The AAA Chip

Antiriad · 28 July 2003, 13:02

Can someone here tell me about this never released or finalised successor to the AGA chipset?

What was it capable of doing? What machine was it destined for? What went wrong?

manicx · 28 July 2003, 14:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Antiriad
What went wrong?

Well this is an original answer! Commodore went bankrupt!!!

Interceptor · 28 July 2003, 14:49

AAA chipset an AGA chipset are one in the same i'm sure.

they just changed the way they referred to it just before they released the A4000.

killergorilla · 28 July 2003, 14:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Interceptor
AAA chipset an AGA chipset are one in the same i'm sure.

they just changed the way they referred to it just before they released the A4000.

No true (I think)

You're referring to AGA and AA chipset. The AAA was the supposed succesor but never got around to production.

derSammler · 28 July 2003, 14:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Interceptor
AAA chipset an AGA chipset are one in the same i'm sure.

they just changed the way they referred to it just before they released the A4000.

No, AGA is also called AA, but not AAA. The AAA chipset was part of the Nyx Prototype:

http://www.amiga-hardware.com/nyx.html

Rotr · 28 July 2003, 14:58

As I remember the chipset only exists in software ( simulation ). I think I read something about it in CU Amiga or AF.

killergorilla · 28 July 2003, 15:27

It also exists in my mind where I dream up all sorts of excellent games.

Rotr · 28 July 2003, 15:36

LOL

With commodore you were never sure!

fiath · 28 July 2003, 15:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Rotr
As I remember the chipset only exists in software ( simulation ). I think I read something about it in CU Amiga or AF.

You mean perhaps a VLSI design?

I though Dave Haynie was selling a prototype board not so long ago anyway. It didn't work AFAIR (i.e. they broke it), but at least it did exist.

Rotr · 28 July 2003, 15:56

@fiath

Not exactly, VLSI ( very large scale integration ) is allready the hardware but if my understanding about the hardware development process is correct ( I'm not at all sure if it is! ), the hardware is first simulated on a logic simulator an "emulator" if you will. But reading the link provided by WindowsKiller they might have been further down the line after all.

Interceptor · 28 July 2003, 19:33

of course, AA, thats the one!

sorry about that.....ahem.......

FromWithin · 28 July 2003, 19:53

You want to look for information on the Hombre chipset.

Phiber · 28 July 2003, 19:54

The AAA chipset did infact exist, a prototype motherboard with AAA chips can be seen from clips filmed by Dave Haynie on his last day at work in Commodore Inc's Factories before closing it's doors for good..

http://www.mmhart.com/downloads.htm <- here, under amiga downloads are links to the clips..

especially 05aaa.mpeg is something interesting to watch

FromWithin · 28 July 2003, 19:55

Actually, you seem to be able to get tons of information from the Amiga History Guide

Nyarlathotep · 28 July 2003, 22:25

There is a good PDF with an overview of AAA.
In the Zone.

Shadowfire · 29 July 2003, 02:58

AAA did exist, in silicon. At Devcon 93 in Orlando, Dave Haynie showed the crowd the "prototype" AAA motherboard (a picture of which showed up in one of the magazines... Commodore was NOT happy about that). He said, that in fact the first revision WAS done, but that someone had plugged one of the chips in the motherboard in reverse, and blown it... which was the only reason there wasn't a working prototype at the show.

I still have the Devcon notes which go into great detail about the chipset's capabilities. Among other things, it had built-in high density floppy support, CDROM support, support for a scanline-interleaving type of technology (with two video chips), you could put the pixel pipeline in "reverse" to digitize video signals, more video modes (no "true" 24-bit chunky modes IIRC, but a 24-bit semichunky mode (3 bitplanes, one with red, blue, and green data)), and other stuff I can't recall at this time.

