Kategoriarkiv: Amiga hardware DIY

BFG9060 Amiga 060 turbo card in PCB color red fully built and tested

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BFG9060 with rev 1 68060 under testing in my A4000TX

I built a BFG9060 060 turbo card last year that I could clock at 100Mhz, this is the second BFG9060 I have built and it is in a cool red PCB color. Thanks to the Xilinx programmer I got I could finally program the CPLDs on it but did not have time testing it fully. Now that I have tested it I can finally confirm that it is working 100%.

Actually, I just ran Quake for an hour with it mounted in my primary Amiga, my A4000TX daily driver, and the card performed just fine. Once I have it permanently installed in one of my big box Amigas I will do a proper 24h POVRay fish render test. But as it is now, I am happy with how it performed!

Mystery 68060 CPU

I got this 68060 chip from Vesalia years ago (probably 12+ years ago), and for a really good price too. It was a deal too good to pass on even though I did not know what to do with it. Well I am happy that I kept it but for all these years I wondered three things:

  1. Did it work?
  2. What kind of 060 was it?
  3. Is it a fake? Why did it have these strange markings and not the typical Motorola markings?

The answer to those questions are:

  1. Yes the 68060 works fine! And it does not get that hot either (though I have a heatsink/fan on it).
  2. It is a rev 1 68060.
  3. It is not a fake 060 – It came from a Phase 5 turbo card – Phase 5 used to add this text to the 060s on the turbo cards.

While the CPU works, it is a little bit of a bummer that it is a rev 1 as that revision has bugs. But there are work arounds for that so it does not really matter. Unfortunately, as its rev 1, that means no 100Mhz overclock. But to be honest with you, I am glad just having another full (MMU/FPU) 060 on a big box Amiga turbo card.

68060 low profile 5v cooler

I was afraid that the CPU I had was going to run too hot so I went into my stash of heatsinks to look for a suitable cooler for it. I found this thin 5v laptop cooler that I must have kept in my stash for more than 15 years. I got it from an old Acer Celeron laptop I found in the trash at a job I had and I was glad I finally found a use for it.

It is a thin radial fan that sits on an aluminium bottom plate that acts as a heatsink. I have not found modern alternatives in this size for a good price so I guess they have become rare these days.

I used thermal adhesive tape (also called ”frag tape” BITD) to secure the heatsink to the CPU. Believe me, this thermal double sided adhesive tape has insane stickiness, there is no chance of the heatsink falling of the CPU if mounted vertically.

I can confirm, according to tests done with my finger, that the CPU does not run hot at all with the heatsink/fan on it. I am starting to wonder that maybe it was overkill, but if I end up using it in an A3000D case it might come in handy as that case has poor cooling performance.

A500-GraKa GBAPII++ Amiga Graphics Card built and tested

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GBAPII++ Amiga graphics card

This is the second GBAPII++ Amiga graphics card I have built. I finished the last bit of the build two weeks ago. Today I tested it in my Denise Amiga clone and could confirm that it was working fine. If you are interesting in building one yourself, check out more information about the graphics card here. There are some details about the background of the card there too.

Hardware specs

The GBAPII++ is a Zorro 2 based Amiga graphics card based around the Cirrus Logic GD5434 chip. It has 2 MB memory and is a relatively affordable Amiga graphics card. Occasionally you see users referring to the card as an open Picasso 2 card as you can order empty PCBs yourself and build it. But if you know Amiga hardware well this card is based on another chip. The similarities are close though, both cards has only 2 MB and is probably likewise in performance as they are both Zorro 2.

The VGA adapter plate has both output and input so its possible to run scandoubler output through one VGA output, very handy and a must have these days IMHO. I use mine with a Indivision MK3 and it works perfectly out of box. Or run it with the Multivision-AGA scandoubler.

It is possible to use the card on an Amiga 500 by soldering an 86 pin 2.54mm edge card slot to the side of the card, thats probably why the graphics card goes by the name A500-GraKa.

