Individual Computers - New accelerator cards for A600 & A1200

[FOL]

Very nice.

[Cammy]

That is too cool, amigoun! Good idea hanging the VGA cable out the RF modulator hole, is the modulator still intact?

I'm so envious of all you guys, I wish I could have afforded one of these when they were still available, I love my A600 so much, she's so cute and compact and full of life.

[mfilos]

@amigoun
Very nice mod indeed mate. I'd suggest you fold the floppy ribbon cable UNDER the floppy just to not have it lying around It will look really good!
Also some insulation where you cut the floppy (under Indivision ECS) would be also nice just in case the Indy ever touches the floppy's inside

Awesome \o/

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Cammy

That is too cool, amigoun! Good idea hanging the VGA cable out the RF modulator hole, is the modulator still intact?

I'm so envious of all you guys, I wish I could have afforded one of these when they were still available, I love my A600 so much, she's so cute and compact and full of life.

They still are available.

[paulo_becas]

Very nice job indeed.
Been wanted to get my hands on a 600 for a long time now.

[Cammy]

Originally Posted by FOL

They still are available.

I meant the 64MB 30Mhz version. Not that I wouldn't want the 32MB one, just wish I hadn't missed out on the good one since I'd get so much use out of it.

[Predseda]

Believe me, A630/25 is "awesome enough"

[Ezrec]

Under AROS m68k (after booting the ROM image with ACAtune -maprom), the 62M of Z3 RAM is not reported, and ACAtune does not add it (I have the KS 3.0 jumper set on my ACA1230/56, since my base ROM is KS 3.0).

Even stranger, ACATune -fastmem on reports a 'syntax error'. Weird. But ACAtune -status works correctly.

Does ACATune change its behavior based upon the Exec library version, and if so, what are the behavior changes for the KS versions it knows about?

[Oliver_A]

Originally Posted by Ezrec

Under AROS m68k (after booting the ROM image with ACAtune -maprom), the 62M of Z3 RAM is not reported, and ACAtune does not add it (I have the KS 3.0 jumper set on my ACA1230/56, since my base ROM is KS 3.0).

Well, technically, only the ACA630 has true Z3 autosizing autoconfig memory. The ACA1230 has non-autoconfig memory, which nevertheless is detected by exec.library >= V40.

When you set the Kickstart 3.0 jumper, 1MB of memory is mapped at $c00000-$cfffff, which is the memory where the Amiga 500 maps its trapdoor memory expansion. This area is detected by all Amiga OS revisions from V1.2 up. The reason for this feature is allowing the OS to put important system structures into faster memory on boot-up for all Kickstart revisions below 3.1. After starting ACATune, the rest of the memory is then added manually.

Even stranger, ACATune -fastmem on reports a 'syntax error'. Weird. But ACAtune -status works correctly.

The parameter is designed to turn fastmem off in order to decrease system speed.

acatune -fastmem off

Does ACATune change its behavior based upon the Exec library version, and if so, what are the behavior changes for the KS versions it knows about?

It changes its behaviour based on type of ACA card and exec library version.

ACA630: All memory is Zorro III autoconfigured. ACATune does nothing.
ACA1230 with exec < 40: memory from $8000000 is added to system manually by ACATune. Memory from $c00000 is added automatically by the OS if available.
ACA1230 with exec >= 40: memory from $8000000 is added automatically by Kickstart 3.1. $c00000 memory is also recognized by the OS if available.

Note that Maprom takes 1MB away from the end of $8000000 memory block. $c00000 memory takes the 1MB memory block before the 1MB Maprom block.

For example, memory map of a 64MB ACA1230:

$8000000-$bdfffff: Fast RAM
$be00000-$befffff: either Fast Ram or 1MB $c00000 mirror
$bf00000-$bffffff: either Fast Ram or 1MB Kickstart mirror for MAPROM

How can ACATune detect AROS?

[daxb]

I`ve just a question of interest (I don`t own a ACA). Several times I read about "reset-proof" of maprom or "switch off computer". What happens if a hard reset (there are some reset tools that have that feature) is done? Will the mapped rom "removed"? I know that is the normal behaviour of remapped roms (just wonder).

