From: rjh21@cl.cam.ac.uk (Richard Hayton)
Subject: [Summary]: A5000 .v. A540
Keywords: A540,Comparison
Organization: U of Cambridge Computer Lab, UK
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 13:35:17 GMT



A5000 .v. A540
==============

Many thanks to the following for replying. If I've missed you out, I appologise
My mail system crashed a few days ago and I lost some messages:

crj10@uk.ac.cam.phx
mhardy@uk.co.acorn (Michael Hardy)
C.D.Latham@uk.ac.ex.cen
rsxdp@uk.ac.nott.unicorn (D.Pead)
idg10@uk.ac.cam.phx

Here are the combined sets of differences between the two machines:

Hard Disc
=========

A5000: 80/120Mb IDE (can add 1 more on same controller)
A540: 120Mb SCSI (can add 7 more on same controller)

Roms
====
A5000: Risc-OS 3.
A540: Risc-OS 2 but  will take the roms with no carrier board

Podule Slots
============
A540: 4 but one filled with SCSI controller
A5000: 4

crj10 adds:
Firstly, it is in theory possible to put more than four podules in an
A540, because the Chips&Technologies integrated controller doesn't
occupy the bit of memory map which could otherwise accomodate up to
twelve more podules. (Fanout and bus length are still issues, and
nobody's ever actually made such an upgrade for the A540, though!)

Serial Port
===========
A5000: new
A540 old (like A310)

Parallel Port
=============
A5000: new bi-directional
A540 old (like A310)

Processor
=========
crj10:
The A540 has a separate processor card, which could be later
upgraded. Note that the VIDC20 will be with us in a year or two,
and that uses a 64-bit data bus. It will be easier to change the video
memory architecture on the A540, and it's basically the only machine
in the range which could possibly be adapted to take the VIDC20.
[Nobody suggests acorn will actually do this though...]


Speed
=====
A540: (very) marignally faster than A5000

Both use same processor and ram. However M.J.Hardy (from acorn) adds

'The ARM3 chips in the A540 are specially selected, and I believe are usually
clocked faster than those on the A5000.'

Monitor
=======
A5000: Can drive all but hi-rez mono. Comes with Multisync
A540: Can drive all. Comes with out monitor.

crj10:
you might need a non-standard lead to attach some monitors (mono with BNC
sync/signal pair, for example) to the A5000.

Unix
====
A540: Suported
A5000: not (drivers hard!)

Floppy
======
A5000: new 2Mb
A540: old 1MB would require a new controller to have a new drive (possibly 
      using up an expansion slot).


Memory
======
A540: Offically upgrabable to 16MB an no dodgy 'cheeses'
A5000: Unofficially upgradable to 8MB

me:
I've spend a lot of time fixing 8MB memory upgrades. In a lab environment
these simply don't last. This is not the quality of the upgrades but the 
fact that they connect via a chip socket.


Case
====
A540: Old style (however more sturdy than A300/A400)
A5000: New style 

Power Supply
============

C.D.Latham:
 The A540 has got a stronger power supply I believe.

Me:
 Note, the A540 has a much better power supply than in the A300/A400
 series (Complete with 2 internal fans). I don't know how it compares
 with the A5000.


-------------------

Right that's the lot. I still haven't decided, I'm waiting until I've sold
my existing machine.

Rich.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn