RadeonHD Driver

The goal of this project is to write Amiga OS 4.x graphics drivers for R5xx and higher graphics cards, both 2D and 3D. One of the motivations for this is that, my computer vision research extensively uses shaders that are present in modern GPUs. None of the existing supported graphics cards for Amiga OS 4.x support shaders.  Shaders are rapidly becoming an essential component for running newer games. Rather than write 3D drivers from scratch, Gallium3D - the new driver system for MESA - will be used.

IMPORTANT: Developing a driver will take a considerable amount of time. This page will be updated as and when progress occurs. For those wishing to follow progress, keep an eye on the development log. 

Current Project Status

The following features/functionality are operational:

• Framebuffer,
• VGA and DVI output for all cards,
• Full 2D acceleration for R5xx to Northern Islands chipsets (Radeon X1000 series, and the Radeon HD 2000-6000 series), including compositing,
• Composited video (a variant of textured video) for accelerating video playback
• Hardware mouse pointer, and
• RadeonHD_RM.resource backend for 3D drivers (the render manager)

Release Status

At present, the AmigaOS 4.1 CDs for the AmigaOne-X1000 and Sam460ex includes a beta version of the driver which includes 2D acceleration minus compositing. Sam460ex owners can purchase the latest driver (which adds support for Radeon HD 5000-6000) from A-Eon Technology. AmigaOne-X1000 customers will receive updated drivers automatically. Owners of other motherboards can purchase the driver if they wish, but please consult the compatibility list beforehand to make sure that the driver will work with your hardware.

It is not available on any other hardware. There is no set release date for the final (version 1) driver.

The Development Log

Follow the progress of this project in the RadeonHD Development Log.

The Screen Mode Preferences test screen as displayed by a Radeon X1300.

Workbench being displayed by a Radeon X1300 graphics card.