Thanks for the IRC log. This sounds promising. I like the fact that he is looking ahead at using up-to-date standards such as DDR2 RAM. Lack of PCI-Express is a pity but he does have a point about lack of info required to use it. There's no point in having PCI-Express if you can't write the drivers to use it.

Personally I would have thought that on-board SATA would have been fine. There are plenty of SATA drives available, at least where I live right now. I really hope that he can get the necessary licenses from A Inc. or there will be a lot of really pissed off people here.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on developments.

Hans

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Thanks for the log

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@Hans

Yeah, the board should have at least a controller to boot onboard. The sound and rest of the stuff I can add, but a SATA onboard should be there. I'm seeing this leading to possibly causing problems finding the right cards that can boot run under OS4 to build your system. Then when you find them, you may run out of slots to plug them in.

For myself, I would be adding a SATA + PATA controller (gotta still run those CD/DVD drives). Then there is a sound card, and AGP for graphics. Maybe another USB card, but to be honest, I could probably get by on the USB just from adding a small 4 port USB hub.

One thing not mentioned was if that price point was including OS4.

I think this bit was quoted wrongly:
Quote:

[03:15:37] jahc how longs it taken you so far? :) [03:16:21] ackcontrols Not too long....a couple weeks total of time. Finishing off PCB layout.

It should be:
Quote:

[03:15:37] jahc how longs it taken you so far? :) [03:20:25] ackcontrols The design was started a long time ago.....I haven't had time to work on it and wanted to see how things shook out with the flurry of product announcements by Marvell, Tundra, and Freescale. [03:20:45] ackcontrols Add to the mix the switch to Intel by Apple further complicated issues.

and
Quote:

[03:15:14] jahc so by making the design simpler, you've cut down development time? [03:16:21] ackcontrols Not too long....a couple weeks total of time. Finishing off PCB layout.

Only two USB? Hmm atleast 4 is needed, the other two to the front of the case.
PATA should absolutely be implemented. It's needed for DVD-ROM/burners atleast.
SATA is the future for harddrives yes, but hasn't really caught on for optical drives
yet.
Otherwise I think it's a good decision to not implement too much stuff onboard.

Although, performancewise, is it really wise to have SATA, USB, sound and more
all on PCI? Isn't all PCI slots working on the very same 133MB/s bandwidth?
Or how many "channels" does the northbridge support?

Btw the Combo cards often use 66MHz PCI, is any of the PCI slots 66MHz other than
the "AGP" one?

Last edited by Samwel on 19-May-2006 at 03:12 AM.

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[SOLD] µA1-C - 750GX 800MHz - 512MB - Antec Aria case

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Btw Adam, if you implement PATA (4ch)+SATA(2ch) onboard a MicroATX will suffice.

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[SOLD] µA1-C - 750GX 800MHz - 512MB - Antec Aria case

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Quote:

There's no point in having PCI-Express if you can't write the drivers to use it.

There is some chicken vs egg going on though. Without a PCI-Express slot present, how can drivers ever be written?

I do think he's got some good ideas going though. Usnig the same CPU connector, with the same connections as the AmigaOne is a good idea for his modules. Minimizing the chips on the motherboard helps minimize the total PCB price after buying the CPU module. Putting all those things on the mainboard could make it cost more than a minimal mainboard plus a few PCI cards. Adding a PCI-Express slot today would add a bridge chip, which would of course make the mainboard cost more. Hard to say if it'd be worth it after drivers exist, but for the time until then I think it makes sense to let people use their AGP cards even if it's only PCI mode. If the mainboards come out that "cheap", then it shouldn' tbe too hard to sell a new mainbiard with PCI-Express when it makes sense as an upgrade for the CPU module to plug into. (sortof backwards of the accelerator market)

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@billt
I think you have missed something very important regarding pci-express:
Quote:

PCI Express won't be an option until the Tsi110 is available. But that is likely in early 2007

I know I don't feel like waiting...

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Thanks for the IRC log.

Personally, I think this will allow alot more flexibility for the end user. Where I live, USB seems to have become the defacto standard for keyboard, mouse and printer connections. (Of course I am talking about home use.)

As I understand it, most of the existing AmigaOne-XE owners are already using AGP cards for graphics, and PCI cards for sound cards and disk controller cards. Not sure about USB interfaces or ethernet interfaces. (Disclaimer: I realize the PCI slots are being used to fix deficiencies in the motherboard.)

As it is, some people have already complained that the MicroA1-C does not allow them the flexibility to use a different graphics card or sound card.

---
redfox

Last edited by redfox on 19-May-2006 at 04:14 AM.

Thanks for the log. Looks very promissing.

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---------
AmigaClyde

µA1-C 750GX@800 using OS4.1

Wait wait wait... High End board that is gonna cost 1000+$ and has AGP, 3 PCI, 2 LAN and 2 USB ports ??? And that suposed to be high end in 2007+ ?? Looks like pure bs.

[edit] thanks jahc for correction :)

Last edited by brotheris on 19-May-2006 at 05:45 AM.

Quote:

Wait wait wait... High End board that was developed for two weeks, gonna cost 1000+$ and has AGP, 3 PCI, 2 LAN and 2 USB ports ??? And that suposed to be high end in 2007+ ?? Looks like pure bs.

It wasnt developed in weeks, please refer to post #4..

Sounds exiting!

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ikir

@Brotheris

Remember that is also has 200MHz FSB northbridge, DDR2 400 memory and
a 1.7GHz 7448 CPU on the mainboard.
It should be several times faster than anything we have ever had for Amiga.
That includes PegasosII!

But yes, it lacks PATA, SATA and has too few USB ports. Other than that quite
ok. Actually cheaper than I thought it would be.

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/Harry

[SOLD] µA1-C - 750GX 800MHz - 512MB - Antec Aria case

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So I'll be seeing you guys at AmiRevival then

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Steven, thanks for making this log public. It can hopefully clear up some of the misinformation that is being distributed.

I didn't realise that the "high end board" was actually a full-on stand-alone replacement for the A1. This is the first description of it that I've seen.

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tony

Hyperion Support Forum: http://forum.hyperion-entertainment.biz/index.php

> But yes, it lacks PATA, SATA and has too few USB ports

Add gfx board, SATA/PATA board, soundcard to that 1000+$. What about case, hdd, etc ? :) Looks like it's gonna cost a fortune. Maybe it'll recoup it by beying a speed daemon

I was a bit disappointed by the price as well. Looks like we're back to the CBM model: the affordable low end is just for very basic tasks, and if you want to do something serious you have to pay some serious money. That worked as a marketing strategy back in 1989, but nowadays people have alternatives. I predict that the low end boards will sell moderately well, but the high end boards only to the serious "anything but wintel" Linux types and disgruntled anti x86 ex Mac owners who are used to paying a lot for their computers.

At least we'll be keeping the amiga market alive, that at least is something.

Thanks for the log.
Sometimes it's pretty difficult to understand what "the board" means
Would be cool to have a name for the high end board. MegaVixxen

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@brotheris
I spent a fortune on my XE, probably this will be cheaper but much more power and hopefully bugs/problems free.

I wil buy one for sure and sell my XE mb. I have already 2 ata133 HDs, cool case with big silent fans, dvd and cdrw, pro mouse, 19" lcd, keyboard.... i only need mb and ram and maybe a sound card.

Last edited by ikir on 19-May-2006 at 07:03 AM.

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ikir