HC508 Amiga 500 accelerator card

Lord Aga · 15 September 2015, 16:44

I couldn't find anything related to "HC508" so I opened a new thread.
If something about this already exists I respectfully ask the moderators to move this news to the appropriate thread

Anyway...

http://amigaprj.blogspot.rs/2015_09_01_archive.html

What is this ? And who is behind it ? And why isn't there more talk about this ? (with a risk of being silly because there IS a talk about this and I just can't find it).

jiffy · 15 September 2015, 17:06

First I've heard about it. Looks cool and might become a major challenge for the ACA500.

Lord Aga · 15 September 2015, 17:08

Actually I've managed to dig out a thread where the author of this accelerator posted a few times.

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...00+accelerator

But since it doesn't have a thread of its own, I think this can stay, and we can have a discussion here. I have informed at least one member so far, so that is a good thing

I would like mc68K to tell us more about his card and himself.

mc68k · 17 September 2015, 06:51

Hello guys and thank You for the comments.

HC508 is in testing phase. I'll design one more test PCB soon, with 1 MB FlashROM (for the boot menu). Currently it has 512 kB FlashROM, which holds only the Kickstart image.

This is a hobby project, the goal is to prove I can design a complete Amiga 500 accelerator using "simple" equipment.

ptyerman · 17 September 2015, 07:05

Good luck with it, and keep us posted.

voyager_1701e · 17 September 2015, 14:30

Very cool project!

CrashMidnick · 17 September 2015, 14:52

Very nice, impressive ! Good luck with your project !

Lord Aga · 19 September 2015, 11:59

Nice to hear from mc68k

As the boys said - feel free to post even the tiniest of steps here

We love these things.
Where are you from ?

dirkies · 20 September 2015, 12:26

Very nice! Now this deserves a kickstarter campaign! I'd buy one on the fly.

TroyWilkins · 10 November 2016, 11:15

I just found about about this via Youtube suggesting I watch this video: [ Show youtube player ]

Any further news on this one?

mc68k · 10 November 2016, 17:48

Hello Guys,

the live tests went 100% successful. Small amount of fab. made PCBs will arrive this month from China. Shipping of HC508 cards will begin soon.

http://amigaprj.blogspot.com/2016/09...e-version.html

dirkies · 10 November 2016, 17:59

videos please

happymondays · 10 November 2016, 23:15

Fear not, people, I saw a prototype working three weeks ago and mc68k might be too humble to tell you, but it is brilliant.

Sinphaltimus · 11 November 2016, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc68k

Hello Guys,

the live tests went 100% successful. Small amount of fab. made PCBs will arrive this month from China. Shipping of HC508 cards will begin soon.

http://amigaprj.blogspot.com/2016/09...e-version.html

Awesome! Congrats to you! Can't wait to see the final in use/for sale.

Superman · 11 November 2016, 12:17

Now this looks like a very well made card. Great job to all involved in making this

BSzili · 28 November 2016, 12:29

Check out the final PCBs:
http://amigaprj.blogspot.hu/2016/11/...b-release.html

Jope · 28 November 2016, 13:37

Nice! :-)

Sinphaltimus · 28 November 2016, 14:05

Sweet.

happymondays · 06 December 2016, 11:56

I have just got one of the very first batch (pictured on the homepage).
It works perfectly so far, but I have only tested for about two hours and I only have a REV5 board currently. I will hopefully receive a REV8A with 2 MB chip within a couple of days and try to test it more excessively. First impressions: very fast and smooth and comfortable experience I never met before on an A500.

happymondays · 14 January 2017, 00:44

So, now I've been using it for a month with REV8 and 2 MB Chip RAM and it is really almost perfect.
The only thing it's missing is a power connector so you could attach a DVD drive or most of the CF/SD adapters, but it is because of the quasiZorroII port of the A500, does not have to do anything with the card.

You might have already read the specs on its homepage (8 Mb Fast RAM onboard, 68HC000 CPU running at 50 MHz, 40 pin IDE port, CF slot, FlashROM for Kickstart switch between the mobo kick and the flashed one and a nice Boot Menu where you can enable/disable basically every function of the board).

It is utterly brilliant, so my advice is if it starts to get manufactured in bigger numbers hopefully in the near future, this is going to be the way to go if you don't want a high-end Vamped Amiga, but a faster and more usable alternative to your base A500.

The CF slot has a convenient average speed as you might see from my pics attached, but the extra IDE port is much faster. I have tested it with a whole lot of WHDLoad games and demos and everything works just fine (if it does not require AGA or 68020+). I used it with a Gotek as DF0, also as DF1 (I have a boot selector), with every kind of installed games and floppy based games, all perfect.

