Wicher 500i classic turbo card for A500 (internal version)

[patrik]

Originally Posted by spidi

enc28j60.device driver for Wicher 500i alive

[ Show youtube player ]

Great work!

Also watched the second video [ Show youtube player ], where it looks like you almost halved the ping response time.

It would be very interesting to see a ttcp test against a machine on your local network. This would remove a couple of variables of the wget test you did in the seconds video, like internet connection speed, wget disk I/O and console output overhead - focusing as much as possible on the performance of the hardware, network driver and TCP/IP-stack.

If you for example want to test receiving data on the Amiga, like in the wget test, you first start ttcp in receiving mode on the Amiga like this:
> ttcp -s -r

Then, on the other machine on your local network, you start sending data with ttcp to the Amiga like this:
> ttcp -s -t amigahostname-or-ipaddress

To test sending speed with the Amiga, just reverse the ttcp roles between the machines.

There are a couple of ways to get ttcp:
source
Linux x86_64 binary
Linux arm binary
OS X x86_64 binary
Windows binary

Another option is to use iperf 2 instead of ttcp.

Iperf 2 in ttcp-compatible receive mode:
> iperf -C -s

Iperf 2 as ttcp-compatible send:
> iperf -C -n 16M -c amigahostname-or-ipaddress

On the receiving machine, TCP port 5001 needs to be open. This should not be a problem on the Amiga, but might need to be addressed on the other machine depending on OS.

[spidi]

Originally Posted by patrik

Great work!

Also watched the second video [ Show youtube player ], where it looks like you almost halved the ping response time.

It would be very interesting to see a ttcp test against a machine on your local network. This would remove a couple of variables of the wget test you did in the seconds video, like internet connection speed, wget disk I/O and console output overhead - focusing as much as possible on the performance of the hardware, network driver and TCP/IP-stack.

If you for example want to test receiving data on the Amiga, like in the wget test, you first start ttcp in receiving mode on the Amiga like this:
> ttcp -s -r

Then, on the other machine on your local network, you start sending data with ttcp to the Amiga like this:
> ttcp -s -t amigahostname-or-ipaddress

To test sending speed with the Amiga, just reverse the ttcp roles between the machines.

There are a couple of ways to get ttcp:
source
Linux x86_64 binary
Linux arm binary
OS X x86_64 binary
Windows binary

Another option is to use iperf 2 instead of ttcp.

Iperf 2 in ttcp-compatible receive mode:
> iperf -C -s

Iperf 2 as ttcp-compatible send:
> iperf -C -n 16M -c amigahostname-or-ipaddress

On the receiving machine, TCP port 5001 needs to be open. This should not be a problem on the Amiga, but might need to be addressed on the other machine depending on OS.

Here is the test result (I changed the stack of tcp/ip on RoadShow, it's faster than Miami)

[patrik]

@spidi:

Thanks for testing, very interesting to see the results! A bit over 50kByte/sec in both directions is not bad for a 68000 Amiga. To give a comparison, I tested the speeds with ttcp on an A600 with C-Net 10MBit PCMCIA several years ago and got 69kByte/sec send and 104kByte/sec receive.

Do you know what the upper limit of the SPI-interface is? For example, a timed test with say 1000000 reads directly from a register on the network chip?

Btw, how much difference did the switch from Miami to Roadshow do?

Btw2, the default ttcp setting is to send 16MBytes of data, which as you see takes a lof of time at these speeds. You can change this on the sending end of ttcp with the -n argument. For example, with this speed, "ttcp -n64 -s -t hostnameorip" would send 0.5MBytes and take ~10s, which is enough time to make the test dependable.

[graffias79]

I'm having stability issues as well. No LMB boot menu either. I've noticed that the FPGA on the card gets kind of hot. Is that normal? Booting from CF generally results in an almost instant Guru. It worked once but not many times after that. I've ordered another 68HC000 in case the one I have is a fake or defective.

Same Symptoms

[spidi]

Originally Posted by graffias79

I'm having stability issues as well. No LMB boot menu either. I've noticed that the FPGA on the card gets kind of hot. Is that normal? Booting from CF generally results in an almost instant Guru. It worked once but not many times after that. I've ordered another 68HC000 in case the one I have is a fake or defective.

At what frequency does the reboot take place?
High temperature is a normal symptom for the CPLD.
Not every processor can be overclocked above 25MHz. The same applies to memory.
It is also important what voltage supply occurs in point C1, If it is below 4.85V there will be problems with stability.

[graffias79]

Hmm I have done some further testing. I removed the turbo jumpers and have been working at 7MHz just to be sure the CPU frequency wasn't at fault. The problem seems to be RAM. I have tried a few different 8MB 60ns memory modules that I have.

I figured out that the command C:Wicher LOAD CFGRAM causes the system to reboot with a guru.

If I comment that line out of the s:wicher-startup file it loads workbench but I am left with a strange number for FastRAM. Usually something that looks like 10 12 or once even 18 MB of RAM. The system then eventually fails and reboots, even at 7MHz.

I am using rev.2a which I bought from Inertial Computing. I downloaded the Wicher Installer v2.2 adf file from the Retro 7-bit site. Is there a mismatch with the software perhaps?

