• What is the size of the card?

    I think, I can use it in my Midrange System. It has AGP and a riser card.

    "Du bist und bleibst a Mensch und du kannst eben net deine menschlichkeit überwinden."

    Dennis_50300

  • i guess reversing the ic chip is not like having verilog code or other fancy stuff. i presume it is like having all the layers scans in proper resolution appropriate to making new lithography.

    But without knowing which function block is doing what and how the timings correlate to each parts within the chip, you are having a hard time. It would be so much better to have a higher level starting point where you can build upon and have the proper chance to actually test some things (maybe even on an FPGA basis).

    Otherwise I just see a reproduction possible, if at all (since you need exact the same manufacturing process and tooling that was used).

    Hi Löschzwerg, long time no chat (I used to hang out on Falconfly back in the day).

    Theoretically, this isn't too far outside of the realm of possibility, and I've actually floated the idea of doing this myself numerous times with a custom Xilinx or Altera board (I have a few DE10s laying around, but they're not really fit for the job).

    The SST1 datasheet that's floating around (containing the multiple system configurations, register set etc) contains more than enough information about the high level workings of the chipset (both FBI and TREX) to write enough Verilog to get some level of functionality going, let alone from all of the emulation code from Aaron Giles and the Dosbox guys. The biggest hurdle here would most certainly be the chip to chip interconnect protocol between the multiple TREX/FBI setups and the multiple rendering system configuration (which I assume is SLI). If I remember correctly, Scott stated that it was a total custom job, and without the TREX/FBI pinouts (the topmost FBI and bottommost TREX pins), it would be quite difficult to infer how this was implemented, and probably require a total reinvention. AFAIK, no kind of documentation as to how this works was ever leaked from 3Dfx, and if it has, I've never come across it.

    At the end of the day, it's really just a big pixel pushing state machine that the software writes into, just with a lot of intricate, moving parts.


    Anthony Sadly you can't get away with this as easily as with reversing a PCB ala buzzing out signals. You can effectively "guess" what certain sections of the chip are from a microscope shot of the die, but apart from that you don't really get any meaningful information. A pinout/datasheet of the IC provides significantly more information as to the abstract concept of the actual chip design.

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von quaker762 (22. Oktober 2022 um 05:04)

  • With real AGP 4x and 1,5V support?

    since the VSA-100's have 8 ram spaces each you could; "in a probable theory" give each VSA-100 128MB SDRAM rofl, that way you could have a V5 5500 with 256MB :topmodel:

    Here is the rear view of this nice purple V5:


    Komponent's V4 4500 with 128MB as well, also using all 8 VRAM spaces:

    Which kind of triggered this idea, the extra VRAM is very useful when using FSAA modes:

    3 Mal editiert, zuletzt von Gold Leader (13. November 2022 um 14:19)

  • PCB Layout never was the problem, we just were too lazy. Chip design on the other hand is a totally different beast. Generate Verilog code from a die-shot... :spitze::spitze::spitze: Nope, that's not how it's gonna work ^^

    Hello there and welcome to VA Forums, even to I doubt "lazy" had much to do with it, kind of a lame thing to even mention if you'd ask me..
    Back in those days most developers I know from 3dfx were very devoted in their work, even in darker times during the very last days, they were so determined to get working silicon within the last 2 weeks of 3dfx' days to get Rampage 2000 in working silicon, there was a lot of love and dedication for their work, not what I'd call lazy.

    The 2x2 Comdex 1999 design was not plausible, the owner I am friended to has the only card of that type in existence the other card was destroyed.
    You don't sound like someone that worked for 3dfx, also seeing this is your first post, no introduction, kind of iffy if ya ask me... :gadget:

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    Hallo und willkommen in den VA-Foren, auch wenn ich bezweifle, dass "Faulheit" viel damit zu tun hatte, eine ziemlich lahme Sache, die man überhaupt erwähnen sollte, wenn man mich fragt.

    Damals waren die meisten Entwickler, die ich von 3dfx kenne, sehr engagiert in ihrer Arbeit, sogar in den dunklen Zeiten während der letzten Tage waren sie so entschlossen, innerhalb der letzten 2 Wochen der 3dfx-Tage funktionierendes Silizium zu bekommen, um Rampage 2000 in funktionierendem Silizium zu bekommen, es gab eine Menge Liebe und Hingabe für ihre Arbeit, nicht das, was ich als faul bezeichnen würde.

    Das 2x2 Comdex 1999 Design war nicht plausibel, der Besitzer, mit dem ich befreundet bin, hat die einzige Karte dieses Typs, die noch existiert, die andere wurde zerstört.

    Sie klingen nicht wie jemand, der für 3dfx gearbeitet hat, und da dies Ihr erster Beitrag ist, gibt es auch keine Einführung, das ist schon etwas fragwürdig, wenn Sie mich fragen... :gadget:

  • In English in order to not confuse native speakers:

    From the technical view it is brilliant, but it looks really ugly and like the other half of the card is missing.

    "Du bist und bleibst a Mensch und du kannst eben net deine menschlichkeit überwinden."

    Dennis_50300