First Amiga 600 FPGA Accelerator - Vampire 600

[majsta]

New prototyper arrived 15 minutes ago testings this week...

[Predseda]

I will probably start collecting A600 accelerators

[majsta]

hahah I have bunch of them but all mine prototypes and there is no single one that worked I think that I have 25 of not working fpga accelerators But this new gotta work I just know

[cpiac64]

congratulation !!!!!!!!!!!!



p.s.
i am interested for not work prototype, only pcb, please send me info is possible

[majsta]

problem with prototypes that they ll newer work and you can't change nets because you don't see them, so if you are thinking of creating working ones forget about that.
This is new prototype board received yesterday.

[cpiac64]

at the moment i want only add a fast ram for test, but i suppose in your board the ram is connected to 68030, more wire for my idea.

[majsta]

There is no 68030 in the design I don't understand what you are talking about.

[cpiac64]

sorry, my memory defect, not 68030 but fpga

[majsta]

Today I found myself in situation where I destroyed 12 cyclone II fpga devices. I destroy more then 15 PCB-s. All components are made so human can't use it there is no way. When I was able to get cyclone mounted it was overheated and don't work. Situation is that you need to solder device fast and problem is with bridges between the pins, you just can't remove it and to keep device on normal temperature. I used more then 10 tehniques and there is no single one that can do the job. Before that I manage to get one accelerator detects clock from the A600 motherboard, and that signal is prove that design is ok. Yes design is working. I programed level shifters using cyclone device. And level translation is ok and everything was fine untill I destroed that board too adding some more components and there again was a bridge between pins that I didn't see and that bridge again destroeyd cyclone. Now I don't know what next, after one year of testing only hardware part is proven as working one, but I was not able to get single board complete functional to test software part I created. In my anger i destroyed most of the equipment that I have.
Now situation is to give up, I spend so much time and so much money to get this done, to find out that I can't build single board by hand. I could order more components but I don't see any point of this because 2 times I ordered components and every single time I destroyed them all. So I m afraid that this project is gonna be first one in my life that I ll give up. I m so depressed right now that you can't imagine...


Here are pictures





And here is video where led use clock from motherboard over clock buffer, clock multiplier to internal pll of the cyclone...

[ Show youtube player ]

[cpiac64]

send me one with all components, when i soldered, send back to you

don't warry be happy

[sanjyuubi]

Post a video how are you soldering those things, i have soldered many CPLDs without using a tin (if pcb copper was tinned before), just flux and touching (or gently sliding over a row) connector was mostly enough. Is your solder iron grounded? Maybe those FPGAs are suffering ESD violations, not overheating.

[cosmicfrog]

wow time to catch up on the thread

Happy new year ribbits to ya majsta. I am sure the bits of prototype boards will fit back together nicely at some point soon and will work better than they ever could before.

Perfection can be overrated sometimes, so seataling for something that works brilantly at what its sposed to do can be just as good, perhapse and ribbits

[FOL]

Originally Posted by majsta

Today I found myself in situation where I destroyed 12 cyclone II fpga devices. I destroy more then 15 PCB-s. All components are made so human can't use it there is no way. When I was able to get cyclone mounted it was overheated and don't work. Situation is that you need to solder device fast and problem is with bridges between the pins, you just can't remove it and to keep device on normal temperature. I used more then 10 tehniques and there is no single one that can do the job. Before that I manage to get one accelerator detects clock from the A600 motherboard, and that signal is prove that design is ok. Yes design is working. I programed level shifters using cyclone device. And level translation is ok and everything was fine untill I destroed that board too adding some more components and there again was a bridge between pins that I didn't see and that bridge again destroeyd cyclone. Now I don't know what next, after one year of testing only hardware part is proven as working one, but I was not able to get single board complete functional to test software part I created. In my anger i destroyed most of the equipment that I have.
Now situation is to give up, I spend so much time and so much money to get this done, to find out that I can't build single board by hand. I could order more components but I don't see any point of this because 2 times I ordered components and every single time I destroyed them all. So I m afraid that this project is gonna be first one in my life that I ll give up. I m so depressed right now that you can't imagine...


Here are pictures


And here is video where led use clock from motherboard over clock buffer, clock multiplier to internal pll of the cyclone...

[ Show youtube player ]

Use flux, then you wont get shorts / bridges.

[majsta]

Thank you all, I decided to leave it for one month because in my country from 1st of december to the and of january we just drink, we don't work and everyone is drunk here, so at this point I was drunk for 20 days and I m unable to think But those days I ll order more parts and start over. Don't give up Amiga must live!

[amiman99]

That's the Spirit!

Here is a good video showing how to solder properly, and use lots and lots of liquid flux, preferably the "No Clean" flux you can get on Ebay for few $$.
Try to practice on one dead one before you start again.
[ Show youtube player ]

[cosmicfrog]

yay drunk hardware \o/

[majsta]

Ok here is the situation, all money I colected to start and finish this project is gone. I don't have money to finish it. I need money to buy some equipment like hot air gun, logic analyzer and need money to buy some more parts and more amiga 600 boards. So I send some suggestion to kickstarter but is there any way someone can help donating A600 board or something, or is there someone who can give me some kind of financial support. Can you point me where to go to find help regarding to this because as I can see there was number of project who are finished with help of amiga comunity. Idea is as you know to have open hardware and software website... Can someone point me what to do next.

[cpiac64]

i have hot air gun and 2 a600 dead, but i want help you in Italy, i can solder your prototype and test it, verify schematics.

no money at the moment i dont work

[majsta]

Thank you but it is to complicated for me to send prototype boards. Also I found some air gun I would like to buy and solve problems with soldering.I would like to receive those A600 boards you have somehow.

[cpiac64]

one mobo display random the other have short circuit on 5 volt, if repair one the other or both send you