Individual Computers - New accelerator cards for A600 & A1200

[Adropac2]

Originally Posted by Mr B

So far the only thing that hasn't behaved as expected with the ACA1230 is Theme Park, which is SLOW... No idea if this is down to the accelerator or the WHDLoad.)

B!

Some games don't take advantage of accelerators at all it seems in Whdload and you're left with games running from the A1200's 68020 clock speed. Fighter Bomber is another one and various others too.I guess it's harder getting them to work with these devices and have them run also in wb?. Real shame though when there is no benefit you're seeing as some of these games could really use the extra speeed. Unless i'm missing something here?

[Mr B]

Thats not it. Using ADF's and playing from floppies makes the game faster, even without the ACA1230. I'm sure there is something i should/could do about it, but as i cant use the Amiga on my own telly, i haven't bothered to much yet. I'll get to it when i got a Indivision AGA MKII hooked up.
B!

[Photon]

Mr_B:

I can see why someone wouldn't fix software for a side effect of an accelerator, but an MMU is not a side effect. There are a bunch of incompatibilities in WHDLoad, but mostly it's in the slaves. Doesn't help if many slaves use the same incompatible components, of course, I know. But I run it fine with MMU on my 3 Amigas in my signature, only some slaves need an update to work on all 3.

But I'm having a hard time thinking they wouldn't fix it if it's in WHDLoad itself and it's not a side effect. And I also have a hard time seeing Jens making something that's incompatible with WHDLoad, so it's likely a side effect/bug/feature and if he offers to fix the hardware, take that offer. And then happy times

For Theme Park to not cap frame rate, I think the slave has to be based on the version without the frame rate cap, or if there is no such version, it has to be patched by the WHDLoad coders. I don't know about specific games, but it seems likely. I know Frontier had no frame rate cap to begin with, so it flows like awesomesauce. Other games like all Graftgold games except Simulcra are fixed at half framerate in PAL, even if they could likely manage full framerate on a 68030/AGA. So.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by vroom6sri

So you won't be stocking it at all?

We dont have any plans to at the moment, as pointed out already, we are not involved in this project.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Photon

I can see why someone wouldn't fix software for a side effect of an accelerator, but an MMU is not a side effect.

MMU's work with WHDLoad, just not on the ACA1230 accelerator. Well, as far as i know. Some games doesn't approve, or whatever, so for the sake of compatibility, it should be left off, or so i was told.

Originally Posted by Photon

But I'm having a hard time thinking they wouldn't fix it if it's in WHDLoad itself and it's not a side effect.

I cant for the life of me remember why it doesn't work, i think Jens explained it, around the time when he offered to fix it.

Originally Posted by Photon

And I also have a hard time seeing Jens making something that's incompatible with WHDLoad, so it's likely a side effect/bug/feature and if he offers to fix the hardware, take that offer.

He didn't consider it a bug, but if i remember right his point of view was that WHDLoad did something it shouldn't and hence the accelerator doesn't get MMU support. Thats why he went with the "i can fix it, but it's going to cost ya."

Originally Posted by Photon

For Theme Park to not cap frame rate, I think the slave has to be based on the version without the frame rate cap, or if there is no such version, it has to be patched by the WHDLoad coders.

As i said, i haven't looked in to it much, i simply worked around it by playing of the floppies. The different accelerated modes makes the guests zip around at a much higher phase on the bogstandard A1200 then the WHDLoad with the ACA1230. I didn't have a second, working accelerator so i cant say if it's ACA1230 related, but i think it's more likely that it's something to do with the slave. I used ADF's from the net in my test, but i never had any trouble "back in the day" when i played of my originals. However, sitting here i sudently feel insecure about something. Was it Theme Park, or was it Theme Park 2 that suffered the massive slowdowns... Either way, they are both in the KGload pack, if anyone wants to test it, it's on the EAB Torrent tracker.
Not to mention that it's on the KGWHDLoad site.

(Yeah, i put the tracker above the KG site as a shameless plug. The tracker needs more users. It's pretty desolate.)
B!

[MrCheese]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Either way, they are both in the KGload pack, if anyone wants to test it, it's on the EAB Torrent tracker.
Not to mention that it's on the KGWHDLoad site.