Components

The graphics card is based on the Cirrus Logic GD5434 chip

If you are thinking about building one I suggest you go looking for a GD5434 chip first. These chips are not impossible to find but can be pricey. I have paid between 20 to 40 euro each for Cirrus Logic GD5434 chips (currently have built four cards based on this chip). Finding an old VGA card and desoldering a chip with hot air is also a possibility.

The memory used is the same type of memory that is used in an Amiga 1200 1.4d revision. The typical SOJ40 2MB memory chips in the quantity of 4 chips.

I had difficulty finding the correct voltage crystal but eventually found the right one on AliExpress (and it worked too).

Building the graphics card

For some reason I thought building this card was incredibly confusing. I think the main reason is that I somehow got the build instructions for a previous revision of the A500GraKa card, once I got the correct file everything worked out fine! IIRC there are some solder pads marked as ferrite beads that should take resistors (or it was the other way). To find out what components go where one can look into the designer files, also study the BOM.

Performance

The graphics card works especially fine in lower resolutions and fewer colors like this 800×600 8 color Workbench

I have not tested performance yet and will probably never do, but make no mistake, this is no competition for a ZZ9000 graphics card. It is a fine card to use on a 030 based Amiga with a Zorro 2 bus as long as one do not go crazy on the amount of colors or resolution used. It is much better than using hires laced. I stick to 800×600 in 8 colors and it works fine.

Conclusion

The graphics card is hooked up to the VGA adapter plate that is fitted to a3D printed bracket

Many thanks for the creators of this card and previous cards it is based on. I think this card is a no brainer, just get one if you have an empty Zorro slot and no graphics card. I will list the good things first and negative later, these are strictly my personal opinions.

Positive

  • Half size card
  • Has a hole cut out for your finger so you can remove it easely
  • Autoswitch between scandoubler/VGA
  • Open card, PCBs can be ordered by yourself. There is also commercial version of it
  • There is a thread on a1k.org where you can ask questions about the card
  • Supported in P96 (so you can install the card with the P96 installer)

Negative

  • Somewhat confusing build instructions
  • Only has 2 MB
  • Is a Zorro 2 card so its slow (but still perfectly fine for lower resolutions/fewer colors)
Here is Doom running on the GBAPII++ Amiga Graphics Card

Finished building the Prometheus-Resurrector Amiga PCI board but could not program it

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I finished building the Prometheus-Resurrector PCI Amiga daughter board. If you where around 20 years ago you might remember PCI slots being the latest thing to add to your Amiga computer. It was as de-rigueur upgrading your Amiga to PCI slots as hacking your Amiga 1200 into a tower as tall as a kitchen table.

What is the Prometheus-Resurrector?

Prometheus-Resurrector is based on the Prometheus PCI daughter board from 20 years ago. If you are familiar you might know about the Firebird PCI daughter board for Amiga 4000 and Amiga 3000, they are sort of related. One difference between Prometheus-Resurrector and the original Prometheus is that this one is using Xilinx chips for CPLDs instead of rare, hard to find, Altera chips. Also, you can order PCBs yourself and build it.

The Prometheus slots into a Zorro 3 slot, then you have to be creative in how you mount the PCI cards as the cards sits 90 degrees from Zorro cards. Either you use PCI extenders or 90 degree PCI angle converters or just run them as is with extension cables to the backside of the Amiga chassi. No matter what option you chose, your Amiga, decked out with PCI cards, will look refreshingly hacked together just like all those towers-hacks looked like back in the day. How nostalgic.

Programing the Prometheus-Resurrector

Unfortunately the story, for this time, ends here as I got the wrong programmer from AliExpress. I failed to program both CPLDs with my trusty Raspberry Pi so I got this nice Xilinx programmer, totally offical (not), from China. However that did not help me program the chips, I think I got the wrong one. So until I get the other Xilinx programmer I ordered, the story ends here.

To be continued!

Replica A4091 SCSI card

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Today I got a fully built replica A4091 Zorro 3 SCSI card delivered. The A4091 was a SCSI 2 controller for the Zorro 3 slot, it was made by Commodore. This is a reverse enginered version that you can find prebuilt on the internet or build yourself. Find out more about the original C= 4091 card here and the new replica A4091 SCSI card here.

