Q: Amiga PCI Solutions

[Kin Hell]

Just to add to the help of Zetr0 & Arnljot, may I add....

Voodoo in a PCI solution is faster than PicassoIV, but you won't be able to run a lot of software that requires an Amiga Screenmode. My advice to you would be to try & use a PCI Busboard that gives you a Video Slot as well. Use the PIV to do your flicker fixing & scan doubling, then mode promote to the Voodoo for blistering speed. PIV get's chuggy in 24Bit over 800 x 600.
With the right PCI sloution in your Amiga, Set the desktop in 24Bit to use the Voodoo along with any Apps that can employ it. All your Apps & games that don't support promotion to the Voodoo can then be run through the PicassoIV.

Good luck m8y, :grin:

Kin

 

[arnljot]

Just wanted to mention that I installed my MMCD under OS3.9, popped in my 8029 realtek card, used genesis and voila. Online.

Cards installed:
PicassoIV
CyberVision PPC (not used)
Realtek 8029AS PCI

I'm using latest boing balls, and the MediatorNET.device.

 

[Kin Hell]

@ Arnljot

No Voodoo Card?
How is the Ethernet working?
I was under the impression that without a graphis card with RAM, there is no memory available for the PCI cards to work. This is part of the Fudge Elbox had to do because they cocked up true DMA??

This is rather disconcerting. :shrug:

Kin

 

[arnljot]

I can't say how it works, but from what I read in the manual and readmes, only FastEthernet.device requires a GFX card for DMA "window buffer".

I haven't tried sound yet, but the nic works just fine, but in 10MBit mode though.

 

[Kin Hell]

I can't say how it works, but from what I read in the manual and readmes, only FastEthernet.device requires a GFX card for DMA "window buffer".

I haven't tried sound yet, but the nic works just fine, but in 10MBit mode though.

It's probably the 10Mbit thing on the NIC. I certainly remember 10MBit on G-REX totally nuking 100MBit cards on an Elbox PCI solution. Of course, DMA is not a Problem on the G-REX.

Kin

 

[arnljot]

I just had a painfull learning experience:

PicassoIV and Radeon will live happily side by side in Picasso96

BUT

PicassoTNG Mode will nuke your Radeon settings, because it´s jealous of Radeon...

 

[rkauer]

I can confirm that MediTator don't need a graphic card to work with 10Mbit Ethernet, but all other cards suitable for it needs a graphic card.

On the other side, using a Picasso in a Mediator solution is non sense: using a Voodoo card (or even better: a Radeon 9250 256Mb) will be a perfect solution, even better with a scandoubler (can be the Picasso FF in Zorro-equipped Amigas).

On mine the Radeon can't be used as extra memory (A1200), but it is cooler and faster than the old Voodoo environment heater.

 

[arnljot]

I´m pondering on selling one of my PIVs to pay for a Indivision a4k for this machine.

My surplus is:
One CyberVision PPC
One PicassoIV
One Voodoo3 3000

Then what remains is
One PicassoIV
One Voodoo3 3000
One Radeon9250 256MB 5V for A4000 Mediator

Amiga in 1280x1024 in 32bi(alpha) on DVI rocks

---------- Post added at 22:05 ---------- Previous post was at 21:18 ----------

BTW, when I tried to configure the soundblaster, I was told by the mediator config program that I needed a gfx card for it to operate. So I finally got around to plopp in the Radeon9250 which I bought ages ago... That is, last year or whenever when it was sold as a 5V version by Elbox

 

[Kin Hell]

@ Arnljot

Yeah m8. The sound card uses the Graphics card memory to buffer to. This is where Elbox had to fudge DMA to work. Mediators can not address the Amigas internal memory. :|

Anyways, your experiments here are kinda clearing up some of the darker side to Elbox fudging the DMA. The 10Mbit/100Mbit NIC thing made the penny drop, & what you're saying above RE: the SB card is just the icing on the cake for me.

I really appreciate what you're doing here. Thanks fella. int:

Charlie

 

[arnljot]

Now its a really nice setup. Faster for surfing than my Xsurf, but the GREX with 100MBIT is screaming fast when running side by side with the Mediator.

Audio sounds okay, a bit low perhaps. But it´s two different cards. So I put it down to that.

Between what is easisest between GREX and Mediator? It´s about the same.

If youre new, I guess the Mediator is a bit counter intuitive since it requires a gfx card. But its not a big deal since its something you´d want in that mix.

