Since release of VampireFlash tool found in SAGA drivers package FlashROM executables are not build or maintained anymore because with VampireFlash you can directly flash .JIC files.
See Installing new Cores using VampireFlash tool for more information.
How to flash the Vampire using a FlashROM executable
1. Keep a copy of the previous working Core.
Having a copy will be useful in case of severe bugs in new release.
2. Download one of the FlashROM executables suitable for your Vampire V2 Accelerator card from HERE.
Unpack .LHA archive.
Please read .TXT files provided in each .LHA archive.
3. Run the FlashROM executable from an AmigaOS 3.x Shell (newcli).
4. Confirm the operation by typing 'YES' (in CAPS) and pressing 'RETURN'.
5. Wait until flashing is finished.
NEVER switch off the computer during a flash operation.
Do NOT use your operating system during a flash operation.
6.Power OFF your Amiga / Vampire, disconnect the USB-Blaster, and wait at least 10 seconds. Make sure that all devices that have their own power connection, such as Digital Video and Ethernet cables, are also disconnected during this time, to prevent power backfeed into the Vampire.
Vampire V2 MENU: Installing new Cores using Quartus II Programmer
Installing new Cores using Quartus II Programmer
To upgrade Cores, use the Quartus II Programmer application for Windows or Linux, and a USB-Blaster connected to the Vampire JTAG header.
End-users can use this method, or, alternatively, use dedicated FlashROM executables that run directly on AmigaOS 3.x. The Quartus method is the only one able to flash bricked cards.
Where to buy USB-Blaster
The official product page for the ALTERA USB-Blaster device is HERE. The device looks like this:
USB-Blaster
This device can be found easily in many Online Shops. Estimated price is between 4USD and 15USD. Just ensure it is compatible with ALTERA Cyclone III FPGAs, and provided with:
1. The USB-Blaster device itself
2. The JTAG cable.
3. The Mini-USB to USB cable.
For example, search this item on eBay, Amazon or AliExpress:
POWER OFF your Amiga / Vampire, and also DISCONNECT all devices that have their own power connection, such as Digital Video and Ethernet cables, to prevent power backfeed into the Vampire. NEVER connect or disconnect the USB-Blaster while your Amiga / Vampire is powered on!
Below is the full connection chain to use:
(1) PC ⇒ (2) USB to Mini-USB cable ⇒ (3) USB-Blaster device ⇒ (4) JTAG cable ⇒ (5) Vampire JTAG header
Afterwards, if your PC is turned on, the 'POWER' LED on the USB-Blaster should be 'red'.
Example connection if you have a Vampire accelerator connected to Amiga
Make sure that the JTAG cable is inserted into the correct header on the Vampire, and with the correct orientation. The red stripe that is on one side of the JTAG cable must be aligned with Pin 1 of the JTAG header.
How to install Quartus II Programmer
Linux users can simply use this Docker image, which already has Quartus II Programmer and its dependencies set up properly.
You do NOT need the FULL Quartus application. Avoid the >1GB setup!
What you need is called exactly Quartus II Programmer and SignalTap II. It is about 200MB. You can find it under “Additional Software”→“Stand-Alone Software” after selecting release 13.1.
There are many different versions for Windows and Linux. Version 13.1 is known to be working properly with Cyclone III devices used on Vampire V2 accelerators. (Tested OK on Windows 7, 10 and CentOS 6.)
If you are not sure what program or version you need and how to find them on Altera/Intel website please use Download section from this website found HERE.
2. Install the program on your computer.
If you are on Linux, you need to install the Linux desktop environment first.
On RHEL 6/CentOS 6, this can be done with yum groupinstall "Desktop" "Desktop Platform" "X Window System" "Fonts".
If you are on a 64-bit Linux, you need to install 32-bit libraries.
On RHEL 6/CentOS 6, this can be done with yum install gnome-desktop.i686.
On some Linux distributions, you might need to install old versions of some libraries, like libpng12.
3. You might need to install the USB driver for the USB-Blaster by hand.
On Windows, open the Device Manager and ensure that the USB driver for USB-Blaster is correctly installed. If it is NOT correctly installed, then select the .INF driver information file from the Quartus setup archive.
