Details for the next generation of Flickerfixers from Individual Computers

[egillskallagrim]

Still no A4000T love?

[Calabazam]

Is there any advantage in buying the new A4000 version if one already own the first A4000 version? What are the improvments?

[Mr B]

The old one is VGA, and the new one is DVI/HDMI ? New socket so it "sticks" better? There are other changes to of course, but nothing as significant.
B!

[FOL]

Originally Posted by egillskallagrim

Still no A4000T love?

The new batch of Indivisions are for A4000T and A1200.

The older batch Jens is talking about A4000D and CD32.
People want the old version to, so Jens is thinking about doing another production run.

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by FOL

The new batch of Indivisions are for A4000T and A1200.

The older batch Jens is talking about A4000D and CD32.
People want the old version to, so Jens is thinking about doing another production run.

Not correct. Please read the whole thread - the old design is out of the question.

Jens

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Not correct. Please read the whole thread - the old design is out of the question.

Jens

Sorry, thats not what I ment, I was just trying to say you and making two different types.
As the poster was thinking you are'nt making one for A4000T.

[lost_lemming]

the indivision AGA mk II will have the VGA right?

[Mr B]

No, DVI.
B!

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by lost_lemming

the indivision AGA mk II will have the VGA right?

To be absolutely precise, it'll have DVI-I where the -I stands for "integrated", which means both standards in one: analogue VGA and digital DVI in one connector. If you have an old CRT, you can use an off-the-shelve adapter for DVI->VGA conversion. These adapters don't contain any electronics, they're pure wire-adapters and therefore really cheap. All the "work" for providing two signal standards is already done in Indivision AGA MK2.

In addition to DVI and VGA, you can use a HDMI cable - just google for them: http://www.google.com/search?q=DVI+to+HDMI+cable

Whatever monitor you choose, it's *very* likely that it'll work with the new Indivision AGA MK2.

Jens

[chocolate_boy]

How's the project progressing, is the March deadline realistic?

[magnetic]

Jens

Congratulations getting the project almost ready to be produced! Does that adaptor fit perfectly in the A1200's Expansion slot as you tried to do before?

[amigoun]

Will the legacy 50 Hz mode be preserved on Indivision MK-II?

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by amigoun

Will the legacy 50 Hz mode be preserved on Indivision MK-II?

Sure - some PC monitors (especially those made for gaming) support V-sync support for tearing-free animation, and that has always been a key aspect of the Amiga: Smooth animation in games and demos.

To keep the output as smooth as it was intended by the authors of the games, a V-synced flickerfixer output is required. Indivision AGA MK2 will provide that even better than it's predecessor, because it can output higher pixelclocks. In addition to 50Hz for PAL, it can also do the 62.5Hz that the MK1 design had, but it can also crank up the pixelclock high enough for 75Hz and 100Hz output for PAL, where both these new frame rates would be V-synced.

Jens

[diablothe2nd]

forgive me for adding to the broken record Schoenfeld, but you seem to have skipped answering questions regarding the date this beauty will roll fresh off the production lines.

I realise you're a very busy man, though. so please dont take this the wrong way. Speaking for myself i'm panicking to try and get the money saved so i can grab one as soon as it's out, because I fear another shortage like the last revision. I may not be alone in my situation so even having a small indication like "we're running behind, new target is march" gives us with little spare money some time to prepare/make arrangements with loved ones/bankers etc

A little word, please?

[Mr B]

I'm just guessing, but chances are he simply doesn't have a set time currently. He's got to get access to the assembly line, set it up for the right project, and run a batch. With a bunch of irons on heating, and not owning the assembly line himself, it sort of makes sense if it's hard to be specific, especially if there are slight tweaks you want to push in as well... Don't get me wrong. I want this yesterday, but i also want the best product i can get.
B!

[chocolate_boy]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I'm just guessing, but chances are he simply doesn't have a set time currently. He's got to get access to the assembly line, set it up for the right project, and run a batch. With a bunch of irons on heating, and not owning the assembly line himself, it sort of makes sense if it's hard to be specific, especially if there are slight tweaks you want to push in as well... Don't get me wrong. I want this yesterday, but i also want the best product i can get.
B!

