ACA500 prototype

[wawrzon]

It isn't a case of Jens being stupid, it is more Jens realises that some people want to make their own cases and gripe about the ones supplied.

what? why do you imply something you just assume about someone else? jens has made a few attemts to organize the case production, like tracing down the old suppliers that might still have tools laying around. all that in vain. and then he decided not to provide case as it would cost too much to make one. still this is only a prototype so far so things may change

[wawrzon]

@ammojammo: another premium case design on our sites. congrats!

[Megamig]

Two questions about the ACA500. Why not use SD cards instead of CF? What is with the 68000? It seems a lot like the C128 II.

[psxphill]

there is no case so far ive read on a1k, and it doesnt look as if it would fit into any standard case.

One of the news sites said it would ship in a sandwich case, although I haven't seen anything from Jens so far.
 
There are mounting holes, so a case should be doable.
 
However I can completely understand if Jens doesn't produce a case. People who aren't going to use an accelerator will probably want a small case, while those who plug an accelerator in the back will want a larger one. But how large? As the user may want to plug in an accelerator that doesn't even fit in an A1200 trapdoor.
 
He is on a hiding to nothing with this product.

[Djole]

Two questions about the ACA500. Why not use SD cards instead of CF? What is with the 68000? It seems a lot like the C128 II.

I guess CF is much easier to connect since it uses controller similar to IDE.

[wawrzon]

One of the news sites said it would ship in a sandwich case, although I haven't seen anything from Jens so far.
 
There are mounting holes, so a case should be doable.
 
However I can completely understand if Jens doesn't produce a case. People who aren't going to use an accelerator will probably want a small case, while those who plug an accelerator in the back will want a larger one. But how large? As the user may want to plug in an accelerator that doesn't even fit in an A1200 trapdoor.
 
He is on a hiding to nothing with this product.

jens tries a modular design, but it seems a bit of mistake. more disadvantages as the opposite i fear. seems many existing accels you may want to stick upon aca500 are not supposed to work. and also the case design and size are hard to decide. from what ive gathered in the a1k thread jens want to secure the accel with an iron plate, which you probably refer to as "sandwich". thats how i understand it at least.

edit: im sorry that it turns out like that. i was actually always in favour of modularity, but in this case it just doesnt seem to be worth the effort. id value it if jens turned to more ambitious tasks, but its apparently not his intention. lets face it the commercial (amiga) hardware market seems to dry out, still the fan projects may substitute it.

[psxphill]

which you probably refer to as "sandwich". thats how i understand it at least.

A sandwich is basically a top plate and bottom plate. Like the early raspberry pi cases http://www.thepixelpump.com/widdershins/images/pi2240.jpg
 
I heard aluminium, but it could be a lie.
 

seems many existing accels you may want to stick upon aca500 are not supposed to work.

Jens has only said that he won't endorse a compatibility list. All we know so far is that synchronous designs don't appear to work, because one of his own accelerators is incompatible due to this. He has tested it successfully with an 030 Blizzard, but he won't even guarantee that in case it was a fluke.
 
There are a number of inherent problems with this project. I am disappointed that he won't/can't support DMA on the A2000 version, although my disappointment is largely reduced as I sold mine after waiting for something like this for years.

[utri007]

jens has only said that he won't endorse a compatibility list. All we know so far is that synchronous designs don't appear to work, because one of his own accelerators is incompatible due to this. He has tested it successfully with an 030 Blizzard, but he won't even guarantee that in case it was a fluke.

Blizzards works without memory, I wouldn't say it is success

None of 040/06 cards works, only cards wich has a 8mb ram works... quite pointless. I think that Jens is stuck with idee that need to connect A1200 accelerator to A500. It would be nice/good feature if we could add 040/060

[wawrzon]

I heard aluminium, but it could be a lie.

yes sandwich like two plates that how i imagine it. and your right it must be alu, my bad, no need to call it a lie;)

[wawrzon]

quite pointless. I think that Jens is stuck with idee that need to connect A1200 accelerator to A500. It would be nice/good feature if we could add 040/060

yesss.. pointlessss.. i share this opinion, but then im again talking about something, that doesnt affect me directly, as i dont have a computer in question.

[Darrin]

what? why do you imply something you just assume about someone else? jens has made a few attemts to organize the case production, like tracing down the old suppliers that might still have tools laying around. all that in vain. and then he decided not to provide case as it would cost too much to make one. still this is only a prototype so far so things may change

I'm trying to impy that Jens isn't stupid.  Are you trying to imply that he is?

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

exactly...

An internal accelerator, designed to accommodate a few other potential internal expansions could fairly easily have been done.

maybe an 020 at 28Mhz, 8meg ram, a compact flash slot, and maybe a second IDE connector for a cdrom...

even if it cost twice as much as the ACA500, its twice as functional and practical!

I would pay up to $500 USD for this, today, if it fit in the 68000 socket and didn't interfere with sidecar expansions (like the GVP and A570/A590), and was sized so that it didn't conflict with either the Indivision ECS or a Mini-Megachip, or need a billion fragile standoffs.  But alas!  I'm sure everyone wants something a little different, and Jens is going to do what Jens wants to do.  Still, I've finally got a little money to spend on my retro fix, if only the hardware were available!    *sad face*

[wawrzon]

I'm trying to impy that Jens isn't stupid.  Are you trying to imply that he is?

no. i just have seen him trying to organize some case solution.

[Darrin]

no. i just have seen him trying to organize some case solution.

Ah, good.  I'm glad to hear it as everyone else seems to be speculating he isn't (which seems strange considering where the device is going to be installed).

[Heiroglyph]

Unsubstantiated rumors and public outcry over something we know nothing about and/or have no intention of buying?

Surely not in the Amiga community!

[tone007]

Maybe it'll fit in the case I "designed" for my hand-wirewrapped Zorro/CPU slot adapter and Ethernet card!