Correctly installed USB-Blaster driver shown in Windows Device Manager
How to flash the Vampire from Quartus II Programmer
1. Keep a copy of the previous working Core.
Having a copy will be useful in case of severe bugs in new release.
2. Download .JIC core suitable for your Vampire V2 Accelerator card from HERE.
Unpack .ZIP archive to get .JIC file.
Please read .TXT files provided in each .ZIP archive.
3. Follow the instructions above to connect the USB-Blaster.
4. Open Quartus II Programmer.
5. Click the 'Hardware Setup' button.
6. Select the USB-Blaster item in the hardware device list.
7. Click 'Add file' and select a .JIC file to flash onto the Vampire board.
NEVER USE a .JIC file that is not dedicated to your hardware. It might DESTROY your FPGA.
For example, do NOT flash a Core dedicated to Vampire 600 V2 on a Vampire 600 V1 or a Vampire 500 V2+.
8. Check the 'Program/Configure' and 'Verify' options. See picture below.
9. FYI, by selecting the Erase checkbox, the Vampire FPGA would be emptied.
If you have a Vampire accelerator board connected to a Amiga 600, 1200, erasing the FPGA will cause the Amiga to boot on its built-in CPU. Since original CPU has to be removed on Amiga 500,1000,2000 for Vampire V2 accelerator use system won't start at all until new core is loaded.
10. Power ON your Amiga / Vampire.
11. Click the 'Start' button.
Your Amiga will freeze or reboot on its built-in CPU during this process.
12. Wait until flashing is finished, with '100% (Successful)'. It takes about 1 or 2 minutes.
NEVER switch off the computer during a flash operation.
Do NOT use your operating system during a flash operation.
13. Power OFF your Amiga / Vampire, disconnect the USB-Blaster, and wait at least 10 seconds. Make sure that all devices that have their own power connection, such as Digital Video and Ethernet cables, are also disconnected during this time, to prevent power backfeed into the Vampire.
This the third method because of the following risk:
WARNING:
VampireFlash tool can brick a weak board! Prefer Method #1 if possible. Currently does not work in ApolloOS.
Earlier versions don't support flashing new cores. Use latest VampireFlash 1.14.
Tool can be used up to Apollo Gold core 2.16.
Target: Amiga 500 rev3, 5, 6a, 8 and Amiga 2000
(connects to the CPU using DIL-64 socket)
Connecting to a CPU slot adapter on the Amiga 2000 is not officially supported.
Designer: Majsta
Manufacturer: Majsta and Kipper2K
Release Date: 2016
Specifications
FPGA: Altera Cyclone III - EP3C40F484C8N
CPU: Apollo 68080 Core
Equivalent to 1000MHz 68030 / 500MHz 68040 / 250MHz 68060
Memory: 128 MB FastRAM
Chipset: SAGA Core
Video:
Modes up to 800Ă—600@60Hz, 1600Ă—900@24Hz
Color depths of 8, 15/16, 24, 32 bits per pixel
Hardware-accelerated video playback
Internal Ports:
44-pin Fast IDE Interface
Up to 14 MB/s data transfer speed
JTAG Socket
Ethernet Module Connector
On Revisions before 2.2, a different I/O Expansion Socket was included instead of this connector.
External Ports:
Digital Video Out
MicroSD Card
Board revisions
Rev:2.3
Global design improvements.
Rev:2.2
I/O Expansion Socket replaced with Ethernet Module Connector.
Added bottom GND layer, introduced via stitching and teardrops, added fiducials and PCB panelization.
Added top GND layer.
Implemented Power fix.
Implemented Digital Video Out fix.
Rev:2.1
Added strip bars on 2 sides with fiducials for professional PCBA.
Implemented Power quick-fix.
Implemented Digital Video Out quick-fix.
Rev:2
Added I/O Expansion Socket, new logo.
For detail description of Board revisions please read this article.
