pps040

Modern memory support for the Progressive Peripherals & Software 2000/040, a 1991 68040 accelerator for the Amiga 2000.

The card's 32-bit RAM doesn't autoconfigure. Its original driver, Init040, adds it from the startup-sequence, was written for OS 2.x, locks up with newer 68040 libraries and leaves memory unused. This project replaces it with ppi2000mem, a small resident module burned into the Kickstart ROM. It adds all the card's RAM at cold start, before DOS and MMULib, so the memory behaves as if it autoconfigured.

On the reference machine (AmigaOS 3.2.3, MMULib, 32 MB on the card) that meant all 32 MB in use instead of 30, with the 32-bit RAM preferred over the slow 24-bit RAM, and no startup-sequence changes other than deleting the old AddMem.

Why

The memory had to be added via the startup-script so you could not test it using tools like xsysinfo. I also wanted to use AI (I use Claude) to help me learn about assembly language. Did I learn much? That is up for debate. The included walkthrough was useful for me in understanding how the code is written but it still leaves a lot of gaps for me. I am hoping to continue to work on this and learn more about assembly for the 68k.

What's here

Path	What
src/ppi2000mem.asm	the ROM module (68040 assembly)
src/ppiprobe.asm	Shell tool that reports where the card's RAM answers; adds nothing
src/ppiload.asm	installs the module until power-off and reboots, to try it without burning a ROM
tools/mkrom.py	puts the module into a Kickstart image and fixes the checksum
tools/mkbootdisk.sh	builds the bootable test floppy (no AmigaOS files needed)
tools/disasm.py	disassembler for AmigaOS executables, used on the PP&S software
tools/fetch.sh	downloads the original PP&S driver disks
tools/mkrelease.sh	packages a release (zip and ADF)
tests/	runs the module on an emulated 68040 against simulated cards, and mkrom.py against a synthetic Kickstart
docs/hardware.md	the card: jumpers, memory layout, measurements
docs/reverse-engineering.md	what the original driver does and how ppi2000mem differs
docs/rom.md	testing, building, burning, MMULib setup
docs/walkthrough.md	the assembly explained for Python developers

Using a release

Each release has a zip with ppi2000mem, ppiload, ppiprobe, mkrom.py and the docs, and a bootable test floppy (ADF) with the same Amiga files; no AmigaOS or PP&S files. Boot the floppy to probe the card, and type ppiload to try the module until the next power-off. To patch your own 512K Kickstart image (Python 3.8+, no other packages):

python3 mkrom.py CDTVA500A600A2000.47.115.rom ppi2000mem kick-ppi2000mem

This writes kick-ppi2000mem.rom (for emulators and MapROM) and the byte-swapped kick-ppi2000mem.bin for burning. Add --copies 4 for a 2 MB chip such as an MX29F1615 in the 512K socket. Try the module with ppiload before burning; see docs/rom.md.

Building from source

• Docker. Everything runs in the tools container (vasm, amitools, xdms, Capstone, Unicorn, pytest); make image builds it.
• For make rom only: your own Kickstart image. It isn't included and can't be. By default the Makefile uses amiga_roms/CDTVA500A600A2000.47.115.rom (the 3.2.3 A500/A600/A2000 ROM); set KICK to use another, inside this directory.

Quick start

make image       # build the tools container
make test        # run the module against the simulated cards
make bootdisk    # build/pps040-test.adf: probe the card, try the module with ppiload
make rom         # build/<kickstart>-ppi2000mem.rom and .bin (COPIES=4 adds -x4.bin)

Then follow docs/rom.md: probe first, try the module with ppiload, and only then burn.

make release packages build/release/pps040-<version>.zip and .adf. GitHub Actions (.github/workflows/build.yml) does the same on every push and keeps the package as a run artifact. To publish a release:

1. Bump the version in the idstring line of src/ppi2000mem.asm.
2. Add a ## X.Y (date) section to CHANGELOG.md; it becomes the release notes.
3. Tag and push: git tag vX.Y && git push origin vX.Y. The workflow refuses a tag that doesn't match the module version.

To read the original driver: make disasm downloads the PP&S disks into vendor/ and writes the listings to build/disasm/.

Status

Burned and in daily use on one A2000 with a 32 MB card, with 0 MB and 2 MB of autoconfig RAM. The Zeus, Mercury and other PP&S cards aren't supported (the module leaves them alone); see the notes at the end of docs/reverse-engineering.md.

Not included

Kickstart ROMs, AmigaOS files and anything built from them (patched ROMs) are © Hyperion Entertainment. The PP&S driver software, its disassembly and its manual are PP&S's. amiga_roms/, vendor/ and build/ are git-ignored for that reason. The test floppy contains only this project's files.

Thanks

• amiga.resource.cx for keeping the PP&S disks, manual and jumper table available.
• The old PP&S 040 FAQ, whose AddMem addresses were the first clue to the memory layout.
• Thomas Richter's MMULib, and the vasm, amitools, Capstone and Unicorn projects.

License

MIT, see LICENSE. Covers this repository's own code and documentation only.