Posts by Xebec

Quote from Jens

Never tried that demo, but first thing I'd do is to start without startup-sequence, then run setpatch, then try the demo from initial shell. Does that work?

Jens

Thanks Jens! I'm still learning AmigaOS; I should have tried starting with the basics. The demo works fine now on the ACA1240.

A Request - I cannot run "Smoke and Mirrors" demo on my 68040 ACA1240; I receive a "insufficient memory" error when trying to run. I'm running at 33 MHz which is the stock speed of the ACA1240.

I've loaded from low resolution so there is > 1,900,000 bytes of chipram, and from what I can tell you "only" need 64MB FastRAM to even start running it (I'm showing 256MB free). I've removed the PCMCIA card just in case, Amiga is "stock" except for IDE to CF adapter, Indivision AGA MK2 and ACA1240 (+RTC).

Here's the demo in case anyone else would like to try: https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=61215

Just a note for others - before you buy a speed upgrade for your 1240/1260 - THOROUGHLY test stability. I bought a 33 MHz to 40 MHz upgrade for my 68040, and thought it was stable -- but it was not :). My fault and I'm happy to support Jens/iComp either way as this is a great product.

(For my test - Frontier Elite will crash after a couple of minutes of hands on game play at 40 MHz, but runs for at least 30-40 mins of gameplay at 33 MHz. However, the intro demo will loop successfully at 40 MHz).

Thanks Jens - appreciate the detailed response I look forward to the upcoming "quiet" option.

One other request -- would it be possible to add an "underclock" to 20 MHz with ACA1260tool in the future?

Thanks again!

Hi there - I've noticed once my 68040 (33MHz) is running for a bit, I can a steady clicking sound from the fan. The fan is clean and not directly on the desk surface. I've installed the included rubber feet as per the manual (double up the stock amiga feet), and no trap door is installed.

I was curious what others thought about the fan noise from their ACA1240/1260?

I was also curious if there was a Noctua equivalent fan I could upgrade to? and is there any way to use the ACA1260Tool to set a fan profile or speed? (Higher fan speed might actually sound better)

Thanks!

Just wanted to say - I only had 5 minutes to play with ACA1240 and I'm already amazed at how quickly the Amiga boots compared to my old ACA1221. It's lighting quick from power on to desktop. Looking forward to more time this weekend. Thanks Jens for the quick shipping!

Questions -

- If I have an old ACATool/Tune installed on an existing Amiga 1200 and boot with ACA1240, will the tool just error out at boot, and the Amiga work "ok"?

- I saw some comments about needing the internal floppy power plug for 1240/1260. Just wanted to confirm that this is the case.

Thanks!

John

Thanks Jens- I love the technical detail!

I ordered the 68040-33 version; hoping it has a higher chance of 40 MHz operation than the 25 :).

Have a great day!

Thanks for the corrections Jens!

I'm on the fence about upgrading my 1221 with 1234 or 1240 (1260 priced higher than I'm ready for :), so this helps. I'd like a little more oompf for Workbench and some 3D applications, but I do plan to run some basic internet stuff too (not browsing, but lighter duty things like FTP, IRC, or just file copying to/from other PCs). Looks like the 1240 compatibility probably is not an issue. (I had always heard 68040 was less compatible than even the 68060).

(I can also waterfall my 1221 to join my 500 with ACA500+).

thanks!

Now that there are several ACA accelerators available for the 1200 (and 500), I would like help understanding the main use cases for each accelerator. Please let me know if this is accurate or not. I'm still (very slowly) exploring the Amiga, so I apologize if I'm way off the mark here.

ACA1211 - Memory expansion for the 1200; Use case is to run WHDLoad software and Amiga applications at stock settings at low cost.

ACA1221lc - Fully compatible accelerator for the 1200; significantly improves overall speed and adds a moderate RAM to the 1200 for more demanding games and applications. Good balance of performance and cost.

ACA1234 - Highly (software) compatible accelerator for the 1200; good choice for even higher performance with high compatibility. Adds a large amount of RAM and a separate FPU can be soldered in to run demanding applications. Improved performance in 3D games and applications. Good/Basic choice for an Amiga running various Internet applications.

ACA1240/1260 - Very High end accelerator for the 1200 with some compatibility tradeoffs for original classic software; This accelerator runs modern Amiga applications, demos, and games, as well as the most demanding classic applications. (Is the 68060 more compatible than the 68040 for classic applications?).