This tutorial covers Arananet SDNET Adapter Ethernet module who could be used on all Vampire V2 accelerator cards over MicroSD slot. It is very good and cheap alternative to other solutions and could get your Amiga online in matter of minutes. This adapter is practical example of ingenuity of Amiga users and developers who will always find a way to make something work on our precious machines. In my wandering what would be best solution to Vampire accelerators regarding Expansion sockets implementation of female socket on Vampire 500 V2+ Rev:2 and Rev 2.1 was not so good choice. Community replied with this solution. Later on, better and more compatible sockets were used on Vampire 500 V2 Rev: 2.2 and 2.3 and on all Vampire 1200 V2 models. But, nevertheless this project deserve proper coverage on following pages simply because it is brilliant hack used by many people.
Connect female to female DuPont jumper wires between the SDNet adapter and the ENC28J60 module following schematics and pinout shown below. Just connect pins INT, SI, SO ,SCK, VCC, GND from the adapter to the ENC28j60 3.3V module.
Arananet SDNET Adapter pinout
End result should look like this
It is known that many variations of ENC28J60 modules exists and lot of people has them and use for other purposes. Not all of them has same pinout like shown above but just following simple logic and connecting pin by pin following their names and purpose can give you solution. So if you already have module who is similar to what we presented here try to give it new life with your Amiga.
Arananet SDNET Adapter alternative pinout
Step 2.
After connecting all the wires, plug the SDNET adapter into the MicroSD slot of Vampire V2 accelerator and plug an LAN cable into the ENC28J60 module. Make sure that a LAN cable is connected to an active Ethernet port (Switch, Router, …)
Arananet SDNET Adapter plugged in in to Vampire V2 MicroSD slot
Step 3.
Having networking enabled all the time can lead to some troubles with other software (e.g. Whdload) so we usually don't want it to start automatically on startup.
Edit S:startup-sequence file and comment these lines that should be near the end (put the semicolon at the beginning of each line):
Download sdnet.devices and copy it into your CF card (you can use WinUAE to do that)
Extract contents of that file (suggestion: use Dopus).
Step 5.
Go to System:Storage/NetInterfaces drawer and copy the following files into DEVS:NetInterfaces drawer:
SDNet
SDNet.info
Step 6.
Make sure you have the sdnet.device file in drawer DEVS:Networks.
Step 7.
Reboot your Amiga
Step 8.
To test SDNET open a CLI window and execute the sdnettest binary
Step 9.
Enable network by starting Roadshow
Open a CLI window and execute the following command:
addnetinterface sdnet
Or simply double click on the SDNet icon inside DEVS:NetInterfaces drawer.
Step 10.
To shutdown Roadshow/disable network.
netshutdown
ShK presents Arananet SDNET Adapter
Additional information
This tutorial is build by Tiago Epifânio and published under CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Parts of the tutorial including several pictures are taken from original author of SDNET Adapter found at www.arananet.net. Tutorial is slightly modified by Majsta to make it up to date.
Big thanks goes to Bax who made this possible. The full distribution of SDNet & V2Expeth published under GPL license can be obtained HERE. In that repository, you can find the drivers, documentation and test programs. Source code included.
For tutorial based on Ethernet module supported on Vampire 500 V2+ Rev:2.2;2.3 and Vampire 1200 V2 go HERE.
Only RTG screen modes are output from this interface. Screen modes that use the classic Amiga chipset are still output from the legacy video outputs of the Amiga.
Resolution and refresh rate
You can create RTG screen modes from 320×200@200Hz ​up to 1600×900@25Hz. (Up to 1920×1080@28Hz might be possible in some overclocked boards.)
As the resolution increases, the maximum possible refresh rate decreases.
The Vampire is able to achieve a refresh rate of 60Hz for all resolutions up to and including 1280Ă—720. Resolutions higher than that will reduce the maximum refresh rate to below 50Hz. For example:
1600×900: ≤40Hz
1920×1080: ≤28Hz
The Vampire outputs screen modes without any upscaling. It applies pixel doubling to low-resolution modes, as appropriate, to increase them to a resolution allowed by Digital Video. This also ensures the correct aspect ratio.
For the best experience, you should use a monitor or TV that natively supports all the resolutions and refresh rates that you will use. Monitors or TVs that support “variable refresh rate” or “adaptive sync” usually work best.
