Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

arnljot

Dad, gamer, nerd, amigian
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Posts
3,849
Country
Oslo
Region
Oslo
With this post I'm trying to collect information on current (and to some degree past) Amiga Classic PCI solutions. I'll collect links and info on solutions for the Amiga1200 and Amiga4000 as they are the most common amigas to upgrade with PCI cards.

This post will be a work in progress. And I encourage people to post knowledge and questions to this thres. I cannot answer any I expect, but others might, and then we learn. When this post has reached a certain quality - I will know it when it does, I will remove the "Q" in the title, and replace it with an "A". :)

Amiga4000D:
DCE GRex4000D
Elbox Mediator 4000
Elbox Mediator 4000Di
Matay Prometheus

Amiga1200:
Elbox Mediator 1200SX
DCE GRex1200

---

  • Genral on the Mediator cards:
  • Still available from Elbox and Amigakit and other resellers as of april 2009.[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Only the Mediator version for towered Amiga4000 machinces have the video slot found on the usual amiga Zorro daughterboard[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Product specs from Elbox states that this card is DMA capable. This is a truth with serious modifications. The cards uses a DMA window which is available if you have a gfx card available. A network card can then use this memory as a buffer enabling for instance 100Mbit. Otherwise NICs are only 10MBit capable on the Mediator.[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Drivers and software are form time to time still updated by Elbox.[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Only the new 1200TX supports ATI Radeon cards due to a voltage problem in previous Mediator models.[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • The Mediator PCI busboard is a "two board" solution, one board holds the PCI slots, another logic card enables these PCI slots for the Amiga.[/*:m:24bwq40o]


  • General on the GRex cards:
  • No longer available - unless second hand, and DCE out of business[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Few were made[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Truely DMA capable PCI solution.[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Requires a PPC amiga or an amiga with CS mkIII (uses the BVision or CVision expansion port on these cards).[/*:m:24bwq40o]


  • General on Prometheus cards:
  • Matay is out of business[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Cards available from AmigaKit[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • ?[/*:m:24bwq40o]


  • Support for Mediator:
  • Available directly from elbox, go to their site[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Or from this old mirror of The unoffical support site[/*:m:24bwq40o]



Mediator 4000 specs said:
  • PCI busboard five PCI 2.1 compliant slots[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • 33 MHz PCI clock (66 MHz with SharkPPC G3/G4)[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • up to 132 MB/s transfer speed between PCI cards (264 MB/s with SharkPPC G3/G4)[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • 4 GB continuous PCI memory space accessed through the 512 MB window in the Zorro III address space [/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Zorro III busboard six Zorro III slots[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • supports Zorro III autoconfig[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • one extended video slot [/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • busmastering controller supports the busmastering mechanism in all PCI slots[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • supports DMA transfers between PCI cards and the A4000 motherboard[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • address and data parity control support in all PCI slots[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • four PCI interrupt lines[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • can use the SDRAM/SGRAM of PCI display cards as system memory - faster than memory on Amiga processor cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • works with all existing A4000 processor cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • the board is part of the Mirage 4000Pro tower system, it cannot be fitted into the original A4000 case [/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Mediator Multimedia CD Picasso96 2D drivers for: Voodoo5, Voodoo4, Voodoo3, Voodoo Banshee, S3 Virge and S3 Virge DX PCI graphic cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Warp 3D drivers for: Voodoo3, Voodoo4 and Voodoo5 PCI graphic cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Sana II network drivers for 10 and 100 Mbps PCI Ethernet cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • AHI sound drivers for: Sound Blaster 128 and ForteMedia FM801 based PCI cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • TV tuner drivers for most available PCI TV tuner cards (98 TV card models, several tuners supported) - requires a PCI graphics card[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • USB drivers for the Elbox Spider PCI card - EHCI (Hi-Speed USB 2.0) and OHCI (Full-Speed and Low-Speed USB 1.1) drivers for the Poseidon stack[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • MPEG-2 Audio and Video hardware decoder PCI card drivers are in development [/*:m:24bwq40o]

