Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!ukma!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!cbmehq!babylon!rbabel
From: rbabel@babylon.rmt.sub.org (Ralph Babel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: GVP Acceloraters
Message-ID: <06699.AA06699@babylon.rmt.sub.org>
Date: 19 Mar 91 13:41:48 GMT
References: <18d4fcbb.ARN0f1d@cbmami.UUCP>
Reply-To: cbmvax.commodore.com!cbmehq!babylon!rbabel (Ralph Babel)
Lines: 61

In article <18d4fcbb.ARN0f1d@cbmami.UUCP>, jason@cbmami.UUCP
(Jason Goldberg) writes:

> The memory board has 8 SIMM sockets, 4 are populated with
> 1 MEG SIMMS and that 4 MEGS is autoconfiged.

Correct.

> The remaining 4 can have 1 MEG or 4 MEG SIMMS (meaning the
> board can hold 4, 8, or 20 MEGS).

Not quite. You can put 1- and/or 4-meg SIMMs in there in any
order, so you can have 4..14, 16, 17, and 20 megabytes.

> These last for SIMMS (4 or 16 MEGS) are not autoconfig

The 8-meg configuration (eight 1-meg SIMMs) can be made real
Zorro-II RAM (though you don't have to).

> but are addmemed automagically by the board.

Correct.

> Does this work?

Yes, it does.

> Will all my existing software see the 20 MEGS?

Yes. Some programs, however, use illegal programming
techniques such as storing tags in the upper 8 bits of a
pointer. These programs will fail, of course.

> Under AmigaDos 1.3?

Yup.

> Under AmigaDos 2.0?

Yup, even 2.0.

> Has anyone who has one done any benchmarks?

Most benchmarks are bogus. Instead, run the applications
_you_ would normally use.

> Also, the lattest version of the GVP 50 MHz is rev 7.0 and
> it has no provision for booting in 68000 mode.

Sigh, once again ...

- _all_ GVP accelerator boards have a jumper to switch back
  to 68000 mode.

- _all_ GVP accelerator boards so far can be equipped with
  mode-switch ROMs to switch back to 68000 mode.

- revision 7 and later boards can use a small utility
  program to switch back to 68000 mode by software.

Ralph