If you are stuck with a monitor or TV that does not (adequately) support the resolutions and refresh rates that you will use, you can connect an “HD video converter” to adjust the signal from the Vampire as desired. For example, you can easily find converters that upscale the video signal to exactly 1920×1080@60Hz. (Some purchase options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Audio
Audio is still output from the legacy audio outputs of the Amiga. If you want this audio to be fed into the Digital Video In of your monitor or TV, you can connect an “audio embedder/inserter”. (Some purchase options: 1, 2)
DVI
You can connect a DVI monitor to this interface, using an adapter that converts Digital Video to DVI.
To access Amiga 600 MC68000 CPU you will have to disassemble your Amiga. It is very important to clean Amiga CPU before inserting accelerator card. For this you can use ear sticks and WD-40 contact cleaner or similar. If you don't know how to do this please ask for a help from professional.
Target: Amiga 600
(connects to the CPU using PLCC-68 socket)
Designer: Majsta
Manufacturer: Majsta and Kipper2K
Release Date: Christmas 2015
Specifications
FPGA: Altera Cyclone III - EP3C40F484C8N
CPU: Apollo 68080 Core
Equivalent to 1000MHz 68030 / 500MHz 68040 / 250MHz 68060
Memory: 128 MB FastRAM
Chipset: SAGA Core
Video:
Modes up to 800Ă—600@60Hz, 1600Ă—900@24Hz
Color depths of 8, 15/16, 24, 32 bits per pixel
Hardware-accelerated video playback
Internal Ports:
JTAG Socket
External Ports:
Digital Video Out
MicroSD Card
Vampire 600 V2 with GOLD2.17 BRONTO core performance according to SysInfo
ApolloControl and Bustest on Vampire 600 V2
Vampire 600 V2 memory info
Amiga 600 IDE performance according to SysInfo
Board revisions
Rev:2.2
Added top GND layer.
Rev:2.1
Added bottom GND layer, introduced via stitching and teardrops, added fiducials and PCB panelization.
Implemented Power fix.
Implemented Digital Video Out fix.
Rev:2
First version of the card with 2 SDRAM chips.
For detail description of Board revisions please read this article.
Most MicroSD and MicroSDHC cards should work fine.
Supports speeds up to Speed Class 10.
If you want to use your MicroSD card on a different device which only has a standard-size SD slot, you can use a simple MicroSD-to-SD adapter. (Some purchase options: 1, 2)
If you want to use a standard-size SD card in the MicroSD slot of the Vampire, you can use an SD-to-MicroSD adapter. Some of these adapters even come with an extension cable. (Some purchase options: 1, 2)
Note: Some adapters do not have an angled edge at the bottom front of the MicroSD end, so they do not slide smoothly into place. Be very careful when inserting such adapters into the MicroSD slot, because a careless push might bend or break the pins in this slot.
You can also use the Arananet SDNET Adapter in this slot to connect an Ethernet module to the Vampire. (This adapter also contains an SD-to-MicroSD adapter, so you will still retain the functionality of using SD cards in this slot, during times when the Ethernet module is not used.)
For support for this adapter please see the documentation provided by the manufacturer or use tutorial provided HERE.
Vampire 600 V2 MicroSD card performance according to SysInfo
Only RTG screen modes are output from this interface. Screen modes that use the classic Amiga chipset are still output from the legacy video outputs of the Amiga.
Resolution and refresh rate
You can create RTG screen modes from 320Ă—200@200Hz up to 1920Ă—1080@28Hz.
As the resolution increases, the maximum possible refresh rate decreases.
The Vampire is able to achieve a refresh rate of 60Hz for all resolutions up to and including 1280Ă—720. Resolutions higher than that will reduce the maximum refresh rate to below 50Hz. For example:
1600×900: ≤40Hz
1920×1080: ≤28Hz
The Vampire outputs screen modes without any upscaling. It applies pixel doubling to low-resolution modes, as appropriate, to increase them to a resolution allowed by Digital Video. This also ensures the correct aspect ratio.
For the best experience, you should use a monitor or TV that natively supports all the resolutions and refresh rates that you will use. Monitors or TVs that support “variable refresh rate” or “adaptive sync” usually work best.