GRex 4000 spec said:
  • replaces the original A4000 daughterboard, fits into the standard A4000 desktop case[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • four Zorro III slots and one extended video slot (exactly at the same location as on the original daughterboard)[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • four PCI 2.1 compliant slots[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • 33 MHz PCI clock[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • all slots are DMA capable[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • up to 50 MB/s transfer speed between PCI cards and the CyberStorm[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • 1.76 GB address space without bank switching[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • the CyberStorm firmware has to be updated [/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • drivers CyberGFX 4 and Warp3D drivers for Voodoo3, Voodoo4, Voodoo5, Permedia2, ViRGE, ViRGE/DX and SiS6326 graphics cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • driver for Brooktree and Conexant Fusion based TV/Video cards with Microtune or Philips tuners[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • driver for certain Realtek based network cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • driver for certain ESS and ForteMedia sound cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • despite many announcements, USB drivers were not released[/*:m:24bwq40o]

Prometheus specs said:
  • four PCI slots clocked with 33 MHz[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • up to 120 MB/s transfer speed between PCI cards[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • up to 12 MB/s transfer speed between PCI cards and the Amiga (higher rates are improbable because of the Buster chip)[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • supports Zorro autoconfig[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • power supply connector[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • metal holders allow stable mounting[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • supplied with extension cord for a graphics card[/*:m:24bwq40o]
  • Picasso96 and Warp3D driver for the Voodoo3 graphics card[/*:m:24bwq40o]

IMAGES:
Matay Prometheus:
prometheus_angle_view.jpg

prometheus_mounted.jpg


DCE G-Rex 4000D:
grex1-medium.jpg

grex4-medium.jpg
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

You forgot the A3000/3000T. They use almost the same expansions as the 4000.

Mediators are custom-made for A3000. Prometheus is pretty much universal.
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

i am having a personal nightmare with my a1200 mediator, when i get time this weekend i'll compile a list of troubles and traumas, a maybe get some pictures together, maybe my woes are some other people woes too.....i'll be back.

cheers, JuvUK
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

@rkauer
Okay, I will clean up the post when I come home to reflect such changes.

@JuvUK
Goodie, picture pr0n is always welcome.
Also experience reports are invaluable! :)

Just what this thread was started for.
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Jfei, the Elbox A3KT Solution also does the A4KT & they are well different to the Desktop models!

I suppose I have experience of A4KT & Elbox solutions having owned 2 of them in recent years but I just don't have the time to write it up now! - Same for the G-REX 4000D. :|
Bump me sometime l8r! 8)

Kin
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

yo all,
my Mediator eperiance so far goes something like this......
1st it does work because it does connect to the internet using the ethernet card
2nd voodoo 3 card and sound card do nothing!, had an s3 card in there but was told it was rubbish and problematic so bought a V3 (thanks Kin) have installed the MMCD and the updates from elbox, have installed the latest Picasso drivers. have renamed the cyber graphics icon to voodoo etc.
as soon as i try to either change the screen resolution or try to use the sound card, my system just gurus and resets. i have no idea how to solve my troubled (anyone want to visit me, set up my mediator and spend the night in my spare bedroom? i'll supply food, beer and money :D )
3rd i can't post pictures in here so i've put a couple of meditor pics in the photobooth (can a mod move them to this thread?)

cheers, JuvUK
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

I have questions about the Mediator:

  1. Is the order of PCI cards significant, or do they have to be installed in a particular order (pci slots are numbered)[/*:m:1yx2t4yp]
  2. Can the Zorro slot next to an occupied PCI slot be used by small Zorro cards like the buddah or deneb?[/*:m:1yx2t4yp]
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

the ethernet card has to go in the 1st slot and the graphics card into the last slot, something to do with the DMA i believe.
i don't know about the zorro slot i'm afraid

cheers, JuvUK
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

JuvUK said:
the ethernet card has to go in the 1st slot and the graphics card into the last slot, something to do with the DMA i believe.
i don't know about the zorro slot i'm afraid

cheers, JuvUK


So the order is significant. What about a sound card and a tv card?

