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The V4SA Ultimate Expansion Board is Apollo Computer approved!

08/09/2024

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NEW STOCK OF EXPANSION BOARDS AVAILABLE! The second production run has started, with units available NOW!

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We also have a new beta firmware for all Ultimate Expansion Boards - please see the downloads page. This firmware has it's Amiga compatible V4 communications completely revised to use high-speed SPI transfer - the Amiga OS and the Expansion board now has bidirectional high-speed communication! We also have a new version of v4send which allows you to send images to the LCD screen from command line (like the Superfrog titlescreen, below), and even a special test mode for sending a scaled version of workbench to the LCD 😋​​​​

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Quetzal and Eule are proud to officially introduce the Ultimate V4 Expansion Board! This is mini-ITX formfactor PCB that holds the Amiga-compatible Apollo V4 computer, and provides a host of extra functionality and I/O.

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We have integrated a compact flash extender into the Ultimate Expansion Board, enabling you to change and swap compact-flash cards without opening the case!

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We are providing two options to customers:

  • The V4 Ultimate Expansion Board, with power supply, USB blaster, compact flash extender, a 3V3 FTDI cable (for firmware update, and super easy serial I/O with your PC)

  • The V4 Ultimate Expansion Board with all the accessories listed above, installed into a brushed aluminium, modern mini-ITX case with smoky glass lid (LCD screen clearly visible through the lid)

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With the addition of the extra accessories and recent increases in part costs and manufacturing, the cost has increased from the original estimate. As promised, we are still selling these boards at cost price:

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  • V4 Ultimate Expansion Board (incl. accessories) : $579 USD (plus $50 USD courier to all countries, local taxes)

  • V4 Ultimate Expansion Board (incl. accessories) + case ('Kit'): $673 USD (plus $60 USD courier to all countries, local taxes)

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For all countries EXCEPT the EU, please purchase by sending an email directly to v4expansion@gmail.com. Boards are shipped direct from the manufacturer in New Zealand. Note that Apollo Computer is the exclusive retail outlet for EU countries, so customers from the EU please go there for ordering direct from Apollo.

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Prices at 4th May 2023, and subject to change with component costs/exchange rate fluctuations.

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To keep shipping costs down, we have opted to not include a physical manual or IEC power cable (the standard computer/jug cable), which many people will have or can obtain easily locally. 

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Key functions of the V4 Ultimate Expansion Board include the following:

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Audio related:

  • 16-bit high-quality analogue audio output, with separate ultralow-noise LDO power regulator. 112 dB SNR, and -93 dB THD. Playback both PAULA AND ARNE audio at high quality!

  • Pass-through of analogue audio out to case 3.5 mm audio jack using the standard case HD AUDIO/AC97 connector.

  • MIDI in/out (serial.device; using beat-buddy format connector due to space constraints).

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Serial related:

  • Buffered serial UART in/out for FTDI cable (serial.device), 3V3 only (FTDI cable provided).

  • RS232 in/out (RX/TX lines) (serial.device).

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Power control:

  • Integration with standard ITX front-panel case buttons and LEDs.

  • Full hardware cold reset from a single press of the case power/reset button.

  • Full startup/shutdown from the ITX case power button (power removed from V4). Soft glowing LED when the V4 is powered down.

  • LED output selectable for single-led system (combined POWER and IDE access) or dual-led system (separate POWER and IDE access).

  • 12V input from a wide range of inputs: a barrel jack connector (external), ATX PSU connector (internal), or PC peripheral connector ('Molex') (internal).

  • Separate 5V lines for powering the Apollo V4, and peripherals (e.g., USB).

  • Provision of SAFE +5V and +12V passthrough for powering external components like drives/CD-ROMs for the V4.

  • Smart power meter for voltage and current measurement of the 12V supply, and two 5V lines.

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Keyboard/Mouse/Joystick:

  • Passthrough for legacy DB9 mice and joysticks. USB keyboard port from the V4 is accessible directly from the rear panel of the Ultimate Expansion Board.

  • USB mouse accessible via USB header on the board, for connection to case or expander USB ports. Both USB2 and USB3 headers are provided to ensure maximum case compatibility. 

  • Second USB gamepad port provided on the internal USB header, for both V4 and V4+ systems (i.e., it provides the second gamepad port for original V4 board owners).

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Other:

  • Mini-ITX form factor, for install into any Mini-ITX compatible case.

  • A 3-pin fan header for powering 12V fans.

  • Internal mounting of USB blaster with mini-USB socket on the rear ITX panel, for easy FPGA programming. No more opening of the case to plug in the USB blaster!

  • Internal programming header for on-board microprocessor (3V3 FTDI)

  • Multi-colour LED back-lit V4 logo

  • 1.8" 160x128 pixel colour LCD, with communication directly from the Apollo V4!

  • On-board temperature sensor for system monitoring.

  • A compact-flash extender to enable you to remove and change compact-flash cards without opening the case.

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