If you are stuck with a monitor or TV that does not (adequately) support the resolutions and refresh rates that you will use, you can connect an “HD video converter” to adjust the signal from the Vampire as desired. For example, you can easily find converters that upscale the video signal to exactly 1920×1080@60Hz. (Some purchase options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Audio
Audio is still output from the legacy audio outputs of the Amiga. If you want this audio to be fed into the Digital Video In of your monitor or TV, you can connect an “audio embedder/inserter”. (Some purchase options: 1, 2)
DVI
You can connect a DVI monitor to this interface, using an adapter that converts Digital Video to DVI.
JTAG stands for Joint Test Action Group and it is standard for verification and testings PCB after manufacture. Over the years become widely used within FPGA devices.
To simplify explanation how this works it is enough to said that with FPGA using JTAG you can actually see how specific FPGA I/O pin "see" signal or combination of multiple signals on PCB traces. I must also say that JTAG is also very dangerous tool who could give you lot of info about specific circuit which drives to cloning if system is not protected by other mechanisms.
In our case with Vampire accelerators JTAG gave big advantage over the others because suddenly we had device who could be final product and same time debugging device. This is something that saved us lot of money and time because it completely excluded need for expensive Logic Analyzers. We could actually see what's going on in Amiga, we could trigger specific event under determined conditions and in real time see what is going on. We could recreate that event with code, modify it, improve it or completely override it by other.
For me personally using JTAG created some kind of excitement and joy that is beyond explanation. Using it I felt that it I m truly entering Amiga world and often I trigger some specific Address on Amiga bus and watch how Amiga suddenly become alive, ticking, how chips communicate to each others. How they ask each others for permission to do something. Oh damn! Best definition for JTAG on Amiga, "pure P000RN!". I had to say it!
Vampire 1200 V2 debugging using Altera Quartus 13.1 SignalTap II LogicAnalyzer
Running roto demo using JTAG Debug server tcl script
To this expansion socket you can connect ENC28J60 SPI module.
All pins are 3.3V only. Do NOT connect 5V signals without proper level shifting.
Get an ENC28J60 Module (make sure it's 3.3V!) like this one or one of these ones.
Get a flat ribbon cable (female-to-female) like this one.
Same ribbon cable is used with USB blaster on JTAG expansion connector so if you already have USB blaster or plan to get one you can use that ribbon cable for this purpose too.
You can also use female to female DuPont jumper wires following pinout shown below. You can order them for example from here.
ENC28J60 3.3V Module
Flat female to female ribbon cable 2x5 pins, pitch 2.54mm
ENC28J60 module connected to Vampire 1200 V2. Note the RED wire!.
Notice: What you see below is actually a 3.3V module that is mislabeled, so it can still be connected to the Ethernet Module Connector. Note that it has 12 pins instead of 10. You will not be able to use a flat ribbon cable. You will need to get some Dupont jumper wires (female-to-female) like these ones.And then you will need to use the pinout below to make the connection:
Note: Less commonly used configuration options are outlined in the README file that comes with the SDNet & V2Expeth distribution.
Step 3.
Please consult the manual of your chosen TCP/IP stack for how to add an Ethernet interface.(Miami DX, Roadshow,...)
Step 4.
Health check
Please make sure that the TCP/IP stack is inactive/offline before conducting the test.
Please make sure that a LAN cable is connected from the Vampire to an active Ethernet port (Switch, Router, …).
Step 5.
Testing the ENC28J60 Module and driver
Open a CLI/Shell window and call v2expethtest without further arguments.
The tool will first verify that communication to the module is possible via SPI and then test available speeds. Please note that the speed index 0 is expected to fail. That is normal. Depending on the installed Core speed you may or may not be able to run speed index 1 successfully (speed 1 should work on Core x11, may fail on Core x12 and above).
After the memory transfer test, the tool will send out valid DHCP requests. You should see at least one of the LEDs blink periodically. Typical home networks have a DHCP server running. In that case it should answer the requests.
The tool quits automatically after about 1 minute and prints out a conclusion to the performed tests.
