Is PowerVR chip (used in Dreamcast) a good one?

[AmiDelf]

Screen of Skies Of Arcardia for Dreamcast


Yes indeed. Dreamcast is powerfull thanks to its PowerVR chip. A Amiga with it, would blow lots of minds. With 512MB DDR RAM and 600MHz G3 PPC cpu and AmigaOS4. This Amiga 6000 could be "the" ultimate entertaining computer.

I will update everyone on how it all goes with this project.

Regards,
Michal, www.amigaworld.org

[HopperJF]

Headhunter :-)
That game sure does bring back some fantastic memories
I really miss my Dreamcast

THIS AMIGA 6000 PROJECT SHOULD TAKE OFF!!
If I had a few millions I'd put one of them into getting an Amiga 6000 with custom chips into existence without a doubt :-)

[HopperJF]

AmiDelf you should make a site for the A6000 project
I would love to help you out on such a project like on the site and stuff.

I like the idea of an Amiga 6000 with custom chips  :-)

Skies of Arcadia, now there's a classic  :-)

[CU_AMiGA]

Ah the Dreamcast! Probably the greatest tragedy of video gaming. Why didn't this machine do better? It was much easier to program than, say, the PS2. Even though the DC was the less powerful, it was still good enough. Quake 3 was awesome. Has anyone tried any emulators for the Dreamcast, what are they like. Unfortunately, i didn't get chance to, my one broke, due to the "crashing problem". Did anyone else get this problem with their Dreamcast?

Cheers,

[bloodline]

AmiDelf wrote:

Yes indeed. Dreamcast is powerfull thanks to its PowerVR chip. A Amiga with it, would blow lots of minds. With 512MB DDR RAM and 600MHz G3 PPC cpu and AmigaOS4. This Amiga 6000 could be "the" ultimate entertaining computer.

I will update everyone on how it all goes with this project.

Regards,
Michal, www.amigaworld.org

Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?
Why did you choose the PPC?

[patrik]

@AmiDelf:

If you want to be able to finish this project in a reasonable time, I suggest that you choose the following route:

1. Buy an AmigaOne/PegasosI/PegasosII.
2. Buy a KyroI/KyroII graphics card.
3. Sign the appropriate NDAs to get the AmigaOS4/MorphOS SDK and the Kyro developer documentation.
3. Write a 2D/3D driver for the KyroI/KyroII graphics card.

When you have completed these steps you will have both hardware and software matching the specs of your project very well.


/Patrik

[Plaz]

@ CU_Amiga

Has anyone tried any emulators for the Dreamcast, what are they like. Unfortunately, i didn't get chance to, my one broke, due to the "crashing problem". Did anyone else get this problem with their Dreamcast?

I still play my DC, what a great console.  I've had more fun with half-life on the DC than most any other game/platform. I think the PowerVR/Kyro could be a great choice. I've used an Atari 800 emulator to play one of my other classic favorites on the DC..... MULE.
Now that's retro. I've also run the Atari 2600 and Super Nintendo emulators, tons of fun.
Have you checked to see that the cooling fan is spinning well and doing it's job? A DC will shut down or reboot if it gets to hot. If your fan isn't working properly, pop it open clean, replace and/or oil that old fan and see if that help.

Plaz

[minator]

Why did you choose the PPC?

Why did you choose the PPC?

Why did you choose the PPC?

Why did you choose the PPC?

I, I, I, Th - Th - Think (damn, it's catching...)

I think they don't have much of a choice.
AROS may run on x86 but on PPC they also have the choice of MorphOS and AOS 4.

Also x86 being so big also has a big disadvantage for a project like this, This will be done in very small numbers unless they find someone with pots of money to help out.  If they have a support question that needs answering where do you think AMD or Intel are going to put it in thier list of priorities?

PPC is sold into embedded markets and this ranges from millions of units down to hundreds (handled by resellers), you're more likely to get better support from someone who already deals in small numbers.

Also PPC is much lower power so is a much better bet for something portable.  In this respect Kyro II is a good deal as it has just been licensed for Phones chipsets by Samsung.

[AmiDelf]

The info for you:

Name: Amiga 6000 (final first goal!)
CPU: PPC G3 600MHz
GFX chipset: PowerVR 2 or 3??
SOUND: Zorro3 soundcard boundled
PORTS: 2x STANDARD Amiga connectors, 4x USB 2.0 for Amiga keyboard USB and more
SLOTS: 1x AGP, 3x PCI, 4x Zorro 3
MEM: 2x DDR-RAM slots

Our first ever  prototype name will be Amiga 5200. This will be our prototype 1. Created and being tested. If there is any interest, this one could also be produced for people wanting it. First this prototype needs to work.

I've got a interesting company wich is indeed interested in developing and creating this new PPC motherboard, but I need them to send me papers that they are willing to do so. When I get them, I can announce that.

This is a Amiga created with Amiga community tougether. Its aim is to give Amiga people what they allways wanted.

One have to start somewhere and the beginning is indeed good, when companies shows interest in this project.

More to come,..

Regards,
Michal, www.amigaworld.org
 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Darn, these screenshots of the Dreamcasts makes me wanting one.

[Kronos]

AmiDelf wrote:
The info for you:

Name: Amiga 6000 (final first goal!)
CPU: PPC G3 600MHz

Why such a low aim ? Why not G4/5 or atleast one of the newer G3s
(which should be just as "easy" to get as the 600MHz models).

