(announcement) AMIGA MEETS GIGAHERTZ

22 May 2012, 21:53

AMIGA MEETS GIGAHERTZ

Gideon Zweijtzer (of 1541-Ultimate fame) and Rutger Bevaart have teamed up to bring renewed innovation to the Classical Amiga by announcing the UltimatePPC today, the ultimate CPU expansion card for the Amiga 3000 & 4000. This new card will bring unparalleled performance and many great new features to the Amiga series of computers that were not available previously and give current users a viable upgrade path for aging components. It also opens new possibilities for newer versions of the Amiga Operating System or alternatives to run on your classic hardware with great performance. The UltimatePPC puts your Amiga right back on your desk as the most versatile and fun computer that has ever existed!

Right now the UltimatePPC is in active development, we expect to be able to take pre-orders at the end of 2012. Please visit our project website at http://ultimateppc.nl for availability information, specifications and detailed status reports.

Gideon & Rutger

Reynolds · 22 May 2012, 22:23

outstanding... I wanna believe...

Good luck!

22 May 2012, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reynolds

outstanding... I wanna believe...

Good luck!

Have faith

Reynolds · 22 May 2012, 22:31

okay then, may I have the SN0000001 please?

I'll sell my kidney to get it... but not my heart, though :P

billt · 23 May 2012, 00:16

First of all, NEAT!

Now, as others likely wonder, why the 040? Why not flat-out PPC? If 68k is necessary to get started, why not TG68 or WF68K00 inside that FPGA, and then remove it later when PPC is going well?

I have ideas for PPC accelerator as well, though I'm not sure how well it will fit a case the way I'm thinking of it. But I wouldn't have a real 68k chip. Without a PPC, I'd go all FPGA and some slots, and have whatever the best softcore 68k is in the FPGA. Perhaps even the Natami 68k if things could be arranged with them. (My idea of course is not anywhere along to be worth their time asking) Soemthing like Majsta's idea with SODIMM, perhaps USB and some other connecters for things that work well inside FPGA. (IDE? SCSI? Ethernet? etc) Much anything beyond the FPGA and connectors would be a removable module, industry standard module, to buy the PPC part form someone else and save me the trouble.

SODIMM on my FPGA-only board would only really be fore the FPGA's sopftcore 68k. PPC module has it's own (and probably much faster) RAM.

Any plans for something like an MXM graphics slot?

I'm very curious to see how your project goes!

duga · 23 May 2012, 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by billt

First of all, NEAT!

Now, as others likely wonder, why the 040? Why not flat-out PPC? If 68k is necessary to get started, why not TG68 or WF68K00 inside that FPGA, and then remove it later when PPC is going well?

I have ideas for PPC accelerator as well

Then build it.

T_hairy_bootson · 23 May 2012, 01:39

One day someone will develop something cool for our amigas with no prior announcement and then just spring it on everybody the day it is available to buy...

one day...

rkauer · 23 May 2012, 05:43

I only hope for the best for this guys.

I think in selling a kidney to grab a board. My heart is not for sale, I already gave it to Amiga.

source · 23 May 2012, 07:33

I would like to put my name on SN00000002 and SN00000003

1time · 23 May 2012, 07:42

This could be a "dream come true" moment!

Oli_HD · 23 May 2012, 08:32

Good luck. Wish you all the best and will buy at least one when it comes out.

Love the picture of the prototype, looks nice!
Did you mount the BGA's yourself or have it assembled?

mjnurney · 23 May 2012, 08:47

i need to sell a kidney buy hell yeah!

23 May 2012, 08:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_hairy_bootson

One day someone will develop something cool for our amigas with no prior announcement and then just spring it on everybody the day it is available to buy...

one day...

Well yes... given all the vaporware that would be really nice. But reality is that you cannot keep it below the radar for very long... Besides that we see many benefits in sharing with the community that we are working on this...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oli_HD

Good luck. Wish you all the best and will buy at least one when it comes out.
Love the picture of the prototype, looks nice!
Did you mount the BGA's yourself or have it assembled?

Thanks! It's a tight fit on the board but we also think the card looks really nice. The prototype boards have indeed been hand-assembled, which does require steady hands and strong nerves!

nikos.rizos · 23 May 2012, 08:53

Fantastic news... Hope this comes to a happy end ...

23 May 2012, 09:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oli_HD

Good luck. Wish you all the best and will buy at least one when it comes out.

Love the picture of the prototype, looks nice!

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oli_HD

Did you mount the BGA's yourself or have it assembled?

On these prototypes I assembled the three BGAs myself indeed. That was the most scary and exciting part.

So far, I haven't come across any issues with the BGAs. The PowerPC runs, including the SODIMM, the FPGA works, including the local memory. So far so good!

Gideon

23 May 2012, 11:20

These are the best news in years for classic users!!!
Please, learn from the past and if possible, let cpus be in socket!!! We'll prevent from troubles in the future.
Hope that ugly but useful DVI conector become into a pair of pin rows to better, plug a connector.
Congratulations for being able to make us happy after many many years. Here's another buyer!!!.

Schoenfeld · 23 May 2012, 11:37

Hey Gideon,

congrats on this development! You're one of the few persons that I'd trust to bring this project to production. I do see lots of software work to do, though.

