NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/comp/sys/atari/st/18506

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-16 | 2.6 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Juxtaposer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: The Great Falcon Debate
Date: 16 Dec 1992 12:03:50 -0800
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 42
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: phakt.usc.edu

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mark Steyn) writes:
>[e-mail] (Leo Hendry) writes:
>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>>Ahh, but the standard memory is not 32-bit.  If 3rd party 32-bit memory
>>upgrades using the 68882 socket can be made then you are right, but I have
>>not been convinced than this is possible.

>No, the standard memory is 32 bit.  Only the 68030 had 16 bit access to
>memory, other parts of the Falcon have full 32 bit access.

>    Mark

    If the only thing skimped on is the 16 datalines from the CPU to the
"standard" memory, wouldn't it be possible to simply make an adapter from the
68882 socket (which to my knowledge _must_ have all data lines to the CPU)
and run it to either a) a nice adapter that plugs inbetween the memory card and
the memory socket or b) a nice hack that directly connects the 16 data lines
to the appropriate 16 data lines on the memory card?  This alone should give
a roughly 2x speed increase on CPU throughput (memory expansion aside - I
personally do not see that the first-time/casual/hobby-type person who buys
the Falcon will be likely to need more than 14MB, but lets not get into _that_
flammage :).  Of course, the speed will still be somewhat slower than that of
the TT as (especially in higher rez/color modes) there will still be a
significant amount of bandwith being used for video, but nearly all CPU
accesses will be twice as fast (I say nearly because of factors such as cache,
instruction pipelining, etc. already speed up the '030 to reduce the effects
of such bottlenecks).

    Or is the '030's ability to use 8/16/32 bit data buses not "auto-
sensing" (in which case you would have to alter the logic that decides whether
it is using a 16/32 bit bus)?  Would the software conflict (ie it expects
16 bits/transfer) or is the bus size transparent to the software?

    I apologize if this has already been asked/answered but I am in the
process of trying to catchup to some 400 messages :(.

>--
>"A little nonsense now and then,        \ Mark Steyn :          \
> Is relished by the wisest men"             \ [e-mail] \
>          Willy Wonka                  \ [e-mail]     \