ACA1240/1260
All versions of the ACA1240/1260 features our IDE speeder technology that accelerates the internal IDE port. Other than competing products, this IDE speeder does not require opening the computer or even removing chips from their socket. The IDE speedup to PIO mode 3 or 4 is activated with a software setting and reaches a raw data transfer rate of more than 10 MBytes per second, which results in every-day performance of 3.6MBytes/s with fast CF cards. Fast harddrives with cache may exceed 7MBytes/s performance. The IDE speeder feature is not available if connected to an ACA500 or ACA500plus.
The ACA1240/1260 boards have much faster memory performance than any other accelerator before - especially with cache, burst and copyback enabled. Refined strategies of keeping wait-states to a minimum result in the best memory performance on the Amiga market. All cards have 256MBytes physical memory. 1MByte of this memory is reserved for Kickstart re-mapping.
The ACA1240/1260 is PCMCIA-friendly: It will not disable the PCMCIA slot, so you can continue to use a networking card in that slot.
Notable features
- Memory auto-configuration
- Software-selectable clock speeds
- high speed chip ram write interface
- card enable/disable in software
- memory available to onboard CPU if accelerator is switched off (in development)
- accelerated clockport, which can be used concurrently with A1200-clock port
- 68040/68060 libraries in flash, (in development)
- Low-noise active cooling system with temperature sensor and fan speed control
- CPU core voltage software-controllable for under- and over-volting
- FPGA logic can disable 68040/68060 CPU and take over the bus for compatibility modes (in development)
- High-speed expansion port for graphics expansion (in development)
- micro-SD card slot as mass-storage device (in development)
- CPU is always in a socket, allowing CPU swapping by experienced users
Please note that features denoted as "in development" are currently available in the hardware and have been verified to work, but drivers aren't available at this point. This is why this card is discounted by 50,- EUR. There is no guaranteed timeline for development of this software. If a feature that you deem as a key feature is currently not available, please don't buy yet, but wait until the feature is available.
The high-speed chip ram write interface is a novelty in the Amiga world: If the CPU writes to the main board of the host computer, the CPU will not be stalled on the first access. Instead, it's allowed to continue running in it's local memory while the chip ram interface buffers the write access until the main board is ready to accept the written value. This improves chip ram access speed considerably, especially for slower 68040 CPUs which struggle to reach 60% of the possible access speed. With our high speed interface, access speed to chip ram, which is critical for flawless gaming, is always 100% or up to 7MBytes/s, even for the slowest 68040-25 CPU.
Installing the ACA1240/1260 in an A1200 requires you to leave the trapdoor slot open. Included rubber feet let you raise the A1200 case by a few mm, which allows controlled sideways-airflow past the custom heat sink.
The clockport of the ACA1240/1260 can either take an RTC module, or the legacy RapidRoad USB host controller. Operation of RapidRoad is 55% faster than with the internal clock port of the A1200 computer. This function is available in all modes of operation on an A1200 computer, and on the ACA500plus. It is not available if the ACA1240/1260 is operated on an ACA500.
The ACA1240/1260 uses a licensing system for CPU and memory speeds. Since every combination of CPU and RAM clock needs lots of work to adjust timings between the CPU and high-speed memory, we don't want everyone to pay for all the work. Instead, you're only paying for what you actually use. Every card comes with the speed license that the CPU is rated for, and all slower speeds. Faster speeds (overclocking up to 100MHz) can be attempted up to 20 times without a time limit (an attempt ends with a power cycle). After free trials are used up, the card will only work at it's licensed speed.
The ACA1240/1260 allows user-side CPU swapping. Note that this is not encouraged or endorsed, and it will void warranty for your unit. Swapping the CPU is not easy and it requires a proper PGA pulling tool. Removing the CPU with a screw driver or some other prying tool is not recommended, as it will likely result in the CPU being scratched, and the socket getting mechanically damaged.
The CPU type is auto-sensed and voltage is set accordingly. There is no danger of accidentally applying a too-high voltage to a precious 68060 CPU.
ACA1260tool
At this point, the ACA1240/1260 is not integrated into our universal ACAtool. Instead, both ACA1240 and ACA1260 use the ACA1260tool to enter licenses and make speed changes to the card. More features will be added in the future.
