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Hardware News   Hardware News : Amy design update Part 2
   posted by Troika on 13-Sep-2006 13:52:04 (27800 reads)
Amy05 update part 2

This is the final update on the Amy05 design prior to BB4 this weekend. Please attend the show and meet with us.

Read more...(mod note)


One of the biggest changes to the Amy05 design from our first released specification is the addition of the .AMD Geode™CS5536 companion device. For Project Prometheus/Amy'05 this becomes Amy’s Southbridge. This is the low cost Southbridge device from AMD that been in many of the newspapers. It’s used in the $100 'One Laptop per child' system, and in many AMD Geode™ embedded designs. It’s a well proven design and AMD continues to refine all the little details to get the most out of the design. Its extremely well supported, and its great to have a working relationship with the AMD people, we take much pride in this.





What’s the Geode™ Southbridge mean to the Amiga community? Software wise the opening of many new doors, and features. For example, one feature built in is the “USB keyboard”, making USB keyboards easy to install and use.


Hardware wise this device provides the following features to Amy05:
AC97 Codec interface,
A single channel IDE port,
An additional 16C550 UART,
Real time Clock and CMOS RAM
Additional USB 2.0 ports,
PC 82XX legacy timers.

There are additional features to this device but we have only highlighted the features utilized by Amy05.

This is the other component of the Kryptos sound system. It is a low cost high performance solution that will in the future, allow for a lower cost design by fully utilizing the USB and ATA interfaces of this device. Also in future Troika designs, will be able to incorporate, many more hardware features not as yet implemented, into future Amy designs.


The CS5536 interfaces to the TSI107 via the 66 MHz PCI bus interface for maximum performance. The 66 MHz PCI bus connects to the 33 MHz PCI bus using a PLX technology PCI 6150 bridge device. The PCI 6150 makes it easier to connect riser cards to the system without violating PCI bus loading rules, an improvement over previous designs.

A side effect of increasing the system bus to 66 MHz was the need for some glue logic, normally quite boring but it did provide potential for a 'Geekport interface' to be easily added. Now referred to as the Amy Geekport.

The aim of this interface was to put some of the fun back into home computing. For too long now if you wanted to add a custom device to your computer, it was too complicated. By providing a simple 8 bit wide interface that connects directly to the PPC local bus it is once again possible to create homebrew devices and connect them to your computer, just like in the good old 8-bit days.

The interface is memory mapped, provides a basic I/O port, can generate interrupts and provides user defined I/O. Application notes and sample designs will be available at product launch.


As a final note, the planned board for display at the show will be a 'developer' prototype. She’s rough around the edges, and we have had “issues” with making our logos look great like we wished. This is the first release which will be made in a limited quantity for hardware testing/OS4 development. There will be bugs to iron out and some improvements will be made, when this process is complete, the necessary changes will be added into the consumer version, which will then be released.

This is the reason we ask for some feedback on the design, there are limited opportunities for changes to the final design. Rest-assured, we will not be making any drastic changes to the system.


*AMD Geode™ CS5536 is a registered trademark of AMD
    

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The_Editor 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:25:23
#1 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 7-Mar-2003
Posts: 7629
From: 192.168.0.02 ..Pederburgh .. Iceni

Sounds pretty damn good actually.

Nice one.

Now get it released.


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polka. 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:30:50
#2 ]
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Joined: 13-Oct-2005
Posts: 1820
From: Tortuga

From the AMD-website:

Quote:
Optimized to give designers powerful development tools for low-power, high-performance embedded x86 products.


So any plans to also add an Geode™ GX 533 x86-CPU for Prometheus PCB-version 1.5?

In that way, you would be able to meet AmigaOS 5.0 requirements (x86) and Amy'05 would be still be usuable in the foreseeable future.


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MobbyG 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:34:08
#3 ]
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Joined: 7-May-2003
Posts: 203
From: In the Hizzzeeww!

IS this it? The light at the end of the tunnel? The end of the beginning?

Damn I hope so


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saimo 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:34:15
#4 ]
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Joined: 11-Mar-2003
Posts: 2449
From: Unknown

Well, this does make the board look a lot better. The Amy Geekport is definitely a nice addition
The availability for developers is also very interesting.

Best luck,
saimo

edit: I *have* to stress this part :
Quote:
This is the first release which will be made in a limited quantity for hardware testing/OS4 development

Last edited by saimo on 13-Sep-2006 at 02:36 PM.


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saimo 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:38:02
#5 ]
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Joined: 11-Mar-2003
Posts: 2449
From: Unknown

@polka

Quote:
AmigaOS 5.0 requirements (x86)

Uh? What's this?

saimo


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ssolie 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:40:06
#6 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 10-Mar-2003
Posts: 2755
From: Alberta, Canada

Quote:
This is the first release which will be made in a limited quantity for hardware testing/OS4 development.

Will these developer boards be available to the super-geeks that want early access to the Amy05? There may be some members of our community which can work with alpha hardware like in the good ol' days with Eyetech's SE board. Eventually Eyetech offered an upgrade path for those taking the early plunge.


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polka. 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:40:27
#7 ]
Super Member
Joined: 13-Oct-2005
Posts: 1820
From: Tortuga

Quote:
Uh? What's this?


