Knowledge (XXG)

Amiga Chip RAM

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Early versions of the Amiga 2000B, and the most common "trapdoor memory expanded" configuration of the Amiga 500, contain 512 KiB pseudo-fast RAM ("slow RAM") controlled by Agnus with the same limitations as Chip RAM, yet unusable as such due to register limitations. Numerous budget trapdoor
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The maximum amount of Chip RAM in any model is 2 MiB. The Amiga 4000 motherboard includes a non-functional jumper that anticipated later chips and is labeled for 8 MiB of Chip RAM—regardless of its position, the system only recognizes 2 MiB due to the limitations of the Alice
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processor used in early Amiga systems usually only accesses memory on every second memory cycle, Agnus operates a system where the "odd" clock cycle is allocated to time-critical custom chip access and the "even" cycle is allocated to the CPU: thus, for average DMA demand, the CPU is not typically
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The maximum amount of Chip RAM is dependent on the Agnus/Alice version. The original Agnus chip fitted to the A1000 and early A2000 systems is a 48-pin DIP package able to address 512 KiB of Chip RAM. Subsequent versions of the Agnus are in an 84-pin PLCC package (either socketed or
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Amiga systems can also be expanded with Fast RAM, which is only accessible to the CPU. This improves execution speed, as CPU cycles are never blocked even when the custom chipset is simultaneously accessing Chip RAM. Adding Fast RAM to systems with 32-bit CPUs roughly doubles the
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is increased fourfold compared to the earlier 16-bit design. However, 32-bit access is limited to CPU and graphics DMA and cannot be used for other devices. The ECS-based A3000 also has 32-bit Chip RAM, but access is only 32-bit for CPU operations; the chipset remained 16-bit.
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models) chip. Both the CPU and other members of the chipset have to arbitrate for access to shared RAM via Agnus. This allows the custom chips to perform video, audio, or other DMA operations independently of the CPU. As the
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operations, can use any spare cycles, effectively blocking cycles from the CPU. In such situations CPU cycles are only blocked while accessing shared RAM, but never when accessing Fast (CPU-only) RAM (when present) or ROM.
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systems. The later AGA systems use a 32-bit data bus controlled by the Alice coprocessor (replacing Agnus) and 32-bit RAM. The memory clock runs at double the rate on AGA systems. As a result, chipset RAM
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expansion RAM, 32-bit motherboard RAM, and 32-bit CPU card RAM simultaneously (in increasing speed order). Automatically configured RAM is prioritized by the system, so the fastest memory is used first.
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blocked from memory access and may run without interruption. However, certain chipset DMA, such as high-resolution graphics with a larger color palette,
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Confusingly, a system may have several different kinds and speeds of Fast RAM. For example, an Amiga 3000 may contain 16-bit
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AGA Chip RAM access is 32-bit for CPU and graphics DMA only; audio, floppy, Copper, and blitter DMA remain 16-bit
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modifications were necessary. Likewise, 2 MB can be installed by fitting an 8372B Agnus and extra memory.
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expansions for the 500 extended this "controllerless" concept to up to 1.8 MB slow RAM (requiring a
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Most stock Amiga systems were equipped with Chip RAM only and shipped with between 256 
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can emulate an Amiga system with the design limit of up to 8 MiB of Chip RAM.
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A3000 Chip RAM is 32-bit for CPU access, 16-bit for chipset access
