Pre-annoucement: ATW800/2 graphics & Transputer card

[CiH]

*Just remembered I have a spare Mega 4!*

[simon1040ste]

HI, awesome work. I have an Atari Mega ST 1Mb version C103277 REV 2.1

When your ATW800/2 is ready I Would like to buy one if it works on my MEGA ST

Looking forward to have one

Thank You Very Much for making things for our STs

[shoggoth]

I don't know why I need this. But I really need this. I can't go on without this. Precious... preeciiiouss.....

[swatcop]

I've been following this here and on geekdot.com and it appears they're getting close.
Need one of these for MST, MSTE, TT030 and probably STE w/MonSTerbo.

While I'm preplanning what are the chances of attaching the VME version to the Falcon 030 via some sort of VME adapter? There was a German company (Rhothron) that made such an adapter https://mikrosk.github.io/doitarchive/doitf030/0c0e.htm but could not find much info about it.

[gstoll]

While I'm preplanning what are the chances of attaching the VME version to the Falcon 030 via some sort of VME adapter? There was a German company (Rhothron) that made such an adapter https://mikrosk.github.io/doitarchive/doitf030/0c0e.htm but could not find much info about it.

The german maunal can you find here: https://docs.dev-docs.org/htm/search.php?find=Rhothron

[geekdot]

Ok folks, the time is come...

We're looking for beta-testers!
Yes, it could be you getting an ATW800/2 for your Mega-ST or Mega-STE/TT! Woo-Hoo!

But like with all good things in life, it comes with a price - you know "with great power comes great responsibility"
So here's a checklist you should answer each point with "yes", "I will" and/or "hell, yeah!":

• You own a supported ATARI and optimally have this dedicated for testing (i.e. no plug-in/out 5 times a day)
• You have access to quite a lot of software packages and/or peripherals to throw at the ATW800/2
• You're not just fancy new hardware but you also have sparetime, perseverance and patience
• You have some experience in testing, e.g. start simple, slowly adding complexity
• You know how to work with a bug tracker interface. We're using "Mantis" here.
• You have a a computer to run either the original GoWIN Nano Flash software (Windoze, Registration req'd) or OpenFPGAloader (MacOS/Linux) to update the FPGA

Cool, so far so good ... and here are some optional credits to gain:

• You have some (light) experience with flashing Altera CPLDs (i.e own a USB-Blaster and the free vintage Quartus II software)
• A multimeter and/or oscilloscope would be awesome!
• Mild soldering skills are always handy

How can I apply?

Simply send us a mail (to: atw_betatester@geekdot.com) introducing yourself and some lines why we should pick you and not anyone else

If we decide for you, you will get a Mk3 ATW800/2 for your system for free! (But you pay shipping & taxes if needed)
You will also get access to our bug-tracking and a dedicated (English speaking) beta-tester channel on Discord to discuss bugs and (hopefully) solutions.

So what are you waiting for?! We're looking forward hearing from you!

[ragnar76]

Darn! I have all of them but I don't have "spare time"

But good to hear that someone else is still using MantisBT

[Cyprian]

awesome news

[frank.lukas]

I don't think I can help with that because my PC is very old - a 32-bit WIN7 computer with an old Linux in dual boot. A current Linux is probably not possible I think.

The firmware update process is done via USB on the FPGA module, right?


It would be interesting to know what the minimum requirements are for the firmware update PC for Windows and Linux?

[geekdot]

I don't think I can help with that because my PC is very old - a 32-bit WIN7 computer with an old Linux in dual boot. A current Linux is probably not possible I think.

Very Old is very good - not just with cars, whisky and wine
Linux is possible thanks to OpenFPGAloader. We use that in our team with Linux as well as Mac OS, MacOS, damn, macOS (or however it is spelled today). Win11 is actually an issue, especially with "vintage" software required to program older CPLDs.

The firmware update process is done via USB on the FPGA module, right?

That's absolutely correct. USB-C on the FPGA, whatever you like on your desktop. An USB C-to-A cable will be included.

It would be interesting to know what the minimum requirements are for the firmware update PC for Windows and Linux?

The GoWIN docs are mentioning

• Windows XP 64 bits
• Windows 7 / Windows 10 32 bits & 64 bits

As for Linux - if you have a dev-ennvironment and git installed, it should run on your system.
https://wiki.sipeed.com/hardware/en/tan ... linux.html

[geekdot]

Ah, and just to state the beta-tester terms a bit more precisely:

We're planning/hoping to test existing soft- and hardware and you sharing your experience - i.e.

• Installing and running the card
• Throw as many programs at it as you have. Does it render graphics properly? Glitches? Pixels went crazy?
• Start with a naked, vanilla system - no fancy accelerators and stuff. Then slowly add your gear step by step.
• Same with OSes. We're normally testing with TOS 1.04 and 2.06. Then we take the next step towards EmuTOS... and then comes Mint or Magic and all the other advanced systems.
• ...and did I mention the many VDIs that are possible to install?

That said, we are 100% sure that the ATW800/2 will not run with every software or hardware out there. There are simply too many possible permutations of combinations. Accelerators, mass-storage solutions, hacks, bugs, patches OSes and what not.
And the more you plug into your poor Atari the bigger chances are that things get into fights.