The GREX is really hard to set up as there are only forums like this and eab where ppl know how to do it. There are hardly no documentation. But on the other hand, when you get there. Its kinda intuitive. One tough thing with the grex was the mix of patches to CGX4, that you have to do - remember rkauer?

 

[rkauer]

Nope, I can't remember because I never had a GREX in my filthy hands.

 

[arnljot]

my bad, it was keropi

 

[Kin Hell]

<snip>

Between what is easisest between GREX and Mediator? It´s about the same.

<snip>

I'd agree entirely m8. It's about the same effort, but the G-REX just stomps all over the Elbox offerings with regard to speed.
Also, yes to being very intuitive during the setup, but that depends on the users intelligence as well. However, you've excelled here m8.

Kin

 

[arnljot]

Thank you. It's been fun despite all the hair pulling.

It's awesome to see high resolution WB and feel it fly. I'd do some P96speed tests later when it's all stable.

I guess some of you may have heard about my recent HD troubbles haha

 

[Kin Hell]

Thank you. It's been fun despite all the hair pulling.

It's awesome to see high resolution WB and feel it fly. I'd do some P96speed tests later when it's all stable.

I guess some of you may have heard about my recent HD troubbles haha

You're welcome m8. Tbh, it's looking like SFS is having a pink fit about something or other. Re-check the Mask Values for this FS again.

Kin

 

[arnljot]

One important tip for you Mediator users while I remember:

Do you have a problem that Mixer is crashing during startup?

It can be fixed.

Comment out Mixer in userstartup. (Mixer NOGUI QUIET).

Now, this piece of code is important for AHI to init the Mediator PCI sound cards, with out it, no sound....

Fret not fellow Mediatorer, we'll first ask ourselfs why does it crash?

Answer: PCI Screen isn't opened yet!

Solution: Put it last in your startup sequence, after a PCI screen is open, so after LoadWB command:
Wait 1
; for good meassure wait a bit so PCI gfx card can kick in.
RUN >NIL: SYSrefs/Mixer NOGUI QUIET


Now, enjoy a crashfree mediator with sound.

 

[Kin Hell]

Hmm. I thought the latest versions of Elbox drivers already did this for you?

Kin

 

[arnljot]

Could be, but I've installed from my quite recent CD which is updated with the archives from the elbox site. (They have them openly for download now! )

Could be that my cd is too old, and has fubared it for me?

 

[Tomse]

great discussion..
@kin OT: if you remember my complaints regarding elbox here https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=5958 fyi.. it took 3 weeks of spamming before they answered.. just want to scare all you other ppl before going to buy elbox products ;-)
btw.. the TX card has the newest chips (having an SX card with the new chips I guess will make it a TX since that is the only change I can find)



One thing to have in mind between G-REX and Mediator; G-REX requires a PPC card > Rev.0

I'm stuck with a g-rex I cannot use because it won't work with my Blizz 603+ PPC (Rev.0) sigh.

Now I have problems using sound on my SB 128 (Ess1373) several different models with same chip and AHI 6.

playing sounds = lockup (soft reset works though)

my hardware can be seen in the same link.

@arnjlot have you made any other changes to your settings ?
and what AHI version are you using ?
when opening the AHI in prefs, it actually complains about the openpci.library

edit:
a quick tip for all you guys out there who want to get your amigas plugged into a VGA monitor here is what I've done because my old Philips 8833-II blew up:
First I found an old TV card and plugged it into a pc.
I installed ubuntu with tvtime on it, hooked up my amiga 1200 using the analog TV/FM and scanned for the channels..
it found my amiga.. woohoo.. Amiga on a VGA monitor. No additional hardware in the amiga for this feat xD

 

[Kin Hell]

<snip>
edit:
a quick tip for all you guys out there who want to get your amigas plugged into a VGA monitor here is what I've done because my old Philips 8833-II blew up:
First I found an old TV card and plugged it into a pc.
I installed ubuntu with tvtime on it, hooked up my amiga 1200 using the analog TV/FM and scanned for the channels..
it found my amiga.. woohoo.. Amiga on a VGA monitor. No additional hardware in the amiga for this feat xD

Elbox can be a bit tardy, though I've always had a reply from them on the same day I Emailed them. - Go figure? Maybe befriending Marcin @ eFunzine helped? :shrug:

Off topic, but RE getting your Amiga onto a PC monitor via a TV card in a PC, what is the quality of image like compared to the 8833-II & how were you hooked up to the 8833-II originally?

Kin