(Yeah, i put the tracker above the KG site as a shameless plug. The tracker needs more users. It's pretty desolate.)
B!

I just went to sign up and it wants my DOB. Why does a tracker need that?

[Mr B]

I'm just guessing, but it's a standardized application, giving them the possibility to filter if your underage. You would have to ask the guys behind the tracker for more info really. A good starting-point might be this old thread. Just so we don't derail this thread i mean.
B!

[MrCheese]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I'm just guessing, but it's a standardized application, giving them the possibility to filter if your underage. You would have to ask the guys behind the tracker for more info really. A good starting-point might be this old thread. Just so we don't derail this thread i mean.
B!

Done! [steers thread back on topic]

[vroom6sri]

Well... I've done it. 1231/42 ordered from Versaile so now just a matter of waiting for it's release and selling my old 1230/28.

[Schoenfeld]

Shipping of the ACA1231 starts today.

Jens

[Bamiga2002]

Good to hear , altough I'll pass since I already have the ACA 1230/56. When are you publishing the ACA 1230 support pages on your website Jens?

[Amiga1992]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but will there be any more runs of the 56Mhz model?

[ArcadeHeart]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Shipping of the ACA1231 starts today.

Jens

Hi Jens, with this new accelerator is it possible to close the trapdoor with its cover?

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by Akira

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but will there be any more runs of the 56Mhz model?

I have no plans for a new production run of the old design. The new design takes care of some incompatible A1200 motherboards - though at the cost of a little chipmem performance.

Originally Posted by ArcadeHeart

Hi Jens, with this new accelerator is it possible to close the trapdoor with its cover?

Yes, that's been taken care of. Neither the trapdoor, nor a bent shield will get in the way.

Jens

[Amiga1992]

I read the A1231 text on Vesalia and it seems indeed this version is better, so maybe I should rephrase: any plan on releasing a 1231 with a faster clock rate?

Thanks for the great work!

[Schoenfeld]

There are no plans for a faster version. This one is already tweaked to the max, and the design is based on a QFP CPU, which is not available as a 50MHz version.

Compared to the Blizzard 1230-IV, which uses a 50MHz processor, the ACA1231 is still faster, despite it's lower clock rate. While the Blizzard 1230-IV shows 9.88 MIPS in Sysinfo, the ACA1231 shows 9.94MIPS, sometimes 9.98MIPS (Sysinfo isn't all that accurate and depends on cache alignment and setpatch version).

Don't let the MHz number confuse you. The ACA1231 is absolutely in the highest 68030 class that you can think of, and the reason is it's superfast memory. The first-access penalty is even faster than on the old 56MHz card, which makes it faster on a cache-miss.

If you give me a few testcases, I'm happy to run them for you. I think I've posted an AIBB module before, didn't I?

Jens

Edit: AIBB module is in post#2211:
http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=...postcount=2211

[Amiga1992]

And how would you compare the performance of the ACA1231/42 with the ACA1230/56?
Sorry about all these questions, I just want to choose what's right for me. As it is, I am having a bunch of issues with WHDLoad and my accelerator card and from what you explain it seems this is the card to have.

[Bamiga2002]

Akira, deep inside you still would want a PPC card, right?

[desiv]

Originally Posted by Akira

And how would you compare the performance of the ACA1231/42 with the ACA1230/56?.

I think he might say something like:

The ACA1231 is absolutely in the highest 68030 class that you can think of, and the reason is it's superfast memory. The first-access penalty is even faster than on the old 56MHz card

Just a guess tho.. ;-)

desiv

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by Akira

And how would you compare the performance of the ACA1231/42 with the ACA1230/56?

The 56MHz card is faster - naturally. It delivers over 12 MIPS.

Originally Posted by Akira

I just want to choose what's right for me. As it is, I am having a bunch of issues with WHDLoad and my accelerator card and from what you explain it seems this is the card to have.

I'm sorry, there's nothing to choose. The ACA1230-56 is sold out and the ACA1231 is the highest-performing card that I can offer. Let me know what type of accel you currently have, and I'll see if I can find performance values - back when I started the development, I asked a lot of people for Sysinfo screenshots, and your card may be among them.

Jens