Amiga.org
Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Hardware News => Topic started by: danbeaver on May 24, 2014, 10:06:46 PM
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While looking around I found an image and brief description of the USB module for the X-Surf 100; it appears to also have a Clockport that allows connection to an A600/1200 and other such Clockports. It was on the main page at Amigaworld.de
It provides 2 full USB 2.0 ports running at 480 Mbits/s per the Google translation.
http://www.amigaworld.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/USB_Proto_A1200.png
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Funny, I was just about to start a thread with a link to this page (http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/USB_module) on Jens' wiki. Lots of detailed technical information - hopefully that means a release is close. Clockport compatibility is great news - finally we'll have a new product to satisfy the demand of everyone seeking a Subway board.
Got a link to that picture?
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Got a link to that picture?
I don't know about danbeaver's picture, but a couple of photos can be found in Jens' (german) thread he started at a1k.org in december.
http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=41499
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I don't know about danbeaver's picture, but a couple of photos can be found in Jens' (german) thread he started at a1k.org in december.
http://www.a1k.org/forum/showthread.php?t=41499
My family has my picture, but the one I referred to above on the http://www.amigaworld.de site is within the group of pictures above.
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when I was looking to buy a Subway USB a few years back iw as told that the reason it was not available was due to some licencing issue with Poseidon and nothing to do with hardware availability?
so does this proposed new system circumvent this licencing issue?
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Jens worked out a license with Chris about a year ago and I commented on it then, way before the X-Surf 100 was released.
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Last I looked at Poseidon, he'd open sourced it. At least I'm pretty sure that was the case.
My question is.. how can it possibly get the full 480Mb/s? The Amiga's buses couldn't handle that, could it?
slaapliedje
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@ danbeaver
Thanks for the link. Hope we can buy it soon!
@ slaapliedje
It's a theoretical maximum of the specification, which will of course be limited in an Aniga implementation by other factors. In contrast to the original Highway, Subway, Algor, and Thylacine, which were definitively capped at USB 1.1 spec speeds - 10 megabits, I think?
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You'd really be limited by your hard drive controller speed. I have a Spider card in my A4000, so once I work out my issues with. The FastATA card, I'll have to do some benchmarking and see what actual speeds one can get.
Now if only there was a way to boot straight off a usb device.. Oddly it'd probably be faster than the built in ide controller.
slaapliedje
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To me it is more about function than speed; USB adds so much more function in terms of keyboards, mice, printers, sound (I have a dongle branded Amigo), and cameras. IF you need to boot off a USB device, I believe you can with the Deneb, but why? I just slip in a CF card in the top back of my A4000T and boot what ever; great for off-site backups of partitions. I use my CSPPC for everything else.
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No point using USB mice/keyboard/joysticks, they all work fine until WHDLoad comes along. (Not to mention RTG also being a huge issue with WHDLoad)
Until there is a real fix for the interrupt issue all I can use with USB is external storage. Even then storing WHDLoad games and running it from said USB stick is also an issue.
For transferring files it's great though, although I disable the USB stack when not in use as you loose some processing power.
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It's also a nice way to get your Amiga online, a particular godsend for ACA500 users and the upcoming Hermes CD32 expansion card which will also have a clock-port.
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@Akiko,
I wasn't aware of Ian Stedman's Hermes project until your mention, thanks for the information :-)
As an aside, the homepage of The Hermes CD32 Expansion can be found here :-
http://ianstedman.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/project-hermes/
Robert.
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RapidRoad
The module is now shipping and is €99 (19% vat added) for the non-clockport version -- X-surf 100 -- and €129 for the clockport version. They can be ordered from Jens icomp.de and non-EU cost run $106 USD plus 3.9% PayPal and shipping costs. The clockport version is identical to the plain version except the corrective timing electronics needed for the A1200 is inactive.
Jens says on a Z3 X-Surf 100 that with an accelerator one can see 7 Mb/s speed over the USB port.
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The module is now shipping and is €99 (19% vat added) for the non-clockwork version
Do you have to wind up the clockwork version for it to work?
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Do you have to wind up the clockwork version for it to work?
And I thought the iPhone's auto correct was bad, this is Android kitkat version in overdrive.
