11.5.5 First time with my CT2

First time with a CT2

I open my mailbox the real one, you know, the one we used to use when email did not exist yet. Anyway, a package from CENTEK is there. All happy, I really can't wait to open that up. Ahhh the object of all dreams, finally here in front of my eyes. The Centurbo II is very nice looking, very professional, quite big, yet I see that it will fit into the falcon case. A floppy disk is included as well, a nice translucid sticker saying "POWERED BY CENTEK" to put on my tower (nice touch) and a small printed installation documentation.

Time to torture my falcon

I read the doc VERY carefully as I will be the one attempting the installation. (My documentation was in french, but english manuals are available too, specify which language you want your manual in.)

Sounds confusing at first.
Need to read a couple more times. Time to hack. Everything becomes clear and easy as you follow the documentation. Two points weren't very clear, so I had to use my judgment to determine the pin numbers which were not drawn on the documentation. I am sure experienced people will find the installation very easy and simple. Just think about it, we just need to install it, so imagine the guy who created it. Anyway some three hours later, I know I am slow, but I double-checked every steps with a ohmeter and taking my time with the quality of my soldering.

Time to test

Low mode is used to see if at least the falcon in original mode but with CT2 fitted would still work. It works. It makes me confident, switch it off, push the switch into HIGH mode, turn the machine ON, it doesn't work. Hmm switch it off, retest everything, but everything looks correct. Oh maybe one of my old hack I did on my falcon are interfering with the CT2 which the installation was based on a STANDARD falcon, not hacked already. Ok cool, lemme try to put back my old modifications like it used to be when I first got the falcon. Try again, same result. In HIGH mode the computer is up, the drive spins, the LEDs are lit, but my SVGA doesn't receive anything, it stays black with the LED blinking, like no SYNC. Weird... Well I am gonna email CENTEK to report the problem I have. Until then I still can use my falcon in LOW mode.

Few days go by

I can say now that the LOW mode of the ct2 (supposedly to be 100% compatible with the original falcon) is actually 100% the falcon. Same slowness, same bug, same video, same RAM, same crash, same compatibility. Received email from CENTEK, double checking with me the important points that I might have forgotten, or messed up. Nothing showed up to be wrong. CENTEK ask me if I had an oscilloscope, in which case they could have exactly determined (thru email) what the problem was. Still, they are doubting because the CT2 I got from them was tested and showed to be good before sending it to me. I don't have an oscilloscope, so they trusted me by sending me another CT2 card (very professional I must admit at this point).
Here is a hand drawing of my ct2 install when I wasn't sure because of the missing pictures in documentation.

Who would have thunk?

Someone on IRC had a CT2 (up and working perfectly). He tried to help me as much as he could, by testing things, trying this, remove that etc. Until he came up with the idea of unplugging the keyboard. But HEY! my keyboard is NOT 100% Falcon!!! I did modify it!. not a whole lot though, I just took the original falcon keyboard, placed it in a case, and extended the cables. However I know that I didn't use all the wires. just the ones that seemed important, and since it worked for years, I thought it was perfectly good. Anyway I try without the keyboard and guess what, YES IT WORKS!. Now, don't ask me to explain why my keyboard with missing wires works in LOW mode but NOT at all in HIGH mode, coz I won't be able to answer.

The feel bad moment

Quick, contact CENTEK to cancel the other CT2 they were gonna send me, not needed anymore as mine WORKS. Ok, CENTEK cancels the new CT2, cool.

The feel good moment

Ok! Time to seriously test this beast.
The LOW mode, that's ok I know it now, I have been using it for 4 days without any problem.
The HIGH mode. First thing that appears on the screen is a blue background with options, like BIOS menu on PC. From there, you can select things like the OS that you gonna be using, the driver for your drives, some backward compatibility options such as waitstates on IDE/DSP. No speed selection. On the CT2, it's either FULL SPEED, or 100% original falcon, which is a concept I like, though it might not seem flexible, but if the card is done correctly, 50Mhz should be the only real solution.

Hypothetical world

Wouldn't it be great to have a perfect mix between the FALCON and the TT?
Like a TT with a videl chip for better video, with DSP and audio capabilities of the FALCON, IDE port, newer TOS version etc.
Well the CT2 is all that but in even better. Your falcon with a CT2 is basically twice faster than a TT (if not more actually, but x2 for sure). With faster BUS than TT (25Mhz as opposed to 16mhz) and FASTRAM accessed on CT2 at 50Mhz instead of 32Mhz on TT. Your Falcon is now a true 32Bit machine all 50Mhz except the STram. The Videl is faster, giving you a smooth 640*480 16 bit mode (probably higher, I didn't try higher yet) or some extended resolution very comfortable at a good frequency, no flickering or such. GEMDEMO 0.04 on SVGA videl 72FPS in MiNT. The DSP is faster, the FPU is faster as well and of course the CPU is also faster at 50Mhz. Basically with a Falcon/CT2 you get a true 32bit 50Mhz machine.

