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PPC Instruction Set Now Open Source

Steve Ferrell

Posts 424
21 Aug 2019 04:53


Very interesting development.  This opens the door to the possibility of FPGA systems that could run OS4

EXTERNAL LINK


Herbert Markart

Posts 45
21 Aug 2019 07:26


There is even already a softcore in existance from an IBM programmer.
Howerver for Demonstration purposes just for XILINX
EXTERNAL LINK 


Steve Ferrell

Posts 424
21 Aug 2019 09:17


I think Gunnar should develop an FPGA that runs OS4 based off of this softcore since it's been years since A-Eon has been able to deliver on anything they've promised.


Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
21 Aug 2019 10:26


Best use in the future would be a 604e "coprocessor" in WarpOS fashion for v4+, if possible, enabling PPC MacOS Classic and at least WarpOS/PowerUp if not MorphOS 1.x and OS4 Classic software.

And that is long pipe dream.


Samuel Devulder

Posts 248
21 Aug 2019 10:28


Apollo core 68080 outperforms PPC in number of ways. With the same clock speed, the ac68080 can do many more things than the PPC architecture. So, repeat after me: *PPC is obsolete. PPC is bad. forget PPC*
 
 


Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
21 Aug 2019 10:38


Samuel Devulder wrote:

    Apollo core 68080 outperforms PPC in number of ways. With the same clock speed, the ac68080 can do many more things than the PPC architecture. So, repeat after me: *PPC is obsolete. PPC is bad. forget PPC* 
   

   
    Its not that bad, no one is using fully supported by Linux and progressing IBM POWER arch. Instead finding AMCC, PA Semis and Freescale designs for similar price but way obsolete. If they used G3,G4,G5 and optimized OS4 for it, things would be better now, incl. Linux support.
 
  Even my bad bad PA Semi is not that bad CPU when fully used - both cores, all its abilities, more stress on FPU and mem. Integer it is "dual core G3", but hey, it was built for power saving laptop, and not for full size desktop. However, so far I have seen just UAE JIT optimized for PA Semi - one single archive.
   
    080 per clock is better then 604e, but could not emulate it 1:1, maybe nice JIT at 1:2 and 080 200Mhz could make our "reversed Petunia" and enable use of MOS 1.x,WOS and even OS4 s/w, if needed, as last AmigaOS apps we do need.
   
    OS 4.2 promise of "Linux in a virtual box" would be nice, be it improved 080 MMULess Kernel and backported Debian, or some PPC one in virtual machine. Just to access FLOSS software.
 
  Note that none is teams roadmap or priority, so all these is purely academic.
   
   
   


Samuel Devulder

Posts 248
21 Aug 2019 11:26


Vojin Vidanovic wrote:

    OS 4.2 promise of "Linux in a virtual box" would be nice,(...)


BTW if one want to try linux (ot other OS) in a kind of new virtual box, try this ==> EXTERNAL LINK 
Better have a good JS engine, and off we go!


Ian Parsons

Posts 230
21 Aug 2019 13:47


PPC softcores don't make much sense in terms of price and performance. When it comes to RISC CPU's for FPGAs on Amigas all the interest is around ARM hardcores in FPGA SOCs. MiSTER, ZZ9000 and Replay 2 all have or are planning to use them. There is also the porting of AROS to the Raspberry PI, PPC Amigas and OS4 are looking increasingly pointless. However I don't see a long term future in ARM for Amiga. Apollo ASIC should be the goal. Forget about PPC it's just a historical wrong turn.


Vojin Vidanovic
(Needs Verification)
Posts 1916/ 1
21 Aug 2019 15:31


Ian Parsons wrote:

  Forget about PPC it's just a historical wrong turn.
 

 
  Maybe from Amiga perspective, coupled with trashy Amiga Inc, bad mobos and very little developers left. MacOS Classic/X, BeOS or Linux did far better with PPC. Even Windows NT, altough just OS was ported.
 
  Mind that until late Pentium IV and above PPC processors were highly competative. Kind of Apple transition to x86 (but without OS for all) and leaving the Alliance killed further CPU development and desktop viability.
 
  Consoles hanged around until PS3 and WII U - thanks to IBM alone, but had to give up. Only servers left, but there POWER9 is quite competative
  EXTERNAL LINK 
  PPC and Linux will live some more.


Steve Ferrell

Posts 424
21 Aug 2019 18:04


Ian Parsons wrote:

PPC softcores don't make much sense in terms of price and performance. When it comes to RISC CPU's for FPGAs on Amigas all the interest is around ARM hardcores in FPGA SOCs. MiSTER, ZZ9000 and Replay 2 all have or are planning to use them. There is also the porting of AROS to the Raspberry PI, PPC Amigas and OS4 are looking increasingly pointless. However I don't see a long term future in ARM for Amiga. Apollo ASIC should be the goal. Forget about PPC it's just a historical wrong turn.
 

 
68K softcores don't make any sense either when I can buy an SBC for $40 that runs circles around a Vampire, has 2D/3D video acceleration, supports multiple operating systems and has a software base that dwarfs the 68K software base.  You seem to forget that whether it's PPC or 68K, that this is a hobby and it doesn't have to make financial nor technical sense.  As for PPC being a technological wrong-turn, tell that to the OS4 fanatics who throw down several thousand dollars/euros just for a bare X5000 board and who wait years for a Tabor which is a downgrade when compared to previous boards designed for OS4.
 


Olle Haerstedt

Posts 110
21 Aug 2019 23:30


Wouldn't it be just plain fun to have two CPUs to hack with in one board? :)

posts 11