I should also add that I am using an NTSC Amiga 500 Rev 6A with Kickstart 2.05 and Workbench 2.1. I also have a 2MB Agnus/2MB ChipRAM board installed.

[spidi]

Originally Posted by graffias79

Hmm I have done some further testing. I removed the turbo jumpers and have been working at 7MHz just to be sure the CPU frequency wasn't at fault. The problem seems to be RAM. I have tried a few different 8MB 60ns memory modules that I have.

I figured out that the command C:Wicher LOAD CFGRAM causes the system to reboot with a guru.

If I comment that line out of the s:wicher-startup file it loads workbench but I am left with a strange number for FastRAM. Usually something that looks like 10 12 or once even 18 MB of RAM. The system then eventually fails and reboots, even at 7MHz.

I am using rev.2a which I bought from Inertial Computing. I downloaded the Wicher Installer v2.2 adf file from the Retro 7-bit site. Is there a mismatch with the software perhaps?

I should also add that I am using an NTSC Amiga 500 Rev 6A with Kickstart 2.05 and Workbench 2.1. I also have a 2MB Agnus/2MB ChipRAM board installed.

What exact version of Kickstart do you have? 37.350?

[graffias79]

Originally Posted by spidi

What exact version of Kickstart do you have? 37.350?

Yep, 37.350. I was told that I would need at least 2.05 to boot from IDE or CF. I still have my 2.04 37.175 ROM somewhere.

[spidi]

Originally Posted by graffias79

Yep, 37.350. I was told that I would need at least 2.05 to boot from IDE or CF. I still have my 2.04 37.175 ROM somewhere.

OK, I'll check it on my card. Please, give me serial number of the card on a private message.

[spidi]

New batch of the Wicher 500i rev.2c is available - 7-bit

[patrik]

Read in your changelog that you have added maprom support along the way, good stuff!

[spidi]

Originally Posted by patrik

Read in your changelog that you have added maprom support along the way, good stuff!

Yes, maprom function supports a 512kB kickstart.

[nolunchman]

is it possible to boot from HD with 1.3

Originally Posted by spidi

Yes, maprom function supports a 512kB kickstart.

wicher 500i rev c with 2.2 (21.9.18)

I am unable to get this to work, when I specify a rom image I get the
"Not support..."


Here is the command I am using:

wicher maprom idh0:kick31.rom


Admittedly, I don't know what I'm doing. Could you show us how to use it?

[spidi]

Originally Posted by astrobleem

wicher 500i rev c with 2.2 (21.9.18)

I am unable to get this to work, when I specify a rom image I get the
"Not support..."


Here is the command I am using:

wicher maprom idh0:kick31.rom


Admittedly, I don't know what I'm doing. Could you show us how to use it?

Correct syntax is the wicher maprom=on.
Can not be mapped from a file.

[spidi]

Originally Posted by nolunchman

is it possible to boot from HD with 1.3

No.

[Toki]

I've installed the Wicher card (it's fantastic by the way.....), but I'm having a problem installing the software. At the end of the installation it says it has installed the InstallWicher to RAM: but I cannot see it in RAM or anywhere else - no icon in prefs and it doesn't boot when I switch on with the mouse button pressed. Any ideas?

thanks

I have problems over problems witch the Wicher 500i 2c.

A500 Boards: v8.1 and v6.5..... wicher run with 25 Mhz let Zeewolf run, after 15 Min. Crash.
1.3, 2.0 or 3.1, MC68hc000FN20 or Motorola MC68hc000FN8 nothings help.
I have two 8 MB Ram that works in the other turbocarts.

I think the Exilinx cpu on the Wicher overheat and go unstable.
When i put the Amiga for 1 Min. off, the Wicher goes for any Minutes ok.

The Wicher don`t work with the GVP A500-HD+ and Kickrom 1.3.

I send the Wicher next week back to Vesalia, because it`s not my Job to redisign or Patch the Wicher or to thinking about how i can make the Wicher cooler.

The Wicher is a great Idea but the Developer don`t think to the end.

[spidi]

Originally Posted by Anonymous

I have problems over problems witch the Wicher 500i 2c.

A500 Boards: v8.1 and v6.5..... wicher run with 25 Mhz let Zeewolf run, after 15 Min. Crash.
1.3, 2.0 or 3.1, MC68hc000FN20 or Motorola MC68hc000FN8 nothings help.
I have two 8 MB Ram that works in the other turbocarts.

I think the Exilinx cpu on the Wicher overheat and go unstable.
When i put the Amiga for 1 Min. off, the Wicher goes for any Minutes ok.

The Wicher don`t work with the GVP A500-HD+ and Kickrom 1.3.

I send the Wicher next week back to Vesalia, because it`s not my Job to redisign or Patch the Wicher or to thinking about how i can make the Wicher cooler.

The Wicher is a great Idea but the Developer don`t think to the end.

It looks like your processors are not stable at 25MHz. Lower the clock speed to 16MHz or 12MHz. Remember that even the MC68hc000FN20 processor is overclocked and may not work at 25MHz. Assuming that this is not a fake.

I do not know the technical condition of the MC68000 processor socket on the motherboard. The poor condition of processor socket on motherboard may cause unstable work.