Jens

Hellrun · 23 May 2012, 11:51

Wow, just wow!

Incredible news, I wish you all the best with the project. I will be hoping to own these one day

johnz · 23 May 2012, 12:14

is there any Amiga 1200 version in prevision?

congratulations from France for your great job!

23 May 2012, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Hey Gideon,

congrats on this development! You're one of the few persons that I'd trust to bring this project to production. I do see lots of software work to do, though.

Jens

Jens, thank you for this amazing compliment!

I also see a lot of software effort on our path. A good thing is that this time it is not going to be a one-man show.

Gideon

22 May 2012, 21:53	#1
mousehouse Posts: n/a	(announcement) AMIGA MEETS GIGAHERTZ AMIGA MEETS GIGAHERTZ Gideon Zweijtzer (of 1541-Ultimate fame) and Rutger Bevaart have teamed up to bring renewed innovation to the Classical Amiga by announcing the UltimatePPC today, the ultimate CPU expansion card for the Amiga 3000 & 4000. This new card will bring unparalleled performance and many great new features to the Amiga series of computers that were not available previously and give current users a viable upgrade path for aging components. It also opens new possibilities for newer versions of the Amiga Operating System or alternatives to run on your classic hardware with great performance. The UltimatePPC puts your Amiga right back on your desk as the most versatile and fun computer that has ever existed! Right now the UltimatePPC is in active development, we expect to be able to take pre-orders at the end of 2012. Please visit our project website at http://ultimateppc.nl for availability information, specifications and detailed status reports. Gideon & Rutger

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22 May 2012, 22:23	#2
Reynolds Alien Breeder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Szigetszentmiklos / Hungary Age: 46 Posts: 1,096	outstanding... I wanna believe... Good luck!

22 May 2012, 22:31	#4
Reynolds Alien Breeder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Szigetszentmiklos / Hungary Age: 46 Posts: 1,096	okay then, may I have the SN0000001 please? I'll sell my kidney to get it... but not my heart, though :P

23 May 2012, 00:16	#5
billt Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 82	First of all, NEAT! Now, as others likely wonder, why the 040? Why not flat-out PPC? If 68k is necessary to get started, why not TG68 or WF68K00 inside that FPGA, and then remove it later when PPC is going well? I have ideas for PPC accelerator as well, though I'm not sure how well it will fit a case the way I'm thinking of it. But I wouldn't have a real 68k chip. Without a PPC, I'd go all FPGA and some slots, and have whatever the best softcore 68k is in the FPGA. Perhaps even the Natami 68k if things could be arranged with them. (My idea of course is not anywhere along to be worth their time asking) Soemthing like Majsta's idea with SODIMM, perhaps USB and some other connecters for things that work well inside FPGA. (IDE? SCSI? Ethernet? etc) Much anything beyond the FPGA and connectors would be a removable module, industry standard module, to buy the PPC part form someone else and save me the trouble. SODIMM on my FPGA-only board would only really be fore the FPGA's sopftcore 68k. PPC module has it's own (and probably much faster) RAM. Any plans for something like an MXM graphics slot? I'm very curious to see how your project goes!

23 May 2012, 01:39	#7
T_hairy_bootson Workbitch 1.3 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 2,084	One day someone will develop something cool for our amigas with no prior announcement and then just spring it on everybody the day it is available to buy... one day...

23 May 2012, 05:43	#8
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	I only hope for the best for this guys. I think in selling a kidney to grab a board. My heart is not for sale, I already gave it to Amiga.

23 May 2012, 07:33	#9
source Zone Friend Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 734	I would like to put my name on SN00000002 and SN00000003

23 May 2012, 07:42	#10
1time Amiga Lover Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Stockholm / Sweden Age: 46 Posts: 612	This could be a "dream come true" moment!

23 May 2012, 08:32	#11
Oli_HD Collector Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Staffordshire. UK Posts: 157	Good luck. Wish you all the best and will buy at least one when it comes out. Love the picture of the prototype, looks nice! Did you mount the BGA's yourself or have it assembled?

23 May 2012, 08:47	#12
mjnurney Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Towcester, Northampton Posts: 311	i need to sell a kidney buy hell yeah!

23 May 2012, 08:53	#14
nikos.rizos Registered User Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Greece Age: 48 Posts: 52	Fantastic news... Hope this comes to a happy end ...

23 May 2012, 11:20	#16
puppy Posts: n/a	These are the best news in years for classic users!!! Please, learn from the past and if possible, let cpus be in socket!!! We'll prevent from troubles in the future. Hope that ugly but useful DVI conector become into a pair of pin rows to better, plug a connector. Congratulations for being able to make us happy after many many years. Here's another buyer!!!.

23 May 2012, 11:37	#17
Schoenfeld electricky. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: out in the wild Posts: 1,256	Hey Gideon, congrats on this development! You're one of the few persons that I'd trust to bring this project to production. I do see lots of software work to do, though. Jens

23 May 2012, 11:51	#18
Hellrun Commodore Enthusiast Join Date: May 2012 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 16	Wow, just wow! Incredible news, I wish you all the best with the project. I will be hoping to own these one day

23 May 2012, 12:14	#19
johnz Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: FR Posts: 34	is there any Amiga 1200 version in prevision? congratulations from France for your great job!

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