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Any update when this will be for sale on AmigaKit? :)
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Any update when this will be for sale on AmigaKit? :)
I asked AmigaKit that the other day here...
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=68163
Probably two more weeks... :rolleyes:
I'm wondering if a new version of Poseidon will be coming out (supporting the new RapidRoad module) that will enhance the use of the old Subway USB module... new & improved classes... that sort of thing. It would be great to use a USB soudcard! :)
Maybe someone with an EAB account could ask Jens that question in the EAB post here...?
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=75396
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Mine arrived today from Jens' web site (payment via paypal) with an order date of 22-OCT-2014 and here, in Guam, it is 1-NOV-2014. Not too shabby a transient time IMHO.
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Last I looked at Poseidon, he'd open sourced it. At least I'm pretty sure that was the case.
My question is.. how can it possibly get the full 480Mb/s? The Amiga's buses couldn't handle that, could it?
slaapliedje
I thought that I had read that Jens of Individual Computers had purchased the Poseidon USB stack from the original author, and that it would continue to get updates written for it by someone working for Individual Computers, or perhaps a contractor developer doing work for Jens. Perhaps Jens has also Open Sourced Poseidon to increase the chances of additional USB devices being supported in the future. I guess I need to research exactly what Jens and Individual Computers are doing with Poseidon, to get my facts straight.
I have one of my A4000's with a Deneb installed set up so it can boot from a USB memory stick and it works quite well (thanks Tim for taking the time to set that up during one of your visits a long while ago). If this new USB controller from Jens will work in a CDTV, I may buy one of them. For now I have Subway's installed in my accelerated A600 & A1200, and the Deneb in my A4000, so I am pretty well covered for USB controllers for some of my Classic Amiga computers, but if I get back to work on expanding and enhancing the performance of my CDTV, being able to use USB with it would be a nice extra too.
Thanks to everyone posting for your feedback or reviews of the new Individual Computers USB controller.:)
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Hmmm, I found this;
http://www.amigans.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=909
Poseidon is under APL (Aros Public License).
Then also found this;
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=61556
I'm not very familiar with the APL. Looks like it's based on the MPL, but I'm not 100% familiar with it either.
Still not sure how/why someone would purchase the source, but hey why not, eh?
slaapliedje
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Bah, these are really old posts, so possibly irrelevant now.
slaapliedje
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The new version of Poseidon is 4.5 downloaded from Jens' Wiki site and has the usb device driver for the add-on card
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Nice! Do we know if there are any other differences between 4.4 and 4.5 besides the new driver?
I'm asking only because I finally got my Amiga all set up correctly (though randomly it seems to have a "run Program failed (error #80000003) Wait for disk activity to finish." error when starting up, or rebooting), and wondering if there are bug fixes, or more drivers available.
slaapliedje
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ordered mine today from Amigakit as a backup to my trusty Subway as I just can't live without USB on my 1200's:)
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Many thanks for the order :)
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I would order mine from AmigaKit too except now they don't have the X-Surf 100 Ethernet adapter in stock... I would really like to order both the USB module and the X-Surf 100 together for my A2000. :hammer: Plus some other stuff I need. :(
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Hi !
X-Surf 100 is due in stock on Wednesday. If you place your preorder today, you will be allocated stock.
Here is link to X-Surf 100:
http://www.amigakit.us/product_info.php?products_id=1156
Many thanks!
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Thanks AmigaKit! One other question... do you sell 4GB CF cards separately?
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Hi
Indeed we do, here is the link:
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=4GB+Compact+Flash
Thank you.
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Thanks again! Annnnnnnnd, one more question... would you happen to have one of these jewels laying around? :laugh1:
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=486
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Just asked Technician (his day off!). He says we have one left, so if you want it, add it to cart and checkout ASAP, he will assemble it for you.
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:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:
SCHWEEEEEEEEET! Thanks BIG TIME AmigaKit!
Got my X-Surf 100
RapidRoad USB
Budda Flash IDE Zorro card (MEGA Thanks! and special thanks to your tech! - PLEEEZE make sure software is included!)
Almost everything I need to pop my 060/50Mhz Processor into my Blizzzzz!
.... and a host of other goodies on their way!!!
