Subject: Re: NetBSD hardware upgrade path?
To: Patrick Phalen <pphalen@crl.com>
From: Michael L. Hitch <osymh@gemini.oscs.montana.edu>
List: amiga
Date: 02/19/1996 12:48:21
On Feb 18,  9:42pm, Patrick Phalen wrote:
> I want to install NetBSD on my A3000 (which requires minimum 4MB CONTIGUOUS
> FastRAM) and am trying to figure out the best upgrade path.

  I think I've booted up on 2MB of fastmem, but I don't think you would be
able to do very much before the system stalls.  Also, contiguous memory
is not required, although the default is to use a single contiguous segment.

> * Plug in a 25 or 33MHz CPU chip or go for an 040 accelerator?

  My experience is that an 040 is better (but then I'm quite spoiled and
the only 030 system I've used only had 2MB of 32 bit memory).

> * Use ZIPS on the motherboard to get up to my 4MB minimum, or add SIMMS
> onto an accelerator card? (I have 4MB of 30 pin SIMMS I can pull out of my
> GVP A2000 SCSI controller). It seems to me that ZIPs are going at a
> premium now and nobody else uses them, so SIMMS maybe a better investment?
> NetBSD will not recognize any uncontiguous memory...period.

  An accelerator with local memory is probably the preferred method if you
can afford it and want the performance.  And NetBSD will use non-contiguous
fastmem if you tell it to.

> It appears that the PPI Mercury board accepts SIMMS, however I don't think
> it has a bonified MMU, which NetBSD absolutely requires. It appears that

  As far as I know, all the PPI 040 accelerators used a full 040.  There
apparently were a number of chips labeled as 68EC040 used by PPI, but the
story I've heard (probably forth- or fifth-hand) is that PPI had gotten
some mis-labeled chips.  Those chips were able to use the MMU and FPU
fine from what I've heard.

  From what I remember, the PPI Mercury seemed to have more problems than
the PPI Zeus.  I have both a PPI Zeus and GVP Gforce-040, and much prefer
the PPI Zeus.

Michael

-- 
Michael L. Hitch			INTERNET:  osymh@montana.edu
Computer Consultant
Information Technology Center
Montana State University	Bozeman, MT	USA