the darn dollar:euro rate would just adjust  more in the U.S. direction....
 If only had a "cousin" in Italy to get the special deal and mail it to me.(I  used to work with an Italian,formerly a pro phtographer for racing in the 70s,etc.Does that make me eligible?)

[HammerD]

I believe others have, without success. But ACube do CPU repairs for A1s, so I thought there might be a chance they'd do UBoot as well.

Well you have nothing to lose, so email Acube too  Let us know what you find.

[unusedunused]

>I believe others have, without success. But ACube do CPU repairs for A1s, so I thought >there might be a chance they'd do UBoot as well.  
 
uboot is opensource, but the few lines of platform specific code of aone Hardware need not release.

its always bad when a company use much opensource code and do not release the few lines they do.

So in Fact situation is same as closed source, to get updates you must hope that the dev do a update and fix Bugs

A possible reason wy maybe Hyperion dont want release full aone uboot source is maybe the red versus blue war.

They maybe fear that somebody port MOS to aone Hardware.but

[Derfs]

>I believe others have, without success. But ACube do CPU repairs for A1s, so I thought >there might be a chance they'd do UBoot as well.  
 
uboot is opensource, but the few lines of platform specific code of aone Hardware need not release.

its always bad when a company use much opensource code and do not release the few lines they do.

So in Fact situation is same as closed source, to get updates you must hope that the dev do a update and fix Bugs

A possible reason wy maybe Hyperion dont want release full aone uboot source is maybe the red versus blue war.

They maybe fear that somebody port MOS to aone Hardware.but

So lets get this correct, you havnt even asked for the source code, yet you say they wont release it to you, and come up with funny reasons for it.

My reason is that they are afraid microsoft will put windows on the A1's!!!!1111

[Matt_H]

So lets get this correct, you havnt even asked for the source code, yet you say they wont release it to you, and come up with funny reasons for it.

My reason is that they are afraid microsoft will put windows on the A1's!!!!1111

Arguments over A1 UBoot source code have come up several times before.

[unusedunused]

>So lets get this correct, you havnt even asked for the source code, yet you say they >wont release it to you, and come up with funny reasons for it.

I have not say they wont release it to me.But Matt_h have written that

"""
We all know that's impossible. And Hyperion refuses to release source code.
"""

And other have written uboot is open source, so they think Hyperion need release it.

I want explain its always possible to find a legal way in opensource software to not release own written sources so another can use it.

With closed source you can always make more money, for example if Matt_h is unhappy more with aone uboot, he go and buy maybe a Sam earlier.  

As long somebody can get money when he use 99.9% of opensource code and add 0.1% own code and dont release his code and he get money, wy he should not do that ?

But when all do that, who write then the 99.9% of opensource code ?

luckily there are some nice people that do Software and make it opensource.

This opensource Software is the main reason that amiga is still allive and there are actual programs here.

And there are some people that dont support this pseudo closed source software with money.

>My reason is that they are afraid microsoft will put windows on the A1's!!!!1111
 
Thats too possible, nobody know what Hyperion think or announce as secret project or the announcements of HJF of the intrestings in Kiosk systems ;-)

http://www.amigaworld.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4477

[klx300r]

Thanks ACube ! My Sam system is down to 24 seconds boot up time now !!!