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Later A500/A2000 systems were equipped with 1 MiB
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(1991). 1: 388:"A4000 Motherboard Jumpers" 923: 274:adapter for addressing). 814:other Amiga custom chips 731:Original Chip Set (OCS) 33:central processing unit 741:Enhanced Chipset (ECS) 281: 261:expansion RAM, 32-bit 886:Amiga video connector 756:Commodore AA+ Chipset 662:Unofficial PPC models 641:Unofficial 68k models 761:Amiga Hombre chipset 49:direct memory access 43:Direct memory access 394:on 23 November 2019 854:3rd Party Hardware 770:Amiga custom chips 894: 893: 373:978-0-201-56776-2 345:978-0-201-57757-0 252:instruction speed 205: 204: 98:Maximum Chip RAM 78:Chip RAM by model 914: 840:Extra Half-Brite 703:Amiga prototypes 518: 502: 495: 488: 479: 474: 469: 468: 467: 451: 450: 448: 446: 436: 430: 429: 427: 425: 416:. Archived from 410: 404: 403: 401: 399: 390:. Archived from 384: 378: 377: 359: 350: 349: 331: 315: 306: 297: 288: 89: 86:and 2 MiB. 922: 921: 917: 916: 915: 913: 912: 911: 897: 896: 895: 890: 881:Amiga Zorro III 849: 835:Hold-And-Modify 818: 765: 719: 698: 657: 636: 612:AmigaOne models 607: 519: 512: 506: 470: 465: 463: 460: 455: 454: 444: 442: 438: 437: 433: 423: 421: 412: 411: 407: 397: 395: 386: 385: 381: 374: 361: 360: 353: 346: 333: 332: 328: 323: 310: 301: 292: 283: 280: 247: 227:surface-mounted 95:Stock Chip RAM 80: 45: 12: 11: 5: 920: 918: 910: 909: 899: 898: 892: 891: 889: 888: 883: 878: 876:Amiga Zorro II 873: 868: 863: 857: 855: 851: 850: 848: 847: 842: 837: 832: 826: 824: 820: 819: 817: 816: 811: 806: 801: 796: 791: 790: 789: 784: 773: 771: 767: 766: 764: 763: 758: 753: 748: 743: 738: 736:Ranger Chipset 733: 727: 725: 724:Amiga chipsets 721: 720: 718: 717: 712: 706: 704: 700: 699: 697: 696: 691: 686: 681: 676: 671: 665: 663: 659: 658: 656: 655: 650: 644: 642: 638: 637: 635: 634: 633:AmigaOne X5000 631: 629:AmigaOne X1000 626: 621: 615: 613: 609: 608: 606: 605: 600: 595: 590: 585: 580: 575: 570: 565: 560: 555: 550: 545: 540: 535: 529: 527: 521: 520: 507: 505: 504: 497: 490: 482: 476: 475: 459: 456: 453: 452: 431: 405: 379: 372: 351: 344: 325: 324: 322: 319: 318: 317: 308: 299: 290: 279: 276: 246: 243: 203: 202: 199: 196: 193: 179: 178: 175: 172: 169: 163: 162: 159: 156: 153: 147:Amiga 500 Plus 143: 142: 139: 136: 133: 119: 118: 115: 112: 109: 103: 102: 99: 96: 93: 79: 76: 44: 41: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 919: 908: 905: 904: 902: 887: 884: 882: 879: 877: 874: 872: 871:Amiga Sidecar 869: 867: 866:Action Replay 864: 862: 861:Flicker fixer 859: 858: 856: 852: 846: 843: 841: 838: 836: 833: 831: 828: 827: 825: 821: 815: 812: 810: 807: 805: 802: 800: 797: 795: 792: 788: 785: 783: 780: 779: 778: 775: 774: 772: 768: 762: 759: 757: 754: 752: 749: 747: 744: 742: 739: 737: 734: 732: 729: 728: 726: 722: 716: 713: 711: 708: 707: 705: 701: 695: 694:Sam460ex Lite 692: 690: 687: 685: 684:Sam440ep-flex 682: 680: 677: 675: 672: 670: 667: 666: 664: 660: 654: 651: 649: 646: 645: 643: 639: 632: 630: 627: 625: 622: 620: 617: 616: 614: 610: 604: 601: 599: 596: 594: 591: 589: 586: 584: 581: 579: 576: 574: 571: 569: 566: 564: 561: 559: 556: 554: 551: 549: 546: 544: 541: 539: 536: 534: 531: 530: 528: 526: 522: 516: 510: 503: 498: 496: 491: 489: 484: 483: 480: 473: 462: 457: 441: 435: 432: 420:on 2017-01-05 419: 415: 409: 406: 393: 389: 383: 380: 375: 369: 365: 358: 356: 352: 347: 341: 337: 330: 327: 320: 314: 313: 309: 305: 304: 300: 296: 295: 291: 287: 286: 282: 277: 275: 273: 267: 264: 260: 255: 253: 244: 242: 240: 234: 232: 228: 222: 219: 214: 210: 200: 197: 194: 192: 188: 184: 181: 180: 176: 173: 170: 168: 165: 164: 160: 157: 154: 152: 148: 145: 144: 140: 137: 134: 132: 128: 124: 121: 120: 116: 114:512 KiB 113: 111:256 KiB 110: 108: 105: 104: 100: 97: 94: 91: 90: 87: 85: 77: 75: 72: 68: 63: 58: 54: 50: 42: 40: 38: 34: 30: 26: 22: 18: 829: 799:Denise (OCS) 624:AmigaOne 500 525:Amiga models 472:Amiga portal 443:. 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Index

RAM
Commodore
Amiga
central processing unit
chipset
direct memory access
Agnus
AGA
68000
Copper
blitter
kiB
Amiga 1000
Amiga 500
Amiga 2000
CDTV
Amiga 500 Plus
Amiga 600
Amiga 3000
Amiga 1200
Amiga 4000
Amiga CD32
OCS
ECS
bandwidth
surface-mounted
jumper
UAE
instruction speed
Zorro II

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