15 September 2015, 16:44	#1
Lord Aga MI clan prevails Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Belgrade, Serbia Posts: 1,443	HC508 Amiga 500 accelerator card I couldn't find anything related to "HC508" so I opened a new thread. If something about this already exists I respectfully ask the moderators to move this news to the appropriate thread Anyway... http://amigaprj.blogspot.rs/2015_09_01_archive.html What is this ? And who is behind it ? And why isn't there more talk about this ? (with a risk of being silly because there IS a talk about this and I just can't find it).

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15 September 2015, 17:06	#2
jiffy Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Netherlands Posts: 54	First I've heard about it. Looks cool and might become a major challenge for the ACA500.

15 September 2015, 17:08	#3
Lord Aga MI clan prevails Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Belgrade, Serbia Posts: 1,443	Actually I've managed to dig out a thread where the author of this accelerator posted a few times. http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...00+accelerator But since it doesn't have a thread of its own, I think this can stay, and we can have a discussion here. I have informed at least one member so far, so that is a good thing I would like mc68K to tell us more about his card and himself.

17 September 2015, 06:51	#4
mc68k Registered User Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: EU Posts: 27	Hello guys and thank You for the comments. HC508 is in testing phase. I'll design one more test PCB soon, with 1 MB FlashROM (for the boot menu). Currently it has 512 kB FlashROM, which holds only the Kickstart image. This is a hobby project, the goal is to prove I can design a complete Amiga 500 accelerator using "simple" equipment.

17 September 2015, 07:05	#5
ptyerman Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Worksop/UK Age: 59 Posts: 1,328	Good luck with it, and keep us posted.

17 September 2015, 14:30	#6
voyager_1701e Registered User Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Maitland / AUSTRALIA Posts: 205	Very cool project!

17 September 2015, 14:52	#7
CrashMidnick Registered User Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: FRANCE Posts: 222	Very nice, impressive ! Good luck with your project !

19 September 2015, 11:59	#8
Lord Aga MI clan prevails Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Belgrade, Serbia Posts: 1,443	Nice to hear from mc68k As the boys said - feel free to post even the tiniest of steps here We love these things. Where are you from ?

20 September 2015, 12:26	#9
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,296	Very nice! Now this deserves a kickstarter campaign! I'd buy one on the fly.

10 November 2016, 11:15	#10
TroyWilkins Registered User Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 548	I just found about about this via Youtube suggesting I watch this video: [ Show youtube player ] Any further news on this one?

10 November 2016, 17:48	#11
mc68k Registered User Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: EU Posts: 27	Hello Guys, the live tests went 100% successful. Small amount of fab. made PCBs will arrive this month from China. Shipping of HC508 cards will begin soon. http://amigaprj.blogspot.com/2016/09...e-version.html

10 November 2016, 17:59	#12
dirkies Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Belgium Age: 51 Posts: 1,296	videos please

10 November 2016, 23:15	#13
happymondays Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Szeged Posts: 219	Fear not, people, I saw a prototype working three weeks ago and mc68k might be too humble to tell you, but it is brilliant.

11 November 2016, 12:17	#15
Superman Super Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Wakefield Age: 48 Posts: 1,334	Now this looks like a very well made card. Great job to all involved in making this

28 November 2016, 12:29	#16
BSzili old chunk of coal Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Hungary Posts: 1,289	Check out the final PCBs: http://amigaprj.blogspot.hu/2016/11/...b-release.html

28 November 2016, 13:37	#17
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	Nice! :-)

28 November 2016, 14:05	#18
Sinphaltimus Registered User Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Cresco, PA, USA Age: 53 Posts: 1,126	Sweet.

06 December 2016, 11:56	#19
happymondays Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Szeged Posts: 219	I have just got one of the very first batch (pictured on the homepage). It works perfectly so far, but I have only tested for about two hours and I only have a REV5 board currently. I will hopefully receive a REV8A with 2 MB chip within a couple of days and try to test it more excessively. First impressions: very fast and smooth and comfortable experience I never met before on an A500.

14 January 2017, 00:44	#20
happymondays Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Szeged Posts: 219	So, now I've been using it for a month with REV8 and 2 MB Chip RAM and it is really almost perfect. The only thing it's missing is a power connector so you could attach a DVD drive or most of the CF/SD adapters, but it is because of the quasiZorroII port of the A500, does not have to do anything with the card. You might have already read the specs on its homepage (8 Mb Fast RAM onboard, 68HC000 CPU running at 50 MHz, 40 pin IDE port, CF slot, FlashROM for Kickstart switch between the mobo kick and the flashed one and a nice Boot Menu where you can enable/disable basically every function of the board). It is utterly brilliant, so my advice is if it starts to get manufactured in bigger numbers hopefully in the near future, this is going to be the way to go if you don't want a high-end Vamped Amiga, but a faster and more usable alternative to your base A500. The CF slot has a convenient average speed as you might see from my pics attached, but the extra IDE port is much faster. I have tested it with a whole lot of WHDLoad games and demos and everything works just fine (if it does not require AGA or 68020+). I used it with a Gotek as DF0, also as DF1 (I have a boot selector), with every kind of installed games and floppy based games, all perfect.

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