[comp.sys.amiga.misc] Amiga motherboard dimensions

ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) (04/30/91)

Just a little thing I thought of...

It would sure be nice if Commodore would make the Amiga motherboard to
the same form factor and mount points as the standard PC motherboard,
and then stick to it.  Then we have some very nice cases to choose
from, desktop, tower, rack mount, and even luggable. We could be assured
that we're only a motherboard swap away from the next generation of
Amiga technology. And perhaps Commodore would save some dough by only
having to fab one kind of case for their PC line and Amiga line, but
just put different labels on the outside.

Whaddya say Commodore?
-- 
---
Richard Krehbiel, private citizen      ckp@grebyn.com
(Who needs a fancy .signature?)

peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (05/02/91)

In article <1991Apr30.143013.20317@grebyn.com> ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) writes:
>
>It would sure be nice if Commodore would make the Amiga motherboard to
>the same form factor and mount points as the standard PC motherboard,
                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>and then stick to it.

Sorry, never seen such a beast. Every motherboard I see is of different
size. Just look through PC magazines like Byte (:-) for all those
Taiwanese ads for pure boards, they all differ.

Though the rest of your idea sounds appaling (sp?), please remember
that also the power supplies of Amigas are *slightly* different from
standard PC ones, they must provide that Tick signal.

-- 
Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel  // E-Mail to  \\  Only my personal opinions... 
Commodore Frankfurt, Germany  \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk

ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) (05/03/91)

In article <1189@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes:
>In article <1991Apr30.143013.20317@grebyn.com> ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) writes:
>>
>>It would sure be nice if Commodore would make the Amiga motherboard to
>>the same form factor and mount points as the standard PC motherboard,
>                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>and then stick to it.
>
>Sorry, never seen such a beast. Every motherboard I see is of different
>size. Just look through PC magazines like Byte (:-) for all those
>Taiwanese ads for pure boards, they all differ.

Some people I know and respect say differently. And I just built myself
a 386 machine from the case and motherboard separately.  So I'd say
that, even if there really isn't a hard standard, there's one popular
enough to do the job.

>Though the rest of your idea sounds appaling (sp?), please remember
>that also the power supplies of Amigas are *slightly* different from
>standard PC ones, they must provide that Tick signal.

There's a motherboard jumper on the A2000 that takes the tick signal
from the video timing. And, since this would be a new motherboard,
I'm sure circuitry could be added to provide a good stable 60Hz,
one which aviods the problems the video 60Hz would cause (since it's
actually 59.99.. Hz, and since it follows a genlock).
-- 
Richard Krehbiel, private citizen      ckp@grebyn.com
(Who needs a fancy .signature?)

chris@zork.cc.binghamton.edu (Chris Peck) (05/03/91)

|> >It would sure be nice if Commodore would make the Amiga motherboard to
|> >the same form factor and mount points as the standard PC motherboard,
|> 
|> Sorry, never seen such a beast. Every motherboard I see is of different
|> size. Just look through PC magazines like Byte (:-) for all those

Yes - they are different sizes - BUT - they do have the slots, and keyboard
connector and mounting holes in the same place.  All the 286,386 compatible
motherboards will fit in an AT size case...  Too bad C= didn't arrange the
slots, etc, on the A3000T in the same location as the A2000's...

-- 
chris@zork.cc.binghamton.edu        Chris Peck 
chris@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu    SUNY Binghamton, NY
chris@bingvaxa.bitnet
--"Any opinions expressed above are mine, ALL MINE!"--

plav@cup.portal.com (Rick M Plavnicky) (05/04/91)

ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) writes:

>In article <1189@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY)
>writes:

>>Though the rest of your idea sounds appaling (sp?), please remember
>>that also the power supplies of Amigas are *slightly* different from
>>standard PC ones, they must provide that Tick signal.

>There's a motherboard jumper on the A2000 that takes the tick signal
>from the video timing. And, since this would be a new motherboard,
>I'm sure circuitry could be added to provide a good stable 60Hz,
>one which aviods the problems the video 60Hz would cause (since it's
>actually 59.99.. Hz, and since it follows a genlock).

Don't forget that if one decides to use that motherboard jumper (J300)
then the A2320 Display Enhancer will be practically unusable.  To quote
the manual: "The A2320 may not operate correctly if the vertical sync
pulse is used as the CIA time base, with the jumper in the right-hand
position."

>Richard Krehbiel, private citizen      ckp@grebyn.com
>(Who needs a fancy .signature?)

/* Rick Plavnicky ...!sun!cup.portal.com!plav  -or-  plav@cup.portal.com */

rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly) (05/09/91)

In article <1189@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes:
>In article <1991Apr30.143013.20317@grebyn.com> ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies) writes:
>>
>>It would sure be nice if Commodore would make the Amiga motherboard to
>>the same form factor and mount points as the standard PC motherboard,
>                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>and then stick to it.
>
>Sorry, never seen such a beast. Every motherboard I see is of different
>size. Just look through PC magazines like Byte (:-) for all those
>Taiwanese ads for pure boards, they all differ.

Over the past couple of years I have evaluated a large number of 386 AT
boards for use in a UNIX box.  There is an AT mechanical standard for
mounting holes and for power connnector placement.  There is also a
standard for the placement of the ISA/EISA bus slots.  Without these
standards, you would not be able to buy any cabinet that you want, and
throw any motherboard that you want into it.  There is also a standard
mechanical spec for baby AT boards based on the old XT boards.

>Though the rest of your idea sounds appaling (sp?), please remember
>that also the power supplies of Amigas are *slightly* different from
>standard PC ones, they must provide that Tick signal.

Rick Kelly	rmk@rmkhome.UUCP	frog!rmkhome!rmk	rmk@frog.UUCP