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Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 05 May 2024 21:35
by DrZiplok
peters wrote: 05 May 2024 19:35
Your project, your rules. I would have put cheap 1Gb memory card slots in it and some pci slots but that would have meant a bigger board.
If you were in a place to "add some pci slots", you'd be able to appreciate why there are none. PCI adds massive complexity; you're talking either a dedicated bridge like a Tundra 2, MCP105 or PLX9054, or a 3v3 FPGA with a vendor PCI root complex and a nontrivial amount of custom logic. Either way you're talking an order of magnitude more complexity, and all the joy that comes with a 2- or 3-rail design.
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 05 May 2024 22:32
by agranlund
peters wrote: 05 May 2024 19:35
The ability to run ST games makes it very interesting, something my Milan can't do. Has any 040/060 clone ever done that ? Could your CaSTaway work on the Milan ?
I don't see any reasons why it couldn't technically be made to run on other clones too, certainly Firebee and Hades or Milan with 060.
The trickiest part of that equation is probably to find someone that actually have one of those machines, and is interested in doing such port.
It runs very fast on Vampire, CT60 and Raven. On my 68030 Atari ST it does ~50% speed.
I don't know where a Milan 040 slots in performance wise, and lacking a shifter it would need to do the ST screen mode emulation like the Vampire and Raven targets.
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 05 May 2024 23:27
by agranlund
DrZiplok wrote: 05 May 2024 21:35
peters wrote: 05 May 2024 19:35
Your project, your rules. I would have put cheap 1Gb memory card slots in it and some pci slots but that would have meant a bigger board.
If you were in a place to "add some pci slots", you'd be able to appreciate why there are none. PCI adds massive complexity; you're talking either a dedicated bridge like a Tundra 2, MCP105 or PLX9054, or a 3v3 FPGA with a vendor PCI root complex and a nontrivial amount of custom logic. Either way you're talking an order of magnitude more complexity, and all the joy that comes with a 2- or 3-rail design.
Exactly that! :)
And the only practical benefit of all that would be to support a faster graphics card - assuming you are also set with drivers of course.
Going with ISA was the only realistic option (for me)
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 06 May 2024 08:32
by Cyprian
agranlund wrote: 05 May 2024 22:32
peters wrote: 05 May 2024 19:35
The ability to run ST games makes it very interesting, something my Milan can't do. Has any 040/060 clone ever done that ? Could your CaSTaway work on the Milan ?
I don't see any reasons why it couldn't technically be made to run on other clones too, certainly Firebee and Hades or Milan with 060.
The trickiest part of that equation is probably to find someone that actually have one of those machines, and is interested in doing such port.
It runs very fast on Vampire, CT60 and Raven. On my 68030 Atari ST it does ~50% speed.
I don't know where a Milan 040 slots in performance wise, and lacking a shifter it would need to do the ST screen mode emulation like the Vampire and Raven targets.
in case of games lack of keyboard ACIA could be a problem, but I guess it could be somehow emulated
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 06 May 2024 10:04
by peters
agranlund wrote: 05 May 2024 23:27
DrZiplok wrote: 05 May 2024 21:35
If you were in a place to "add some pci slots", you'd be able to appreciate why there are none. PCI adds massive complexity; you're talking either a dedicated bridge like a Tundra 2, MCP105 or PLX9054, or a 3v3 FPGA with a vendor PCI root complex and a nontrivial amount of custom logic. Either way you're talking an order of magnitude more complexity, and all the joy that comes with a 2- or 3-rail design.
Exactly that! :)
And the only practical benefit of all that would be to support a faster graphics card - assuming you are also set with drivers of course.
Going with ISA was the only realistic option (for me)
I know nothing about the electronics needed to do this so I have no idea how difficult it would be. It sounds complex.
Raven is a fantastic achievement, even more so for a one man effort.
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 06 May 2024 10:20
by peters
agranlund wrote: 05 May 2024 22:32
I don't see any reasons why it couldn't technically be made to run on other clones too, certainly Firebee and Hades or Milan with 060.
The trickiest part of that equation is probably to find someone that actually have one of those machines, and is interested in doing such port.
It runs very fast on Vampire, CT60 and Raven. On my 68030 Atari ST it does ~50% speed.
I don't know where a Milan 040 slots in performance wise, and lacking a shifter it would need to do the ST screen mode emulation like the Vampire and Raven targets.
It's probably worth making a wider announcement about your CaSTaway version.
I have a Milan with 060 so the coremark is about 134.
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 09 May 2024 15:03
by agranlund
I was disappointed I couldn't find any Gem background Midi players.
So I made a Midi plugin for the Jam player (
https://www.creamhq.de/jam)
Plugin binary + source here:
https://github.com/agranlund/jamplugins
It's mostly tested on my clone computer but it
should, hopefully, work on real Ataris too through the ACIA (tested in Hatari only)
I'd like to add Vampire support too at some point.
jam.jpg
Having made this plugin I think I should be in a pretty good place for making one for glorious OPL music when the OPL3 ISA card finally arrives :)
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 09 May 2024 15:20
by exxos
Now the heck does one wake up one morning and decide to write a midi player :lol:
:dizzy:
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 09 May 2024 15:47
by agranlund
exxos wrote: 09 May 2024 15:20
Now the heck does one wake up one morning and decide to write a midi player :lol:
To be honest I "stole" (*) most of the midi code, and when not having to bother with GUI either it felt like a sensible thing to do :lol:
Most of the work was in making some kind of generic skeleton for easily make more Jam plugins.
(*) reworked from a LGPL midi parser
Also I was getting tired of using "Piano Player" for listening to midi files :)
Re: Raven. A homemade Atari-like computer
Posted: 09 May 2024 16:13
by Oldskool
Ok now I understand why and how the ISA slots will filled up.
As the Raven is the biggest “songbird” it will sing many tunes.