I watched the presentation of this card on an Amiwest stream a couple of years ago so its exciting to have the real card in my hands.

Advantages of SCSI in an Amiga

The advantage of using a SCSI harddrive and a A4091 in a Zorro 3 Amiga is that it will have faster transfer speeds than IDE. SCSI is also less heavy on the system as the card has its own brain to process file transfers taking up less CPU time than IDE. This is good as Amiga is limited in CPU power (at least with a real CPU).

Zorro 3 only!

This card only works on the Zorro 3 slot. That is good news since it means better performance than a Zorro 2 card/slot. But it also means it will only work on the A4000(T) and the A3000(T). The Amiga 3000 already has SCSI on the motherboard, but if that does not work well, this card could be the solution.

Hardware setup

This card will probably end up in my A4000TX or in my A4000D. The A4000T already has SCSI2 and is basically the A4091 card implemented on the motherboard (well, the main chip is the same). As my main systems already got 060s, graphics cards and plenty of memory this is a welcome addition in squeezing out the last performance before I go into the world of PiStorms.

I will run a ZuluSCSI card on mine as I have banished mechanical harddrives from all my computers. The ZuluSCSI can emulate multiple harddrives (and CDs) stored as files on an SD card.

Purple Amiga A4091 SCSI 2 card

And I actually lied a little when I said that it was exciting to finally have the card in my hands as I already built a purple A4091 SCSI 2 card last year.

New incoming Amiga PCB projects

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Here are some new Amiga PCBs for some new projects I got this week:

  • GottaGoFaZt3r memory card (will do the 256 MB version and probably a second card).
  • PiStorm16 x 2
  • Prometheus clone
  • MpegIt for the Prelude Amiga sound card
  • Prelude sound card PCB (not in the picture)

I also have two Amiga graphics cards in my todo list:

  • GBAPII++ graphics card
  • Mini GBAPII++ graphics card

And lets not forget the ReAmiga 3000 PCB I got late this week too! I have had a broken Amiga 3000D motherboard in my stash for years so finally I will be able to shake some life into it again!

So lets just say a massive BOM will be ordered soon!

New project inoming: Mini version of GBAPII++ Amiga graphics card

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Today I picked up a small parcel that was sent to me, the parcel contained a GBAPII++ mini Amiga graphics card PCB. The GBAPII++ is a half size Zorro 2 Amiga graphics card based on the Cirrus Logic GD5434 chip, you can read all about that project here. This is a smaller version of that card – It is intended to be used with the Denise A500+ clone (Mini-ITX) but can be used on all Amiga systems with Zorro slots. You can read all about the mini version of the graphics card here.

Specification of the GBAPII++ card

This is a Zorro 2 card, it has 2 MB memory and is comparable with the Picasso 2 graphics card in performance (give or take performance in some tests). It is a perfect match for Z2 and 030+ systems IMHO but is not really a competitor with the zz9000 regarding performance (in a Zorro 3 system).

Lets take a look at the GBAPII++ card

Front side of the GBAPII++ Amiga Zorro 2 graphics card

Usually I prefer to build projects from scratch but in this case I did not mind a version where the passives where already pre-installed. The GBAPII++ mini version uses mostly 0603 component sizes. That is 1.6 x 0.8 mm in size, not impossible to solder, and to be honest not that challenging, just very tedious. Especially if you do not have a proper workshop with microscope.

Here is the back of the graphics card, not much happening just some 0603 parts

The missing components are 2 MB memory consisting of four chips, SOJ40 (this is the same memory type that is installed in an Amiga 1200 rev 1.4d). The card needs one CPLD, two ICs, crystal and the GD5434 chip. The Cirrus Logic chip can be taken from a PC graphics card. Occasionally NOS chips show up on Ebay from time to time. Expect to pay 25-40 euro for the graphics chip alone (and more for the full graphics card).