Download: Aca1260tool-V0.98 (Older versions: Aca1260tool-V0.97 aca1260tool v0.9.6)
Variants
| Variant | CPU | Clock | MMU | FPU | Sysinfo Dhrystones | Fastmem read speed | Fastmem write speed | chipram read speed A1200 | chipram read speed ACA500plus | AIBB module |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACA1240-LC25 | 68LC040 | 25MHz | ✓ | - | ||||||
| ACA1240-25 | 68040 | 25MHz | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| ACA1240-33 | 68040 | 33MHz | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| ACA1240-40 | 68040 | 40MHz | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| ACA1260-50.5 | 68060 R5 | 50MHz (*1) | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| ACA1260-LC50 | 68LC060 R4 | 50MHz | ✓ | - | ||||||
| ACA1260-LC66 | 68LC060 R4 | 66MHz | ✓ | - | ||||||
| ACA1260-LC75 | 68LC060 R4 | 75MHz (*3) | ✓ | - | ||||||
| ACA1260-LC90 | 68LC060 R4 | 90MHz (*2) | ✓ | - | ||||||
| ACA1260-50 | 68060 R1 | 50MHz | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| ACA1260-90 | 68060 R6 | 90MHz (*2) | ✓ | ✓ |
(*1) The processor is clocked at 50MHz as standard, and this board comes with the 66MHz overclocking license pre-installed. (*2) These top versions come with an open license for currently up to 100MHz (possible higher frequencies will be free, should we achieve more in the future). Note that technically, these CPUs are overclocked, but given that this is the latest revision in 0.42µm geometry, it is known to work at higher speeds reliably. (*3) The 75MHz trims come with the 80MHz overclocking license included.
FAQ
is the 40MHz card sold out or not-yet-available?
We only had a small quantity of 40MHz-rated 68040 CPUs, which were quickly sold out. We currently don't have a trustworthy source of 40MHz-rated CPUs, so it's unlikely to be back in stock any time soon. We recommend to go for the 33MHz card, as these are mostly equipped with a 0.65µm-geometry CPU, which runs stable at 40MHz.
I've seen Apple Macs run at 50MHz with a 68040 CPU. Can the ACA1240 do the same?
Maybe! We've tried running the latest 0.65µm mask (E42K) at faster speeds, but that wasn't successful. Unfortunately, we currently don't have any source for the faster 0.57µm masks, so testing faster speeds with these masks is currently not possible. There is a chance, but you shouldn't hold your breath. Our experience with 40MHz-rated CPUs even failing at 42MHz speed indicate that the CPU is under much higher stress with the high memory speed that the ACA1240 offers: You always have to keep in mind that a CPU will only run as fast as it can get instructions from memory. The memory design of the ACA1240 is best-in-class, providing more read/write performance than any other 68040/68060 accelerator has ever provided before. This will keep the CPU a lot more busy than on other accelerators. The good news is: This also translates to higher overall performance at the same clock speed.
Can I buy a card without CPU?
No. This is a warranty/legal problem: There are strict customer protection rules in place for businesses in the EU. We wouldn't be able to provide warranty on a card that works with a legacy part that we didn't fully test before delivery. While it would be easy to put the blame on the 3rd party part if something goes wrong, you'd always have a sore feeling about our product if something doesn't work right. We therefore choose to only ship fully-warranted products that you can claim full support for.
Can I swap the CPU on my own?
Yes, this is possible, and the design even supports you a little in that endeavour. However, you MUST keep in mind that this is a modification that will void your warranty. You need specialized tools (most notably a PGA chip puller) and a way to push in the new CPU evenly, without putting stress on the rest of the card. This is an expert's job with expert tools an experience. It is not recommended - certainly not if you haven't done this numerous times before.
can I put an '060 CPU on an ACA1240 card?
Yes, that's possible. The underlying hardware of the ACA1240 and the ACA1260 is the same, and the CPU will be auto-detected. The accelerator will only supply the CPU with the appropriate voltage; there is no possibility to set a wrong jumper and destroy a CPU!
AIBB is showing me a lower CPU frequency than ACA1260 tool. Why?
AIBB is not very accurate at estimating the CPU frequency of 68040 and 68060 CPUs - it will always show something on the low side. A more accurate tool (though very "hacky") is WhichAmiga, available from Aminet. This tool is actually recommended for finding out what type of 68060 CPU you really have.
What revision is my 68040 CPU?
Unlike 68060 CPUs, the 68040 does not have a revision register, and Motorola/Freescale/NXP never write about revisions with regard to 68040 CPUs in their documentation. There are differences on the mask set, though. In semiconductor manufacturing, the mask set is the blueprint of a chip. It's a set (not a single thing), because a modern semiconductor has a lot of layers, and there's a mask for each of them. Luckily, Motorola, Freescale and NXP always printed the mask on the chip, in addition to the sales designation. We're providing an overview of the known masks and additional information in this Wiki article.
CPU mask sets
Work in progress! There is quite a lot of false information out there about 68040/68060 mask sets. This list takes multiple sources and corrects them, mostly from original Motorola/Freescale/NXP documents, but with dedicated help from an NXP employee who has an Amiga past. It is therefore believed to be the most complete and most accurate list on the internet regarding 68040/68060 CPUs with MMU (actual EC040/EC060 are not listed here).
