SCSI controller to expanded (or not) A1200/A4000

[rkauer]

Hello ppl.

I'm thinking in port the old "Spartan SCSI" (intended
for A1000/500/2000) to more modern system: AGA
machines with accelerators.

So far I read the Spartan design (reachable in
Aminet) and start thinking: there is nothing an old
A500 can do who a "modern" A1200 can't. So what you
think about it?

I'll start with a more modern SCSI controller (no
autoboot) unit clocked at the same speed of the turbo
board I have (I have some old controllers around in
the room). Maybe I'll use a patch in RAM-ROM ks to
autoboot it.

Comments, please.

"Beware! The paranoids are watching you!"

[rkauer]

OK, so nobody want to see a new SCSI controller around?

[Oli_hd]

OK, so nobody want to see a new SCSI controller around?
Not much to say other than the most interesting SCSI chip on the market at the moment I think is the Acard ATP-870IU (http://www.acard.com/english/fb01-product.jsp?idno_no=7&prod_no=ATP-870IU&type1_title=Storage%20IC&type1_idno=1) which is an ultra SCSI 3 which can interface to 16 and 32bit CPU's (ISA style bus) for up to 20MBps

[rkauer]

Oli_hd wrote:
Not much to say other than the most interesting SCSI chip on the market at the moment I think is the Acard ATP-870IU (http://www.acard.com/english/fb01-product.jsp?idno_no=7&prod_no=ATP-870IU&type1_title=Storage%20IC&type1_idno=1) which is an ultra SCSI 3 which can interface to 16 and 32bit CPU's (ISA style bus) for up to 20MBps

I think an humble SCSI-2 is enough for desktop Amigas. For "professional" ones, I think the UW-SCSI-3 is the only major upgrade (good one, BTW!).

But I want to develop it only if enough ppl are interested in a DIY kit (or only schematics).

[Cheeeky]

Well for a start the 1200 doesn't have the same expansion port so you'll have to do some hardware mods. the A1000 was upside down, or was the the A500 ;-) - SCSI drives are too expesnive now, sounds like good project if you can get the parts for free/cheep. Good luck with it...

[countzero]

a scsi board for an a500 is incentive, because a500 doesn't have any hdd interface and since it's the most popular amiga model, hdd interfaces for a500 are always sought after and valuable items.

an a1200 however has an internal IDE port which is more or less adequate for regular user purposes, and power users already have their 1260s with scsi kits. So there may not be many people interested in your project, however I think you shouldn't care how many people are interested in it, and just go on with it if you want to do it. you'll have lots of fun and learn lots of things.

[rkauer]

countzero wrote:
an a1200 however has an internal IDE port which is more or less adequate for regular user purposes, and power users already have their 1260s with scsi kits. So there may not be many people interested in your project, however I think you shouldn't care how many people are interested in it, and just go on with it if you want to do it. you'll have lots of fun and learn lots of things.

I know this is true for A500/2000 users, but the real question is: I thinking in make some "not-so-new" hardware to those people who have an unexpanded Amiga (or a "crappy-expanded" one). This is my main goal.

More: a SCSI kit unleashes the power of the Amiga. Less CPU load, fast response, more devices can be put in the Amiga at once, a standard interface where everything can be connected, etc.

Plus, it have some other advantages: it can be used to connect two computers together via a SCSI "network", and other small features.

Of course, the "hack" will be backwards compatible with older Amigas (maybe with tweaking...).