amiga-news.de - Individual Computers: Pictures and information on ACA 500 prototype (Update)

12.Feb.2013
(ANF)

Individual Computers: Pictures and information on ACA 500 prototype (Update)
Last year Individual Computers announced their ACA 500, a simple expansion for the Amiga 500 whose claim to fame is the ability to connect accelerator boards from Indivudiual Computers that were originally developed for the Amiga 1200 (ACA 1231/1232).

Jens Schönfeld from Individual Computers has now published some pictures of the current prototype and a short status report on a1k.org and posted the product specifications:

68EC000 with 14,3MHz
external connection, A500 does not have to be opened
Computer gets only 3cm wider
two CF card slots: One for booting, the other for "exchanging data" with the PC
2 MByte RAM: 1,5M can be used, 512k reserved for Maprom
Trapdoor memory extensions can be used
Chipmem extensions can be used
ROM for things which I will make public later
Extension port for local hardware, will be documented (14MHz 16-Bit = twice Zorro-speed)
Clockport
Cover made of stainless steel (no completely closed cover)
can be extended by ACA1231/ACA1232

Originally the ACA 500 was supposed to become an internal extension but according to Schönfeld he had to drop this approach. The Version seen on the pictures will be the form factor used in the final product, only a cover made of stainless steel will be added.

The manufacturer will only support the combination of ACA 500 and an in-house A1200 extension (ACA 12xx series, with the exception of the ACA 1230). Accelerator boards developed by different producers would be used at one's own risk. First tests indicate that the Blizzard boards produced by Phase 5 are not yet compatible with the ACA 500 but this problem may still be solved according to Schönfeld.

The current target price is about 80 Euro.

Update: (13.02.2013, 15:30, cg)

Now Jens Schönfeld presents a new approach, where the ACA 500 would be positioned flat instead of upright. Additionally, a solution for the Blizzard compatibility problem might have been found, even if it's still not clear if all issues have been solved already and how the solution will be integrated into the final product. (cg) (Translation: dr)

[News message: 12. Feb. 2013, 00:26] [Comments: 0]
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