New CPU card for A4000. - Page 3

tom256 · 14 January 2015, 23:14

Any news, Strim??

strim · 15 January 2015, 00:00

Not much news to be honest (at least nothing interesting for an end user). The project continues, we are still working on the first prototype. Also we had quick distraction/break in form of new external floppy drives

Regarding Decelerator I can't say much more yet. Order PPA#14 and check out the last page

.

04 April 2015, 03:05

Just checking in. I'm interested in your decelerator project, as I can see a specific use for it.

I use an A3000 using Amiga Unix. I'd love to increase the performance, but Amiga Unix works with a 68030 at best. So I've been looking for something like a Blizzard 4030 or a Eureka Afterburner. However, neither of those options give any more memory. For Amiga Unix, (or as the release notes claim) all the memory to be used must be contiguous, so this would mean that the additional memory would have to be at x800 0000 in the processor slot (and the motherboard would have to be fully populated) to have more than 16MB or memory. So I'm curious whether this board would be able to provide both a speed increase (a 68030 running at 50MHz,) and a RAM increase beyond 16MB.

strim · 04 April 2015, 09:25

Quote:

all the memory to be used must be contiguous, so this would mean that the additional memory would have to be at x800 0000 in the processor slot (and the motherboard would have to be fully populated)

No problem here, all the Decelerator memory will be in the processor slot area and contiguous.

Quote:

So I'm curious whether this board would be able to provide both a speed increase (a 68030 running at 50MHz,) and a RAM increase beyond 16MB.

We'll be offering 68030/50MHz version (perhaps this version will be in preorder only), but when it comes to memory for now only 8MB/16MB versions will be produced. So if you have 16MB on the motherboard and buy 16MB Decelerator, you'd have 32MB together

.

However, additional features of Decelerator such as environment monitoring and SD interface would require new drivers for AMIX written. I'd be happy to provide the documentation and prototype card to anyone willing to do it, but don't have resources (time...) to do it myself. I expect prototypes to be ready by mid-year.

04 April 2015, 15:03

I was looking over the schematics. I didn't see a math coprocessor. I'm not sure if it gets used on the systems it is installed in or not. Any thoughts?

Locutus · 04 April 2015, 16:28

If there is no FPU i wouldnt be suprised if AMIX doesnt work.

AMIX was only ever released on systems with a FPU and i doubt the kernel has a FPU emulator.

strim · 04 April 2015, 16:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locutus

If there is no FPU i wouldnt be suprised if AMIX doesnt work.

AMIX was only ever released on systems with a FPU and i doubt the kernel has a FPU emulator.

After googling a bit, it seems you are right. I might reconsider adding a place for FPU socket, but at later stage of development.

Locutus · 07 April 2015, 07:35

FPU shouldnt add that much complexity to the board iirc, just need to keep in mind the higher busload.

strim · 07 June 2015, 23:06

Some progress on the card...

tassel · 08 June 2015, 08:25

Hi,

This is good news

If you are able to finnish this cpu card, I'm interested in one to replace my old cpu card.
An 030 running at 50Mhz is a good choise in my opinion, it's a more common CPU than the 060 that is starting to get pretty expensive. I will for sure buy this card if i got the chance to get one

Good luck with the project

Locutus · 08 June 2015, 08:39

Nice!

I saw that a new board was added to the git repo, time to check it out :-)

One thing i noticed, FPU will not be implemented? Did you check what AMIX does without a FPU?

strim · 08 June 2015, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locutus

One thing i noticed, FPU will not be implemented?

It might get implemented in the future. This is just the first prototype board.

Quote:

Did you check what AMIX does without a FPU?

I didn't, but I'd expect it to kernel panic or just not start.

strim · 29 August 2015, 20:18

The final prototype PCB is on GitHub now:
https://github.com/Sakura-IT/decelerator4030

Locutus · 29 August 2015, 21:58

Just checked it out and imported it into KiCAD, for some odd reason a lot of - what i would expect to be vias - are shown as pin headers.

Is this some strange KiCAD file exchange bug or something? (i never used KiCAD much, ultiboard user).

strim · 29 August 2015, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locutus

Just checked it out and imported it into KiCAD, for some odd reason a lot of - what i would expect to be vias - are shown as pin headers.

You're probably seeing test points. They're going to accommodate this kind of receptacles: http://pl.farnell.com/multicomp/r50-...der/dp/1568262

Locutus · 29 August 2015, 23:20

ahhhh right, my bad

tnt23 · 02 September 2015, 08:26

Hey strim, this is cool! Could you put all those libs on GitHub as well? My KiCad complains about missing a good bunch of them when opening the project.

