new Nova drivers

[stormy]

I finished a first release candidate version of the MegaSTE Mach64 drivers.
Since the memory requirements of the Mach64 card are different it was necessary to change some of the NOVA logic.
As with the Falcon, maximum video memory is 2MB.

Hi Idek, congrats on this breakthrough! I'm just wondering whether with some of your work on this could be applied to VoFa and Mach32 I posted about earlier. If not, I understand, this is certainly not simple work!

[Idek Tramielski]

Hi Idek, congrats on this breakthrough! I'm just wondering whether with some of your work on this could be applied to VoFa and Mach32 I posted about earlier. If not, I understand, this is certainly not simple work!

The VoFa can only address 1MB on the ISA side, therefore it does not work with a Mach32. Maybe you can convince Frank to create a NOVA for the MegaST. It should be relatively easy to do.

[robdaemon]

Idek - I just got to install the new ET4000/W32i driver, menu, etc on my Mega STE tonight - they work spectacularly! Thank you! I need to play with the 800x600x16k timings so it likes my Dell UltraSharp LCD monitor better, but the 800x600x256 mode is nice and snappy and works great.

[frank.lukas]

... therefore it does not work with a Mach32. Maybe you can convince Frank to create a NOVA for the MegaST. It should be relatively easy to do.

Maybe we can mod the STGA adapter and Idek mod the STGA GAL to work with 2MB cards ?

[Idek Tramielski]

New drivers:

V3.03 Mach64
Falcon
TT
and as already announced, the first ever Mach64 version for the MegaSTE
MegaSTE

Be aware of necessary modifications to the NOVA adapter. The drivers include a folder called PATCH that describes the modification.
In short:
- LA21 is grounded by setting JP2 to 2-3 (only present on newer adapters from frank.lukas)
- LA22 is connected to A21 (GAL pin 4) GAL and VME bus
- A22 (GAL Pin 3) is only connected to VME, not to the ISA slot
- new GAL

Code: Select all

VME          GAL        ISA
A20 <---->   5  <----> LA20			
A21 <---->   4  <--|   LA21 <--> GND
A22 <---->   3     |-->LA22
A23 <---->   2         LA23 <--> GND

Getting this done was a real pain in the ... and took me several fresh restarts over the years. I hope the drivers will make some users as happy as I am about the fact that it finally worked out.

Last but not least, a big thanks (again!) to Frank Lukas for his help.
He is also be a very good resource when it comes to making modifications to your NOVA adapter or getting a new NOVA adapter.

[frank.lukas]

Nice one ...

[dhedberg]

Be aware of necessary modifications to the NOVA adapter. The drivers include a folder called PATCH that describes the modification.
In short:
- LA21 is grounded by setting JP2 to 2-3 (only present on newer adapters from frank.lukas)
- LA22 is connected to A21 (GAL pin 4) GAL and VME bus
- A22 (GAL Pin 3) is only connected to VME, not to the ISA slot
- new GAL

Code: Select all

VME          GAL        ISA
A20 <---->   5  <----> LA20			
A21 <---->   4  <--|   LA21 <--> GND
A22 <---->   3     |-->LA22
A23 <---->   2         LA23 <--> GND

Getting this done was a real pain in the ... and took me several fresh restarts over the years. I hope the drivers will make some users as happy as I am about the fact that it finally worked out.

Thanks!
Are these modifications to the adapter also required for the TT030 and/or F030, or is it only for the Mega STE?

[Idek Tramielski]

Thanks!
Are these modifications to the adapter also required for the TT030 and/or F030, or is it only for the Mega STE?

No, they are only necessary if you want to use a Mach64 in the MegaSTE.

[frank.lukas]

Gembench 4.03 with 1024x768 256 Colors and ATI MACH64 ATARI Mega STE ...

mste_magnum_1024_m64_forum.jpg

[mrbombermillzy]

Mach64 in a MSTE...Love it!

[frank.lukas]

MSTE+MagnumSTE+Lightning+MACH64 (1024x768/64k Colors)

mste_magnum_1024_16k_m64.jpg

NVDI 5.03 install with the option "NOVA" ...

