Individual Computers - New accelerator cards for A600 & A1200

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by RMK

Jens,

Just out of interest, when did you start developing these boards?

essentially in 2006. Large parts of the ACA630 design that I've made in summer 2006 were "recycled" in this ACA630 design. When I did ZorRAM together with Michael Boemher, I collected more and more ideas of how to implement an SD-Ram controller in a CPLD (and not in an FPGA),

I collected all this in august of this year and (re-)started the project, but with all this work that has gone into it before I did a new PCB (which is only a fraction of the work), you shouldn't say "it was done in three months". My estimate for "development time" including Oliver's tools and optimizations, my previous work, eMails exchanged with Michael and GB "did you solve detail XY the same way?", I guess it's safe to say that there is one man-year of development in these boards.

Jens

[cosmiq]

Yesterday I managed to buy an old A600 from a colleague. I tested it right away and it works So I'm also about to order the nice 4GB HD and the new accelerator card.

But now I wonder, what to do with all that nice speed and space? I'm still wanting it, no matter what, but still.. what do you guys do with it? Demo's, gfx, games? What's the finest stuff I should definitely see?

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by cosmiq

Yesterday I managed to buy an old A600 from a colleague. I tested it right away and it works So I'm also about to order the nice 4GB HD and the new accelerator card.

You should NOT use a HD. It will not fit with ACA630: The keyboard would stand on it and the case top doesn't close.

Use something flash-based instead.

Originally Posted by cosmiq

But now I wonder, what to do with all that nice speed and space? I'm still wanting it, no matter what, but still.. what do you guys do with it? Demo's, gfx, games? What's the finest stuff I should definitely see?

WHDload.

Jens

[Predseda]

There is a special topic about it, but I will use my ACA 630's speed to fast work in a system and its memory to playing WHDload games (which I had to solve through uncomfortable PCMICIA SRAM card before). Plus a little bit of internet (jabber and emails).

[duga]

Originally Posted by duga

What will the PSU requirements be for the three versions?

For example: A1200+ACA1230/56+internal diskdrive+CF-adapter. 2A@5V? 3A?

Any measurements done yet by Jens or Amigakit?

[cosmiq]

My mistake (typo) -
Of course I meant the 4gb CF :
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=883

I don't want to use the hammer/jigsaw as seen in the ultimate A600 upgrade page :P

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by FOL

huh?

I posted after you in reply to your comment, yet yours vanished and appeared after my reply to it, lol.

Well wierd unless you deleted your old one?

No, my old post is there too:

Originally Posted by Retrofan

@Amigakit how do the preorders go? The better for you, the better for all of us...

The latest is similar to this to which you replied that "every buy is important", so as it doesn't say how they are going I take my own conclusions...

BTW (off topic) I've just bought you another clockport riser, now it seems to me I'll need two for my Fast-Ata Gold.

[Retrofan]

Is it only an impression I have or have I choosen a good year to start into the Amiga Scene?

All that projects can take years to develope: accelerators, Indivision Aga, Minimig, although there are others closed like the Elbox Fast Ata...

One thing I like is the message "Most users ever online was 563, 17 November 2010 at 12:09.", so I think this has to be a good year to start

[Amigaman]

@ Jens

Slightly off topic, but Retrofan has reminded me; Will you be doing any more batches of YOUR fast ATA controller?

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Amigaman

@ Jens

Slightly off topic, but Retrofan has reminded me; Will you be doing any more batches of YOUR fast ATA controller?

IDEFIX Express?

[Schoenfeld]

SATA is the way to go. I would not make a new product with PATA any more. However, I have to empty the pipe before I start anything new. Let's roll out Indivision AGA MK2 and Chameleon, then see what I can do to accelerate the A500, then think about fast mass-storage.

Jens

[Paul_s]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

SATA is the way to go. I would not make a new product with PATA any more. However, I have to empty the pipe before I start anything new. Let's roll out Indivision AGA MK2 and Chameleon, then see what I can do to accelerate the A500, then think about fast mass-storage.

Jens

Jens if you make an A500 accelerator I will be on cloud 9. Put the A500 on tops with 13MIPS

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

Jens if you make an A500 accelerator I will be on cloud 9. Put the A500 on tops with 13MIPS

You sure you arent on clound nine already, lol.

[Paul_s]

The 500 fanclub demand POWER! POWER! More than the 1200 and 4000! /waves fist manically.

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

SATA is the way to go. I would not make a new product with PATA any more. However, I have to empty the pipe before I start anything new. Let's roll out Indivision AGA MK2 and Chameleon, then see what I can do to accelerate the A500, then think about fast mass-storage.

Jens

About fast ata, accelerators and increasing the Amiga speed, which is better: a HD that has a transfer rate of 100Mb/s or a CF HD? (like my Trascend that is 133x, so it's 20Mb/s or my Sandisk's ones that are 30Mb/s). I think I've heard there's some kind of limit for the Amiga Ide, so it doesn't matter an speed above it without a fast mass-storage device?

Will an accelerator alone take benefit of a faster HD transfer rate?

EDIT: Perhaps I'm asking things that don't have any relationship.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

SATA is the way to go.

If you require any help on that just ask. The company I work for designed the chips that E3B use for the Subway and we also make many different chips including SATA bridges which I could get for you. Not to mention I worked on the SATA core. We also have a transparent PCIe->PCI bridge if anyone wanted to make a PCIe version of the Mediator (or use PCIe cards with a mediator).

[Amigaman]

Originally Posted by FOL

IDEFIX Express?

Yeah thats the one.

You guys seem to be out of everything but the standard ones (old Eyetech stock?) Was just hoping to have some faster options available for the 1200.

Still, if Jens wants to go SATA route, then thats cool too.

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by alexh

The company I work for designed the chips that E3B use for the Subway and we also make many different chips including SATA bridges which I could get for you.

The decision on the SATA chipset has been made already. Besides, looking at the price of that UHC chip, I doubt that you can compete with the one I've chosen. Remember that I'll have to spend big time on a CPLD to make a fast 32-bit access, so every cent I can save on the rest of the hardware is extremely valuable.

Too late for the decision, and too early to discuss any details. Let's focus on what's ahead.

Jens

[gibs]

@amigarobbo : thaaaaannnkkkssss going to try tonight.

edit: argh I forgot it needed a 68020 mini

[rockersuke]

Originally Posted by CU_AMIGA

Yes! Oh, speaking of special wot do you think of my new avatar! :-P

Oh my! That shows there's just one little step from Alexh to... La Bruja Avería!

For the un-initiated, Bruja Avería was an evil witch in a cherised spanish kids TV show from the happy 80's whose characters were losely based on famous local new wave stars

[ Show youtube player ]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

This card came from a member of these boards, its actually very reliable - I ran it at Retr0 Replay for 4 hours, in constant use playing games with no issues.

Thanks! That info was relevant to my questions! If your Apollo behaved nicely after 4 hours of intense work then I can reasonably expect ACA630 to do so for some more time with the new desing, that lot of heatsinkers, and so on... (but then, the Apollo had a fan... huum... sunk in a sea of doubts again! ) Anyway, It's too late now. I waited till the very last minute before leaving for vacation yesterday. Now there is a slim chance I can find a computer here I trust enough to make money operations with! ^_^'

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