PHENIX Motorola MC68040-66 or MC68060-120 CPU 33 Mhz, 32 bits (data and address) PCI bus Interlaced 64 bits RAM (ext. up to 128 Mb, with 32 bits SIMM) 64 Kb Flash EPROM, integrating the new OS (Dolmen) kernel, allowing fast software updates Backward compatibility with the TOS's AES Motorola 56302 (code compatible with 56001), 66 Mhz (-> 66 MIPS) with 6 DMA 32 bits channels 26 pins DSP interface (Falcon compatible) for Audio-numeric interfaces Internal slot for a second 56302 DSP IOP 683xx, controlling 4 serial ports, 1 parallel port, and integrating 2 independent DMA 32 bits channels (max transfer rate : 44 Mb/s) Fast SCSI 2 Wide (16 bits) controller, 32 bits DMA (max transfer rate : 20 Mb/s) Hi-fi speech synthetizer 3 32 bits PCI slots PCI Video board. 2 types, fit with 2 Mb Video RAM : Matrox Mystique (1280 x 1024, 16M colours) -> large public Matrox Millennium (1600 x 1200, 16M colours) -> professionals 2 slots for Audio/MIDI boards. 2 types : 16 bits, 2 in / 4 out with Surround CODEC (Falcon compatible) -> large public 24 bits, 8 in / 8 out + S/PDIF -> professionals 2 040/060 Direct Processor slots, for future extensions (PC emulation board, RAM board, diagnostic board...) Standard PC 105 keys keyboard Standard 3 buttons PC mouse (9600 bps) Tower / Desktop case Nice, isn't it ? This machine is like a Falcon, but without all the bottlenecks which were slowing down everything in it. Even the faster chip of the Falcon (DSP) is literally a snail, compared with the Phenix's one... Falcon 030 Phenix Notes 16 bits bus 32 bits bus 2 times wider. 16 Mhz bus 33 Mhz bus 2 times faster. 16 Mhz 030 66 Mhz 040 At least 4 times faster 32 Mhz 56001 66 Mhz 56302 At least 4 times faster 2 cycle > 1 inst. 1 cycle > 1 inst. Non-DMA DSP DMA DSP The CPU is not forced anymore to feed up the DSP through the Host port, as it can access the RAM alone, to load its data and code... Video access DMA video access The RAM is more available for made on the made by the gfx useful tasks... ST-RAM board. No 3D-dedicated Matrox Mystique Mapping, gouraud shading, hardware Matrox Millennium z-buffering3D in 640 x 480 x 65K colours at 30 fps rate... Shortly : the faster CPU won't have t worry about feeding the faster 56001 compatible DSP, which will use its brand new DMA capabilities to transfer data and code from/toward the faster RAM... The DMA channels of the 56302 are making it really usable for 'serious applications', like raytracing, as the 56001 RAM was too slow to contain this kind of application's large routines. The 683xx controller can also be used as a super 32 bits DMA Blitter... Now, the Operating System : Dolmen ! Currently under development, it is a new multitasking OS, which will be stored on the computer's hard-disk. The great advantage of this : it can (and will !) be updated easily and on a regular basis. You won't have to load hundreds of patches at the boot to fix bugs of the in-ROM OS... The reason why Centek's developers wanted to develop another OS from scratch is that they wanted it to be perfectly designed for the machine, not simply adapted, like the modified TOS on the Hades, or MagiC!, which is really unstable... Some details : - full assembly coded ! -> faster than light ! - 'pre-emptive' multi-task - general memory protection with efficient error 'repairing'... - Centekż Control Panel, with unlimited easy-to-create forms (size and number) - AES compatibility - Ultra-ergonomic desktop, with integrated features for fast file copy, hypertext editor (for applications in-line documentation), visual control of system parameters... - A lot of memory available for applications (Centek hope the system kernel to fit into a 64Kb EPROM) - External drivers based system (for graphic boards, and so on...) - a 'Resume' feature, allowing the user to save the context. On next boot, he will be back in this context within seconds... I'm not sure, but this option will perhaps be usable for games and demos, so that it automatically saves the context before loading, and it can then do everything it wants with all the memory free, though being able to come back to the desktop properly... :) - A lot of other features... Moreover, the developers are very open minded to suggestions about what shall be Dolmen so, if you have ideas you'd like to communicate, they'll be happy to take note of it, and to implement it, if they find it interesting. I often speak with them, and they really seem to be competent... This is for the future... Now about the present, Centek has already designed some products for Atari computers : - CENTurbo I (Evolution II) : 25 Mhz CPU and bus (faster than a 40 Mhz CPU + 20 Mhz bus) 50 Mhz DSP, FPU and Videl Hardware switch Simple installation (13 cables to solder) Resolution extension software : CentScreen allows resolutions as 896 x 672 x 16, 66 Hz, or 1024 x 768 x 16, 99 Hz (interlaced). It also includes a virtual screen, a Energy-Star compatible screen saver, and a mouse accelerator, all of this functioning under Cubase Audio :) CentVidel allows the user to create his own custom resolutions set. Price : 890 french Francs (~90 UK pounds) 600 french Francs (~60 UK pounds) for developers - CENTurbo II (not finished) : Same as the CENTurbo I plus... 32 bits 75 Mhz 030 CPU 32 bits 75 Mhz FPU A SIMM slot allows TT-RAM, accessed 80% faster than on a TT The bus slot is reported for your extension boards, and enhanced to 32 bits (data, address and signal, documentation available for developers !) Able to drive 2 ISA slots, you can now connect ISA boards (NE2000 Ethernet and ET4000graphic boards) to your Falcon (software drivers included). Flash EPROM slot for the kernel pf the new Dolmen Operating System. On boot, you'll be able to choose between TOS or Dolmen Price : 2290 Ff (~230 UK pounds) +4 Mb : + 200 Ff (~20 UKp) + 16 Mb : + 800 Ff (~80 UKp) ISA adaptator : + 390 Ff (~40 UKp) ET4000 board : + 400 Ff (~40 UKp) NE2000 board : + 400 Ff (~40 UKp) Special prices for developers ! As you can see, Centek is a very active company ! Knowing them, I know they really want to break with the Atari misbehaviour : they really want to support developers in their projects, sending them every documentation about the machine, and so on... Centek likes developers, and they want them to like Centek ! As Centek is looking for motivated people, to distribute their products in foreign countries, to make current software compatible with the Phenix, and of course to design new software using all the technical capacities of the machine, we'd like you to give us feedback about what you think of the Phenix Project. If you're interested in distributing the machine in your country, tell us ! If you're a developer with a solid project you'd like to run on the Phenix, tell us ! If you have interesting addresses for the project, tell us ! If you have questions, ask us !! Centek LOSSOUARN Yann 28, rue des Sorbiers Kernanvez 60290 LAIGNEVILLE 29270 PLOUNEVEZEL FRANCE FRANCE Tel / Fax : 03 44 71 55 04 Tel : 02 98 93 11 71 If you want to use email to answer, just use the following : yann.lossouarn@uhb.fr Don't be surprised if you don't receive an answer immediatly, as I don't check my mail every week... If using email : perhaps there will be a Centek / Phenix mailing list, in a near future. If you're interested in being automatically informed when (if) creating the list, please tell us, as this will sure be the easiest and fastest way to get information about the project... Now, I've got to leave you, hoping you'll be interested in the Phenix Project... :)