Just wait for Bill McEwen's answers and his plans for the future of AmigaOS.
Good x86-news are just around the corner.

Last edited by polka. on 13-Sep-2006 at 02:44 PM.


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Insanity 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:41:27
#8 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 7-Aug-2005
Posts: 405
From: Sweden

Back in the day when aos4 was first anounced there were som long term plans where os5 was mentioned as being platform-independant, which was interpreted as it being runnable on the most readily avaliable platform (read: x86).

Right?


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polka. 
Re: Amy design downgrade Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:42:32
#9 ]
Super Member
Joined: 13-Oct-2005
Posts: 1820
From: Tortuga

Quote:
Will these developer boards be available to the super-geeks that want early access to the Amy05?


I guess they will be available to the ones that registered for the "Amy Beta programme" which was announced about a year ago.


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Naz 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:44:00
#10 ]
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Joined: 10-Mar-2004
Posts: 264
From: Unknown

So next week we will finally see some fotos of it? (For those who can not attend)??

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The_Editor 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:46:02
#11 ]
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Joined: 7-Mar-2003
Posts: 7629
From: 192.168.0.02 ..Pederburgh .. Iceni

Yup.

I'll take some pix myself.


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saimo 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:46:05
#12 ]
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Joined: 11-Mar-2003
Posts: 2449
From: Unknown

@insanity

Quote:
Back in the day when aos4 was first anounced there were som long term plans where os5 was mentioned as being platform-independant, which was interpreted as it being runnable on the most readily avaliable platform (read: x86).

Right?

Yes, that was the plan of implementing AOS on top of intent. But that plan seems to have been canned, as the development of AOS4 follows and points to a totally different direction.

saimo

Last edited by saimo on 13-Sep-2006 at 02:46 PM.


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NutsAboutAmiga 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:47:03
#13 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 9-Jun-2004
Posts: 12791
From: Norway

I like most things about this design…

* Fast ATA hard disk controller
* USB2.0 is nice.
* Better North chipset then AOne models
* And finally the PC fans can say AMD inside



I think the AMI computer is going to be excellent upgrade for
AmigaOne-SE and MicroAmigaOne systems,
but it’s also going to compete whit the AmigaOne-XE

I most likely not going to upgrade from AmigaOne-XE to AMI’05, I think I wait for a faster version whit
DDR and PCI-Express, (you most also remember I have working USB and fix IDE DMA controller, what I think I do is add USB2 PCI card when USB2.0 is supported by the OS, while I wait)


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saimo 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:49:15
#14 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 11-Mar-2003
Posts: 2449
From: Unknown

@polka

Quote:
Just wait for Bill McEwen's answers and his plans for the future of AmigaOS.
Good x86-news are just around the corner.

Do you have any insider info? Or are you just guessing? Or are you making fun of Bill McEwen in advance?

saimo


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Insanity 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:49:41
#15 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 7-Aug-2005
Posts: 405
From: Sweden

I think everything changed when hyperion were contracted to develop os4. not 4.1 or any other version at all (meaning there are no official plans for a version 5.0 right now)


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saimo 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:56:11
#16 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 11-Mar-2003
Posts: 2449
From: Unknown

@Insanity

Quote:
I think everything changed when hyperion were contracted to develop os4. not 4.1 or any other version at all (meaning there are no official plans for a version 5.0 right now)

Precisely. That's why it's perfectly useless looking so far in the future. Let's focus on the present, there's a lot to do.

saimo


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NutsAboutAmiga 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:57:12
#17 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 9-Jun-2004
Posts: 12791
From: Norway

Quote:
I think everything changed when hyperion were contracted to develop os4. not 4.1 or any other version at all (meaning there are no official plans for a version 5.0 right now)


5.0 version is an giant leap any way… probably take years before that comes along, what we have now is close to ready AmigaOS4.0, when that is done Hyperion can start working on AmigaOS4.1 or 4.2 adding more features and supporting more hardware (USB2 devices, PCI cards, Firewire, Bluetooth, motherboards)


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ssolie 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 14:57:33
#18 ]
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Joined: 10-Mar-2003
Posts: 2755
From: Alberta, Canada

@NutsAboutAmiga
Quote:
...I think I wait for a faster version...

Talking like a true Amiga fan. The wait is looking like it may finally be coming to an end yet we want to wait even more. Sorry dude, I'm not trying to pick on you personally. But man, we just love waiting don't we? [rhetorical]

I plan to buy whatever ships with OS4 running on it. The memory bandwidth alone may make up for any reduced raw CPU crunching power. The large caches will also make a big difference to the feel of the system. If the Amy05 even comes close to the XE you may want to dump the XE anyway because they will likely dive in value given their problems. In the end, let's wait (there we go again!) and see how this board performs with OS4 on it before making the decision to wait even more for a higher spec board.


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NutsAboutAmiga 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 15:00:27
#19 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 9-Jun-2004
Posts: 12791
From: Norway

I at lest wait until this new board is demoed whit AmigaOS4, like I did whit AmigaOne-XE.


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ikir 
Re: Amy design update Part 2
Posted on 13-Sep-2006 15:01:06
#20 ]
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Joined: 18-Dec-2002
Posts: 5647
From: Italy

Amy05 is becoming a very interesting hardware.


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