[frank.lukas]

... good values of the Nova driver with a PAK030 Atari Mega ST computer install a VRAM MACH32 2MB card.

M32PAK8B.gif

[artik-wroc]

And what does Mach64 look like compared to Mach32 ?

[frank.lukas]

Mach64 ... (8bit exactly like with the MACH32)

M64PAK8B.jpg

1280x1024 24bit there are the display at 650%

[Rarkhaan]

Thanks Frank!
Interesting to see that the two main differences are with VDI Text (near 10%) and VDI Scroll (close to 200%)

In term of value for money ATI Mach32 is probably the best choice to go along with an MSTE.

[frank.lukas]

Thanks Frank!
Interesting to see that the two main differences are with VDI Text (near 10%) and VDI Scroll (close to 200%)

In term of value for money ATI Mach32 is probably the best choice to go along with an MSTE.

Yes but it was not a Mega STE! It was a Mega ST with PAK68/3-50Mhz and Panther/2

MACH32_MSTE.gif

pure nova driver without nvdi

[Rarkhaan]

My bad completely miss read your posts
Getting old will be my excuse

[Idek Tramielski]

This was only the first version...compared to last weeks version, I already found about 30 GEMBENCH percent in 1280x1024x256

SNAP0000.jpg

SNAP0001.jpg

and please restrict benchmarks in this thread to native tests (without NVDI) to keep it comparable.

[Rarkhaan]

Thanks Idek!

This time the highest gain is with VDI Graphics when comparing Mach32 vs Mach64, if I m not wrong
Then when dealing with numbers I will say that MSTE w Mach64 is 18% above MSTE w Mach32
Not familiar with today’s “market” prices for both cards but for anyone willing to invest I still assume that Mach32 + Frank’s VME adapter + Idea’s driver is the best combination for MSTE owners

[Idek Tramielski]

Thanks Idek!

This time the highest gain is with VDI Graphics when comparing Mach32 vs Mach64, if I m not wrong
Then when dealing with numbers I will say that MSTE w Mach64 is 18% above MSTE w Mach32
Not familiar with today’s “market” prices for both cards but for anyone willing to invest I still assume that Mach32 + Frank’s VME adapter + Idea’s driver is the best combination for MSTE owners

You are probably right. The Mach64 (essentially) only can do line drawing an rectangles. Most of the other stuff is done in software. This is the main reason why any kind of fastram accelerates the drivers so much.
The other advantages of the Mach64 are 32bit mode and accelerated 1bit mode. Unfortunately, the accelerated 1bit mode would require double buffering, since only the drawing engine supports it fully. Given the restricted amount of memory in a MegaSTE, this does not make much sense.

For now this seems to be the best I can do:

SNAP0002.jpg

Maybe Frank can compare the release driver and this version in his fastram setup (without NVDI).

[frank.lukas]

Mega STE + MagnumSTE (Alternate Ram +6MB) + ATI MACH64 (1024-256Colors) ...

Idek new M64 MSTE driver

1024_MAGNUM.jpg

Idek release V3.03 MSTE M64 driver

V303.jpg

[Rarkhaan]

Excellent!
Thanks taking time providing us with these additional tests

[Idek Tramielski]

As side effect of the work for the MegaSTE Mach64 version, I was able to fix the Mach64 Panther ST version

[frank.lukas]

Gembench 4.03 result ...

PAN_TOS1.jpg

Atari Mega ST4 without Blitter 68000 CPU 8Mhz, Panther/2, TOS 1.04, ATI MACH64

[Cyprian]

Be aware of necessary modifications to the NOVA adapter. The drivers include a folder called PATCH that describes the modification.
In short:
- LA21 is grounded by setting JP2 to 2-3 (only present on newer adapters from frank.lukas)
- LA22 is connected to A21 (GAL pin 4) GAL and VME bus
- A22 (GAL Pin 3) is only connected to VME, not to the ISA slot
- new GAL

Code: Select all

VME          GAL        ISA
A20 <---->   5  <----> LA20			
A21 <---->   4  <--|   LA21 <--> GND
A22 <---->   3     |-->LA22
A23 <---->   2         LA23 <--> GND

will this modification work with 2MB ET4000/W32i ?
https://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=41291