TF1260 new Amiga 1200 accelerator board ! Updating to the latest firmware

[klx300r]

Here's my latest testing updating to the latest Alpha firmware and comparing results to Beta firmware and also my Cyberstorm MKIII

https://mancave-ramblings.blogspot.com/2022/

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by klx300r

Here's my latest testing updating to the latest Alpha firmware and comparing results to Beta firmware and also my Cyberstorm MKIII

https://mancave-ramblings.blogspot.com/2022/

Thanx for sharing,
btw do you know if this thing will do the job?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/25478804995...MakeTrack=true

[rabidgerry]

I already have alpha installed but I was also looking at something similar with https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lattice-U...rdt=true&rt=nc

I know that listing is has ended but it's quite easy to buy this jtag programmer compared to the cables which do the same job and have soared in price.

[klx300r]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

Thanx for sharing,
btw do you know if this thing will do the job?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/25478804995...MakeTrack=true

Not sure as I used a C232HM-DDHSL-0 USB to MPSE cable 3.3V-0.5m plugged directly into my PC via USB.

My blog Dec/21 blog explains the method https://mancave-ramblings.blogspot.c...celerator.html

[indigolemon]

Chucky has a video on flashing it with a Xilinx adapter:

[ Show youtube player ]

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by indigolemon

Chucky has a video on flashing it with a Xilinx adapter:

[ Show youtube player ]

I've seen the tutorials, problem is to actually find / get the stuff. I ordered a Xilinx gizmo, but it will probably be a month before I see it. The other cable was my first option, but very hard to find and if found, price is something like €80.

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

I've seen the tutorials, problem is to actually find / get the stuff. I ordered a Xilinx gizmo, but it will probably be a month before I see it. The other cable was my first option, but very hard to find and if found, price is something like €80.

The Xilinx looks exactly the same as the programmer I posted only with a different label.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203908395...QAAOSwzwpdqK0v

Different pin outs but has all those Chucky includes in his video.

[Yulquen74]

Stupid question, but where do you obtain the latest .jed files (alpha and beta) for this card? I see some archives scattered on the exxos forum, but not sure which ones to use.

[supaduper]

In the 1st post

https://www.exxoshost.co.uk/forum/vi...hp?f=75&t=4947

[lilwshu]

I used a Raspberry Pi and Dupont cables to flash my TF cards per this guide:

https://linuxjedi.co.uk/2021/11/25/r...-raspberry-pi/

[AmigaHope]

Hopefully can get that chipmem performance up? As long as all stats beat the A1200 stats that would be fine. Problem back in the day with Apollo accelerators was slow chip access that caused software that hammered chip memory to lag or break.

[indigolemon]

Originally Posted by AmigaHope

Hopefully can get that chipmem performance up? As long as all stats beat the A1200 stats that would be fine. Problem back in the day with Apollo accelerators was slow chip access that caused software that hammered chip memory to lag or break.

The chipmem speeds on the latest firmware are really good (Following test done today @ 50MHz):

BusSpeedTest 0.19 (mlelstv)   Buffer:     262144 Bytes, Alignment: 32768
========================================================================
memtype   addr       op         cycle     calib         bandwidth
chip      $00038000  readw     857.8 ns   normal       2.3 * 10^6 byte/s
chip      $00038000  readl     857.5 ns   normal       4.7 * 10^6 byte/s
chip      $00038000  readm     857.8 ns   normal       4.7 * 10^6 byte/s
chip      $00038000  writew    569.2 ns   normal       3.5 * 10^6 byte/s
chip      $00038000  writel    570.4 ns   normal       7.0 * 10^6 byte/s
chip      $00038000  writem    570.7 ns   normal       7.0 * 10^6 byte/s

[eXeler0]

Finally got my Xilinx thing now, checked the forum post with the firmware download links and it seems the Alpha version (that will potentially kill your pets and set the house on fire ;-) ) is half a year later still the one to use?
Any word regarding a potential update lurking in the shadows or should I skip the waiting game and just update with whats available?
Those of you who use it, runs stable enough?

[torsti76]

It's perfectly stable for me and a lot of other people. Stephen is very perfectionist, and thus considers the firmware "prerelease material". But IMHO you can flash it without hesitation.

Note that you'll have to use the latest 'cpuspeed' tool with this firmware.

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by torsti76

It's perfectly stable for me and a lot of other people. Stephen is very perfectionist, and thus considers the firmware "prerelease material". But IMHO you can flash it without hesitation.

Note that you'll have to use the latest 'cpuspeed' tool with this firmware.

Ok, thanx, I guess no need to wait then. I have two cards, so I get one practice run

[rabidgerry]

I stuck ehide in a custom 3.1 rom thanks to supadupers tutelage and it runs fine (albeit I can't have background image anymore with my setup), but be warned, a whole heap of speeds don't work for me using the alpha firmware. I can get like 50, 60,90 and 100mhz which do the job obviously.

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

I stuck ehide in a custom 3.1 rom thanks to supadupers tutelage and it runs fine (albeit I can't have background image anymore with my setup), but be warned, a whole heap of speeds don't work for me using the alpha firmware. I can get like 50, 60,90 and 100mhz which do the job obviously.

Well, that's still plenty of choice. Do you use active cooling on yours?
I have a rev6 on one of the cards and a rev5 on the other, so I expect 90 ish MHz on the rev 6 and 60 on the rev5.
Right now however I dont have any cooling solutions, which im pretty sure id need for 90MHz.
I have another rev 6 on an Apollo 1260 and that one has been running at 64MHz for many years with only a slim passive heatsink.

[alenppc]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

Well, that's still plenty of choice. Do you use active cooling on yours?
I have a rev6 on one of the cards and a rev5 on the other, so I expect 90 ish MHz on the rev 6 and 60 on the rev5.
Right now however I dont have any cooling solutions, which im pretty sure id need for 90MHz.
I have another rev 6 on an Apollo 1260 and that one has been running at 64MHz for many years with only a slim passive heatsink.

A rev6 will do 94, and a very few of those will do 100, but yes, active cooling is pretty much mandatory at that speed otherwise you'll get a lockup within a minute or two.

[Aardvark]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

Finally got my Xilinx thing now, checked the forum post with the firmware download links and it seems the Alpha version (that will potentially kill your pets and set the house on fire ;-) ) is half a year later still the one to use?
Any word regarding a potential update lurking in the shadows or should I skip the waiting game and just update with whats available?
Those of you who use it, runs stable enough?

Mid-range clock speeds are not stable with alpha firmware, that's the only reason to stick to previous firmware. My rev6 only works at 50mhz and 100mhz with alpha.

[jurassicman]

Speaking about CPU overclocking (not with TF cards but with Blizzard cards) my experience is that both, a rev.1 and a rev.5 clocked at 66 MHz can run without any problems for years (I still use the rev.5 almost every day).
Both CPUs only had a passive heatsink (without fan) in a Tower with good ventilation inside.
Rev.6 should work at higher clocks (up to 100 MHz) but I'd use an heatsink with a fan starting from 75 MHz