Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cbmvax!daveh From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Future Amiga Video Message-ID: <1779@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> Date: Tue, 28-Apr-87 15:21:40 EDT Article-I.D.: cbmvax.1779 Posted: Tue Apr 28 15:21:40 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 30-Apr-87 01:25:57 EDT Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA Lines: 63 bReferences: <8704280904.AA22403@cogsci.berkeley.edu> in article <8704280904.AA22403@cogsci.berkeley.edu>, bryce@COGSCI.BERKELEY.EDU (Bryce Nesbitt) says: > Keywords: A2000 video > > Digital RGB on the video slot connector with 4 bits/gun and an extra > 4 pins/gun of nothing for future expansion. There is some room on the video connector for future expansion, though none of the available pins have yet been dedicated to anything. The video slot does provide better access to some video components than the 23 pin video plug. I'll post full specifications on it here as soon as the material is "de-classified". > If the extra half meg of memory is to be slow fast memory then a jumper > or kludge to disable it so some true fast memory can be added. With the > Amiga 1000 we are already using we need fast memory to keep the frame > rate up when using high-res overscan interlace. It is unacceptable for > any of the slow fast memory to get allocated. [Editorial: THIS is what I > was talking about on the 500/They specify MEMF_FAST and expect to get it > -Bryce] There's several things you can do to set up a system with the $C00000 memory that sees video chip contention. First of all, the $C00000 memory is a feature, not an end-all kind of thing. The $C00000 memory can be disabled or removed, physically. And of course, normal FAST memory can be added in expansion slots or on-the-side, depending on what your hardware configuration is. The only problem with this is that the slower $C00000 memory shows up first in the allocation list. A program (by Andy or Carolyn, or both) was written that will re-order the allocation scheme, such that true FAST memory is allocated before $C00000 memory is used. While you could really disable $C00000 RAM, you probably don't really want to, because: > We run out of chip memory first... I've done it myself, so I can sympathsize. If you have $C00000 memory in an Amiga system, certain OS elements, starting as far back as some ExecBase stuff, will be allocated in $C00000 memory instead of CHIP memory. This won't change your system's speed; this ExecBase and other stuff can't be located in autoconfiguration memory anyway, so its either $C00000 or CHIP memory. And also note that the $C00000 memory that's subject to video processor contention is subject to this contention because its located on the video memory bus, not the local 68000 bus. This leaves room for future upgrades that wouldn't be present if the $C00000 memory were truely FAST. Don't bash the "SLOW FAST MEMORY" too badly just yet, its there for reasons other than cost. > I LOVE the modular (RJ-11) jack on the 1000's keyboard. First thing I > did was go to Radio Shack and get a 25 footer. Too bad it's gone... The phone jack was dropped on the A2000 in favor of the much more reliable (though less easy to extend) DIN plug, and on the A500 for cost, of course. > MORE DISK SPACE! I heard sony has a 2 meg drive out, also one that runs at > 600 RMP. Yes, I will pay more... must read/write older disks, however. You could probably get a bit more data on the current floppys with a more sophisticated encoding scheme. There's no way for Paula to read higher RAW densities, though. Floppys seem to be making a comeback, I agree -- Kodak has a special floppy/drive combination based on the 5.25 format that can handle about 6.6 megabytes..... -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga Usenet: {ihnp4|caip|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh "The A2000 Guy" BIX : hazy "These are the days of miracle and wonder" -P. Simon