UltimatePPC and everything else

[amiga-penn-wchester]

Sounds like a modern BlizzardPPC, which I bought back in the day for
$1100USD in 1997-8? and sold recently for $700USD.  Today, I would expect to purchase something like this for $700.  I have 2 A3000s and 3 A4000s that could use it. If it is "real", it would be pretty cool.  Even with a decent computing background, not understanding why there's a 68040 on board other than to be basically electrically compatible with traditional ami hardware. (if the 680x0 can be abstracted as I'm hearing)...  If it is the case that an abstracted 680x0 [however implemented] can run native amiga apps and access chipram and such, than this would be an amazing "piece of kit"

[haywirepc]

Hate to be a pessimist, but...

Lets all watch this for 2 years. If after endless hype and bull**** there is still no buy it now on their main page, its bull****.

Just sayin...

What I'd really like is an accelerator with a 68060 at 90 or 100mhz with a 2ghz power pc processor for morph/os4. That would be something I wouldn't even think about buying, I would just click buy it now. The fact that no one has realized thats what many amiga fans want/need is kind of sad...

Steven

[Piru]

We will try to be as open as possible to allow smart people to boot whatever they can get running on the PowerPC.

I've just been reading up on the included CPU (QoriQ P1013 e500v2). It does have an FPU, but it's incompatible to pretty much any other PowerPC FPU out there (Power ISA).

TL;DR: Every binary using FPU needs to be recompiled to run on this CPU.

This will definitely create huge challenges if you ever attempt to run any existing PowerUP, WarpUP, MorphOS or OS4 binaries.

[esc]

Is there any plan to make this able to soft-kick custom bootroms?  Somehow make it work with BlizKick like the DENEB?  That was my favorite feature of the DENEB....honestly I rarely used the USB.  

Good luck bringing this to market dudes!  Any naysaying is justifiable...Amiga fans have been left in the lurch quite a few times.

[swoslover]

Would it run os4?

[kolla]

At this point, I'd rather have a PowerPC card for the FPGA Arcade, and yes, the incompatible FPU pretty much renders the UltimatePPC useless as a CSPPC substitute.

[AJCopland]

I've just been reading up on the included CPU (QoriQ P1013 e500v2). It does have an FPU, but it's incompatible to pretty much any other PowerPC FPU out there (Power ISA).

TL;DR: Every binary using FPU needs to be recompiled to run on this CPU.

This will definitely create huge challenges if you ever attempt to run any existing PowerUP, WarpUP, MorphOS or OS4 binaries.

Challenges yes but not huge challenges, unless the entire program/library is written in PPC assembler. I wonder why they went with that particular CPU though if they knew that it has these issues. Maybe they only found as out they were developing it or they just don't view it as worth the tradeoff to use another another CPU. If a compatible CPU costs more, or doesn't run as fast then it might not be worth using it.

[psxphill]

Unless it multiplexes address and data, 32 data lines does not necessarily imply 32 address lines...

I haven't been able to find pinouts via google of the slot, but I don't believe they are multiplexed. There are 200 pins, plenty to allow for 32 data & 32 address lines.
 
If the CPU slot only has enough address lines for 256mb then it wouldn't be able to access 256mb ram plus chipset and chipram & ZorRAM is 256mb. So I don't think any 256mb limit is due to hardware.
 
Using an embedded powerpc that is cut down in many ways, not just fpu, is disappointing.

[takemehomegrandma]

Challenges yes but not huge challenges

Yes, a *huge* challenge! Adapting and porting the OS and all applications for this new platform (yes, you could consider this a platform change) and then *keep* this fork (of some 100 users or so) supported in parallel in the future, will be a big undertaking. And if you are about to consider this ISA-change anyway, you should as well consifering changing to some better, faster, future-proof ISA like the x86 (or ARM even).

Changing the PPC CPU in the design would be a far less of a challange...

[AJCopland]

Yes, a *huge* challenge! Adapting and porting the OS and all applications for this new platform (yes, you could consider this a platform change) and then *keep* this fork (of some 100 users or so) supported in parallel in the future, will be a big undertaking. And if you are about to consider this ISA-change anyway, you should as well consifering changing to some better, faster, future-proof ISA like the x86 (or ARM even).

Changing the PPC CPU in the design would be a far less of a challange...

I was responding to Piru's comment about having to recompile software. Since I've developed projects across 4 platforms simultaneously I know that it really is pretty simple even where you're having to mix 4 different compilation environments and different instruction sets.

A huge challenge would be to get existing software running that was targeted at an incompatible ISA, that ISN'T what I was referring too.

Andy

[Piru]

Challenges yes but not huge challenges, unless the entire program/library is written in PPC assembler.

I was talking about existing binaries of which you don't have source code for (for whatever reason) and thus cannot recompile.

[cv643d]

If people are this talented making PPC boards in their apartment with huge plans why not make a proper Micro-ATX/Mini-ITX Amiga clone with socket for 060 or 040 and 1 or 5 Zorro-slots.

If these guys can make this card in time for december 2012 making an Amiga mobo would take 6 months tops. Would make more sense also to make a proper 68k computer instead of messy PPC-solutions. If we want to play MP3 on our Amiga we can always just get hardware mp3-player for our serial ports.

Besides nobody plays MP3's anymore, streaming is the new MP3 hoarding so there is no need for PPC muscle and buggy NG Amiga OS that never leaves beta.

[Piru]

Besides nobody plays MP3's anymore, streaming is the new MP3 hoarding so there is no need for PPC muscle and buggy NG Amiga OS that never leaves beta.

You think streaming doesn't use compression?

I have news for you: It's typically either mp3, vorbis or aac.

[cv643d]

You think streaming doesn't use compression?

I have news for you: It's typically either mp3, vorbis or aac.

You just had to point that out did not you?

I mean there is a whole universe out there with things happening all around us but no, you just had to make a post where you explicitly had to point out that I was wrong about something and you where right about something.

Did it make you feel better?!

[yssing]

I don't get why some of you have to be so negative.
Yes some projects dies again, so what.

Take joy in those that do materialize, this negativity kills off a lot of good ideas.

[cv643d]

I take joy in X1000.,..  its only 3000 dollars, but hey, its at least a new Amiga! And it plays Hippo player better than any Amiga in the world!