Possibly, but then I wonder why he keeps making these deadlines then missing them? Surely "when it's ready" would have been better than us all waiting for a deadline then just silence and a new one being set, I had the cash saved up for the October deadline, then spent it, the "before xmas" deadline was set, so I asked for it for my xmas gift of my family, only for it not to arrive, then Jan was set, saved last month again, deadline been and gone, March was set, but I'll be honest, I've not saved as I'm 50% not execting it to arrive next month.

My big fear is waking up one morning without the cash and it's shipped and sold out, I've been waiting 2 years for this product to make my A1200 usable.

Can we please have a realistic ETA or March update Jens rather than just ignoring it?

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by chocolate_boy

Can we please have a realistic ETA or March update Jens rather than just ignoring it?

I think it depends. It depends in the A4000D batch. This is from A1k.org with Google translator (so excuse it), a week ago:

"Picking the parts for a customer individually and mailable is more expensive to make, as they gathered to make the assembler and say "there, do".

I've been here yesterday on the back and forth count, as I somehow still in the budget about a place. The problem: I can make laser stencil and solder frames only for the two platinum versions, if I define myself on a piece of numerical ratio. Example: A production panel contains four versions A1200/A4000T and A4000D/CD32 version. Then I had whenever I 288 pieces for the A1200 also producing the same 72 pieces for the manufacture A4000 (360 is the number of FPGAs per box - if you buy less than one box, the price is beyond good and evil).

With each new production run, I would then either make a bunch of blank cards (which cost money), or I would put my money on some stuff to the camp, which is sold to "someday" when I'm lucky.

Either way, the handling is more expensive, the version with the empty plates I could not think of that: If a new production run is pending, I would do instead of 288 pieces just 360 for the 1200s and throw away 90 boards for the A4000D - and these costs must somehow the A4000D users are paid users since the 1200s, I can not press it.

The stupid thing is that I can not populate the boards at any other time, because the whole handling is united only by the fact that the boards are connected mechanically and are treated by the machine in one piece. At least the paste printing, the boards still hang together, and after I paste printing up to 24 hours to assemble it and send it through the reflow oven. That goes for the front and rear: the design is on both sides of SMD components.

Another problem: If I have a version for the A4000D route must be, at this conceptual model, the delayed production of the 1200 version on. I'm straight (finally. ..) by examining the prototypes from October 2011 - probably in about a week I'll be through it. Then pushes another new Chameleon-production between mid-March at the latest and it is for Indivision AGA MK2 seriously in terms of production, I will have the Easter parts in hand.

Whether it is at Easter then and 4000D version, is solely attributable to the amount of pre-orders. You can still beat the big drum a little - by the end of the month I look out at me and I will collect the money before production begins. Those who do not pay on time at risk, not production, but at a price: I will smooth production after 200, - EUR per company. So I paid for the risk at least partially.

