A new, low-cost CD32 Expansion?

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by plasmab

Find me some pcb libraries for the connectors and it will be added to the terribleFire pipeline.

Cosmosamiga kindly provided me with the MCA-182 pin connector. So i'll make up an adaptor (really feels like i'm duplicating Kipper2k) and make that open source then move on to a cd32 040 + ide board. These boards are 2 and 3 respectively in my queue at the moment.

[dalek]

Originally Posted by plasmab

Cosmosamiga kindly provided me with the MCA-182 pin connector. So i'll make up an adaptor (really feels like i'm duplicating Kipper2k) and make that open source then move on to a cd32 040 + ide board. These boards are 2 and 3 respectively in my queue at the moment.

Goods stuff Really appreciate the open source approach. So much good hardware has been designed and made in small quantities never to be seen again because the designer got bored or real life got in the way.

[plasmab]

Ok. Trap for young players... The amiga parts library from Matze has some problems. The outlines of the parts are in layer 20 (Dimension) rather than 21 or 22. Which means the DRC fails and the Autorouter cant route them.

[Matze]

Thanks thats indeed a bug in my lib. Ill update it.

Please report bugs like thast via github to me. Ill correct them Some partes, like the CD32 connector are just drawn not testet.

Fixed!

CDTV-Connector was wrong too..

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by Matze

Thanks thats indeed a bug in my lib. Ill update it.

Please report bugs like thast via github to me. Ill correct them Some partes, like the CD32 connector are just drawn not testet.

Fixed!

CDTV-Connector was wrong too..

Welcome! Where is the github repository and i'll keep my parts synced regularly.

[emufan]

i guess this is his github repository. Amiga-EagleCAD-library fixed today.

[kolla]

Originally Posted by plasmab

a cd32 040 + ide board

Why 040?
I can think of a whole list of reasons for not to use 040, so I am curious why that is the choice

[Amiga1992]

I can think of a whole list of reasons not to put an accelerated CPU in a CD32 at all. Sticking to RAM and IDE/CF would be best.

[wmsteele]

RAM & IDE with an RGB out to scart would be perfect!

[Amiga1992]

If I understood correctly, plasmab is trying to approach this similarly to kipper and making an adapter that would go on the CD32 expansion slot, providing a "through" for an internal expansion, so the adapter would have, as he described, parallel port and maybe floppy. I'd say having SCART there would be cool, better than floppy or parallel (I am afraid all three wouldn't fit ). If I am not wrong, plasmab already has started working on the design of this adapter.

Then the internal expansion would be what has RAM/IDE/etc. I would definitely never put an accelerated CPU there, it'll just destroy compatibility with all games, especially an 040. Having a switch for RAM would be cool too, to disable everything back to stock without having to remove the expansion.

[spudje]

Agree, basicly a new SX32 Mk1/2. Maybe a parallel port is handy too for those 4 player games

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by Akira

If I understood correctly, plasmab is trying to approach this similarly to kipper and making an adapter that would go on the CD32 expansion slot, providing a "through" for an internal expansion, so the adapter would have, as he described, parallel port and maybe floppy. I'd say having SCART there would be cool, better than floppy or parallel (I am afraid all three wouldn't fit ). If I am not wrong, plasmab already has started working on the design of this adapter.

Then the internal expansion would be what has RAM/IDE/etc. I would definitely never put an accelerated CPU there, it'll just destroy compatibility with all games, especially an 040. Having a switch for RAM would be cool too, to disable everything back to stock without having to remove the expansion.

I can take the argument for no accelerator at all but if you are going to put one in there an 040 is the logical choice... why i hear you all ask? Well I just finished routing an FPU and a CPU together and its not something I ever want to do again on a compact board. I wasnt aware that there were massive issues with the 040 over the 020 (that couldnt be fixed at boot by the 68040.library - happy to be proved wrong though). In any case this is a research exercise so if after the rev1 the 040 turns out to be useless I can always drop it (or add a jumper on the board to use the CD32 internal CPU).

Currently i'm going to do the kipper2k approach except im putting a DB15 VGA style connector and a DB9 RS232 port. Purely for debug reasons. Is there a sdcard driver/device/standard for the Amiga? Seems like it would make more sense to drop one of those on the back of the cd32 expansion riser.

[idrougge]

No-one will ever make use of an FPU on a CD32 anyway.

[Amiga1992]

or anything but an EC020 at 14Mhz.

[plasmab]

I'm only interested in developing CPU boards. If nobody wants one I'll skip the cd32.


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[Amigajay]

Originally Posted by plasmab

I'm only interested in developing CPU boards. If nobody wants one I'll skip the cd32.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm interested, but as this thread is 'a low cost expansion' i don't fill willing to part with more than £200, and i highly doubt you could do them for that price?

Something like the ACA 1233 but compatible with the CD32 would be better imo, more compatible, lots of memory etc

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by Amigajay

I'm interested, but as this thread is 'a low cost expansion' i don't fill willing to part with more than £200, and i highly doubt you could do them for that price?

Something like the ACA 1233 but compatible with the CD32 would be better imo, more compatible, lots of memory etc

I dont plan to sell them. As I've said elsewhere all my stuff is open source and folk can brain damage out the bits they dont want and make them themselves.

The PCB will cost about $5 (from DirtyPCBs - expensive versions because of the wider MCA connector) and CPLDs are coming in around the the same. 030/040 chips come in between $15 and $30 (and could be optional). I've been moving to smaller passive components to save space and cost.

Biggest cost is the RAM IMHO. You can either go DRAM which is cheap but complex or Static which is expensive and simple.

EDIT: The cost savings come from using slightly bigger CPLDs which reduce the need for several latches.

[earok]

Originally Posted by Akira

To me the CD32 is probably the most underrated Amiga machine, it's the PERFECT Amiga games setup. If only it had a hard drive and Fast RAM, it would be excellent.

Never a truer word spoken

[Amigajay]

I see, shame you don't plan to sell them, its great that you are going open source, and i believe there is enough people interested in CD32 boards of different types, but to buy not to create themselves, i may be wrong of course, not many people come along like you to get the ball rolling, so please continue in whatever way you personally want, i hope another comes along will continue the work after you have finished.

[plasmab]

Originally Posted by earok

Never a truer word spoken

I agree. Let me see if i can clarify whats in my head.

You want to make a board for the CD32. When getting boards done the cost of them is based on the longest edge (not absolutely true but its pretty close when doing small runs) so why not put the pads on there for a CPU and let people solder them up if they want. The PCBs are cheap of themselves.

On the other hand if you want dirt dirt cheap you could put a micro sd card slot on a riser card and flash some sdcard drivers into ROM. If such drivers existed that would give you most of what you need very very cheap.