Overview Features Coding ApolloOS Performance Forum Downloads Products Order Contact

Welcome to the Apollo Forum

This forum is for people interested in the APOLLO CPU.
Please read the forum usage manual.
Please visit our Apollo-Discord Server for support.



All TopicsNewsPerformanceGamesDemosApolloVampireAROSWorkbenchATARIReleases
Documentation about the Vampire hardware

I'm Looking for An Accelerator Card for My A500...

Kent Carlsson

Posts 3
10 Jul 2020 19:59


I recently bought an Amiga 500, everything is fully working and recapped, also a rev6 board. The problem is it's slow (ofc) and I want a hard drive, but not those 30 year old old onrs (bound to break at any moment, small, slow, overly expensive), so CF card stuff would do nicely. There's many options online, but as Vamp v2+ seem to be the fastest, and also has the option to attach a CF card to it (+ added bonuses of built-in hdmi, so no scandoubler etc is needed), it sounds great.

But I have some questions about Vampire 500 v2+.

1. I read in a couple of places that I can't use my floppy drive if I use this card. Is that true? The whole reason I chose to get a real Amiga and not a Raspberry Pi emulated one (or even on PC) is so I can load games from floppy disks, as I have loads of original ones. I will ofc use a bit of WHDLoad, mainly for games that's on a lot of disks and requires a lot of disk swapping. So, if the floppy drive can't be used, that's a deal-breaker right there and I have to get something else.

2. If now the internal floppy drive won't work, what else won't work? Serial port? Could I use an external floppy drive instead?

3. I keep reading it HAS AGA, and it has NOT AGA. Maybe they talk about V4 only? Will I get AGA on my Amiga 500 with it? I've read a lot already for my answers, but still not sure what the answer is. Some say it doesn't have it atm, but will have it later when it works better on the V4 so they can port it to the A500. On YouTube some people have shown when they play AGA and CD 32 games via WHDLoad, but didn't see anyone run AGA games via the floppy drive. And yes, I've read from the devs and others that one should not expect AGA from the 500 V2+ as it's mainly meant as a 68k accelerator card, but then again, like I mentioned before, some say it has it, some don't, some that it will come.

4. Also read the vamp v2+ can only come with FAST ram, not chip, as it lacks wires, but will I get 1mb total RAM using my 512kb expansion card in the trapdoor slot? The ACA500+ turns the trapdoor card into chip so the Amiga gets a total of 1mb chip, so I would think the vamp 500 v2+ could do the same, no? Or not, as the vamp replaces the CPU slot, I think, while the ACA500+ is attached to the side on the outside of the Amiga, maybe that makes the difference.

5. I see how everyone have to keep switching between Amiga's RGB out and DIGITAL-VIDEO when they run WB stuff and game stuff, some use one of those external devices that combines the RGB (scart) and internal DIGITAL-VIDEO to one output so it autoswitches. Will the v2+ be able to do both with the built-in hdmi so no such switching is needed, or does it already do it in latest test versions or live ones?

Thanks


Roy Gillotti

Posts 517
10 Jul 2020 21:44


1. Nope floppy works just fine on the V500 V2+
 
  2. Everything works just fine
 
  3. There is an Alpha release core "Gold 3" which was never promised to be any bit usable outside of testing purposes, it does have AGA output over H.D.M.I. Only issue only way to implement such a thing it needs to bypass many of the Custom chips, Chipram and etc... when doing so yes it breaks the Floppy and perhaps Serial ports, etc.
 
  4. With the stock core yes, it uses the stock Chipram and uses the 128MB of Fast RAM on the Vampire. Gold 3 Alpha uses part of the 128MB of SDRAM as chipram, but functionality of that core is questionable. I don't have an ACA500 so I'm not sure.
 
  5. Well if setup properly anything on WB can be outputted via the H.D.M.I. via the RTG driver. But general rule is anything that uses OCS/ECS outputs out of the RGB port and anything RTG out of the VIA the H.D.M.I... Technically Gold 3 could do that, but I doubt Gold 3 can be implemented without totally gutting the functionality of the Original chipsets. Which I find your best choice is getting either a monitor that can handle both the RGB output and DIGITAL-VIDEO output or those RGB Scart to DIGITAL-VIDEO adapters.

Honestly not sure what any future AGA core with bring functionality wise on the V2s


Kent Carlsson

Posts 3
11 Jul 2020 00:03


Thanks for the reply.

1. OK, nice it works.

2. OK

3. Yeah, that's what I heard. So if it's ever released, no AGA for me if I got the V2+, as I would have to stay at a lower version, so no future updates either then :/. Unless I COULD get Gold 3, but disable the AGA part so hopefully the floppy drive still works and I got some of the updates.

4. Ah, so my 512kb chip + 512kb fast would become 1mb chip with the V2+ as well, so 1mb chip + 128mb fast. Good. Unless I misunderstood. Oh, Gold 3 Alpha can turn some of the V2+'s fast into chip? I read it would be impossible.

5. Yeah, read that as well, that non WB/RTG stuff uses the RGB port, and the rest DIGITAL-VIDEO, hence why people tend to get those adapters. The LCD TV I use for my Amiga has both DIGITAL-VIDEO and Scart.

There are many accelerators to choose from, some cheap, some way more expensive. Some of them would have enough speed to satisfy me and be cheaper than the vamp, but the idea of getting AGA for my Amiga 500 made me tempted. But yeah, AGA seems to be an uncertain thing, and if it comes, it could disable the floppy drive, which is not OK.


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6197
11 Jul 2020 07:42


The main selling points of the VAMPIRE 2 - V500 are in my opinion
 
a) Fastest AMIGA CPU accelerator (no other comes even close to this)
b) plenty of fast mem
c) Fast truecolor video (RTG)
d) Fastest AMIGA IDE controller (similar IDE products cost over $100 alone)
e) Ethernet expansion port (Fast Ethernet access for $5)
 
If you put a Vampire in your Amiga 500
 
The result will be like having an Amiga 3000
  plus a Cyberstorm Accelerator  -- price ???
  plus a CyberVision GFX card    -- price ???
  plus a FastIDE controller      -- price $100
  plus a Fast Ethernet card      -- price $140
  = The Vampire gives an equivalent of $1000 of Amiga cards
 
 
If you don't want need Ethernet, don't want a fast IDE,
don't want fast truecolor GFX, and not need any CPU power
don't want a fast Amiga Workbench, don't want to listen MP3 music,
and not want to watch Videos, not want play MAC games
and not want to play other new games - then you not need the Vampire.

If you want a fast CPU then the Vampire is the best possible deal.
The Vampire gives you 3 time the performance of the Cyberstorm 68060-Combo for a fraction of the price.

This is what the Vampire500 offers you today.

AGA for A500 is a "future" work in progress feature.
Now release day is promised. Whether AGA disables the Floppy is not said. Speculating about this now makes no sense.

Do not buy the Vampire500 for a future AGA upgrade only.
Buy the Vampire if you like the features that is has now.

The performance of the Vampire is outstanding and the usage of the AMIGA Workbench with it is smooth and swift.



Angelo Milone

Posts 2
11 Jul 2020 10:58


When will you start producing V500 again?
Thanks


Kent Carlsson

Posts 3
11 Jul 2020 20:54


Thanks for the extensive reply. So, it's all as I thought it was then. Was just hoping for more, like AGA now and with it floppy still works, and OCS/ECS/RTG/WB all out of DIGITAL-VIDEO + sound.

But I understand it's a work in progress, and no promises on certain things.

Will keep an eye on the project.

Thanks.

posts 6