Natami - Update

[Buleste]

I'm also sure that there will be much debate as to which pointer will be default. The 1.3 or the 3 version or a more windows like pointer. Then there is the busy pointer should it be the hourglass, clock or maybe a boing ball. I foresee many snags the closer a fully functioning board comes to fruition.

[Harrison]

So true. The anal part of the Amiga community will only prolong its development, that is for sure. Especially A.org members!

[Buleste]

We should start a new topic about what pointless legacy items should be carried over to any new Amiga.

[Teho]

Right.

All error messages should be Guru Meditations. Every single one, even the simplest attention messages! In fact, the word 'error' should not exist in it, it should be replaced with 'Guru' in every instance! IF IT DOESN'T I'M NOT BUYING IT!!!

[Buleste]

In that case it should have the Speach synthesiser from WB2 so that every Guru sounds like Stephen Hawkins.

[Harrison]

Now I would buy that for sure!

[Buleste]

This was posted a couple of days ago.

IDE
Now after establishing a reliable two-way communication to the "Westside" CPLD the system can reach components which are located "far out" there. After the audio data which only uses one way IDE interface is now working and gives access to an attached harddisk.

If you look close in the picture you'll see the gadgets are incorrectly drawn. This is due to the still missing line mode in the blitter. I already made some modifications to the natami-blitter enabling me to implement the line mode correctly but further changes are needed. The blitter even got its fill mode but this is not of much use without the line mode.


Frame generation .......... ECS, fixed 28MHz pixel clock
SyncZorro Interface ....... preliminary version
Copper .................... fully implemented
Video DMA ................. fully implemented
256 color registers ....... fully implemented
Sprites ................... 16bit linebuffer
blitter ................... basic implementation.
Block and fill mode done, line to come
Video priority ............ half implemented
Scandoubler ............... fully implemented
Interrupts ................ fully implemented
Paula DMA control ......... fully implemented
Audio out ................. fully implemented
VGA out ................... working
DVI out ................... o
PCI ....................... o
(new) IDE ....................... fully implemented
CIAs ...................... fully implemented
Disk DMA .................. 880k and 1790k, read only
Serial Port DMA ........... o
Slow peripheral I/O ....... fully implemented
(Joy/Mouse/Keyb/PRT/DSK/SER)
PC mouse and kbd support .. o
Fast RAM controller ....... o
Kickstart flash logic ..... o
Battery-backed up clock.... o
15k Video out ............. o
15k Video in .............. o
Audio in .................. o

[woody.cool]

That's exciting news, mate.

As for the above discussions about legacy stuff that should be in the Natami: as long as the pointer looks WB2.x/3.x like with the stopwatch busy pointer, I'll feel right at home, but saying that, I really don't care that much, as long as the usual Pointer preferences are available.

It would be nice, however, if the OS was 'skinnable' to make it look 2.x/3.x like OR to make it 1.3 like

[Buleste]

On the Paula front whilst the DMA is fully implemented and producing sound it is only at the 6 and 8 bit level and because Paula is a strange beast (it was improved in the 1200,3000,4000) it still has a few quirks. On some Paula's the L/R channels are reversed even though the design is basically the same and it's these quirks and what to do about improving the Paula that has to be solved.


@Woody
Why the hell would you want a 1.3 skin? Too much blue screen for my liking. However if you could do a MWB skin, Newicons skin, Glow icons skin as well as whatever they use that would be good.


BTW someone did a cruel April Fools joke that basically said that Amiga Inc had approved the Natami and that the latest OS would be Natami compatible and that the Natami could be officially classed as an Amiga.

[woody.cool]

@Woody
Why the hell would you want a 1.3 skin?

Just for a laugh