| CPU group | Mask | Revision | MMU | FPU | Geometry [µm] | max. observed speed [MHz] | remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68040 | E71M | -- | ✓ | - | 0.65 | 40 | (none yet) |
| 68040 | E23G | -- | ✓ | - | 0.65 | 40 | (none yet) |
| 68040 | D39H | -- | ✓ | - | 0.8 | 40 | fan should be set to "cool", not "quiet" |
| 68040 | D43B | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.8 | 25 | May run at 33MHz with over/under-volting |
| 68040 | D50D | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.8 | 33 | runs very hot, don't run w/o cooler. |
| 68040 | D98D | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.8 | 33 | XC-mask, possibly faster |
| 68040 | E31F | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.65 | 40 | (none yet) |
| 68040 | E26A | -- | TBD | TBD | 0.65 | TBD (likely 40) | Not tested - no sample available. |
| 68040 | E42K | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.65 | 40 | Full MC qualification |
| 68040 | K63H | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.57 | 40 | fastest 5V-type, so far untested |
| 68040 | L88M | -- | ✓ | ✓ | 0.57 | 40 | fastest 5V-type, so far untested |
| 68040 | F54F | -- | ✓ | - | 0.5 | 40 | 3.3V type, not supported by ACA1240/1260 |
| 68040 | D33T | -- | ✓ | - | 0.5 | 40 | 3.3V type, not supported by ACA1240/1260 |
| 68060 | D11W | 1 | ✓ | ✓ | 0.5 | 50 | rare prototype |
| 68060 | F43G | 1 | ✓ | ✓ | 0.5 | 66 | Often found in 68EC060-marked chips |
| 68060 | F84W | -- | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | Fake chip sold as Rev.6 |
| 68060 | F10H | -- | - | - | 0.0 | 0 | Fake chip sold as Rev.6 |
| 68060 | G65V | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | 0.5 | 66 | Often found in 68EC060-marked chips |
| 68060 | G59Y | 4 | ✓ | - | 0.42 | 100 | Full MC qualification |
| 68060 | E41J | 6 | ✓ | ✓ | 0.42 | 100 | Full MC qualification |
note on MC68040V processors
XC/MC68040V CPUs (3.3V versions) are not supported because they have additional pins that are not connected on the ACA1240/1260. Most notably, a pin that disables the internal system clock will be open, which a CMOS device sees as "low", so the CPU would always see that it shall shut down and go into extremely-low-power mode. We do not intend to support these CPUs, as they always come without FPU and they are easily outperformed by 68LC060 CPUs, which are in abundant supply. Never insert a 68040V CPU into the socket of an ACA1240/1260! It will be detected as 68040 processor and therefore supplied with 5V, which may damage the CPU.
System startup
Before the accelerator can launch the CPU, a couple of things are brought up with an on-board microcontroller: The host computer is identified (A1200 or ACA500plus), the CPU type (68060 or 68040) is checked, CPU core voltage is set accordingly, and with this information, the FPGA is loaded from flash. After this, the microcontroller will spin up the fan to full speed for a second, then start adjusting it's speed according to the temperature that's read from the sensor. During this early startup phase, a code will be "blinked" with a red LED on the board that is bright enough so you can see it under the A1200. If the card is connected to an ACA500plus, the LED will face up which is even easier to see.
| Pattern | Source | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Short flash, then off | - | System OK |
| Always on | MCU | The MCU didn't start properly. Check power supply, clean contacts.
If problem remains, the board needs repair. |
| Alternating long-short blink | MCU | E-Clock frequency is out of range. Check crystals on the main
board and the accelerator. One of them needs service. |
| Three blinks | Debrick | Debrick jumper is set. You can now use the command line tool, or
the flash option from the drop-down menu of ACA1260tool. |
| Rapid blinks | Flash | The flash is empty or checksum failure. Reflash the firmware using Debrick mode. |
| Slow blinks | MCU | Three possible causes:
1. Safe start jumper is set 2. current settings are invalid or config checksum is wrong 3. current settings are incompatible with type of CPU installed The system will try to start with safe firmware defaults (25MHz) in all cases. |
| Mostly on 2 blinks | FPGA | Failed to program main FPGA. Either flash contents are garbled, or the board needs repair. |
| Mostly on 1 blink | GFX | Detected RTG graphics expansion, but failed to launch it.
Check for a bad connection to the expansion, always use the latest firmware file. |
| Mostly off 2 blinks | License | Attempted to start without a valid license and without trial runs left.
Use the safe mode jumper to recover and select licensed feature(s) in ACA1260tool. |
| Mostly off 1 blinks | Cooling | Problem with either temperature sensor or fan.
If cooling fan spins very fast, this is a failure of the temperature sensor. If cooling fan is slow or stopped, reported error means "fan RPM is too low". |
Shop
Please note that this group of products is only visible to existing customers. During the first few months, we will only accept orders from customers who have bought from us before. Quantities are strictly limited to one unit, especially for the Rev.6 68060 CPUs. This is an attempt to stop scalping from happening: In the past, there have been players on the market who have bought parts without the intention to ever use them. When they're officially sold out, they were offered with insanely high markups. We hope that the ACA1240/1260 will be available for a long time, and we're willing to do the extra work of manually adding your shop user account to the group of people who can see and order this product. Just reply to any of your previous order-confirmation-eMails and ask for your user account to be added to the "ACA1260" group.
