A4000+ Alice motherboard DIY

hese · 27 March 2018, 09:18

Let me introduce you to the A4000+ Alice rev1 motherboard.
A4000+ motherboard is based on the Amiga 4000cr motherboard designed by Commodore.

I have been thinking for a while to do some Amiga hardware and decided to start with a relatively easy but laborious task, an Amiga 4000cr motherboard.
I didn't have a blank A4000cr motherboard PCB nor any high-resolution pictures of a blank PCB, so I had to layout the A4000+ PCB completely manually.
I used a fully working A4000cr motherboard as a reference.

The PCB dimensions and all component locations, hole locations, hole diameters, solder pad dimensions, component silkscreens, etc. of the A4000cr motherboard were manually measured and transferred to the PCB design software.
I draw the line at the PCB traces, those I didn't attempt to mimic from the original A4000cr board.
The PCB traces of the A4000+ were fully manually routed (which too ages).

The result is a quite close replica of the original A4000cr motherboard.

Here are a few pictures of the blank PCB.

A few pictures of the board being assembled.

Pictures of the finished board.

A4000+ motherboard being mounted in the Amiga 4000D case.

A4000+ motherboard fully working.

A screenshot of the designed PCB.

Link to the photo gallery:
A4000+ Alice motherboard

The next motherboard that I'm working on will be something completely different.

alexh · 27 March 2018, 09:49

Good work. Very well done.

Do you intend to make any? Or open source your design?

I imagine that your NRE (the amount of money spent) is probably more than the cost of an A4000?

How many hours did it take to populate the board?

What is next for you? Improve on the design? Add an 060? Add an FPGA (The Apollo Core can be licensed)?

indigolemon · 27 March 2018, 10:31

Excellent work, that looks amazing

Chucky · 27 March 2018, 10:42

WOW nice work! damn. will you open? sell? etc.. you know that question will pop up

JLPedro · 27 March 2018, 10:50

Amazing work !

Yulquen74 · 27 March 2018, 10:52

Very nice work!

Jope · 27 March 2018, 11:01

So, where can I buy a couple? :-)

mpattonm · 27 March 2018, 11:15

Incredible! Will you make a batch to sell?

Locutus · 27 March 2018, 11:17

Nice!

Is the imgbox gallery dead?

27 March 2018, 11:23

Fantastic.
Will you be selling the card?

27 March 2018, 11:25

Holy smokes what an amazing feat. You wrote that you didn't copy the traces but rather routed the traces yourself. Did you encounter any problems with that? Any enhancements made?

highpuff · 27 March 2018, 11:32

Awesome job! Please let me know if you are going to make a batch of those PCB's.

I WANT ONE!

Chucky · 27 March 2018, 11:37

I do not Want. I NEED! (thinking of a batch of vartakilled boards I got at home)

roomeo · 27 March 2018, 11:47

StingRay · 27 March 2018, 11:49

Awesome! If you ever sell these I'll definitely buy one or more.

HelloBeautiful · 27 March 2018, 11:51

woah

Capeview · 27 March 2018, 11:53

Awesome work. Far beyond me to even attempt any of that, but I had to log in just to express how fantastic this is.

And now imagine these in White or Red or some other colour. Personalised A4000 boards.

27 March 2018, 11:57

Amazing work!

chiark · 27 March 2018, 12:03

I've just gone fetched my hat, so I can take it off to you sir. That is quite some feat. Astonishing.

Well done! What's next

gulliver · 27 March 2018, 12:24

A wet dream!

Would love one.

