Powervixxen

Interview with Mr Adam Kowalczyk - ACK Software Controls

It was back in December 2004 when we heard about the plans from ACK Software Controls on PowerPC-based expansion-cards for the Amiga 1200. An anouncement was made at Amiga.org about two products, one for an A1200 desktop, and one for an A1200 Tower. The specs were amazing, with SODIMM-memory, integrated graphics and a modern IDE-controller, it was almost hard to believe that all this was to fit on a card small enough for an A1200 desktop. The model for the A1200 Tower would in addition to be equipped with USB, Ethernet, AGP and three PCI-slots.

A year has now passed and no one seem to have heard anything from ACK regarding these cards. Are the plans put on hold, or even canceled? Many questions without answers, only silence, so SAFIR decided to put on the Sherlock hat and took out the magnifying glass to get to the bottom of this mystery. It turned out that the work with the cards had continued, but they had been forced to simplify the layout and alter the list of features in order to keep the costs down. Adam got plenty of feedback after the initial announcement, with improvement proposals of the cards.He told us that it was easy to get caught in the jungle of new luscious features, but in the end he realized that the expences would be too high, and some things had to be rationalized in order to get a sustainable product.





So what has happened with the product, and what changes has been made?

The initial design was based on the Freescale's integrated host processor MPC8245 where the core is a MPC603e PowerPC cpu. Due to time passing on, Freescale presented the successor MPC5200 with a core at 400Mhz that will deliver 760 MIPS and only consuming 1W. The chip has besides integrated DMA-controller and DDR-memory controller also 100Mbit Ethernet and USB 1.1. Later versions of the card will be using the 466Mhz version of the CPU, that will deliver amply 880MIPS.




The card that has been given the name PowerVixxen LT, will, in addition to the integrated features of the MPC5200, also have a 512MB RAM as standard and AC97 CODEC that will automatically integrate the sound from the Paula-chip on the motherboard. One simply expands the card with for example a graphics-card via a Mini PCI-slot as shown in the picture on the left.
(The picture is not from a PowerVixxen LT)


The PowerVixxen LT Specifications:

* MPC 5200 @ 400-466MHz
* 512Mb Ram onboard the card
* ATA/IDE Interface
* 100 Mbit Ethernet
* USB 1.1
* AC97 audio CODEC (automatically integrated with Paula)
* Graphics Mini PCI-slot
* Works in a standard A1200 desktop
* Accessories that will replace the A1200-motherboard for "stand alone" functionality.




What about AmigaOS4?

Adam says that they have since long been working on OS4 for the PowerVixxen LT, but a periodically returning bug in the interface of the A1200 has delayed it. Further on Adam tells us that they plan to release the Vixxen in relation to when the OS4 gets done for the AmigaOne. Since the OS4 will be bundled with the card, there is no major meaning to release any product before OS4 is done. The price is estimated to land somewhere around 2500 SEK ($299.00 USD), and will include AmigaOS4.

The sales of PowerVixxen LT and the demand of a model for the A3/4000 will decide if this will go into production or not. Adam also tells us that ACK Software Controls are involved in another AmigaNG-related project, but can't unfortunately give any information about it.



We look forward to PowerVixxen LT and AmigaOS, and future products from ACK Software Controls


Apo oti blepete to olo 8ema exei anakoinw8ei edw kai kairo alla einai isws h monh sobarh prwtash pou exei ginei edw kai kairo kai h monh pou fenete na exei thn ypodomh gia na ylopoih8ei.h idia etairia proxtes anakoinwseoti 8a dia8esei ton iounio 2 nees AmigaOne XE CPU modules ek twn opoiwn h mia 8a einai xronismenh sta 1ghz kai h deuterh sta 1.7ghz.an kai efoswn ylopoih8ei kati tetoio,8a ferei epanastash sto home micro pou akouei sto onoma Amiga.