GFX chipset: PowerVR 2 or 3??

And how do you plan to get these ? And why not something a tad more modern ?

SOUND: Zorro3 soundcard boundled

Zorro3 is buggy, slow and expensive (both on mobo and card). And that could
actually be quote from Dave Haynie ....
Having Zorro may be nice, but please please only for legacy use.

PORTS: 2x STANDARD Amiga connectors,

You mean 9-pin joystick-ports ? Noone builds anything new for these, and if someone
really needs them he can build an adapter easily.
On the other side, if it only costs a few dimes ...

4x USB 2.0 for Amiga keyboard USB and more
SLOTS: 1x AGP, 3x PCI, 4x Zorro 3

Which means it will ge beyound ATX, and big-towers have been out of fashion for
years (and may I say "god riddance".

MEM: 2x DDR-RAM slots

But what I'm still missing here, is what you are targeting.

a) Something like the C=One, a cool toy for some (few) freaks, that everybody knows
will be completly outdated.

b) Something that is good enough to bring the Amiga back into normal stores.

a) means it gonna be a complete hobby-project, and you will find no big company
supporting you (beyond selling you some chips). You would have to work very very
hard to even get the basics working, and even a optimstic view would put this in an
>2 years timeframe.

b) means you would need atleast a multi-million $ budget, and good contacts.

[AmiDelf]

This illustration is showing what I am thinking. I know that I alone would never ever create such computer or prototype at all. I am not a engineering expert, but I do know how well Dreamcast works, and I do know about PPC, PowerVR ++. The decision to go for PowerVR instead of Emotion Engine is done by you, The decision to go for PPC instead of ColdFire is done by you.

The goal her is to get the community wich is "interested" involved.

Regards,
Michal, www.amigaworld.org

[bloodline]

minator wrote:

Why did you choose the PPC?

Why did you choose the PPC?

Why did you choose the PPC?

Why did you choose the PPC?

I, I, I, Th - Th - Think (damn, it's catching...)

I think they don't have much of a choice.
AROS may run on x86 but on PPC they also have the choice of MorphOS and AOS 4.

Also x86 being so big also has a big disadvantage for a project like this, This will be done in very small numbers unless they find someone with pots of money to help out.  If they have a support question that needs answering where do you think AMD or Intel are going to put it in thier list of priorities?

PPC is sold into embedded markets and this ranges from millions of units down to hundreds (handled by resellers), you're more likely to get better support from someone who already deals in small numbers.

Also PPC is much lower power so is a much better bet for something portable.  In this respect Kyro II is a good deal as it has just been licensed for Phones chipsets by Samsung.

Who said anything about x86? :-)

I just don't get the point of a THIRD PPC mobo... we have two already! Why doesn't Amidelf dream something more interesting. :-?

[HopperJF]

I think some of you need to realise that the aim of this project is to build a new AMIGA computer.
First of all ask yourselves what is the hardware best known for the AMIGA computer? It is a machine using custom chips based on Motorola 68k series processors.
That was years ago you might say.
Well ask yourselves what is the next natural step up from the 68k family? It is the PPC range of processors.
So just like AAA was going to be the next step up from AGA, the Amiga 6000 will be next proper step up from the Amiga 4000, equipped with the next natural processor; the PPC.
I don't see why the PPC should be a 600MHz G3.
For starters, when you are involved with the Apple Community like me, you realise that Amiga is still a fair bit behind, even with the likes of AmigaOne.
With the G5 now released, the G3 only has a short bit of life ahead of it before G4 is the new low end processor and G5 for everything else. I think some sort of G4 would be a good low end spec, say for example, an 800MHz G4? Maybe 1GHz.. as it will take time for it to be made and released, by which time a 600MHz G3 will be an antique near enough.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

A realistic idea would be to have a Pegasos II mobo and stuff, with 2  USB(2) joysticks, newest PowerVR video card (with drivers), DC emulator (optionally, automatically detects DC gd-roms) automatically booted, DVD-rom drive with GD-rom capability, all this put in a gameconsole case and et voila: you got your gameconsole! Let's say, the DC2 (would Sega be interested in this?)

[bloodline]

HopperJF wrote:
I think some of you need to realise that the aim of this project is to build a new AMIGA computer.
First of all ask yourselves what is the hardware best known for the AMIGA computer? It is a machine using custom chips based on Motorola 68k series processors.
That was years ago you might say.
Well ask yourselves what is the next natural step up from the 68k family? It is the PPC range of processors.
So just like AAA was going to be the next step up from AGA, the Amiga 6000 will be next proper step up from the Amiga 4000, equipped with the next natural processor; the PPC.
I don't see why the PPC should be a 600MHz G3.
For starters, when you are involved with the Apple Community like me, you realise that Amiga is still a fair bit behind, even with the likes of AmigaOne.
With the G5 now released, the G3 only has a short bit of life ahead of it before G4 is the new low end processor and G5 for everything else. I think some sort of G4 would be a good low end spec, say for example, an 800MHz G4? Maybe 1GHz.. as it will take time for it to be made and released, by which time a 600MHz G3 will be an antique near enough.

You don't know your history... The Natural Step from the 68k is the HP PA_RISC, That CPU was going to become the next Amiga.

So if you really wanted to "Follow The Amiga Spirit" then you would have to use an Itanic CPU...