TF360 Discussions

[8 Bit Dreams]

Hi Stephen,
are there a jumper on board that allows to disable this FPU switching? Would be great to add it to be able to use whole 060 CPU range including EC's and LC versions, LC's are preferred - these have MMU and just FPU is missing...
Can't wait to build one

[terriblefire]

The FPU is disabled in software at startup by a ROM. I'd recommend re-enabling it with a software option rather than having jumpers etc.

[Milesunder]

Just watched your video about the TF360 and I am really looking forward to seeing this when it goes into production. You and the team have done a great job. Really like the idea of it being a cross platform card. Again would like to get one for my a4000.

I have a couple of questions about the board and I apologise if you might have answered these questions in the past with other cards.

1) is there a reason for the physical size of the board? Comparing the TF330 to a FMV card or even a SX32 these cards are a lot longer. I didn’t know if this was by design or because of the production process. I guess the form factor would have to change if you did a 1200 version?

2) Due to the limited expansion features of the CD32 is it possible if you could add a Battery backed real-time clock to the board? This question is obviously a follow on from Q1 as I don’t imagine there is enough space for a RTC on the current design.

3) Is there a possibility of getting an upgrade on the graphics either making a 31khz VGA output or HDMI output. Or even including RTG on the card.

4) have you considered an FPGA solution for the CPU to possibly reduce size and cost? Also to perhaps do a ppc version to run OS4.1

Please don’t think for a moment I am suggesting a Vampire clone but I think that some of these enhancements a great card even better.

Lastly and I don’t know if this is even possible but perhaps designing a SoC solution to allow a modern browser to run a browser on the Amiga. Obviously there are some x86 cards like the golden gate out there for 386 and 486 but no one has made a modern version. With intel compute sticks being so tiny i wondered if this could be done.

Again please don’t think this is criticism or ungratefulness but genuine enthusiasm for the project and the work you do.

[terriblefire]

Just watched your video about the TF360 and I am really looking forward to seeing this when it goes into production. You and the team have done a great job. Really like the idea of it being a cross platform card. Again would like to get one for my a4000.

I have a couple of questions about the board and I apologise if you might have answered these questions in the past with other cards.

1) is there a reason for the physical size of the board? Comparing the TF330 to a FMV card or even a SX32 these cards are a lot longer. I didn’t know if this was by design or because of the production process. I guess the form factor would have to change if you did a 1200 version?

Cost. Bigger board = £££. I dont make it a mm bigger than it needs to be.

2) Due to the limited expansion features of the CD32 is it possible if you could add a Battery backed real-time clock to the board? This question is obviously a follow on from Q1 as I don’t imagine there is enough space for a RTC on the current design.

This is something I think should live on the riser rather than repeat over and over on the accelerator cards. Its a one off thing.

3) Is there a possibility of getting an upgrade on the graphics either making a 31khz VGA output or HDMI output. Or even including RTG on the card.

I have no plans or inclination to do this sort of thing at the moment.

4) have you considered an FPGA solution for the CPU to possibly reduce size and cost? Also to perhaps do a ppc version to run OS4.1

No because it adds cost and complexity. An FPGA is relatively expensive and needs multiple power rails (usually) and they arent tolerant of 5V. Plus i kinda did my project to get away from the FPGAs.

Please don’t think for a moment I am suggesting a Vampire clone but I think that some of these enhancements a great card even better.

Lastly and I don’t know if this is even possible but perhaps designing a SoC solution to allow a modern browser to run a browser on the Amiga. Obviously there are some x86 cards like the golden gate out there for 386 and 486 but no one has made a modern version. With intel compute sticks being so tiny i wondered if this could be done.

Again please don’t think this is criticism or ungratefulness but genuine enthusiasm for the project and the work you do.

I dont plan to make cards any more complex than the ones i'm making. My goal is simple easy to build cards for all. Bells and whistles are not something i'm interested in. So no PPC, No x86, No RTG and probably no FPGA. Sorry.. i'm not the guy thats going to do that stuff.

Why? Because i think keeping it simple is the reason why I have produced what I have. Most projects that started and never came to much did so because they tried to do too much.

Simple, cheap, easy to build.

EDIT: also I struggle to support the simple stuff. Anything more complicated would make my life a misery.

[chucky]

Even if bells and whisles might be nice.. I agree with Stephen.. keep it simple..
well maybe some kind of direct bus to the cpu etc to be able to do some kind of expansions couldbe nice..

but most important of all: Keep it simple!

[8 Bit Dreams]

Got 50x 060 CPU sockets yesterday, just need to buy some CPUs now and im prepared to bulid these

[terriblefire]

50 sockets ... yikes how much?

[alenppc]

Got 50x 060 CPU sockets yesterday, just need to buy some CPUs now and im prepared to bulid these

Unless you know of a secret source that has them at a reasonable price, I would strongly suggest you do not buy them from China. 99% are fakes. Anything that has 75 printed at the end is a fake (unless it's an EC version, in which case it's probably a 50).

You can get real CPUs from legitimate sources for about $650 USD each, but somehow I doubt you want to do that either.

I think these will have to be shipped without CPU.

Hell, I am now stuck with about 30 fake 68EC030RP40s. They won't run at 50 mhz, so they were probably 25s reprinted or something...

[8 Bit Dreams]

Unless you know of a secret source that has them at a reasonable price, I would strongly suggest you do not buy them from China. 99% are fakes. Anything that has 75 printed at the end is a fake (unless it's an EC version, in which case it's probably a 50).

You can get real CPUs from legitimate sources for about $650 USD each, but somehow I doubt you want to do that either.

I think these will have to be shipped without CPU.

Hell, I am now stuck with about 30 fake 68EC030RP40s. They won't run at 50 mhz, so they were probably 25s reprinted or something...

Hi Alen,
Yes, indeed, that's what makes me worry. Im courious will TF360 run at different frequencies or will it be fixed at 75Mhz just like on TF330?
If frequency will be fixed, then probably rev.5 CPU's will not work, as these are running till 66Mhz only
have two rev.5 CPUs here for testing purposes on my 3660 builds, the price i paid is about 75€ each CPU..
Of course will ship TF360's without CPUs to keep price as low as possible, just hope any Amiga user has at least one 060 in sprares box

What about 030 fake CPU's? Can You please tell us more? These are branded as Freescale like on the picture ive posted previously?
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... =10#p19456
Can You tell more where did You bought them, so other users can avoid this seller? Asked for return? Opened dispute?

[exxos]

I did have a supply of rev 6 CPUs, but. I stopped selling them due to costs, I had to buy like 20 at a time and sale price ended up at £120. But all were tested by myself to wade out the fakes and faulties and all tested at 95mhz.

Rev 1 maxes out at 66mhz.
Rev 5 maxes out at 75mhz.
Rev 6 maxes out at 95mhz.

Though some had managed to clock a bit more.