AmigaOne

AmigaOne is the name of a computer platform/motherboard based on PowerPC architecture and running AmigaOS version 4.0 (created by Hyperion Entertainment, Belgium).

Today, most motherboards in the market are based on x86 architecture (Intel, AMD, or VIA Central Processing Unit/CPU).

This motherboard is based on Articia nortbridge chipsets designed by MAI Logic Inc, a fabless Taiwanese-American integrated circuit (IC) company.

The trademark name AmigaOne is used with agreement of Amiga, Inc. by U.K. computer vendor Eyetech Group Ltd, exclusively for the purpose of selling various hardware for running AmigaOS 4.

Originally, AmigaOne was the name of a project for new Amiga hardware, managed by Eyetech and designed by the German company Escena GmbH. The AmigaOne motherboard was to be available in two models, the AmigaOne-1200 and the AmigaOne-4000. It was to have connectors for an optionally attached Amiga A1200 or an A4000 respectively, in order to utilise the old custom chips of an Amiga. This AmigaOne project was cancelled in 2001, mostly due to the inability to find or design a suitable northbridge chip.

Once the Escena design was consigned to the scrapheap, Eyetech looked around for an alternative route. The result was that they in 2002 decided to use the Teron CX PowerPC evaluation motherboard for the AmigaOne SE. Later, the AmigaOne XE was based on the Teron PX motherboard, followed by the Micro-A1 (also known as µ-A1), based on the Teron Mini. The Teron is based on IBM's PowerPC Open Platform specification, and uses the U-Boot firmware.

The main difference between the ATX-format AmigaOne SE and XE was that the AmigaOne SE had a soldered-on 600 MHz PowerPC 750FX processor, whereas the AmigaOne XE used a CPU board attached to a MegArray connector on the motherboard. This MegArray connector, whilst physically compatible, is not electrically compatible with those on Apple Computer's Power Mac G4. There were G3 and G4 options with a maximum clock frequency of 800 MHz and 933MHz. The G4 module uses a Freescale 7455 does not have any level 3 cache. The G4 CPU runs hotter and requires a better heatsink than that supplied on some machines. Consequently, the G4 is often underclocked to run at 800 MHz. The latest Teron motherboard used by Eyetech was the Teron Mini, series of motherboards, which were somewhat similar to the Teron PX but made in a Mini-ITX formfactor and with some additions, such as onboard graphics, and a better 750GX CPU. The Micro-A1 was to be offered in two configurations, under the Micro-A1 I (Industrial) and Micro-A1 C (Consumer) labels. Only the C configuration was produced.

From April 2004, these boards were shipped with a "developer prerelease" version of AmigaOS 4, which does not have all the features proposed for the full version.

Models and variants

Model name	Mai Logic evaluation board developed from	Timescale	RAM (base)	OS Version	Additional Information
AmigaOne SE	Teron CX	2002 - 2004	Varies	(pre)4.0	ATX format motherboard
AmigaOne XE	Teron PX	2003 - 2004	Varies	(pre)4.0	ATX format motherboard
Micro-A1 - C	Teron Mini	2004 - 2005	256 MB	(pre)4.0	Mini-ITX format motherboard
Micro-A1 - I	Teron Mini	never produced	256 MB	(pre)4.0	Mini-ITX format motherboard

Operating Systems

• Linux for PowerPC
• AmigaOS version 4.0.

Current Status

MAI Logic Inc. went bankrupt and hence the supply of a major part for the Eyetech A1s dried up. Eyetech Group Ltd stopped the production of the MicroA1 for reasons unknown, and have recently sold all of their remaining "classic" Amiga stock to AmigaKit.

There is a shortage of AmigaOne boards on the market - those selling hardware often soon regret it! The AmigaOne motherboard is no longer manufactured, though replacement hardware such as the Troika Amy, Troika Panda, Samanatha board and ACK Controls projects are ongoing.

For other consumer PowerPC hardware, see also

• Apple Power Macintosh.
• Be BeBox.
• Culturecom E-Book, POS.
• Genesi Pegasos.
• Project BlackDog.
• Soft3 Samantha.
• TotalImpact briQ.
• YARC Hydra PowerPC RIP processor.

External links

• Eyetech Group, Ltd.
• Amiga, Inc.
• Mai Logic
• Hyperion Entertainment
• www.amigaworld.net - Fan-site with an AmigaOne support forum
• AmigaOne model comparison table
• AmigaInfo.
• AmigaOne weblog, French blog about AmigaOne and Amiga OS4
• Official AmigaOS 4 homepage - from Hyperion Entertainment.
• Power.Org
• Ars Technica review of AmigaOne.
• User Review of AmigaOne.
• AmigaOne Linux Kernel.
• Discussion group about AmigaOne.

References

• Intuition Base - Darren Glenn and cos site all about AmigaOS 4, and the release Eytech AmigaOne boards - includes replacement micro-A1 manual and photographic evidence of the hardware.
• Micro Mart - Weekly computer magazine published in the UK and available on newstands across Britain - has a weekly Amiga page (and has done for over 6 years). Writer, Sven Harvey chronicles the rise and fall of the A1 and following PowerPC motherboards for AmigaOS 4.
• The Register - An article about the AmigaOne.
• Eyetech - Archived page containing AmigaOne update and information on the AmigaOne partnership between Eyetech, Hyperion Entertainment and Amiga Inc.
• Micromart - An archived article from Sven Harvey detailing the release of the AmigaOne G3-SE and commenting on the AmigaOne-1200 that was previously announced but never materialised.
• Amiga Inc - Bill McEwen provides a status update and announcement of the AmigaOne and AmigaOS4