Amiga Format CD 37/Amiga Format CD37 (1999-02-16)(Future Publishing)(GB)(Track 1 of 3)[!][issue 1999-03].iso/-readerstuff-/chris_seward/aio19/data/nws6

Text File | 1999-01-05 | 6KB | 114 lines

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{subhead} ColdFire processor cards from IAT Manufacturing{def}
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Here follows a developer 'press' release concerning the development of an
Amiga Parallel Processing system.This information is provided primarily for
developers in the Amiga community and contains information on a product
which is still very much under development. Any specifications remain
subject to change.
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This project has been underway for a number of months and is now approaching
hardware completion. The Impulse Multiprocessing system is being developed
jointly by IAT Manufacturing and Alternate Approach. Alternate Approach are
handling the development of a custom Micro-OS which will enable transparent
integration with Amiga OS® which does not currently support multiple
processors. IAT Manufacturing is developing the system hardware based around
Motorola's Coldfire Family of Microprocessors. Development of the Operating
System component is underway.
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{bold}Project Aims:{nobold}
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    i)   To provide a low cost alternative to other acceleration systems.
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    ii)  Provide instruction sets similar to the 68k.
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    iii) Provide a system which can be upgraded in the future whilst{p}
         maintaining any existing functionality in addition to the upgrade.{p]
         Advantages of Impulse:
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         i)   MODULAR system allows low cost production & easy upgrades
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         ii)  Single Board production unit with modular interface boards for{p}
              specific machines. e.g.. you install an impulse card on an{p}
              A1200, when you upgrade you only need to change the interface{p}
              board, not the whole system.
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         iii) The system is ideally suited to a truly multitasking{p}
              environment, the individual processors can work on different{p}
              tasks; reducing the number of context switches, interrupts from{p}
              expansion cards could also be serviced via external request{p}
              pins.
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{bold}Specifications{nobold}
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These specifications are preliminary, but are unlikely to change in the near
future. The first board designs utilise the MCF5307 processors working in
tandem with a 68k, all processors are autonomous (this is not a co-processor
arrangement). The product makes full use of multiple buses to minimise use
of the main Amiga bus (IMultibus© technology). If this product is successful
we plan to move towards V4 Coldfire® during 1999 with low cost 600MIPS
solutions (and no 68k's in sight). Theoretically there is also no reason why
the Impulse system could not function alongside a PPC card.
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{bold}Why Coldfire?{nobold}
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We have chosen to use the ColdFire range for a number of reasons, the most
obvious being the fact that it is highly compatible with 68k code. The
ColdFire range has recently had frequent updates and has a development
roadmap taking it well into the next millennium. Because the CF is
Variable-length RISC instructions are denser and less memory is required to
run the same applications also the CF does more per MIP than conventional
RISC. The Fact that the ColdFire range is low cost allows us to build
multiple processor systems which are more responsive than a conventional
single processor setup. The MCF5307 used in our first units is typical of
the ColdFire architecture with each device having on-board peripherals and
memory as well as large caches. DSP functionality is also introduced by the
ColdFire MAC (multiply-accumulate) unit.
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Planned specification includes:
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    i)    Two MCF5307 processors (70 MIPS each) + 68k processor{p}
    ii)   Two Fully functional FPU's{p}
    iii)  8 megabit SRAM (2-clock - 12ns access time){p}
    iv)   Three RS232 type serial ports{p}
    v)    M-bus Support (Compatibility with I2C standard){p}
    vi)   Custom Expansion Bus with access to programmable chip selects & DMA controller{p}
    vii)  Standard DRAM controllers{p}
    viii) 4 General-Purpose Timers{p}
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{bold}The Future?{nobold}
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The ColdFire range is well suited to use in a multimedia environment; this
is shown by the wealth of available third party companion IC's available
including Ethernet and PCI interfaces.
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IAT Manufacturing plans to continue development of the Impulse range to
provide low cost and customisable acceleration options for the future.
Impulse delivers our unique IBus© interface which provides a very low cost
solution for third party peripheral products giving access to Chip selects
multiple busses & 2 CF Parallel ports. The 5307's two-wire I2C interface
could open up new possibilities in terms of peripheral connection.
Availability
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The system is still under development but release in early 1999 is a
realistic prospect. Distribution will be handled By Blittersoft LTD.
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{bold}Contact{nobold}
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Developers should contact IAT Manufacturing project co-ordinator D.S Tarmey
at if you have any further questions. We are quite busy at the present time
but will endeavour to reply to your mails ASAP.
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This text is not intended as a formative product evaluation, its details are
as accurate as possible at the time of release. This is classed as developer
information.
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{bold}Acknowledgements{nobold}
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   All trademarks are © to their respective to their respective owners.{p}
   IMultibus, PMultibus and Impulse-5307 are © to IAT Manufacturing{p}
   IAT Manufacturing and the IAT MFR. logo are © to IAT Manufacturing{p}
   Impulse Micro-OS is developed by Alternate Approach