ACA Expansion Alternatives?

[BadHatGamer]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

There is a newer version of the MASPlayer available that has a passthrough for the Paula outputs, though it does occupy the parallel port which would rule out the PLIPBox being used at the same time.

Ghaah! That figures. Haven't I got enough cables and wires about the place already? Now I'll have to rewire it all to allow for 2 lots of audio from the A500! I'll probably get lost in the tangles when I pack to move to the east coast next year.

Unless there are any other network solutions that don't use parallel, that is.......???

I know Individual Computers have been talking about a network module for the ACA500+ but from what I know its still only talk.

[E-Penguin]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

As for MP3 playback via USB, I haven't heard of it on the Amiga. But there's no reason it shouldn't be possible, it only(!) needs someone to write an appropriate driver.

Apparently it should work...
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthre...666#post823666

[BadHatGamer]

Originally Posted by E-Penguin

Apparently it should work...
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthre...666#post823666

You mean instead of the MASPlayer? So if I was to stick the ACA1221ec on my ACA500+ and add a Rapid Road controller as well, I could get mp3 audio etc going with a usb soundcard? Would THAT output other audio from applications/games too? I might have to think about working a second job on the side for a few weeks.

[Daedalus]

I think they're standard sound cards as opposed to MP3-decoding DSPs. So while they'll produce nice quality sound, you won't be able to decode the MP3 fast enough to produce the sound in the first place... Though I would be very impressed if they did have an MHI or MPEG driver!

Yeah, unfortunately the parallel port is a popular I/O route... There's always the serial port, which is quite slow. You could add faster serial ports to the clockport on the ACA too. Parallel ports as well, but the MAS at least will only work on the internal port, and the PLIP box might be the same way...

Adding USB to the clockport will also give the option of using a USB ethernet adaptor... Getting into quite the pile of stuff in that case!

[BadHatGamer]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Adding USB to the clockport will also give the option of using a USB ethernet adaptor... Getting into quite the pile of stuff in that case!

I think the Plibox requires the stock parallel port.

Adding USB ethernet might be worth doing - with the MasPlayer in the back of the A500. What usb ethernet (or wifi if possible) adapters would work with Rapid Road USB? Dare I ask about drivers etc? Am I opening a can of 'Dune-esque' spice-worms here?

Ghaah too many possible routes to take!

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Getting into quite the pile of stuff in that case!

Case? This is an A500. Its all external. I had thought about buying a case for the ACA500+ and ACA1221ec, but its lower on the list.

[E-Penguin]

I'm all about trying to stuff as much into, onto and around my A500. I'm eagerly awaiting Daedalus's Zorro-Adapter so I can plug in an RTG graphics card.

[BadHatGamer]

Originally Posted by E-Penguin

I'm all about trying to stuff as much into, onto and around my A500. I'm eagerly awaiting Daedalus's Zorro-Adapter so I can plug in an RTG graphics card.

RTG? On an A500? Thats mental. Where would you put the thing? Internal?

I mean, there's over-engineering and then there's over-over-engineering. Isn't that a bit like getting a pocket watch, and modding it to match an NVidia 1080?

Next you'll be telling me someone's got an Atari 2600 playing Battlefield 2. (No really. I'll genuinely fall off my chair if I see that.)

[E-Penguin]

Originally Posted by BadHatGamer

RTG? On an A500? Thats mental. Where would you put the thing? Internal?

Between the ACA500plus and the Amiga. Because I can.

[BadHatGamer]

Originally Posted by E-Penguin

Between the ACA500plus and the Amiga. Because I can.

I'll have to add that to the my getting-more-expensive list, although at this rate I'll probably be referring to that list for a long time.

Just out of interest, where can the Z-500 adapter be bought (or CAN they currently be bought)?
And how hard/bad for my wallet is it to come by a compatible graphics card?

I had a look and found plenty of info on the adapter itself - just nowhere to nab one.

[E-Penguin]

I've not got it going yet as Daedalus is still testing the Zorro-Adapter, but I bought the card anyway. Only Amiga makes it possible.

In case you fancy joining me in my folly :
https://webstore.kryoflux.com/catalo...products_id=56

[BadHatGamer]

Originally Posted by E-Penguin

I've not got it going yet as Daedalus is still testing the Zorro-Adapter, but I bought the card anyway. Only Amiga makes it possible.

In case you fancy joining me in my folly :
https://webstore.kryoflux.com/catalo...products_id=56

Ah. I think I read something about you lending him an ACA500+ for testing.
Wasn't sure if it got much further than that.

Will keep an eye out for when this is ready for mass sales.
It will definitely be a bit before I can get money together for that and an RTG card though.
My wishlist is getting beyond my paygrade it seems.

[Codetsu]

i have HC508 +A565
after that i start to use my A500 daily again
best thing what i ever get on A500

[E-Penguin]

What's an A565? Google fails me.

[Lord Aga]

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8551399

[Locutus]

One thing to keep in mind with USB devices on slow CPU's and polled USB controllers is how much of your precious CPU time they will eat.

Don't be surprised if just shoveling bits into a USB audio device will cost you a significant amount of CPU time, same with Ethernet and having to poll for packets.

On my A4000/060 with a RapidRoad on the Clockport of a Zorro2 VarIO quickly moving the mouse around makes the CPU spike to about 20% usage already.

[demolition]

ACA500plus+ACA1221ec will work fine with most WHDLoad games. So will a Vampire board with the most recent core. The ACA1221ec will not play MP3s in any shape or form though.

My ACA1232-33 can just play MP3 through Paula in very low quality, but not good enough to be useful for anything.. The 030 is probably the most compatible platform in regards to WHDLoad though. I can play almost everything on that one as those 030s were very common with WHDLoad users when many of the originals slaves were made. Later compatibility improved with 040+060 and now some effort is also being done to improve support with high clocked 68000 systems so many will also run fine now on a plain ACA500plus, either 16MHz or OCed to 42MHz.

That being said, having just 1MB chip can give you trouble with some games, so 2MB is definitely preferable.

[Toni Wilen]

Most flexible combination (but not cheap) would be ACA500plus + A1200 accelerator that can be software disabled (Officially ACA1233n only or unofficially Blizzard 1230MKIV, 1240, 1260):

Can be fully software configured, without need to remove any hardware:

- unexpanded A500 for old disk based programs (with few different hardware configurations, like slow RAM enabled or disabled, Action Replay III, different CPU speeds etc..)
- expanded A500 (CF slots enabled etc.. Lots of options)
- A1200 accelerator mode (with most ACA500plus options available)

[Locutus]

Another niggle i'd have personally with that option is that it leaves a ugly set of boards hanging off the side of your 500.

[demolition]

True, and an A500 is wide enough to begin width. It is nice though that you can easily move it to another computer if you need to. If you are like me and have many Amigas in your collection, it can become expensive if you have to fit them all with separate accelerators.

[E-Penguin]

Originally Posted by Locutus

Another niggle i'd have personally with that option is that it leaves a ugly set of boards hanging off the side of your 500.

I'll be finished adding bits to my A500 when it's wider than I am tall.