[Coco] CoCo 3 68000/RAM board project

[jdaggett at gate.net]

On 9 May 2009 at 7:04, Stephen Adolph wrote:

> Ok, that's very fast.  I worked on a product that had 14 virtex2 pro
> parts on it, and it took a minute to load. ..Steve
> 

It would if you daisy chain them. Also the configuration file sizes for the 
Virtex are larger than a comparable Spartan. 

Again I am ball park estimating. It could be longer but I doubt one minute.

james
> >>
> >
> > Just ball park figures. Using serial configuration methods either
> > from the platform prom or from SPI flash should be less than a
> > second.
> >
> > power suppplies will stablize within 50 mS. After that there is a
> > 5mS for the configuration to start. Here is where the major delay
> > can occur. Since there will be two FPGAs if I daisy chain off of one
> > platform flash or a large SPI flash then I double the configuration
> > time since one configures then the other. I can also design so that
> > both FPGAs configure at the same time with their own separate
> > configuration memory. Then I have to halt configuration of one until
> > the other confiures. Still in all I would expect less than a second
> > before the start of code execution.
> >
> > Each FPGA should configure in less than 300mS for XC3S250E. The
> > XC3S500E could add another couple hundred mS to the time.
> >
> > james
> >
> >
> >
> > james
> >> On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:58 PM,  <jdaggett at gate.net> wrote:
> >> > Frank
> >> >
> >> > My thoughts to were along that line. Most of the enhancements
> >> > would be best used by OS9. I still have the ability to run DECB
> >> > in a window and using a modern monitor. There are a couple of
> >> > ways to do this. WIth an SPI interface storing and retrieving
> >> > programs and OS' are rather easy. The XC2S250E has 12 2Kbyte
> >> > block rams that can be configured as ROMs. It would be no real
> >> > problem to write a small bios that can be used to boot DECB or
> >> > NitrOS9/OS9.
> >> >
> >> > james
> >> >
> >> > On 8 May 2009 at 17:35, Frank Swygert wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> This makes the most sense James! While any software written for
> >> >> the enhanced machine will only run on it, running older software
> >> >> shouldn't be a problem. The dual processor machine would at a
> >> >> minimum need an enhanced version of Nitros-9 (or OS-9) just to
> >> >> be able to run at all -- zero backwards compatibility, even of
> >> >> the operating system. Even the DECB fans like myself realize
> >> >> that it's not conducive to easy backwards compatible
> >> >> enhancements, but Nitros is. And I realized a long time ago that
> >> >> OS-9 is where all the real activity is, especially for new
> >> >> stuff. Not much for DECB. If you just want DECB it's easy enough
> >> >> to keep an old CoCo running or use an emulator.
> >> >>
> >> >> -------
> >> >> Date: Fri, 08 May 2009 13:24:25 -0400
> >> >> From: jdaggett at gate.net
> >> >>
> >> >> All are good ideas.
> >> >>
> >> >> Considering that the GIME has limited video capabilities,
> >> >> enhancing the graphics ability of the GIME chip you eliminate
> >> >> the second 6809 to do graphics This can be done by building into
> >> >> the new GIME a graphics processor that takes commands and draws
> >> >> the polygon and line shapes within the configurable graphics
> >> >> window.
> >> >>
> >> >> I lean to more enhancing the graphics capability of the GIME
> >> >> chip over a dual processor 6809. Unless you have OS9 modified to
> >> >> handle dual processors, a coprocessor makes better since with
> >> >> enhanced graphics. Also consider this, a FPGA based system can
> >> >> be made to run considerably faster than the current Coco3. About
> >> >> ten times faster.
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Frank Swygert
> >> >> Publisher, "American Motors Cars"
> >> >> Magazine (AMC)
> >> >> For all AMC enthusiasts
> >> >> http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
> >> >> (free download available!)
> >> >>
> >> >>
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