Quote from Jens

The answer is in the text you've quoted: The system wouldn't start if cold, or freezes a few seconds into the boot process. That problem has been solved long ago, but as you might have guessed, we're working on a different section of the design right now.

The ACA1221 (without ec or lc in the name) might need the board reworks that are described here:

http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/ACA1…uired_board_modifications

Jens

Thanks Jens! I do have the original ACA1221 (no suffix), will look into this or order an ACA1234 :).

How much will older software compatibility differ with the ACA1240/ACA1260 than your 68020/68030 solutions? Is it generally going to work if it's available via WHDLOAD?

Quote from Jens

Quote from Jens

Yes, the plan is still to have a few select beta testers, and I already wrote (I believe in the German part of this forum) that I'd prefer to have testers close, like max. 200km from my place in Germany, which includes parts of Belgium and the Netherlands. This is mainly to limit shipping cost in case the boards need to come back for a re-work.

Right now, we're working on a peculiar problem: The board is not stable when it's cold, and this will only show on a few computers. Naturally, it only shows on Timm's and Peter's computer, but not on any of my A1200s. When the computer(s) have warmed up, everything is super-stable and can run for days, even at elevated temperatures.

Peter and I had a hunch earlier this week and he's working on a solution - might be a few more days until we have resolved that. It's the last showstopper before Timm can start working on his part of the software.

Jens

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Just curious - how is/was the lack of stability showing itself?

My ACA1221 A1200 (+mk2 indi) has some graphical glitches at first power on. Power it off after it's booted and on again and it's completely steady. I'm using the CA PSU and a transformer for 240V, and the Amiga was recapped (though 8 years ago now).

Quote from Jens

Google ist not always right. And the ACA500plus has introduced a few things that were thought to be impossible from the external connector before. Yes, it's retro-computing, but no, it's not stuck in the 1980s (in other words: There is development going on, and new ideas are applied).

"better" implies that you've had a "worse" experience so far. What I was trying to explain yesterday was that technical limits have most likely lead to an intentional speed change with the move to a different video mode. So technically, you can't speak of "better" or "worse", because it's just the way the authors have created it. The best words that come to (my) mind are "original" or "un-altered", which probably triggers an "unusual" feeling in you, as it deviates from what you remember hearing as a kid. I have that same feeling when I hear a tune played back on an NTSC machine, because I grew up in Germany, where PAL used to be the norm.

Sorry I should have used better English re: "better" and "worse" experiences. I agree completely with your response here.

What I mean is, the music "beat timing" sounded fast to my ears, but I also realize it might actually be timed correctly. I want to try some different modes (I'll use my A1200 later today) to see if the speed changes vs. my ears to see if it's just me or something else going on. I think you're right but want to know 100% for sure by trying a few things. Perhaps it's just getting older so I'm expecting things to be slower ;-).

And yes ACA500plus is an excellent piece of kit - personally I don't see the need for additional acceleration beyond this on an Amiga 500 - a 42 MHz 68000 with fast ram is quite powerful for the software library.. though it's nice to have options.

Very cool that the ACA hardware can enable PAL mode on A500s that (google says) appear to usually need jumper changes or other items.

Yes I should have clarified - pitch was OK, but the beat or hit of each instrument definitely seemed to be occurring at a more rapid tempo than it should have. I’ll do some testing in emulation or on my A1200 to see if I can get it to time better via various settings/screen resolutions.

Thanks for the great products and support!

Hi there!

I have a NTSC Amiga 500 Rev 5A with 512KB of C= trapdoor memory, the ACA500plus, ECS Agnus (i.e. 1MB chipram working), and Indivision ECS (~ 2015 - I believe rev 1). I'm using a multisync VGA monitor with this Amiga.

I see the boot menu for ACA500Plus has "Force PAL mode" at boot. Is that only for the screen output, or is that actually changing to PAL mode for software too?

The music for Frontier sounded a little too fast when I tried various PAL options so I wasn't sure if it was possible to soft-switch on A500 between NTSC and PAL with this hardware configuration?

Thanks!

John

P.S. I'm haven't panicked, and my hands are washed.

Just curious - I saw some of the web browsers for Amiga can take advantage of the FPU. Not that web browsing will ever be amazing on a classic Amiga, but perhaps that's a use case if you have need for occasional web usage? (i.e. NetSurf)

Also if you're (for some reason) emulating a classic Mac on the Amiga, I think the MacOS really likes to have the FPU.

