sa110 (+3.2)
25/6/05 9:47PM |
Great. The pics confirm the memory and hdd can be changed. Planning to up the memory in mine and change the hdd to a 60Gb 7200rpm hitachi hdd during the next few months. |
sa110
25/6/05 9:50PM |
Would be nice for instructions in how to get inside. I do have my own ideas of course, but until I am in a position to purchase the memory and hdd I am not going to attempt to take mine apart. |
sa110
25/6/05 9:53PM |
Is it my eyesight, or is the serial port missing from the first picture? |
adrianl (+3.2)
25/6/05 11:00PM |
The serial port is, I imagine, just a connector on the back panel with a ribbon cable to the black 10-pin IDC socket that you see far left in the first picture. |
fwibbler
26/6/05 12:02AM |
I'm wondering where the IDE connector is? (is there one?)
Is there any way of fitting a standard floppy drive? (Not essential, but a lot of RISC OS software still comes on them)
Cheers! |
sa110 (+3.2)
26/6/05 12:14AM |
In reply to fwibbler:
It is not a standard IDE connector that you see on the RiscPC/Iyonix or x86 desktop motherboards.
The hdd connector is quite clearly seen(I beleive) at the bottom of the hdd in the second picture. |
datawave (+1.5)
26/6/05 1:59AM |
In reply to A9Home owners
Is there any way to build an internal USB connector inside? |
lostamarble (+1.6)
26/6/05 3:24AM |
Fwibbler, it appears SA110 is correct. Checking specs for this HDD, that is the ide connector. Is standard 2.5" device 44 pin connection with the usual 40pin IDE signal connections plus four pins for powersupply. the black plastic visible is likely to be a female connector directly on the motherboard - no cable needed as somebody has done a nice tight design. You will need a male plug at the end of your standard IDE cable to connect into this, probably buy a gender changer cable (high density IDC male -> ordianry IDC male) and then plug a standard 40way cable into that. I have played with many compaq/dell boxes that use slimline laptop CD-ROM drives with the laptop style 44pin ide connector, and they drive multiple devices fine - so long as you don't expect the weedy little power on the 4 extra lines to drive them. I'd like to see the option of a CD-ROM in the final puplicly released system - or at least the option as I don't want my new RISC OS machine limited to kiosk duty. |
JohnB
26/6/05 8:44AM |
After seeing the HDD lottery with the Mac Mini it's nice that the A9 has 5400RPM. I hope this is also true of the consumer model as well.
|
Jaco
26/6/05 10:51AM |
Isn't it clear that nothing extra will fit in there?
Extra floppy, hard or DVD drives will need to be external via USB. |
jc
26/6/05 10:54AM |
I do hope everyone listened to Ad6 when they talked about "no user access" and "warranty restrictions".
As I understand it they can only keep the price down by knowing exactly what is inside the case and what can have been done to it. That means no internal modifications though, with 4 external USB ports on top of mouse and keyboard ports, there is plenty of chance to extend externally. And before lostamarble gets too disheartened by this he should take a look at the USB CD/DVD reader that STD released just before the A9 which is a better option than trying to fit a drive into a space less than 2" x 4" x 6.5"  |
hEgelia (+4.2)
26/6/05 11:03AM |
In reply to jc:
Did you realise what this article is about?
It is about Delving inside an A9home ... It has to be done, wether you like it or not |
jc (+0.5)
26/6/05 11:25AM |
In reply to hEgelia:
Odd comment! I spent years telling kids that they needed to know what went on inside their computers and spent my own money on parts for them to see. I like the idea of letting everyone see what's inside the machine - but it's not right to encourage anyone to do it without a cost warning. |
AMS (+1.5)
26/6/05 3:08PM |
In reply to sa110:
Wrote the picture confirms the memory and HDD can be changed.
The latter almost certainly yes, but the former may take a little further checking, the article does say "The A9home owner said he tried to swap the amount of memory fitted to 256M although the machine then allegedly failed to boot". This could either be because the RAM he used wasn't exactly the right spec or perhaps the OS is set to only use 128MB or perhaps there isn't a full set of tracks to the RAM DIMM module socket.
The photograph is rather interesting, looks like Simtec toyed with the idea of supplying 2 full IDE sockets (they are the two unpopulated ones lower centre of the board). If those had been filled and useable the A9 would have made a proper desktop computer. I am (of course) assuming that the IDE tracks run to the empty socket holes. Pity, it means people need to use USB for any extra storage (at a speed cost) and a loss of functionality (CD/DVDBURN does not currently support writing on USB).
Nonetheless an impressive looking board (hard to credit that so much can be squished into such a small place).
In reply to jc:
Perhaps if Ad6 had chosen to "publish" official photos no-one would have been tempted to open one up voiding their warranty? Can't understand why they didn't - it's not as if someone could "reverse engineer" one from the photo. Being a hardware geek I am always keen on seeing the innards - leaving the motherboard a mystery just encourages people to open 'em up - as in this case. |
AMS (+1.5)
26/6/05 4:10PM |
In reply to Chris:
Thanks for the clarification/update.
Yep with the processor on the RAM module simply swapping the module is not an option and the machine will not boot. Effectively it means that the A9 can only be upgraded if Simtec/Ad6 provide an upgraded processor card that contains more RAM and the obligatory ARM9 processor. Interestingly it may leave open the possibility for future processor upgrades. |
fwibbler
26/6/05 4:27PM |
In reply to AMS:
Looking at the memory module on the Simtec website suggests that the module is not available with more than 128MB ram.
In reply to Jaco:
I'm aware that the supplied case is too small for upgrades.
