Interware SE/30 accelerator

pocketscience

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Apr 29, 2022
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This just arrived for my SE/30.. vroom vroom..!! 🏎️
IMG_2374.jpeg

IMG_2375.jpeg
 

Trash80toG4

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I think @max1zzz had someone drop off the 40MHz version? There's discussion about it (but no development thread as yet) over at the MLA?

What I'm most curious about would be the possibility of topping InterwareX0 off with an unmodified Asante NIC? Fitment for installing RCPII/si horizontally would be pretty slick! Would likely need an offset to line up the PDS connection on X, Y axes for fitment though? Two cards w/o the tall, complex adapter requiremnt works for me.
 
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max1zzz

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I think @max1zzz had someone drop off the 40MHz version? There's discussion about it (but no development thread as yet) over at the MLA?
I just brought a 33mhz IIvi card off someone at 68k (and was also bidding on a 40Mhz IIci card on ebay but I lost that one by $2.50...) Haven't received it yet though so will need some FI into it's cloneabality and suitability for modification once I get it
 
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JDW

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Also curious how that thing benchmarks against an accelerator with 50MHz and cache - DiiMO or PowerCache
I'm curious as well. I have the DiiMO (which you kindly repaired for me -- thank you!) and the socketed PowerCache. In every benchmark test I've tried, the DiiMO is just a tad bit faster than the PowerCache, even though both have '030 processors running at 50MHz. I believe the reason is due to a slightly larger cache on the DiiMO. So of course, I too am interesting in knowing how the Interware board benchmarks!
 

pocketscience

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Was planning to benchmark with Speedometer, but let me know if you'd like to see results from something different.. My stock SE/30 benchmark from previous test.
 

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JDW

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@pocketscience
Speedometer 3.x and 4.x are different, so you would need to specify the version used.

Doing Norton 3.5.x Speed Info is another good benchmark to run.

I also recommend running MacBench 3.0 (all tests), as that will run on an SE/30 just fine, whereas version 4.0 will not.

The combination of those 3 apps is what I tend to use, although when testing drive performance (which is not so relevant in your case), I use other apps in addition to those.
 

pocketscience

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@JDW - yes good point. That screenshot above is from Speedometer 3.x from memory, so that's what I'll use for my benefit.

Will dig out the others you reference and document results with them as well.
 
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JTRetro

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@Bolle -In the past I've benchmarked it against a Micromac Diimo and a Daystar 68030; it is indeed a bit slower, but still way faster than a stock SE/30. If folks want me to, I will happily do some testing and post the results here!
 
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JDW

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In the past I've benchmarked it against a Micromac Diimo and a Daystar 68030; it is indeed a bit slower, but still way faster than a stock SE/30. If folks want me to, I will happily do some testing and post the results here!
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but because I own a DiiMO (50MHz) and the socketed 50MHz '030 Daystar PowerCache (which is a tad slower than the DiiMO due to its smaller cache memory), I would be interested in seeing your benchmark comparisons to see how much less "vroom" the Interware accelerator has in comparison.

I think benchmark info is useful info in light of the fact zigzagjoe is offering clones for sale. He has CPU-socketed and PDS versions available. The big downside I see though is that he lists the Micron Xceed video cards as being incompatible. (I currently use my socketed PowerCache with a Micron Xceed MacroColor 30HR video card in the PDS slot.)
 

zigzagjoe

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Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but because I own a DiiMO (50MHz) and the socketed 50MHz '030 Daystar PowerCache (which is a tad slower than the DiiMO due to its smaller cache memory), I would be interested in seeing your benchmark comparisons to see how much less "vroom" the Interware accelerator has in comparison.

I think benchmark info is useful info in light of the fact zigzagjoe is offering clones for sale. He has CPU-socketed and PDS versions available. The big downside I see though is that he lists the Micron Xceed video cards as being incompatible. (I currently use my socketed PowerCache with a Micron Xceed MacroColor 30HR video card in the PDS slot.)
Here are some comparison numbers using Norton System Info. The Interware design does not implement /STERM in the SE/30 form, so the Xceed cards (and any other) which require synchronous bus cycles will not work at all. There are some additional notes in this thread. I have moved the logic into a CPLD and am planning to see about implementing /STERM and other improvements (not expected to change performance).

1725995521694.jpeg


Edit: "SI" is for System Info, and the first number in the name is the clock frequency. 47mhz (3x 15.6672mhz) on the interware.
 
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