ACA500 tested

[p@rity]

Interesting observation... The card seems to throw off my floppy emulator. It started beeping like crazy as soon as I boot up with the card in place. After selecting a boot option it displays the start screen but it won't read the boot-disk image from the floppy emulator memory card. When I took it back out, things worked again.

Setup:
A500+
HxC Floppy Emulator SLIM (build in)
ACA500 * added for clarity

*update
A500 with a non-booting SD Floppy Emulator REV C (external) works well when you select images using the emulator instead of the boot menu.
ACA500 * added for clarity

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by p@rity

Interesting observation... The card seems to throw off my floppy emulator. It started beeping like crazy as soon as I boot up with the card in place. After selecting a boot option it displays the start screen but it won't read the boot-disk image from the floppy emulator memory card. When I took it back out, things worked again.

Setup:
A500+
HxC Floppy Emulator SLIM (build in)

*update
A500 with a non-booting SD Floppy Emulator REV C (external) works well when you select images using the emulator instead of the boot menu.

Your text doesn't mention ACA500 anywhere. Also, the ACA500 does not do anything on floppy signals (no physical connection), and it can't even detect if it's a real floppy or a floppy emulator. You need to find the fault in a different place, maybe your power supply?

Jens

[Photon]

Originally Posted by ElectroBlaster

Sorry Jens I really did not think about the usb stuff! I think it still needs to sink in with me that the Amiga can have usb ports lol

But a massive thank you for making the ACA500! Soon as I heard it was nearly ready for sale that was it, I was itching to dish out the readies

In all honesty, I will pay for whatever is done regarding the case. More so if it is made to resemble something like a GVP+ or Rochard. That would really put the icing on the cake for me

For myself, I wouldn't put this small card in a housing as huge as the old ones, because it's unnecessary for me and would only take space when going to demoparties.

Originally Posted by crasbe

The case from AmiStore is more than two flat plates slapped together with a few DIN-type screws that are 7,- EUR per 1000pcs.
There are also side panels and even the expansion problem isn't really one. If you release the expansions, new side panels can be cut, so it will fit.

The guys from AmiStore wouldn't make cases, if there is no demand.

It's not a price wonder, but fair.

I probably would not spend that kind of money even if it includes shipping, unless it was really good quality and looked very nice. Is there a piccy?

There's no wonder people want to protect their cards, of course you do. It's sticking out bear nekkid!

But I think a case the size of a CD but as thick as the ACA500 would cover (hr hr) most users' needs. Until/if they expand their cards. If I had the possibility to do them I'd just make slots for everything so it's still possible to insert expansions to try them.

[NMI]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

I'm not going. Too much work here - all employees are doing overtime including saturdays until Xmas. You guys are buying ACA500 faster than expected. I expected a lot, but not this storm!

Had you made it internal and with just a wee bit more memory we would have bought even more of them!

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by NMI

Had you made it internal and with just a wee bit more memory we would have bought even more of them!

I disagree, now that I have one I'm enjoying the fact it's external and easy to use. Swapping my CF's is a doddle, no messing with delicate CPU pins
when installing.

I really think Jens made the right decision here to keep this card simple and external. Those who want internal with more Ram will probably have other options in the near future too.

The default Ram is maybe a little low if you want to use the ACA500 on it's own but if you keep Workbench light it goes further then you think! And besides, I'm sure most people will want to add an 020/030 Turbo Board to it anyway.

[BarryB]

Woo Hoo!! Santakit/Jens has delivered




Open the Box: ACA500 Left, ACA1232 Right



Aaargh!! Who put that Indivision earth wire there?



Sometime later after relocating the earth wire, the ACA500 fits



And.... She WORKS!!!!



After selecting F1 it's time to dig out those WB 3.1 disks, now where are they



And it JUST fits under my desk Jens



Tomorrow I'll have to find those WB 3.1 disks and install, then upgrade to OS3.9 and start playing around with it, then I'll play with the ACA500

[klx300r]

oh please Santa Jens when can we play with our ACA1000 that gives our 1000's 2mb chip ram along with other goodies

[mihcael]

Not fair.

my order is still pending?

edit - on its way

[Retrofan]

Just to wonder who could have thought in the past abouth an A500 running OS3.9 .

