New products for C64 and Amiga from Individual Computers

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by velourfog

Any way this card could work inside A2000 with a CPU-slot adaptor?

Don't bother building something - there will be a special A2000 version. Also, even though we do a few tests on the A1000 as well, it doesn't mean that it's going to work on the A1000. It does work on the 4-layer boards (non-piggyback), but it doesn't work on piggyback models - at least for the few testers who currently have a card.

I am planning a special A1000 version that takes care of other A1000-specific shortcomings as well. The ACA500 really only targets the A500 and A500plus.

Jens

[bubbob42]

Originally Posted by Photon

Serial, parallel, RF, even composite and DF1 are rarely used today.

Ah, the subtle drawbacks of text-based communication.

I should've written "expansion connector" and I think that's neither a joke nor an overstatement, then.

Then maybe I'm just generalising my own behaviour here - again. But hey, who wants to throw the first stone?

[moijk]

Originally Posted by Photon

Serial, parallel, RF, even composite and DF1 are rarely used today.

I have a serial link cable connected, midi interface on the parallel port, RF is however not used nor composite. But I do have twin disk drives set up. However, my a500 is my "real retro" machine so I usually fire up real disks there.

[Photon]

Originally Posted by bubbob42

Ah, the subtle drawbacks of text-based communication.

I should've written "expansion connector" and I think that's neither a joke nor an overstatement, then.

Then maybe I'm just generalising my own behaviour here - again.

Yes, well I think so and try to convince you of that.

So what I mean is that I simply don't agree that just because a few people will put a heap of things on the clockport, it's impossible to make any kind of case for *all* the other ones who buy it just as 'enabler', and to get files over to their A500.

And Jens didn't make ACA500 only for the guys who will spend 400EUR on their A500. We already know he could have made a 68030 accelerator, with 64MB memory, and IDE, and so on - a 180EUR product like the others. Instead, here is something more modest that simply plugs in the side - with possibilities for the future.

I agree very much with this philosophy, since it will get more A500s out of parents' attics

So I just don't see how it's impossible or bad to make a case that covers most cases (My, aren't we inadvertently punny today?)

I hope he does make it happen. A rectangle with holes for the ports. (Then he wouldn't have to make the spacer thingy solution with alu plates and stuff.) And maybe he wouldn't get support tickets for people with cats who want a cuddle when Master is at the keyboard... but that's generalizing from my own situation perhaps

[Schoenfeld]

Found the cause why the ACA1220 didn't work with the ACA500 and fixed it. The fix is on the ACA1220 side, nothing that the ACA500 could do anything about.

If you already own an ACA1220 and intend to use it with the ACA500 (despite me warning a couple of times that it doesn't work yet), please send it here, and you'll get free shipping for your ACA500 order (wherever on the planet you are).

New ACA1220 cards will work on both, the A1200 and ACA500. I'll contact resellers for any stock they have of the ACA1220, so they will only have the latest version that works on both.

Jens

[lukassid]

Jens you are quality.

[dJOS]

Very impressive support!

[Retrofan]

Yes, Jens. You know I don't want anything A500 related, but your support is .... just something to talk about, as I've had with all your products

[CrashMidnick]

Little OT :

@Jens

Great news for the A1000

I Hope that a day you will make a magic peace of hardware that upgrade the A1000's chipram to at least 1mb

[TjLaZer]

Originally Posted by velourfog

Any way this card could work inside A2000 with a CPU-slot adaptor?

No. Why in the world would you want to do that anyway? To fit A1200 accels in the A2000? Seems pointless since the 2000 has plenty of accelerator options. Would be a messy hack anyways.

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

No. Why in the world would you want to do that anyway? To fit A1200 accels in the A2000? Seems pointless since the 2000 has plenty of accelerator options. Would be a messy hack anyways.

Just like there will be an A1000 version that includes some additional goodies, I am planning a special A2000 version that goes into the 86-pin CPU slot. It's not all that pointless to give the "smaller" Amigas access to the latest A1200 accelerators. 128MByte RAM is not all that common, and I see lots of people trying to get their 2630 upgraded with some RAM, and still living with the slow speed of Z2 harddisk controllers. Hint: The CF card controller on the ACA500 goes well over 4MByte/s, which is twice as fast as any Z2 controller can ever be.

Still pointless?

Jens

[johnim]

thats great news jens

nice to add all theses options to our slower less upgradeable amigas

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Found the cause why the ACA1220 didn't work with the ACA500 and fixed it. The fix is on the ACA1220 side, nothing that the ACA500 could do anything about.