[frank.lukas]

... thank you very much for the information. I am moving flat so I won't be able to do anything this year thinking.

[agranlund]

Darn! I have all of them but I don't have "spare time"

Yeah same here :/
That "spare time" is getting harder and harder to come by and I don't have enough of it to feel comfortable competing for a spot at playing with this thing (I will for sure purchase one when available though).

[geekdot]

Ok folks, the time is come...

We're looking for beta-testers!

Thank you very much to all who applied within the last days and we'd like to close this call for beta-testers now.

We had quite many of you lovely people throwing their hats into the ring... and now the League of extraordinary Transputer Gentlemen will sit down in the library (the one in the west wing next to the peacock aviary, you know) by the fireplace and study your email over a cup of tea.

Those which are chosen to take the burden playing around with cool but probably still bug ridden hard- and software will be informed within the coming days.

[frank.lukas]

I'm very excited about the results, especially when using the MST Adapter with 020/030 accelerator cards with and without Fastram.

[renato3]

Incredible. I have used these transputers to control a robot gripper with neural networks - in 1991!!

If the VME bus version becomes available I will certainly be in (as I am on a self-restored TT

René

[grizaptimus]

Look what showed up a few days ago. Excitement!

[geekdot]

Hey gang!

We know, it's been a bit quiet in here lately - but rest assure, beta-testing is in full swing and we're wiping out at least one bug a day... and add two more

That said we have 2 request for you:

1) We're looking for a beta-tester located in the USA, owning a VME bus ATARI!

We told 'ya... beta-testing is something which can be surprisingly time consuming. And when life struck, work's demanding, kids are killing you and wife asks for getting the roof done once and for all, beta-testing might be the last thing you can afford time for.
So we we're sad that one of our testing-team can't add the testing-power he wished to afford and therefore likes to hand over his ATW800/2 card to some US fellow ATARI user who thinks he has some time to waste... the requirements are the same as last time.

• You have access to quite a lot of software packages and/or peripherals to throw at the ATW800/2
• You're not just fancy new hardware but you also have sparetime, perseverance and patience
• You have some experience in testing, e.g. start simple, slowly adding complexity

During current testing, it the hardware proved to be pretty stable, so you probably don't need fancy stuff like a multimeter and/or oscilloscope. Still (light) experience with flashing Altera CPLDs (i.e own a USB-Blaster and the free vintage Quartus II software) would be awesome.

Simply send us a mail (to: atw_betatester@geekdot.com) introducing yourself (pls add your forum handle if available) and some lines why we should pick you and not anyone else

If we decide for you, you will get the Mk3 ATW800/2-VME for your system for free! (But you pay the domestic US shipping)

2) Any software you planning to run on your ATW800/2 when you will have one (soon)?

As said, we're testing like crazy. But we surely do not know every piece of software out there.
Before you post any suggestion, here's yet-another-checklist:

• Games/Demos do not run on separate graphics cards - no matter what model. They use VDI to redirect the output to the high-res screen which is normally ignored by games etc. which are directly writing to video-RAM in most cases.
• We've positively tested all Steinberg programs as well as most "serious" applications used in the European mainland, e.g. Calamus, DynaCADD, Phoenix, Texel, ArtWorx, Papilion, Script 2 and 4, CAB, First Word Plus - still, there might be undiscovered issues when used more intensively.
• Of course we check on Mint or Magic with various UIs like Thing/Gemini/Jinnee, SpeedoGDOS and-what-not... their permutations are endless.

If there's something dramatically missing, give us a hint in the comments or to atw_betatester@geekdot.com if you like to keep it private

Cheers, Axel

[alexh]

Good luck. If you need someone with a logic analyser just ask, I won a nice 2GHz digital oscilloscope and a 500MHz 128-channel logic analyser (plus a DDR3 analyser) in the office xmas raffle.

IMG_20241121_175403.jpg

[ragnar76]

What the...?!? Where do you work? I want one too! I only have a cheap usb 8 channel logic analyser and the infamous Rigol DS1054Z (modded to 100Mhz)

[chronicthehedgehog]

They also get to use 'make-a-chip'. Jealous

[alexh]

What the...?!? Where do you work?

It's in the photo on my desk name, KIOXIA UK (formally known as Oxford Semiconductors / PLX / OCZ / Toshiba).

They also get to use 'make-a-chip'. Jealous

Someone knowing my love of Retrogaming and I design chips bought it for me as a present and it has pride of place on my desk at work.

[alexh]

Tektronix TDS7254 digital oscilloscope
Agilent 16903A logic analyser
Kibra380 DDR3 analyser

They were being scrapped off because they had been replaced years ago and the space was needed for the replacements of the replacements (if you see what I mean). Rather than try and sell them or WEE them work did a draw for them. There was a lot more stuff (Digital PSUs, signal generators, USB 2.0, Bluetooth &1394 analysers) but unfortunately I didn't win any of those.

[ragnar76]

It's in the photo on my desk name, KIOXIA UK (formally known as Oxford Semiconductors / PLX / OCZ / Toshiba).

Funny, i know them. I've picked my MiSTer IO-Shield from someone who works at the german Office here in Düsseldorf. If you are ever here in Düsseldorf, drop me a pm and we'll have a beer

[drmarillion]

I'm very excited with that project.
Of course I will buy one when ready.