Unknown_K · 29 July 2003, 05:42

Was it going to be much better then the AGA setup?

jmmijo · 29 July 2003, 05:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Phiber
The AAA chipset did infact exist, a prototype motherboard with AAA chips can be seen from clips filmed by Dave Haynie on his last day at work in Commodore Inc's Factories before closing it's doors for good..

http://www.mmhart.com/downloads.htm <- here, under amiga downloads are links to the clips..

especially 05aaa.mpeg is something interesting to watch

Man, the link seems to be down right now

Perhaps too many of us were sucking the bandwidth dry

AmiGer · 29 July 2003, 08:11

Quote:

Originally posted by FromWithin
Actually, you seem to be able to get tons of information from the Amiga History Guide

Yes, very nice link, look here.

Maybe with these informations Toni can emulate the AAA chipset...

TheBoss · 29 July 2003, 09:25

But what would we need AAA support for even if it was possible? No amiga software supports it anyway.

28 July 2003, 13:02	#1
Antiriad The Sacred Armour Of Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sussex, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,141	The AAA Chip Can someone here tell me about this never released or finalised successor to the AGA chipset? What was it capable of doing? What machine was it destined for? What went wrong?

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28 July 2003, 14:49	#3
Interceptor Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Essex, UK Posts: 414	AAA chipset an AGA chipset are one in the same i'm sure. they just changed the way they referred to it just before they released the A4000.

28 July 2003, 14:58	#6
Rotr Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 47	As I remember the chipset only exists in software ( simulation ). I think I read something about it in CU Amiga or AF.

28 July 2003, 15:27	#7
killergorilla Lesser Talent Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK Age: 42 Posts: 7,957	It also exists in my mind where I dream up all sorts of excellent games.

28 July 2003, 15:36	#8
Rotr Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 47	LOL With commodore you were never sure!

28 July 2003, 15:56	#10
Rotr Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 47	@fiath Not exactly, VLSI ( very large scale integration ) is allready the hardware but if my understanding about the hardware development process is correct ( I'm not at all sure if it is! ), the hardware is first simulated on a logic simulator an "emulator" if you will. But reading the link provided by WindowsKiller they might have been further down the line after all.

28 July 2003, 19:33	#11
Interceptor Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Essex, UK Posts: 414	of course, AA, thats the one! sorry about that.....ahem.......

28 July 2003, 19:53	#12
FromWithin Music lord Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Liverpool, UK Age: 50 Posts: 630	You want to look for information on the Hombre chipset.

28 July 2003, 19:54	#13
Phiber Hardware Freak Join Date: May 2002 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 50 Posts: 222	The AAA chipset did infact exist, a prototype motherboard with AAA chips can be seen from clips filmed by Dave Haynie on his last day at work in Commodore Inc's Factories before closing it's doors for good.. http://www.mmhart.com/downloads.htm <- here, under amiga downloads are links to the clips.. especially 05aaa.mpeg is something interesting to watch

28 July 2003, 19:55	#14
FromWithin Music lord Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Liverpool, UK Age: 50 Posts: 630	Actually, you seem to be able to get tons of information from the Amiga History Guide

28 July 2003, 22:25	#15
Nyarlathotep Zone Friend Join Date: May 2002 Location: Italy Posts: 148	There is a good PDF with an overview of AAA. In the Zone.

29 July 2003, 02:58	#16
Shadowfire Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Connecticut USA Posts: 617	AAA did exist, in silicon. At Devcon 93 in Orlando, Dave Haynie showed the crowd the "prototype" AAA motherboard (a picture of which showed up in one of the magazines... Commodore was NOT happy about that). He said, that in fact the first revision WAS done, but that someone had plugged one of the chips in the motherboard in reverse, and blown it... which was the only reason there wasn't a working prototype at the show. I still have the Devcon notes which go into great detail about the chipset's capabilities. Among other things, it had built-in high density floppy support, CDROM support, support for a scanline-interleaving type of technology (with two video chips), you could put the pixel pipeline in "reverse" to digitize video signals, more video modes (no "true" 24-bit chunky modes IIRC, but a 24-bit semichunky mode (3 bitplanes, one with red, blue, and green data)), and other stuff I can't recall at this time.

29 July 2003, 05:42	#17
Unknown_K Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio/USA Age: 55 Posts: 1,380	Was it going to be much better then the AGA setup?

29 July 2003, 09:25	#20
TheBoss Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Denmark Posts: 840	But what would we need AAA support for even if it was possible? No amiga software supports it anyway.

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