I have Sound Blaster, Voodoo3 and a NIC
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

i don't think it matters about the other cards, just the ethernet and graphics
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Ethernet card will NOT work without the Voodoo Card installed & functional. The ethernet card uses some of the Voodoo cards RAM to buffer from! :wink:

Kin
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Kin Hell said:
Ethernet card will NOT work without the Voodoo Card installed & functional. The ethernet card uses some of the Voodoo cards RAM to buffer from! :wink:

Kin


yo Kinny poos,
so from what you're saying, as my Ethernet card does work then my V3 must be working? so why can't i get a picture and why does it keep crashing my miggy?

cheers, Juvvy poos
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Prolly cos u haven't installed the thing in the correct manner m8. Sumising your hardware is fine & I know the Voodoo card I sent you was 100% pucker, it's always usually an error between user & Keyboard! :p

Unless of course you statically discharged yourself for not taking the correct precautions! :|

Kin
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

well buddy,
i assume as the miggy connects to the internet via the mediator and ethernet card, then the hardware side of things must be OK. it's gotta be a uie (user interface error :D )
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Yeah Justin. Perhaps re-installing the Elbox Graphics thing again would get you a result. Be sure to delete the Current Voodoo Icon in your Devs/Monitors & getting back to a standard Amiga Dispay before doing so.
Also make sure you install the Elbox Mediator update before attempting to use the Voodoo Driver! :wink:

Charlie
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Btw, I thought it was so that a NIC would work in the Mediator even without a gfx card, but only in 10Mbit mode, not 100Mbit mode?
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Afaik, the NIC will not work without the Voodoo inserted in a PCI slot. The 10/100 thing is all bs tbh. Your 100Mbit NIC only actually runs @ 10Mbit as the Elbox Boards do not support DMA correctly. This was the Fudge done by Elbox to cover the bs. 10/100Mbit Realtek NIC's are usually on 8139/A/B/C/D revisons of chipset, whereas the 10Mbit Realtek NIC's are on 8029 chipsets.

8139 Realtek NIC's do not work in G-REX PCI solutions, but the 8029 does & is a much much faster experience than 8139 on an Elbox Solution. The two reasons are:
G-REX is fully DMA conversant & there are no motherboard/ZORRO bottleneck/Latencies from G-REX to the CPU card! :D

Kin
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

I have updated the original post with some pr0n. :drool:
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

When handling your G-REX 4000D m8, watch out for that Board Modification in the guise of a trace Wire terminating to one of the ZORRO Fingers. It's an official Mod afaiu & had to be done to correct some signal or other. I did have issues with mine in my early days with the card & Emailed the G-REX chaps. They did ask if my board had this mod (which it has) though I never questioned why it was done as I ended up with a result & fully working Voodoo & NIC experience.

Charlie
 
Re: Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

Radeon clarifications.

Please correct what's wrong here, or if it by some strange force in the universe is correct - then confirm:

1) Mediator 1200TX has 3.3V. This enables it to run the more common 3.3V Radeon 92xx cards.
2) Amiga4000 Mediator models have 5V, thus needing special cards which convert 5V to 3.3V.


New questions:
1) Are the two statements above correct.
2) Will a 5V Radeon card work in Mediator1200TX
3) Will a 3.3V Radeon card damage the host or itself in an A4000?
4) Will a 5V Radeon card damage the host or itself in an A1200?
5) If it's not in the product specs, can one look at a Radeon card and tell if it's 3.3V or 5V?
6) Which kind of Radeon card is it the Efika uses, which one has common ground.
 
Back
Top Bottom