Example of V2expethtest output
v2expeth.device according to AmiSpeedTest with MiamiDX TCP/IP stack
Additional information
Big thanks goes to Bax who made this possible. The full distribution of SDNet & V2Expeth published under GPL license can be obtained HERE. In that repository, you can find the drivers, documentation and test programs. Source code included.
For tutorial based on Arananet SDNET Adapter supported on all Vampire V2 accelerator cards go HERE.
Also known as case connector or chassis connector.
Provides HDD LED, PWR LED and RESET SWITCH for the Amiga 1200 in tower or desktop cases.
For connecting LED or SWITCH you can use front panel connectors already found in tower cases or use female Dupont jumper wires. You can order them from here. As usual RED wire indicates + and BLACK -.
RESET SWITCH is connected to Amiga KB_RESET signal found on Amiga 1200 motherboard. Connecting that signal briefly to GND activates logic found in Gayle chip who resets entire system.
PWRLED is simple connection to 3.3V over resistor on pin 4 and GND plane on pin 3.
HDD LED pin 5 is tied to pin 39 of IDE connector who is negative trigger and pin 6 is connected to +5V over resistor.
Vampire 1200 V2 F-panel pinout and schematics
Vampire 1200 V2 F-panel example of usage
Vampire 1200 V2 F-panel practical example
There are several more adapters who could be compatible with Vampire 1200 V2 accelerator F-panel. One of them is HDD LED module for Amiga 1200. However there is no guarantee or support from my side for this or similar adapters.
The board supplies a voltage of 5V through this interface.
The supplied voltage is not sufficient for devices that require more than 5V. Those would typically be 3.5-inch hard disks and desktop CD/DVD drives (either SATA or 40-pin IDE), which require 12V. If you need to use such a device with the Vampire, then, not only do you need to find an appropriate adapter, but you also need to feed extra power into the device from an outside power source. In such a situation, setting up the necessary connections can be dangerous if done incorrectly, so we do not recommend attempting it. If you really must, then we recommend the help of a professional.
Even though most laptop CD/DVD drives require only 5V and don't need an outside power source to supply any extra voltage, they still consume a lot of power. It's common to see these drives draw 4A of current. If you want to connect such a drive to the Vampire, then, in order to avoid a power deficiency, you would want to make sure that your computer's power adapter is able to output more than 4A. However, there is still a risk of electrical problems, because Vampire boards are not designed to handle such high levels of current (like 4A) going through them. Therefore, we do not recommend connecting CD/DVD drives to the Vampire. If you really must, then please find a CD/DVD drive with the lowest possible power consumption, and do not connect any other peripherals that could consume a lot of power. Or you might choose to feed power into the drive from an outside power source, but we recommend the help of a professional in this case.
This interface supports “Fast IDE”, with PIO modes from 0 (slowest) to 6 (fastest).
Most storage devices are certified to support up to PIO mode 4, but many CF cards are certified to support up to PIO modes 5 and 6. Therefore, fast CF cards enable the maximum possible speed on this interface.
If you can't use a CF card, you might still be able to reach PIO modes 5 and 6 using another type of fast storage device, in case it unofficially supports those modes as a side effect of its high DMA speed.
If you attach multiple devices to a single IDE cable, the slowest device will dictate the maximum speed on this interface. For example, if you have a CF card that supports PIO mode 6, its speed would be hampered by a hard disk which only supports PIO mode 4.
When connecting or disconnecting a device on this interface, make sure that the Amiga / Vampire is powered off. Also, disconnect all devices that have their own power connection, such as Digital Video, Ethernet and USB-Blaster cables, to prevent power backfeed into the Vampire.
Be very careful when connecting a device to this interface. If you shift your connector to either side of this interface (meaning that you don't cover all pins), you can cause a short circuit and destroy the Vampire.
Use shortest possible ribbon cable in order to get best performance. It is known that long ribbon cables could cause timing problems and data loss.
Example of CF card to 44-pin IDE adapter
Vampire 1200 V2 IDE performance according to SysInfo
To access Amiga 1200 trapdoor slot you will have to disassemble your Amiga. It is very important to clean Amiga 1200 trapdoor slot before inserting accelerator card. For this you can use ear sticks and WD-40 contact cleaner or similar. If you don't know how to do this please ask for a help from professional.
