FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark (Discussion thread)

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stephen_usher
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by stephen_usher »

That’s rather faster than the original TF536 with @agranlund’s last firmware release. You were saying that your version didn’t throttle down to 8MHz when accessing the ST hardware. Could this be retrofitted to work on the original card?
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by exxos »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:40 pm That’s rather faster than the original TF536 with @agranlund’s last firmware release. Could this be retrofitted to work on the original card?
Basically no. I revised the hardware and firmware for the ST edition.

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:40 pm You were saying that your version didn’t throttle down to 8MHz when accessing the ST hardware.
It runs at 50MHz all the time even when accessing the ST bus.
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by stephen_usher »

So, the techniques used by your changed firmware couldn’t be applied to agranlund’s code to speed the original design up then?
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by exxos »

stephen_usher wrote: Mon Feb 14, 2022 4:50 am So, the techniques used by your changed firmware couldn’t be applied to agranlund’s code to speed the original design up then?
I had problems with the original 536 on the H4 which is why I designed a new one with fixes I knew were needed for the ST. I re-wrote pretty much the whole firmware. Which wasn't easy as I'm a n00b at verilog.
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by stephen_usher »

Fair enough. I do remember seeing your pain of learning Verilog during your development process.

The TF536 with the current firmware is pretty hobbled unless the task is purely processor bound and using Fast-RAM exclusively.
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by Badwolf »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:20 pm Atari TT030, program run from TT-RAM: 2876 frames.
Thanks Stephen. What VBL rate is that at, please?

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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by Badwolf »

exxos wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:06 pm @Badwolf

[H5] TF526 ST Edition EMUTOS : 3140

[H5] TF526 ST Edition TOS206 : 2827
This is odd. I've never seen any difference between TOS and EmuTOS. Frontier barely touches the OS.

Is EmuTOS in ROM?

(and I assume you mean 536?)

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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by stephen_usher »

Badwolf wrote: Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:43 pm
stephen_usher wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:20 pm Atari TT030, program run from TT-RAM: 2876 frames.
Thanks Stephen. What VBL rate is that at, please?

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The only one that the TT can do, 60Hz (VGA-ish).
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
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Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by Badwolf »

stephen_usher wrote: Mon Feb 14, 2022 2:00 pm The only one that the TT can do, 60Hz (VGA-ish).
Ah, I didn't know it couldn't drive an old-school monitor. That's a pity. You'd be up around 3.5k if it could do RGB PAL!

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Re: FrontBench: using Frontier as a benchmark

Post by exxos »

Badwolf wrote: Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:48 pm This is odd. I've never seen any difference between TOS and EmuTOS. Frontier barely touches the OS.

Is EmuTOS in ROM?

(and I assume you mean 536?)

BW
536 yep oops.

I think its "lower ram variables" ? I will try and test the original MAPROM later, but it never worked for me. I don't get the speed up either, but thats the results I got.

But I have also noticed something peculiar Speed comparisons as well where EMUTOS when at double speed in GB6 tests than TOS206. but I really have not had time to look into it all. But with my limited knowledge of how the OS works am not really " qualified" for investigating all that stuff.
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viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
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