Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!pacbell.com!tandem!netcom!mcmahan From: mcmahan@netcom.UUCP (Dave Mc Mahan) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Subject: Re: Motorola 68302 Keywords: A1000 compatible (with appropriate hacking) ? Message-ID: <14767@netcom.UUCP> Date: 14 Oct 90 19:50:26 GMT References: Distribution: usa Organization: Dave McMahan @ NetCom Services Lines: 33 In a previous article, wayned@wddami.spoami.com (Wayne Diener) writes: >I went to a Motorola seminar last week and got a little interested >in a part called the 68302. It has a 68000 core, a 32 bit (source >and destination) DMA, three timers, some parallel I/O lines, three >full duplex serial channels, 1152 bytes of on-board ram, DRAM refresh >counter, etc. It comes in a 132 pin grid array and ceramic and plastic >flat packs. Can run at 16.67 MHZ. > >Anyway, it looked like it might be possible (with an adaptor board) >to fit this beast into a 68000 socket. If it could be "fit" in, >could we end up with 500's, 1000's and vanilla 2000's with 4 serial channels, >and full DMA? (And I'm sure clever uses could be found for the timers >RAM, I/O, etc. also.) I have been using a variation of that chip (the 68332) at work, and wondered the same thing. The biggest problem I can see with it is that it doesn't really have a true compatibility with the 68000. The 332 (which I am most familiar with) is sort of a hybrid 68000/010/020 with a few extra things thrown in. It has a few unique exceptions with new types of exception stack frames. It needs to be configured by special boot code for it to even start running. It has DSack0 and DSack1 instead of Dtack (like the 68000 does), which can be solved, but is a pain. You would have to figure out how to get the E-clock to run synchronously if you ran at anything other than 7.15 MHz like the current amiga, and I think (but am not sure) that the E-clock from the 332 is CPUClk/8, not CPUClk/10 like a normal 68000 product. You are quite correct in that it has some neat features (plus the fact that it will be available soon in a 33 MHz version) but it would be a task to fit it into the current system. Who know, though? With enough work, anything will fit. -dave