27 March 2018, 09:18	#1
hese Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Somewhere Posts: 223	A4000+ Alice motherboard DIY Let me introduce you to the A4000+ Alice rev1 motherboard. A4000+ motherboard is based on the Amiga 4000cr motherboard designed by Commodore. I have been thinking for a while to do some Amiga hardware and decided to start with a relatively easy but laborious task, an Amiga 4000cr motherboard. I didn't have a blank A4000cr motherboard PCB nor any high-resolution pictures of a blank PCB, so I had to layout the A4000+ PCB completely manually. I used a fully working A4000cr motherboard as a reference. The PCB dimensions and all component locations, hole locations, hole diameters, solder pad dimensions, component silkscreens, etc. of the A4000cr motherboard were manually measured and transferred to the PCB design software. I draw the line at the PCB traces, those I didn't attempt to mimic from the original A4000cr board. The PCB traces of the A4000+ were fully manually routed (which too ages). The result is a quite close replica of the original A4000cr motherboard. Here are a few pictures of the blank PCB. A few pictures of the board being assembled. Pictures of the finished board. A4000+ motherboard being mounted in the Amiga 4000D case. A4000+ motherboard fully working. A screenshot of the designed PCB. Link to the photo gallery: A4000+ Alice motherboard The next motherboard that I'm working on will be something completely different.

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27 March 2018, 09:49	#2
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,338	Good work. Very well done. Do you intend to make any? Or open source your design? I imagine that your NRE (the amount of money spent) is probably more than the cost of an A4000? How many hours did it take to populate the board? What is next for you? Improve on the design? Add an 060? Add an FPGA (The Apollo Core can be licensed)?

27 March 2018, 10:31	#3
indigolemon Bit Copying Bard Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Kelty, Fife, Scotland Age: 41 Posts: 1,293	Excellent work, that looks amazing

27 March 2018, 10:42	#4
Chucky Registered User Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Karlstad / Sweden Age: 52 Posts: 1,210	WOW nice work! damn. will you open? sell? etc.. you know that question will pop up

27 March 2018, 10:50	#5
JLPedro JLPedro Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Coimbra, Portugal Age: 47 Posts: 95	Amazing work !

27 March 2018, 10:52	#6
Yulquen74 Registered User Join Date: May 2013 Location: Kleppe / Norway Posts: 253	Very nice work!

27 March 2018, 11:01	#7
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	So, where can I buy a couple? :-)

27 March 2018, 11:15	#8
mpattonm Registered User Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Czech republic Posts: 46	Incredible! Will you make a batch to sell?

27 March 2018, 11:17	#9
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	Nice! Is the imgbox gallery dead?

27 March 2018, 11:23	#10
Trolley Posts: n/a	Fantastic. Will you be selling the card?

27 March 2018, 11:25	#11
Boost Posts: n/a	Holy smokes what an amazing feat. You wrote that you didn't copy the traces but rather routed the traces yourself. Did you encounter any problems with that? Any enhancements made?

27 March 2018, 11:32	#12
highpuff Registered User Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Göteborg Posts: 43	Awesome job! Please let me know if you are going to make a batch of those PCB's. I WANT ONE!

27 March 2018, 11:37	#13
Chucky Registered User Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Karlstad / Sweden Age: 52 Posts: 1,210	I do not Want. I NEED! (thinking of a batch of vartakilled boards I got at home)

27 March 2018, 11:47	#14
roomeo Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Telemark Posts: 207

27 March 2018, 11:49	#15
StingRay move.l #$c0ff33,throat Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Berlin/Joymoney Posts: 6,863	Awesome! If you ever sell these I'll definitely buy one or more.

27 March 2018, 11:51	#16
HelloBeautiful Registered User Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Helsinki Posts: 84	woah

27 March 2018, 11:53	#17
Capeview Registered User Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: London/UK Posts: 46	Awesome work. Far beyond me to even attempt any of that, but I had to log in just to express how fantastic this is. And now imagine these in White or Red or some other colour. Personalised A4000 boards.

27 March 2018, 12:03	#19
chiark Needs a life Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 1,707	I've just gone fetched my hat, so I can take it off to you sir. That is quite some feat. Astonishing. Well done! What's next

27 March 2018, 12:24	#20
gulliver BoingBagged Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The South of nowhere Age: 46 Posts: 2,358	A wet dream! Would love one.

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