If you already own an ACA1220 and intend to use it with the ACA500 (despite me warning a couple of times that it doesn't work yet), please send it here, and you'll get free shipping for your ACA500 order (wherever on the planet you are).

Jens

Hi Jens,

Glad to hear that as I was hoping to use my ACA1220 with my ACA500 when I get one.

Just to ask if you would accept my ACA1220 for update since it has been overclocked with Gold type processor replacing the old ceramic one, obviously voiding the warranty...

By the way good to hear about future updates, I don't think an A2000 version is crazy at all, I remember the pain I had trying to get a CF card working with my Oktagon IDE board and then trying to upgrade the Ram on my GVP Combo (to max it out the GVP Simms cost near as much as the ACA500 will)

[gnujon]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Just like there will be an A1000 version that includes some additional goodies, I am planning a special A2000 version that goes into the 86-pin CPU slot. It's not all that pointless to give the "smaller" Amigas access to the latest A1200 accelerators. 128MByte RAM is not all that common, and I see lots of people trying to get their 2630 upgraded with some RAM, and still living with the slow speed of Z2 harddisk controllers. Hint: The CF card controller on the ACA500 goes well over 4MByte/s, which is twice as fast as any Z2 controller can ever be.

Still pointless?

Jens

I'm very exited to hear there will be an A2000 version. The A2000 will always be my favorite Amiga model. I still have my original one in near mint condition, just waiting for a nice accelerator and a way to attach a CF card.

[TjLaZer]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Just like there will be an A1000 version that includes some additional goodies, I am planning a special A2000 version that goes into the 86-pin CPU slot. It's not all that pointless to give the "smaller" Amigas access to the latest A1200 accelerators. 128MByte RAM is not all that common, and I see lots of people trying to get their 2630 upgraded with some RAM, and still living with the slow speed of Z2 harddisk controllers. Hint: The CF card controller on the ACA500 goes well over 4MByte/s, which is twice as fast as any Z2 controller can ever be.

Still pointless?

Jens

Well now that sounds like a good plan especially since it will be a proper A2000 cpu card, I just don't like hacking adaptors to make things work. But I do know Supra did something similar with their Supra Speed 28Mhz 68000 card.

[Schoenfeld]

Last week I've published these pictures of my back-then-favourite idea for CF card support and card standoff.

This week, several offers from service companies arrived, and I have a new favourite! The photo shows it a bit more spectacular than it actually is, therefore I want to experiment with modern super-bright LEDs next week. Normally I don't like products that require you to wear sunglasses because of way-too-bright LEDs, but since the CF cards cover a large part of the light, I guess I need to crank it up a little. Will try what it looks like with two different colours (green for left, red for right), because the light comes out "almost everywhere". It would otherwise be hard to tell which activity LED is flickering.

This transparent material is shock resistant, and although it's not as stiff as the aluminium that I used last week, it stands my highly scientific test of "put down the coffee mug accidently on the inserted card".

What do you think?

Jens

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

Just to ask if you would accept my ACA1220 for update since it has been overclocked with Gold type processor replacing the old ceramic one, obviously voiding the warranty...

Hey, I want to sell an ACA500! Just contact me through the contact form on the website, and we'll sort out the rest there.

Jens

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Last week I've published these pictures of my back-then-favourite idea for CF card support and card standoff.

This week, several offers from service companies arrived, and I have a new favourite! The photo shows it a bit more spectacular than it actually is, therefore I want to experiment with modern super-bright LEDs next week. Normally I don't like products that require you to wear sunglasses because of way-too-bright LEDs, but since the CF cards cover a large part of the light, I guess I need to crank it up a little. Will try what it looks like with two different colours (green for left, red for right), because the light comes out "almost everywhere". It would otherwise be hard to tell which activity LED is flickering.

This transparent material is shock resistant, and although it's not as stiff as the aluminium that I used last week, it stands my highly scientific test of "put down the coffee mug accidently on the inserted card".

What do you think?

Jens

I think the top side needs the protection, transparent or otherwise

[roy bates]

you could simply use two pieces of plastic and stand offs for a cheap and chearfull solution to protection in a sandwich arrangement with the pcb and 1200 card in between.
i dont really mind seeing the innards.

just saying.

although i'll probably make an aluminium full case for it.when i get a chance to get a aca500.

im not too worried about the led's i think there might be a way to make them seen without moving them.but if you fit it with high brightness leds thats even better.

[lukassid]

I don't really like bare pcb's but that ACA500 looks kind a cool.