New products for C64 and Amiga from Individual Computers

[paulo_becas]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

the plan is to cover the expenses of the third prototype by removing the steel cover from the equation. The board has a total of four grounded mount holes, so whoever wants to design a case has the possibility to do so.

I was hoping that it could include a case.
I hope that Amigakit or Vesalia came up with a suplier for cases like with the Raspberry Pi

[moijk]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

The third prototype has (almost) the same schematics as the second prototype, but a different shape (flat, wide design). Will post pictures later today.

I see, i just guessed the first was the 520 to 500, since i didn't know of the last one. but for me, the tall one would be the best one given i have more space upwards than sideways in my install. The gvp hd+ i got now is a bit too wide for my space. BUT it allows for a gvp hd+ style a500-ish case.

But it will not stop me from buying one or two whatever you do to it, as long as it does allow for whdload

[daro2096]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

When it's done.

Can you give a time frame? Is it going to be weeks, months, years, decades?

[Mr B]

A couple of months from the MKII's release, is whats been said. Your guess on a couple, is as good as anyone elses. He doesn't know, as far as i know there isn't even any focus on development right now, he's trying to accommodate all the requests for the ACA500, and tend to his real means of funding, developing stuff for larger corporations.

[paulo_becas]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Great idea. Why don't you start with the outer design and then add the holes where to add screws&bolts later when you have your board? I normally don't work for free.

Jens

You're absolutely right. Do you think it's possible for you to make a case and sell it as a addon for the ACA500? Like you did with the RTC for the ACA1220/1230.
If you did that i wouldn't mind to pay a little extra for the expansion with a case.

This, i think, would make everyone happy and i think a lot of people would enjoy that.

Sell the case as stand alone product for who ever wants it. What do you think about that?

[dJOS]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Great idea. Why don't you start with the outer design and then add the holes where to add screws&bolts later when you have your board? I normally don't work for free.

Jens

Lol, I'm unfortunately an IT Analyst with no 3D skills to speak of.

When I say give away for free, I mean to your aca500 customers, not every man and his dog as that wouldn't be fair and if ppl want to use their own 3D printer or a commercial service then it's up to them - it would be cheaper for you not having to have moulds produced etc.

The other option is a small fee for the design, say $5?

[nikos.rizos]

@Jens

Any new photos from the third prototype?

[Schoenfeld]

Here you go - note that this is a prototype. Final product will be different in these and maybe more points:

- colour will be black
- contacts will be gold-plated
- 86-pin connector for side-slot will be "truly 90-degree angled" (not that tinkered thing)
- blue wires will be gone
- flash chip will be inserted
- both CF card slots will be assembled

Functionality is growing further. I even have a lab-setup that works with the B1230-IV, but that's a dirty trick that can't be used for mass production. Will continue working on that.

Also, software rights are clearing up; will wrap that into a separate news item early next week.

Jens

[roy bates]

thats looking quite nice,will you be posting a list of compatible cards?when this is finished.

[moijk]

nice, i would want a case but beside that it is great.

[fitzsteve]

Thanks for the update

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by roy bates

thats looking quite nice,will you be posting a list of compatible cards?when this is finished.

No, I will not, and that's not a joke. I'll do my best that most cards are compatible, and anyone is free to publish a positive or negative test result. However, a compatibility list from me with anything but ACA1231/ACA1232 in it would imply that I'd guarantee that "other" card to work, but I won't do that.

If you have any other than one of my A1200 accelerators connected, you're on your own. You may be lucky and your preferred reseller will give you support, but I will not spend a single minute for a support eMail. Requests like that will just be deleted without further notice. The product is extremely low-price, and therefore, only a minimal featureset can be guaranteed to work. Think of it as the "Raspberry Pi of the Amiga hardware": It's cheap, it'll be (relatively..) high volume and documentation will be open.

Jens

[roy bates]

no no jens,by compatible cards i do mean the ones that this device is tested with.

most of my cards are old 040 and 060 cards so i dont think for one second they will work anyway,by old i mean well past any sort of warranty by at least a decade.

but if you manage to get an old 020 or 030 card working i'll be happy with that.

just out of curiosity,when you managed to get a blizzard 1230 mk4 sort of working did the card have an fpu?

[kipper2k]

should be easy enough to make a nice plastic case for that design

[roy bates]

Originally Posted by kipper2k

should be easy enough to make a nice plastic case for that design

i would be interested it that,beats a project box.

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by roy bates

no no jens,by compatible cards i do mean the ones that this device is tested with.

most of my cards are old 040 and 060 cards so i dont think for one second they will work anyway,by old i mean well past any sort of warranty by at least a decade.

I didn't mean that I'd give warranty for those old cards. What I mean is: If you or anyone else will get it to work with "some" A1200 accelerator, that's fine. However, if I'd publish "it's working with card XY", then I'm describing the functionality of the card - and that's "assured functionality" if it's part of a product description. That's the kind of responsibility that I will not take: There may be different versions or even component tolerances within otherwise completely identical specimens of an accelerator, and my "assured product property" would be false advertising. I am not going to do that. You will therefore only hear/read two things from me:

1) the port on the ACA500 is compatible with ACA1231/ACA1232

2) I will not do anything to specifically stop other cards from working

Nothing more, nothing less.

Originally Posted by roy bates

just out of curiosity,when you managed to get a blizzard 1230 mk4 sort of working did the card have an fpu?

My B1230-IV does not have an FPU.

Jens

[roy bates]

thats perfectly fine.

one more question if you will,is there an a500 or revision of 500/+ this card is known to not work with,or undocumented in any way.
i cant really see this being the case,but i'll ask anyway.

[moijk]

Originally Posted by kipper2k

should be easy enough to make a nice plastic case for that design

Make one that looks as much as the 500 as the hd+ does, and you got a buyer

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

2) I will not do anything to specifically stop other cards from working

Nothing more, nothing less.

Now, thats a lie.
You've been tinkering behind the scene, trying to make as much as possible run of this thing. We've been told about what little success there has been, and we've been told you'r tinkering with a mean to get a B1230-IV working on it, and so on. In fact, your going out of your way trying to make it behave as well as possible with as much hardware as possible, but you won't go on the record saying "this old junk will work on my card" for the simple reason they then your suddenly responsible for every card out there, and their weird view of the world. I don't blame you.

And working on patching the behavior of "other" hardware in a way so it works with your hardware, without being able to use it as a sales argument in the end... Dude, didn't you say you didn't work for free?
I just cant help it, i just have to say it again. You rock.

[mfilos]

Also it's pity for some users that have the ACA1230@56MHz which was a beasty accelerator and won't be able using it on the ACA500...