[p@rity]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

Your text doesn't mention ACA500 anywhere. Also, the ACA500 does not do anything on floppy signals (no physical connection), and it can't even detect if it's a real floppy or a floppy emulator. You need to find the fault in a different place, maybe your power supply?

Jens

I didn't mean to imply that the floppy itself was in any way affected... I think that the software that the emulator uses to boot is just not playing nice with the way the ACA500 starts. That's all.

I use a customized PC power supply, which provides a very stable and clean voltage... but again, I think this is more of a emulator boot software problem.

Overall, my experiences today with the ACA500 where very positive. I got the CF Card to boot right off the bat.

[elpiloto]

I had a similar problem with the hxc2001 rev c, same behevior with my rochard 800, te problem is allways the 5v rail, i use an atx psu too, but sometimes i need to replug firmly the "atx to amiga" adapter to stop the floppy emulator madness

Im waiting my aca500 hopefully will arrive in 10 days

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by elpiloto

I had a similar problem with the hxc2001 rev c, same behevior with my rochard 800, te problem is allways the 5v rail, i use an atx psu too, but sometimes i need to replug firmly the "atx to amiga" adapter to stop the floppy emulator madness

Then i think it's time to update your firmware...
Some brownout voltage detection setting was changed 6 months ago to avoid this kind of thing with bad psu :
http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_d...r_firmware.zip

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by p@rity

I didn't mean to imply that the floppy itself was in any way affected... I think that the software that the emulator uses to boot is just not playing nice with the way the ACA500 starts. That's all.

I use a customized PC power supply, which provides a very stable and clean voltage... but again, I think this is more of a emulator boot software problem.

Take a video of the problem and contact me by email. I need to see it to figure out what is the problem.
If you are using the HxC Slim version, this is unlikely to be a power supply issue.

[vitux]

awesome, Bliz 060 with ACA500
[ Show youtube player ]
Did not they say it was not possible?

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by vitux

awesome, Bliz 060 with ACA500
[ Show youtube player ]
Did not they say it was not possible?

Some software tricks *can* keep the 060 from cacheing the lower 16MBytes. Toni made a trial version this morning, which lets you startup, even when using Kick3.1. It's working really fast when switching on cache for the B1260's fastmem. However, you can't use the 68060 library, because that will switch to a different MMU config and alter the contents of the transparent translation registers. In other words: It'll crash. More software work to be done, but it's shown that it's not impossible.

More details and trial-flash version here:
http://www.a1k.org/forum/showpost.ph...7&postcount=60

However, one thing stays valid and won't change: It's not guaranteed to work. If it works for one customer, you can't expect it to work for another customer. We'll do our best to make it work, but won't answer any support questions regarding any A1200 accelerators other than ACA12xx.

Jens

[fitzsteve]

@Jens, thanks for the update

I was reading some translated info from A1k, does this now let me map in my own custom built Rom? Or just the 3.1Rom to the ACA's Maprom?

BTW, my ACA1220 setup already feels faster with this update

[elpiloto]

Originally Posted by Jeff_HxC2001

Then i think it's time to update your firmware...
Some brownout voltage detection setting was changed 6 months ago to avoid this kind of thing with bad psu :
http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_d...r_firmware.zip

Thank you, i did the update when was released, in my case the problem was never the floppoy emulator, was the a500 psu, switched to an atx psu with an adapter, and then the adappter gave some problems

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by fitzsteve

@Jens, thanks for the update

I was reading some translated info from A1k, does this now let me map in my own custom built Rom? Or just the 3.1Rom to the ACA's Maprom?

The version that I published on a1k can't load 1M ROMs yet, but the next version will. I've seen Toni's eMail already this morning, but don't have the time to upload that yet. Today is family-day ;-) I'll look into that tomorrow.

Jens

[amiga1260]

I have an ACA 1220/25MHz and bought it before 5 September. How is the procedure to send you my card to update the firmware?

[fitzsteve]

Hey Jens, enjoy your family day. We can wait!

@amiga1260 you should raise a support ticket via icomp. de