Minimig - what to get?

I've been doing a little bit of research on the Minimig - seems like it would be a great little system to hook up in the basement!

After perusing the different websites, I just wanted to clarify what's available and have general questions about everything.

1) Is the only production board the 1.1 board from Amigakit? I did notice a MiniITX version here, but don't know if anyone is making it: http://www.illuwatar.se/project_page...g2/minimig.htm

2) I notice talk about an ARM controller. What does this ARM controller do, and who makes them (where do you order them)?

3) Firmware - I notice people talking about "flashing cores" and such - what needs to be updated periodically on these units? Just the "core" firmware on the FPGA?

I'm assuming that I can play most A500/OCS games on this... I have a lot of old games that I ripped the ADF images, so they work in EUAE. Nothing comes closer than simulated hardware, though. :-)

Thanks, everyone!

[amigakit.com]

The ARM controller is out of production currently - the latest Minimig firmware can now support HDF (hard disk files) without the need for the ARM controller, although at lower access speeds.

[alexh]

@acadiel

To be correct the v1.1 board is not really from Amigakit it is from ACube. Amigakit are one of their resellers.

With only 1.5Mbytes of usable RAM on the unmodified v1.1 PCB you'll struggle to use the HDF features without the RAM upgrade. Amigakit offer this upgrade service.

But to be honest you have to ask yourself before you buy a MiniMig for €200 why you are not getting a second hand 2Mbyte A600 for €20

@AmigaKit

Where might one find this latest firmware?

I imagine you need to re-program the PIC which means you may need a PIC programmer if you buy a second hand MiniMig board as lots were shipped without the Tinybootloader which enables you to program via the serial port.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by alexh

@acadiel

To be correct the v1.1 board is not really from Amigakit it is from ACube. Amigakit are one of their resellers.

With only 1.5Mbytes of usable RAM on the unmodified v1.1 PCB you'll struggle to use the HDF features without the RAM upgrade. Amigakit offer this upgrade service.

But to be honest you have to ask yourself before you buy a MiniMig why you are not getting a second hand 2Mbyte A600 for €20

@AmigaKit

Where might one find this latest firmware?

I imagine you need to re-program the PIC which means you may need a PIC programmer if you buy a second hand MiniMig board as lots were shipped without the Tinybootloader which enables you to program via the serial port.

Little lost at this post. So my A600 back in the day was useless with its 1MB ram?? I think not. You can use it like you did back in the day, a fair few WHDLoad stuff work fine with only 1.5MB RAM, as I have been testing, . The only problem is without the ARM it loads games slow from HDF.

All the minimig boards sold now have tinyloader and yes you need a pc with serial port.

The 4MB and ARM (no using ARM Controller) Cores are awesome. Aint had 1 game not load. Everything I have thrown at it has worked great, aslong as you have the correct KS. You can use the newer cores on a standard 2MB board. It will put mem to maxium your minimig can set.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by FOL

A fair few WHDLoad stuff work fine with only 1.5MB RAM, as I have been testing

Little or no WHDload games which have multiple disks work well. Without the ability to Preload, the constant swaps with the OS render most games that I tried unplayable.

Multiple disks is the only reason I can think of for you to want to use a WHDload over an ADF image on a MiniMig.

Thinking about it, perhaps there are enough games which have multiple disks (Amberstar, Ambermoon, Lionheart etc.) which have their own HD loader which should work well.

Originally Posted by FOL

All the minimig boards sold now have tinyloader and yes you need a pc with serial port.

I know. It was me who told ACUBE about it. Mine arrived with no way to upgrade the PIC in circuit and we use tiny PIC bootloader at work. But by that time they must have sold a lot? If you get a second hand MiniMig it is always something to ask about.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by alexh

Little or no WHDload games which have multiple disks work well. Without the ability to Preload, the constant swaps with the OS render most games that I tried unplayable.

Multiple disks is the only reason I can think of for you to want to use a WHDload over an ADF image on a MiniMig.

Thinking about it, perhaps there are enough games which have multiple disks (Amberstar, Ambermoon, Lionheart etc.) which have their own HD loader which should work well.


I know. It was me who told ACUBE about it. Mine arrived with no way to upgrade the PIC in circuit and we use tinybootloader at work. But by that time they must have sold a lot? If you get a second hand MiniMig it is always something to ask about.

Indeed, thats what we done back in the day, WHDLoad didnt exist. I tried DUNE 2, this worked great.

Im sorry, but not all games constantly OS change. While loading a game, OS change is fine. I aint had a game OS change while playing it.
So I think alot of people maon about nothing.

Its great you told them, they must have sold alot, cause for almost a year the minimigs have had tinypic loader. If someone ends up with a sencond hand 1, then thats just unfortunate.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by FOL

So I think alot of people moan about nothing.

I'm on the wrong computer but tomorrow I'll get a list of games that work with A600 but are unplayable without Preload. It was more than a handful.

Originally Posted by FOL

Its great you told them, they must have sold alot, cause for almost a year the minimigs have had tinypic loader.

When I told them they had nothing. But I got my MiniMig complementary as a developer right at the start. I still owe them some work, but they never emailed me again after the first few weeks.