That wouldn't stop me putting the whole thing into a more standardised PC case with room for internal CD, Floppy, Flash card reader, etc....
I've never understood the fasinationwith external devices. All those extra cables, very untidy, Ugh!
In reply to Lostmarble:
Thanks very much for the info.
Cheers! |
sa110
26/6/05 4:45PM |
The specification on the pages linked in the article, do say it can come with upto 256Mb RAM. |
sa110
26/6/05 4:50PM |
It really is dissapointing to find you cannot upgrade the memory in it. Allthough the prospect of a combined processor and memory upgrade option is certainly favourable. |
sa110
26/6/05 4:51PM |
But still at least I can upgrade my hdd at a later stage. 60Gb 7200 rpm drive weighs in at about £105 from Misco. |
fwibbler
26/6/05 11:27PM |
In reply to sa110:
I stand corrected on the memory thing.
Whether the A9home will have a 256MB module as an option I don't know.
I would hope so.
I'm still toying with the idea of getting one.
Cheers! |
lostamarble
27/6/05 8:31AM |
AMS, I suspect you'll find those two 50 pin solder pad areas at the bottom are more likely to be a bus implementation so that the hardware can be tested or added functionality can be 'easily' added by plugging in another card - like the lart+kitchensink board. There does appear to be an internal USB header, so internal USB devices is a very good posibility.
Gee, I had just gotten used to having all my disc drives inside my computer, I guess with this system we should expect to see a return to the good old BBC micro days - cables to the tape deck, cables to the floppy drive, cables to the 2nd processor and any other device you have plugged in, and power supply cables for them too, I just loved a my cluttered desk and miss it sooo much 
If these are developer machines, we should not expect final shipping product to be identical as feedback is collected and fixes/requests are ammended. I don't know if I am too spoiled, but I would not expect a computer manufacturer to produce a computer system (even budget concious A9 design) and not give the user a removable media drive bay so that they can load software into their new toy. Surely the industry isn't going to take a giant leap backwards and expect new users to know what peripherals they need buy with a new computer? We're all going to be so busy telling people not give up on thier new A9, just go out and spend more money and plug something useful into it. The DVD drive in the mac mini makes it bigger, sure, but a whole lot more practical from a users perspective - I can load software patches as soon as I get it and keep it running healthy |
jms
27/6/05 9:22AM |
Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere - but how is the OS stored? In ROM or flash ROM or on disc? Is it user-upgradable? |
JGZimmerle (+1.6)
27/6/05 10:08AM |
Maybe a card reader for MMC, CF, etc. will be built in in the final version...
But even if this won't be the case, software vendors will probably adapt quickly and sell their stuff on USB key-drives.
Also the A9home will probably come with everything you need to connect it to the internet, and most software can be obtained online, anyway. |
em2ac
27/6/05 1:24PM |
Ha .... USB ROM disc for installations..much quicker than CD  and bigger than cd now :P |
HeloWorld
27/6/05 1:25PM |
What is needed is an A9Home Caddy which would be a rack mount to take the A9, PSU, Drieves etc all in one tidy box. The problem is how big to make it? Too small and it will have to come in slices ;-( too big and you might as well adapt a cheap Mini ATX case or even a standard ATX case  |
Jaco
27/6/05 4:25PM |
In reply to HeloWorld:
It wouldn't be a A9Home anymore would it?
I believe there will be other computers in the A9 range that will forfill your needs. Can't find the page again but saw something about a 1U high 19" rack mountable A9. |
AMS
27/6/05 6:37PM |
In reply to lostamarble:
Yes, I took them for IDE but you're right they 50pin rather than 44 (oops!), so your conclusions are not unreasonable.
I'd also agree that it would be a step backwards if the hardware is all "external" to the computer - but then the A9 is not a traditional computer given that it's origin is not a desktop but rather the embedded device market. For the cost concious or people who must squeeze as much of a computer into the smallest possible space it should do nicely, as a desktop it is probably more limited though - but who says that that should be the only paradigm that RISC OS should be aimed at ?
In reply to jms:
The Processor/memory module has NAND Flash RAM (according to the Simtec site) so the OS (or a part of it) is probably stored there.
|
jess
27/6/05 6:40PM |
Being limited to 128 MB isn't too limiting. (I guess anyone wanting to edit huge bitmaps while running !firefox, would probably be better off with an Iyonix, but possibly an update to virtualise might be the answer for this anyway).
The lack of internal removable drives wouldn't be too bad either, I'd just use those on my RPC via the network. (Though the suggestion of an internal card reader is good).
The thing that puts me off it is the lack of a DVI socket. (If it had DVI, then it would provide the two things I'm waiting for on my Iyonix, this and adjustselect)
This makes it highly unlikely that I will replace my Iyonix with it, (thers's still a very slight chance I might buy one anyway,) If it had DVI, I think it unlikely I would be able to resist buying one at that price. |
HeloWorld
27/6/05 6:58PM |
In reply to Jaco:
My comments were meant to be somewhat sligtly light hearted. There were comments about the case not being big enough to house all sorts of drives and whilst the idea of an overall case would have some merit it is also probably a cost non-starter. (the mangling of to ;-( did not help after my reference to 'slices' as in RPC. If someone wants to use an A9 but in a single case then a cheap (10 ukp) PC box to hide it in would be the obvious route. really ment this time. |
blahsnr
27/6/05 7:02PM |
Nice article. Amazing what you can do with microchips huh?
I can't help looking back to the launch of the Iyonix and remember all the comments about its alleged 'lack' of upgradability......
Still as long as everyone is happy that's all that matters! |
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Photographs of the inside of an 
