Just ordered a my Nuon...questions

[blakespot]

Won an eBay auction for a DVD-N501 plus 3 games (T3K being one of them) - $85. Anyway, I had some questions:

Does anyone have any detailed specs on the Aries 3 processor on which this unit is based? Clockspeed, 32-bit or 64-bit? Similar to any previous CPU's command set (MIPS, PowerPC, etc.)?

Is Tempest 3000 a ~640x480 mode game, interlaced? Or is it ~320x240 like the Jaguar original?

Are there any "demos" (hacker demoscene, etc.) for the Nuon that can be burned out on a Mac or PC and used on the actual device?

Thanks.



blakespot

 

[T T]

The 501 uses the Aries 2 chip I believe. The European models (504 and 505) used the Aries 3. There are a handful of tech specs if you google.

I'm pretty sure the resolution of games depends on the unit you are using to play them on. I seem to recall the res of the 501 is less than the 504 and 505 models. Someone will confirm this I'm sure. Either way, its a great game.

 

[blakespot]

Ya, I ran across reference to the 501 using the Aries 2, not 3.

So is the Aries 2 a 54MHz chip, running at bus speed? I'd like to see details of the processor core. I can't seem to find any on the net anywhere. Surely more detailed specs exist somewhere.

Is the actual processor core based on some other design or is it fully proprietary to VMLabs?

When did it first debut? It seems it came between the Dreamcast and PS2. It's notably less powerful than even the 'cast, right?



bp

 

[The Helper]

I believe the NUON was based on Jaguar technology, at least the designers are the same people that designed the Jaguar. Flare Technology I think.

The bus runs at 54mhz on both Aries 2 and 3. There are some concept documents on the MPE structure but I am not able to lay my hands on them. I bet someone else on the forum has info on it.

 

[blakespot]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/2646548940/





blakespot

 

[Skah T]

For info on the processor you could download the public SDK.

http://www.dragonshadow.com/downloads/sdk2.zip

There's a document in there called nuon-architecture.pdf that details the processor capabilities. It is not based on any Jaguar tech as far as I am aware. The designer of the MPEs was not from Atari (he was at 3DO).

Aries is a proprietary VLIW processor running at 54 MHz. Aries 3 is able to double that to 108 MHz and I think it uses that mode to display the VLM on the 504 and 505 models to give it a higher resolution.

Homebrew can be found in the "Download" link at the top. Explore NUON-Dome for more info about the platform.

 

[The Helper]

For info on the processor you could download the public SDK.

http://www.dragonshadow.com/downloads/sdk2.zip

There's a document in there called nuon-architecture.pdf that details the processor capabilities. It is not based on any Jaguar tech as far as I am aware. The designer of the MPEs was not from Atari (he was at 3DO).

Aries is a proprietary VLIW processor running at 54 MHz. Aries 3 is able to double that to 108 MHz and I think it uses that mode to display the VLM on the 504 and 505 models to give it a higher resolution.

Homebrew can be found in the "Download" link at the top. Explore NUON-Dome for more info about the platform.

Those are words straight from an ex VM employee so likely it is better to listen to him over me.

 

[cubanismo]

Sorry to bump a very old thread, but does anyone know who the employee(s) was/were that designed the VLIW processor cores at the center of the Nuon chips? Just curious. It's a very cool architecture, and relatively unique amongst the era of console-sepecific chips, though I suppose at the time it was designed VLIW was very en-vogue.

 

[Stephen]

I believe it was John Mathieson and Richard Miller, the guys from Flare 1 and Flare 2 that designed the Jaguar. Jeff Minter was an early employee and while working on his earliest code on prototype hardware asked for some instructions to be implemented in hardware.

 

[cubanismo]

he designer of the MPEs was not from Atari (he was at 3DO).

I believe it was John Mathieson and Richard Miller, the guys from Flare 1 and Flare 2 that designed the Jaguar. Jeff Minter was an early employee and while working on his earliest code on prototype hardware asked for some instructions to be implemented in hardware.

The above two would be contradictory though, as both John and Richard came from Atari. My understanding is John came onboard later and designed some parts of the chip like the sound system, but the core processor was already mostly baked.

 

[Stephen]

The above two would be contradictory though, as both John and Richard came from Atari. My understanding is John came onboard later and designed some parts of the chip like the sound system, but the core processor was already mostly baked.

Sorry - you are correct.

Louis Cardillo: Louis was the VP Hardware Engineering and did design the processor elements (MPEs).

I forgot about this important website:

NUON Alumni Page

NUON Alumni

www.vmlabs.de

The Team