New Universal Agnus 8372, 75 etc

[desiv]

Originally Posted by alexh

Re-Angus anyone?

I like that...

Or just Agnes or Re-Agnes. ;-)

[vortex222]

Is there anything happening here? This project looks all but abandoned. Or progress is being kept down low. I am waiting patiently for something like this for my REV3 A500. And the current ACE2b is getting rather pricey. The extra features of Willoe combined with hopefully a lower price would be a game changer for the entire amiga community. I hope it keeps up development.

[alexh]

You can make your own almost equivalent to Ace2b using a reclaimed 8375 Agnus for about £90. (£60 for the Super fat Agnus, £30 for the MegAchip)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166801310446

https://www.amibay.com/threads/kit-o...%82%AC.108778/

I can't imagine FPGA based replacement being less than £90

[jbilander]

Originally Posted by alexh

I can't imagine FPGA based replacement being less than £90

Hardware cost for the version I made (Rev. 2E) :

• 1 x FPGA Intel MAX 10, 10M04SCU169C8G $13
• 4 x SN74CBTD16210DGGR $11
• 5 PCBs from JLCPCB are $2 + shipping and tax = $4.5 in total + a couple of bucks for passives

and if you don't want to DIY the PLCC-84 plug then it's another $20-50 depending on where you source from:

• https://www.adapt-plus.com/products_...328-zc160.html
• https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/ic-so...pters/7419684/
• https://www.cselettronica.net/elettr...40.gp.15492.uw
• https://warwickts.com/4406/W9328-84-Way-PLCC-Plug

but it currently lacks a firmware, so right now it is just a dust collector.

[Bren McGuire]

so what's the status on this? can we buy these anywhere already?

[Samurai_Crow]

Lacking firmware means it doesn't do anything and your machine won't boot when it's installed. All it is now is a parts list.

[Promilus]

@jbilander - you can make PCB with edge plating or side plating - if PCB manufacturer is precise enough that should work as well... but again that's only a hardware. It is programmable solution and require actual programming (or more precise - uploading configuration). Without it there's no chance it will ever work. Now... There's already decent enough market for 2MB Agnus anyway so using 2MB PSRAM and JUST Super Fat Agnus functionality without anything extra... that's enough for most of the ppl. So if there is a problem with "extra" just dump those "almost AGA" features and let ppl have 2MB of chip on A1000 and A500 rev3,5 etc.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by Bren McGuire

so what's the status on this? can we buy these anywhere already?

Parked. No.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by jbilander

1 x FPGA Intel MAX 10, 10M04SCU169C8G $13

I was under the impression these were unobtanium?

Originally Posted by jbilander

but it currently lacks a firmware, so right now it is just a dust collector.

I was under the impression there was a firmware, derived from MiniMig, but it was being held back?

https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...5&postcount=17

https://github.com/jbilander/ReAgnus/issues/5

https://github.com/fredrequin/AliceRE

[jbilander]

Originally Posted by alexh

I was under the impression these were unobtanium?

They were during the chip shortage caused by the pandemic but not any more, they are in stock at Mouser for example:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/989-10M04SCU169C8G

Originally Posted by alexh

I was under the impression there was a firmware, derived from MiniMig, but it was being held back?

https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...5&postcount=17

https://github.com/jbilander/ReAgnus/issues/5

https://github.com/fredrequin/AliceRE

Niklas made a firmware for rev 1 of this hardware. However he has decided to not make it publicly available at this point. Since then the design has changed quite a bit now using a PLCC-84 plug and also larger vias in order to allow for the cheapest possible mfg. process at JLCPCB. Rev 1 had 0.4/0.2mm vias and required an expensive 4-kelvin test at JLC. The board has been completely rerouted since then because of the via change and also some pinout changes were made so I don't know if the old firmware would work "out of the box" with just pin-assignment adaptation.

@Promilus yes I'm aware JLCPCB now offers edge-plating, however it is expensive. The cost now with the current design is $2 for 5 PCBs and you can DIY the plug at a very cheap cost if you are a bit handy with the soldering iron.

[Promilus]

@jbilander - sure, but I was referring to actual commercial products - JLCPCB or PCBWAY edge plating is still professional and cost is obviously quite smaller ... not every amiga fan is soldering master. And from those who are not there are plenty which find price of commercial plugs simply unacceptable. In that case edge plating by pcb manufacturer might be proverbial sweet spot. I am quite skilled with soldering iron but either past prototype or mock-up I'd just use whatever is freely available, cheap and doesn't require me to do too much manual labor. That's why hardly anyone does own PCB when you can order it from JLCPCB or PCBWAY and get pro level of quality at just few $ per bare PCB. Components and assembly cost is different thing. That I can do easily (with exception of BGA which I do not have proper private tools and obviously anything smaller than 0603 because I'm 40 now so ... just no) with good quality at very low cost.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by jbilander

Niklas made a firmware for rev 1 of this hardware. However he has decided to not make it publicly available at this point. Since then the design has changed quite a bit now using a PLCC-84 plug and also larger vias in order to allow for the cheapest possible mfg. process at JLCPCB. Rev 1 had 0.4/0.2mm vias and required an expensive 4-kelvin test at JLC. The board has been completely rerouted since then because of the via change and also some pinout changes were made so I don't know if the old firmware would work "out of the box" with just pin-assignment adaptation.

If he made it available I am sure that I could modify the project to meet your requirements.

Too much work to start from scratch given the amount of free time I have available.

[jbilander]

@Promilius I think the DIY plug should be easy to build. If you can solder through-hole you can build this plug:

you start with an open frame PCB closest to the main PCB and four pins in the corners:



then you stack two or three of the regular type like this and solder the corners to fixate the plug:





and last you break away a 21-pin header from the 50-pin, stick it in the holes and solder them so that the pins are flush with the plug-bottom (like a commercial plug) and then you just snip them off at the top side with a fine side-cutter.

I could make a design with edge-plating instead but since currently there is no available firmware it would just be a waste of time.

Also, I have verified the current hardware and it appears fine, tested the pinout on every lead by blinking a LED and also verified the level shifters are doing their job, so I think there is a good chance the hardware is working.