What does that really mean for me

Basically FAST, SMOOTH, STABLE and COMPATIBLE. Working in 800*606 256 colors is not a pain anymore. Multitasking becomes a breeze. never running out of memory anymore with those 32Meg EDO ram. As some of you might know I am a MiNT freak, the fact that the CT2 upgrades the TOS version up to TOS 7.04, I had some problems with MiNT 1.15 which checked TOS version. Frank Nauman did a patch for me in order to locate the problem I was having. It all works now. So stay tuned for a more generic fix in MiNT or CT2 TOS.
HDdriver has problems with IDE port. Uwe Seimet (hddriver author) and CENTEK are aware. I use CECILE right now, which even works with MINIX partitions. No prob seen so far. (CECILE is included in the CT2 package).
All GEM programs basically will work. MANY NON-GEM programs will also work. I have had the chance to test Rainbow II (graphic art package), APEX Media, Speed o'light, Da's Vector, Da's Layout, Calamus SL, some atari ST games, some falcon games, etc etc..(I am not gonna list everything I have tested it would be WAY too long.) VERY VERY good compatibility.

Things to know
ST-ram

My gizmo 14meg card that I used to use as STram can't work with the CT2, way too slow. I have heard that the Wizztronic RAM card worked and so is the CENTRAM. As general rule I would say, as long as your extended 16Meg RAM card is 1 module 72pin. It will most likely work, granted the speed of the SIMMS itself, should be at least 70ns (to be confirmed about the speed).
FAST-ram

I went to a computer shop and just asked for a "72pin 32meg EDO 60ns ram" , they sold it to me for 39 USD. Plugged it in, and works like a charm.
IDE

The CT2 will GREATLY improve your IDE port. Up to 8.x meg/sec with some good drives. Be careful with the disk driver you are using, Hddriver shows some problems with IDE. I know HDdriver will be fixed for the CT2, I just don't know when.
Serial port

Well I first had many problems with my serial port with the CT2, dropped packets, slow speed. But then CENTEK also found the problem and released a patch for HSMODEM which was seeing the SCC chip being at 14Mhz which is not. Just the way HSMODEM detected the type/speed of your SCC chip is not accurate, and will fail if you install a CT2. The patch given by CENTEK is just to force HSMODEM to recognized the SCC at the correct speed. Since then, no problem.

After all

Well after all the Centurbo II card is ONE HELL of a card. Very fast, reliable, compatible.

Pros

-

Speed beyond what thought to be possible on a 030 CPU.
All tests, benches are on CENTEK pages, I won't comment them or make some more tests as I get the same speed as on their page.
 

-

No messing around with speeds, caches settings.

 

-

Extremely compatible, I was very surprised. Atari hardware and acceleration don't go together generally.
 

-

No hiden tricks like on nemesis, FX or AB40 cards, such as printing impossible on high speed on nemesis, or 90% of the time the AB40 needs to have the caches OFF to remain somewhat compatible, and such. I have to say that this CT2 is always at 50Mhz and don't see so far any need to switch it to original speed. Everything works. And if something doesn't like TOS 7.04 or FASTRAM or whatever, I still boot in 50Mhz but with TOS 4.04.
 

-

The setup with FLASHROM. Comes with the FLASH-writer software so I already upgraded the Boot twice now. Always getting better and better.. (CECILE now works with minix for example)
 

-

The temperature of the CT2 is WONDERFULL, a BIG heat dissipator glued on the new 030 CPU + an extra fan on the top. It ran for more than 15 hours 2 days ago at full speed, no crash, NOT even hot. Tell me that it is quite good! The SYL "Lattice" thingy controler is a bit hot, but I guess it's ok as I can leave my finger on it without getting burned. So I guess this temperature is quite allright.
 

-

The CT2 fixes efficiently the falcon original problems such as the cracks and pops in the audio, or SCSI transfers being corrupted. There was many patches available for these, but many didn't work, or work on one machine but not on another.
 

-

Centscreen is a very nice program. Latest version fixed all the problems I had with earlier versions.
 

-

The service quality I have gotten from them was very good.
 

-

The price, for 380USD you can't beat that really. And yes the milan seems nice. But it is NOT an option to me, milan doesn't have DSP chip, the audio of falcon, (for example, no Cubase Audio), no backward compatibility for games/demo etc.
 

-

Easy installation.
 

Cons

-

Not enough documentation about what's happening. What's TOS 7.04 exactly? In example what are the new cookies installed by the CT2? their structures?
 

-

Where do I steadily place my internal IDE? that's one problem, I can't screw it in like it was because of the CT2. The original holes on the motherboard for the IDE can't be used. The drive fits into the case, but not fixed, so remind me to NOT shake my falcon.
 

-

Dolmen not included yet. (it is said to be out end November)
 

-

CECILE doesn't seem to support the XHDI protocol.
 

-

The lack of drawing in the installation documentation.
 

-

Couldn't find where to order a CT2 in the USA. (heard a rumour that Best Electronics imports the CT2 card).
 

-

Long installation, took 3 hours to do it here myself.
 

Text: Kathrin Ellis

Kathrin Ellis WebSite