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by daxb

I`ve just a question of interest (I don`t own a ACA). Several times I read about "reset-proof" of maprom or "switch off computer". What happens if a hard reset (there are some reset tools that have that feature) is done? Will the mapped rom "removed"? I know that is the normal behaviour of remapped roms (just wonder).

As I mentioned a few times on the German a1k.org, the ACA cards are nothing like any other accelerator before. Reset-proof really means that settings made with ACAtune will survive any reset that you can make; hard or soft, keyboard or button, intentional re-start or hard crash.

Although Kickstart is mapped to ram, it behaves like rom after "maprom" is active. There is no way you can alter the memory area that Oliver has mentioned.

Jens

[gibs]

Guys,

I want to try Aros m68k

[Ezrec]

Originally Posted by Oliver_A

How can ACATune detect AROS?

There should be no need to - I want to make sure that AROS is as close to KS 3.1 as possible. (Which explains what ACATune isn't adding the $8000000 memory - it believes, from the Exec version, that is it running on a KS 3.1 or better OS).

Therefore, I need to implement the $8000000 SDRAM scanning myself.

Is there a specific method that I should use to determine the memory size of that region? Or should any 'generic' RAM size technique work?

[Oliver_A]

Originally Posted by Ezrec

There should be no need to - I want to make sure that AROS is as close to KS 3.1 as possible. (Which explains what ACATune isn't adding the $8000000 memory - it believes, from the Exec version, that is it running on a KS 3.1 or better OS).

Therefore, I need to implement the $8000000 SDRAM scanning myself.

If you want to replicate KS 3.1 behaviour, then you have to do that.

Is there a specific method that I should use to determine the memory size of that region? Or should any 'generic' RAM size technique work?

The OS checks in increments of 1MB (yes, 1MB, not 512K, like Z3 autosizing) if there is any memory starting from this address. The routine is also capable of detecting mirroring (otherwise, 128MB would be detected on a ACA1230 with 64MB Ram without Maprom and $c00000 mem, since the Ram is mirrored 2 times from $8000000-$fffffff).

[Lord Aga]

Originally Posted by amigoun

As I promised here I present my solution for working floppydisk drive together with Indivision ECS plus ACA630 - Everything inside my beloved A600
Description of pictures
1 - Indivision ECS, I put one socket on it and than I added only one row pin socket on one side. And shaped the pins little, to make it little angled.
2 - A603 with one extra socket on it.
3 - Insert Indivision ECS on A603 ...
4 - ... so it looks like this
5 - I cut part of the metal of my floppy (maybe not necessary if your added sockets are taller than mine)
6 - so it fits perfectly with enough space around it to prevent any unwanted contact
7 - Everything assembled and working fine!

This is awesome.
Is is possible for AmigaKit to produce a similar solution ?
Because the only thing from keeping me off buying the indivision ECS for my A600 is me not wanting to take out the floppy drive.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Amir

This is awesome.
Is is possible for AmigaKit to produce a similar solution ?
Because the only thing from keeping me off buying the indivision ECS for my A600 is me not wanting to take out the floppy drive.

Was already working on an idea to get indi installed with floppy.

[gibs]

Originally Posted by FOL

Was already working on an idea to get indi installed with floppy.

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by Ezrec

Therefore, I need to implement the $8000000 SDRAM scanning myself.

Is there a specific method that I should use to determine the memory size of that region? Or should any 'generic' RAM size technique work?

"any generic" memory-scan routine may not be the best thing, as it may destroy memory contents. We went to great lengths to make memory contents survive any reset, so reset-proof software will also survive. If your memory test will alter memory contents, you might get undesired behaviour with your version of the kickstart rom.

Fortunately, the 68030 has lots of registers, so you can store contents of addresses that you're about to test with the usual test-values (such as 0x55/0xaa).

In order not to find any "phantom-memory", make sure to switch off data caches. Before reading back a value, you must read an address with known-different contents. Otherwise, you might end up reading a value from an open data bus, which may be stable for a few microseconds after your write - long enough to read back the value you're expecting. This would lead to false results.

Jens

[Photon]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Believe me, A630/25 is "awesome enough"

Agreed.

[gibs]

Originally Posted by Photon

Agreed.

No! I want more power...
aDoom isn't smooth enough with the 30Mhz, believe me, it's true.
For those who had a Viper A630 or Apollo 630 before it's not enough... it's ok.