Locutus · 02 September 2015, 08:53

The libraries are here: https://github.com/Sakura-IT/kicad-m...ree/master/lib

strim · 27 October 2015, 19:48

Some pics of the PCBs

http://c0ff33.net/drop/DSCN6362.JPG

http://c0ff33.net/drop/DSCN6365.JPG

Bastich · 27 October 2015, 19:51

This is looking great

Thanks for all your continuing hard work

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Would an A1200 cpu slot to A4000 cpu slot work ?	SimonV	Amiga scene	2	23 April 2014 08:53
For sale JiffyDOS chips, Rex 9811 card C64, 68010 CPU, CBM 1750 card, Micronik Scandy	PPC	MarketPlace	0	19 July 2011 19:40
WTB: A3640 CPU card for A4000	Akiko	MarketPlace	1	11 June 2011 11:42
Strange A4000 kicksart rom chips and EC030 cpu card with mmu?	keropi	support.Hardware	5	01 August 2006 09:26

14 January 2015, 23:14	#41
tom256 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Poland Posts: 166	Any news, Strim??

15 January 2015, 00:00	#42
strim NetBSD developer Join Date: May 2012 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 411	Not much news to be honest (at least nothing interesting for an end user). The project continues, we are still working on the first prototype. Also we had quick distraction/break in form of new external floppy drives Regarding Decelerator I can't say much more yet. Order PPA#14 and check out the last page .

04 April 2015, 03:05	#43
mackbw Posts: n/a	Just checking in. I'm interested in your decelerator project, as I can see a specific use for it. I use an A3000 using Amiga Unix. I'd love to increase the performance, but Amiga Unix works with a 68030 at best. So I've been looking for something like a Blizzard 4030 or a Eureka Afterburner. However, neither of those options give any more memory. For Amiga Unix, (or as the release notes claim) all the memory to be used must be contiguous, so this would mean that the additional memory would have to be at x800 0000 in the processor slot (and the motherboard would have to be fully populated) to have more than 16MB or memory. So I'm curious whether this board would be able to provide both a speed increase (a 68030 running at 50MHz,) and a RAM increase beyond 16MB.

04 April 2015, 15:03	#45
mackbw Posts: n/a	I was looking over the schematics. I didn't see a math coprocessor. I'm not sure if it gets used on the systems it is installed in or not. Any thoughts?

04 April 2015, 16:28	#46
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	If there is no FPU i wouldnt be suprised if AMIX doesnt work. AMIX was only ever released on systems with a FPU and i doubt the kernel has a FPU emulator.

07 April 2015, 07:35	#48
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	FPU shouldnt add that much complexity to the board iirc, just need to keep in mind the higher busload.

07 June 2015, 23:06	#49
strim NetBSD developer Join Date: May 2012 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 411	Some progress on the card...

08 June 2015, 08:25	#50
tassel Tassel / LaBaN Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Kristiansand / Norway Posts: 42	Hi, This is good news If you are able to finnish this cpu card, I'm interested in one to replace my old cpu card. An 030 running at 50Mhz is a good choise in my opinion, it's a more common CPU than the 060 that is starting to get pretty expensive. I will for sure buy this card if i got the chance to get one Good luck with the project

08 June 2015, 08:39	#51
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	Nice! I saw that a new board was added to the git repo, time to check it out :-) One thing i noticed, FPU will not be implemented? Did you check what AMIX does without a FPU?

29 August 2015, 20:18	#53
strim NetBSD developer Join Date: May 2012 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 411	The final prototype PCB is on GitHub now: https://github.com/Sakura-IT/decelerator4030

29 August 2015, 21:58	#54
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	Just checked it out and imported it into KiCAD, for some odd reason a lot of - what i would expect to be vias - are shown as pin headers. Is this some strange KiCAD file exchange bug or something? (i never used KiCAD much, ultiboard user).

29 August 2015, 23:20	#56
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	ahhhh right, my bad

02 September 2015, 08:26	#57
tnt23 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Saint-Petersburg / Russia Posts: 324	Hey strim, this is cool! Could you put all those libs on GitHub as well? My KiCad complains about missing a good bunch of them when opening the project.

02 September 2015, 08:53	#58
Locutus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 1,176	The libraries are here: https://github.com/Sakura-IT/kicad-m...ree/master/lib

27 October 2015, 19:48	#59
strim NetBSD developer Join Date: May 2012 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 411	Some pics of the PCBs http://c0ff33.net/drop/DSCN6362.JPG http://c0ff33.net/drop/DSCN6365.JPG

27 October 2015, 19:51	#60
Bastich Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: UK Posts: 341	This is looking great Thanks for all your continuing hard work

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)