That said I'm not encouraging the risk of adding the FPU to that accelerator :).

Yep - all problems fixed including the Aux CF slot.

Apparently the issue was some combination of:

1. Both CF slots had slightly pushed in pins that I've fixed by straightening (AUX) or pushing back out (BOOT)

2. Keyboard problem - "Return" is the only key that properly kicks off the F7 --> F1/F3 installation menu. "Enter" just boots.

3. Power supply *and* slightly dirty 1221 edge connector causing ACA1221 to not play nicely with the ACA500+.

I also took apart my 512KB expansion and removed the leaky old clock battery.

I offered for the X fund since you wasted personal time helping me here with idiot stuff - I appreciate your help Jens!!

Certainly good luck with the old equipment! I was lucky enough to grow up where my grandparents had a farm (though mainly later raised Apaloosa horses for racing), and I helped Dad repair some old "Divco" home milk delivery trucks - though later in life for restoration purposes. It's always fun to get your hands dirty and see something large "work" after some foul language helps fix it..

..

Looks like my 68020-16 on this 1221 is the 0C10H mask (AUEB09130) so I'm assuming not likely suitable for 42 MHz OC. Oh well :). Looking forward to ACA1234 in the future.

LOL - I think all issues are resolved!

I was able to boot off my A1200+ACA1221 Workbench 3.1 CF card without a problem in either the CFAUX or BOOT slots.

I then decided to swap my A1200 keyboard with my A500 keyboard, because if you remember I mentioned the Return key didn't work, but the Enter key works on my A500 keyboard.

Apparently if you F7 --> F1 and hit Enter, it won't install.

If you F7 --> F1 but hit Return -- it is now installing!

I used some air to clean out the ACA1221 card female card edge, and plugged it in and now everything is magically working! - I am booting off the BOOT slot, using a 68020 @ 28 MHz and all RAMs are showing. Now I just need to install the 8372A Agnus and get 1MB ChipRAM, and repair the return key..

Sorry for all of this trouble, it looks like it was all due to enter vs return on the keyboard, and maybe a combo of dirty ACA1221 slot+weak power supply.

Do you accept Paypal donations for your Model X fund?

EDIT : Last question, if I did want to have the ACA1221 flashed with the ROM that allows the 42 MHz divider, what would the cost for that be?

Quote from Jens

Once again, please check the menu version of the ACA500plus. This may be the reason why the ACA1221 does not start.

I can't offer that, but the automatic installer will only see a CF card in the boot slot if you insert an empty card before power-up. This is because the boot slot is not hot-plug compatible - only the aux slot is. With an empty card in the boot slot at power-up, you should be able to launch the automatic installer and make a bootable WB that way.

Checking oyur earlier post, you seem to attempt to launch the installer with F1 or F2 options. The installer is in the Installer sub-menu: Press F7, then F1 - this will launch the automatic installer. Once again, the card must be inserted into the boot slot before powering up, otherwise it will not work.

Thanks --

Yes when trying to install to BOOT, I put the CF card in before powering on the computer. I've avoided hot plugging the CF cards in either slot when trying both (or either) slots just to reduce risk.

And for getting WB 3.1 installed I do use the F7 menu to initiate the install and get the 'not a DOS disk' or AmigaDOS errors/boot as mentioned regardless of which slot and which card I use.

ACA500+ says: ACA500p ROM: v0.129, $1C/$16 Flash ROM ID. MCU Big Dismo v1.9 (Oct 2018). HW ID $08. Physical ROM 37.175.

I don't see a Menu version specifically?

Can I create my own CF card via WinUAE in some fashion that's compatible with the ACA500+?

Thanks Jens - I will re-inspect / address the pads/pins on the CF slots this evening. Is there any way to download a pre-made image of a working workbench that I can apply to one the CF cards from another computer to see if the system can at least boot into Workbench via CF card (vs a problem with the auto installation process)?

Re: Good news is the ACA1221 works fine in my A1200. At one point I did have Amiga Kit recap and repair my A1200, which was around the time I ordered the ACA1221. That may be why it has a service sticker on it.

I am hoping to get the 1221 working with the 500+ as I'm thinking of buying the 1234 when it comes out for my A1200.

Thanks!

P.S. I really appreciate your time here and also the work you put into designing these boards and upgrades. It's fun using "real" hardware ..