»

[MaximvsPayne]

London, 10th March 2011


Following the AmigaOne X1000 Update article in the current edition of "Amiga Future" magazine we asked Adam Barnes, the Technical Director of Varisys, to provide an official Nemo progress report.



"From the horse's mouth"


We have had some problems with procurement of certain items for the revision 2 Nemo board which delayed our production plan by about 4 weeks. The situation was not helped either by the Chinese New Year celebrations. However, I'm pleased to report that these difficulties have now been overcome. We've had one remaining issue with supply of the onboard PC99 audio connector. The best delivery we could obtain for the existing connector type was a minimum order quantity of 10,000 pieces and a lead time of 12 weeks. We had an option for a direct replacement which has 6 jacks (enough for 5.1 analogue out) but unfortunately the Taiwanese supplier did not respond to our communications. Our alternative compromise plan was a triple jack which would support simple stereo audio out through the back panel, with header pins on the board to support 5.1 audio for users who want this feature. However, this was not our preferred option and eventually we managed to source an almost identical PC99 HD audio connector from an Italian company to satisfy our demand for all the Beta test boards.



We already have enough PA6T CPUs in hand and we have also secured supplies of the SB600 south bridge chip and various other long lead parts, with deliveries of all due on or before the 15th of this month, in sufficient quantities for the current schedule of revision 2 beta test boards. Typically, the production time from full kit to assembled boards is 10 days for small batches (the 5 off for approval). This timescale will be confirmed once the kit is issued out for build. The estimated lead time for the balance of beta test boards will be around 20-25 days based on standard PCB fabrication and assembly lead times.



Barnes also confirmed he was in the process of writing up a technical brief of the new dual-core XMOS subsystem. This will include a block diagram and pinouts so prospective end users can start working on the XMOS side of things.



A-EON Technology CVBA

[Krashan]

At least someone with a clue delivered bare facts. What is sad, that it had to be forced with MooBunny gossips...

[JC]

My thanks to Adam Barnes, Varisys, and Aeon for keeping us informed.

[Boudicca]

Originally Posted by JC

My thanks to Adam Barnes, Varisys, and Aeon for keeping us informed.

Ditto.....

That sounds to me like a production run, not some marketing waffle from a fake CUSA photo mockup

[ddniUK]

This is not an original moobunny post.
It is an official email from Aeon, sent out to those people who registered for news updates.

The fact it showed up on moobunny was simply a cut n paste job.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by Boudicca

Ditto.....

That sounds to me like a production run, not some marketing waffle from a fake CUSA photo mockup

Even though I'm a MorphOS user, I've always cautioned posters on this forum to take Varisys seriously.
I've been in contact with them for a few years (previous to their connection with A-eon) and their staff is knowledgeable, professional, and experienced in the design and production of PPC based boards (and they work with other processors as well).
When I was examnining the idea of producing an MPC8640/8641 based motherboard their staff was very helpful in offering advice and the option to assist (as they'd already designed systems based on that Freescale processor).
They recommended the Freescale QorIQ processor as an alternate to the e600 CPUs I was examining (and did not recommend the PA6T because of difficulty in obtaining them).
When I saw the first photos of Nemo and noticed that it used the same Southbridge I was considering (the AMD SB600) I immediately suspected Varisys' involvement with A-eon's project.
Currently I'm examining the latest 64bit QorIQ processors the P5010 and P5020. These or their sucessors are likely candidates to replace the PA6T in future A-eon projects.

It's nice to see the company back on track and ready to deliver a higher performing motherboard to the AOS market than has previously been available.

[amoskodare]

Thanx for the report

[nicholas]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Even though I'm a MorphOS user, I've always cautioned posters on this forum to take Varisys seriously.
I've been in contact with them for a few years (previous to their connection with A-eon) and their staff is knowledgeable, professional, and experienced in the design and production of PPC based boards (and they work with other processors as well).
When I was examnining the idea of producing an MPC8640/8641 based motherboard their staff was very helpful in offering advice and the option to assist (as they'd already designed systems based on that Freescale processor).
They recommended the Freescale QorIQ processor as an alternate to the e600 CPUs I was examining (and did not recommend the PA6T because of difficulty in obtaining them).
When I saw the first photos of Nemo and noticed that it used the same Southbridge I was considering (the AMD SB600) I immediately suspected Varisys' involvement with A-eon's project.
Currently I'm examining the latest 64bit QorIQ processors the P5010 and P5020. These or their sucessors are likely candidates to replace the PA6T in future A-eon projects.

It's nice to see the company back on track and ready to deliver a higher performing motherboard to the AOS market than has previously been available.

What would be nice is A-Eon paying for official ports of both MorphOS and AROS to this board.

"One board to unite them all!"

[gertsy]

Originally Posted by nicholas

What would be nice is A-Eon paying for official ports of both MorphOS and AROS to this board.

"One board to unite them all!"

With the money they've received from ? I guess you mean at some time in the future.

[nicholas]

Originally Posted by gertsy

With the money they've received from ? I guess you mean at some time in the future.

Nah, Trev's got more money than sense apparently as he's funding this all by himself by most accounts.

[dammy]

Originally Posted by nicholas

Nah, Trev's got more money than sense apparently as he's funding this all by himself by most accounts.

No, he has a long time business partner involved that is not into the Amiga scene.

[nicholas]

Originally Posted by dammy

No, he has a long time business partner involved that is not into the Amiga scene.

Still, that's access to more funds than CUSA have.

[dammy]

Originally Posted by nicholas

Still, that's access to more funds than CUSA have.

I think you will regret those words in the not too distant future.

[persia]

Varisys doesn't even merit a Wikipedia entry....

[vidarh]

Originally Posted by persia

Varisys doesn't even merit a Wikipedia entry....

I think you'll find the vast majority of companies in the world don't merit a Wikipedia entry. Your point?