I also got this little VGA out PCB that hooks up to the graphics card and fits neatly at the back of the Denise Amiga 500+ clone.

n2630 68030/Memory/IDE card for the Amiga 2000 (EATX)

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I built my second Amiga 2000 EATX last year, it is a beautiful clone of the Amiga 2000 remade into a standard extended ATX format so it can fit a standard EATX case. You can be sure that I will add an article about that motherboard here in the future. The author of that project has also made the n2630 project, its a clone/reimplementation of Commodores 030 card for the A2000, the Commodore A2630.

To be honest, I wish there was a modern 060 or 040 card we could build for the A2000 since I think 030 is just too slow these days – at least for my modern Amiga standards. To be fair while the A2630 was 25 Mhz this one runs at 50 Mhz, so its a little bit faster. 040 runs so hot, but would be a perfect fit for the A2000EATX because of the improved case airflow (and having an 040 in one of my machines could be interesting to compare performance with 060 machines).

Anyways, I should be glad with what I have and I am thankful that we can build this cool modern 030 card for our A2000 computers. And the n2630 is such a nice compliment to the A2000 EATX motherboard having IDE/CF slot built in.

Building the n2630 for my A2000EATX

I decided to build my n2630 card earlier this year with 128 MB fast memory. There was an option to go for 256 MB fast memory also but thought it was not really worth it, maybe I will regret it in the future. Otherwise this build was very straight forward. It uses three CPLDs and six memory chips.

There was some parts that was difficult to find, first it was the 030 CPU socket. I actually got the parts number for one that was availble on Mouser after asking around, surprised about that. The CF slot at the back of the card needs to be the right one to fit solder points on the board, ask on the Discord if you wondering what type you should get if you are building one. Other than that it was an easy build. There are also two eproms you need to have and program, but as usual, most stuff that is rare can be found with some patience.

I have since mounted an FPU to the card and I also got a 3D printed bracket so I could secure it in my regular ATX tower that was converted to EATX. I ran out of black pin stripes that is why I used yellow and green (it was also a joke about obsessing over the color syncing of hardware).

Finishing the A4000T build and looking back at the build process

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I finally got the last part that was missing from the BOM from a seller in Germany so that I could finish my Amiga 4000T motherboard replica build.

The motherboard is fully built, so is the AV module, the disk module and the ATX I/O module.

Unfortunately I do not have any AT PSUs anymore. I have ordered an AT to ATX converter, hopefully I can test the board once it arrives next week.

Looking back at building the Amiga 4000T

I think this build was fairly easy. The most difficult thing was locating parts on the PCB, thankfully there is an Ibom for both the main board and the modules here. If there was no Ibom, I honestly dont know how I would placed some of the components as placement can differ from Commodore made PCBs. You can not just compare part placement on pictures.

I will go through the build in more detail when I have tested the board fully.

Almost finished with my Amiga 4000T replica build

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I am happy to say that my A4000T build is soon finished. I am waiting for some pinstrips and a couple of passives I missed out on in my first order of components. When I get them I will proceed with the video and Zorro slots and also the three ISA slots (and the P8P9 power connector).

I am always nervous when soldering the 200 pin KEL CPU card connector. If you do it wrong side, you have to desolder it and turn it around – that is a lot of work. Better option is to triple check everything before soldering.

The backside of the A4000T PCB contains a lot of passives to solder on. All passives are 1206 though installation went fairly smoothly.

All thats left to do is to solder in the pin strips, 72-pin SIMM sockets, P8P9 socket, edge card slots and some small parts and then I will clean up the bord, inspect everything twice and do a test run with Diagrom. You can be sure I will post about it here!

Amiga 4000T disk module (replica build)

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I am building an Amiga 4000T motherboard and its modules at the moment. Here is the disk module for the A4000T. It is almost fully built, missing two double row pin headers and screws for the external SCSI2 port.

The disk module has the internal 50 pin SCSI port and the external SCSI2 port. It also has the SCSI switches (accessible from backside) and floppy port. It is attached to the Amiga 4000T motherboard on a pin header.