Originally Posted by Paradroid

Die Bauteile für einen Kunden einzeln kommissionieren und versandfähig machen ist teurer, als sie gesammelt dem Bestücker hinzustellen und zu sagen "da, mach!".
Ich bin schon seit gestern am hin- und her rechnen, wie ich das irgendwie noch im Budget unterbringe. Das Problem: Ich kann Laserschablone und Lötrahmen nur dann für beide Platinenversionen machen, wenn ich mich auf ein Stückzahlverhältnis festlege. Beispiel: Ein Produktionsnutzen enthält vier A1200/A4000T Versionen und eine A4000D/CD32 Version. Dann müsste ich immer wenn ich 288 Stück für den A1200 herstelle auch gleich 72 Stück für den A4000 herstellen (360 ist die Zahl der FPGAs pro Box - wenn man weniger als eine Box kauft, ist der Preis jenseits von Gut und Böse).
Mit jedem neuen Produktionslauf würde ich dann entweder einen Haufen Leerplatinen herstellen (die auch Geld kosten), oder ich würde mir für viel Geld irgendwelches Zeug ins Lager legen, was "irgendwann mal" verkauft wird, wenn ich Glück habe.
So oder so wird das Handling teurer; die Version mit den Leerplatinen könnte ich mir noch vorstellen: Wenn ein neuer Produktionslauf ansteht, würde ich anstatt 288 Stück halt 360 für den 1200er machen und 90 Platinen für den A4000D wegwerfen - und diese Kosten müssen irgendwie von den A4000D-Usern bezahlt werden, denn den 1200er Usern kann ich das nicht aufdrücken.
Das Blöde ist, dass ich die Platinen nicht zu einem anderen Zeitpunkt bestücken kann, denn das ganze Handling vereint sich nur dadurch, dass die Platinen mechanisch zusammenhängen und von den Maschinen als ein Stück behandelt werden. Mindestens beim Pastendruck müssen die Platinen noch zusammen hängen, und nach dem Pastendruck habe ich maximal 24 Stunden Zeit, sie zu bestücken und durch den Reflow-Ofen zu schicken. Das gilt übrigens für Vorder- und Rückseite: das Design hat auf beiden Seiten SMD-Bauteile.
Noch ein Problem: Wenn ich jetzt noch eine Version für den A4000D routen muss, wird bei diesem Denkmodell die Produktion der 1200er Version weiter verzögert. Ich bin gerade (endlich...) dabei, den Prototypen von Oktober 2011 zu prüfen - wahrscheinlich werde ich in ca. einer Woche damit durch sein. Dann schiebt sich noch eine neue Chameleon-Produktion dazwischen und spätestens Mitte März wird es für Indivision AGA MK2 ernst in Sachen Produktion: Ich will Ostern die Teile in der Hand haben.
Ob es zu Ostern dann auch 4000D-Versionen gibt, liegt einzig und allein an der Menge der Vorbestellungen. Ihr könnt ja noch ein wenig die Werbetrommel schlagen - bis Ende des Monats schau' ich mir das an und werde vor Produktionsbeginn Geld einsammeln. Wer nicht pünktlich bezahlt, gefährdet nicht die Produktion, sondern seinen Preis: Nach Produktion werde ich glatt 200,- EUR pro Stück nehmen. So habe ich das Risiko wenigstens teilweise vergütet.
Jens

[diablothe2nd]

So basically the 1200 version which i'm waiting for, is dependant on the 4000D version because they'll go through production at the same time?

what's this about preorders though? preorders seem to be accepted for the 4000 version but not 1200?

I'd like to be able to pay full price now... so i'm guaranteed to get the indi1200 as and when it comes, instead of having this worry of whether i'll miss it once retailers like amigakit.co.uk have it in stock.

[Schoenfeld]

Oh, what a horrible automatic translation :-)

Release date: March is still a possible target. I'm currently negotiating with suppliers to speed things up, because another move of the deadline would not be acceptable. The "A4000D delay" I was talking about in the German forum is also gone - that version is now in my CAD system and I *can* produce it together with the A1200/A4000T version.

The prototype verification I've mentioned in that German post is also done: I now have an "engineering version" of the flashtool here (ugly but functional) and all chip-to-chip communication has been verified positive. The design is ready to go into production on a hardware basis.

There will be drawbacks when the first cards reach the customers: Limited screenmodes, limited output modes, no Graffiti emulation and limited control with the config tool. Flash updates will add features and screenmodes one by one.

chocolate boy,
The set deadlines were all realistic back when I set them. However, my company is not "completely my own" any more. I have a venture capitalist who is financing the Nequester project, and he had me stop all retro-work in october 2011 to fully focus on the VoIP router. With many milestones now reached on that project, I'm back on Indivision AGA MK2 and had to find my way through the notes and source codes that I made between august 2011 and october 2011.

diablothe2nd,
There are no guarantees on the real release date, only probabilities. However, they're high for this current deadline. As always, there *will* be issues with the first versions and you may be disappointed that your favourite screenmode is not supported for the first three months - maybe longer. Please monitor the reseller's pages closely for the actual modes that are "currently" supported and don't buy until the product does what you want it to do "now". Never buy a product for what it may become in the future, but for what it is right now.

Jens

[diablothe2nd]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

diablothe2nd,
you may be disappointed that your favourite screenmode is not supported for the first three months - maybe longer.
Jens

any screenmode better than PAL is better than none, especially if its in trucolor for the workbench.

I'll be buying it the instant it comes out because I want to support you as the creator and developer so you can continue support for our beloved old hardware . Not because I expect it to ship with everything supported at once

Someone has to beta test and bug report, I'll be volunteering!