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No thank you very much ! :-)
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OldsmobileMike is gonna be soooooooo jealous that I scored a Budda IDE!!! :lol:
AmigaKit is the BEST! :)
Just got to thinking.... this card, having a clockport, should allow me to add the new Prisma Megamix sound card to my A2000!
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Does anyone know if the rapidroad will work on an aca500?
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Does anyone know if the rapidroad will work on an aca500?
From Jens himself....
http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=981578&postcount=44
Although RapidRoad *can* be connected to the ACA500 clockport "somehow", there is no way to do it "out of the box".
The reason is that RapidRoad does not take power from the clockport. This has two safety-reasons: a) the clockport can never supply enough power for the two USB ports and b) by not taking power from the clockport, the damage of a wrong connection can be minimized (not the severe burnt parts and cables that you might know from fried Delfinas and Subways).
There is currently only one solution, and that would be soldering a power cable. This is an expert's job that I might describe in the Wiki, but I will not recommend it. My recommendation is to wait for the network/USB module, which will solve the power connection problem, but also improve speed. Further, you will only need the cheaper version of RapidRoad (the X-Surf-100 version), because the network/USB module for the ACA500 (which I will most likely call "X-Surf-500") will have the same expansion port as the X-Surf-100.
Speed-wise, RapidRoad is about twice as fast as Subway on the clockport. If you already have a Subway, it's definitely worth replacing it with RapidRoad.
Jens
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Many thanks for the order :)
thank YOU for keeping all my Amigas (classic & NG) healthy & happy with the latest gadgets & great service for the last decade:drink:
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@klx300r
It's our pleasure to serve you. Thank you for your continued custom.
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OldsmobileMike is gonna be soooooooo jealous that I scored a Budda IDE!!! :lol:
AmigaKit is the BEST! :)
Just got to thinking.... this card, having a clockport, should allow me to add the new Prisma Megamix sound card to my A2000!
Ha! Was away from the forums for the weekend and just saw these comments! Nice score on the Budda, I've got a pair of old Tandem cards for when I need to connect IDE devices to my A2000, but since they can't autoboot they're of limited use. ( http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/tandem ). I'm happy with my Mechware SCSI card readers though, shame we'll probably never see any more of those for sale, though. AmigaKit, anything you can do about that? ;)
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Hey Mike... better hurry if you want the RapidRoad USB module (this one for A1200 - same as the mount on X-Surf 100 but with the USB port stuff)... this one is still available for pre-order...
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=1213
However, I think the stand alone for the X-Surf Card is already completely allocated for pre-order (was a little cheaper)...
https://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1212
These went FAST!
I had to get my pre-order in for the X-Surf today - or I wouldn't have gotten one!
LOL... thought you'd like my Budda score!
Glad ya made it here since you get an extra hour of Miggy playtime tonight with DST and all!
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These went FAST!
Eep! Looks like I'm getting the A1200 version, instead. Was thinking about that anyway on the off chance I ever got one, lol. Ordered! :D
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Recived my USB today, and installing hardware+software was supereasy.
So far only tested 2 USB sticks, and they where found with no issues.
Excellent addition to my A1200.
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Wrote a review for my blog:
http://www.fitzstevesamigaworld.co.uk/
:)
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Already checked out your blog early this morning while replacing an Asus laptop DC jack!
Very nice write-up and love the pics! :)
I got to thinking that maybe the Rapid Road LEDs could easily be extended to the case front panel with some sort of small home-made fiber optic tubes...
I have an old fiber optic Christmas tree that has some long flexible tubes that would work. I could drill a couple of small holes in the front panel of my A2000 to hold the fiber optic tube.... might work. I would have to come up with a way to secure the tube at the Rapid Road end.
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Thanks for the kind words :)
I'm trying to remember does the LED flash on access? I forget since it's hidden now in my A4000.
I'm trying to get hold of a USB Sound Card to test out on it at the moment.
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Thanks for the kind words :)
I'm trying to remember does the LED flash on access? I forget since it's hidden now in my A4000.
I'm trying to get hold of a USB Sound Card to test out on it at the moment.
A USB soundcard write-up would be mega-awesome! :)
I definitely want to use one on my A2000 w/OS3.9 when all my goodies arrive from AmigaKit!
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Already checked out your blog early this morning while replacing an Asus laptop DC jack!
Very nice write-up and love the pics! :)
I got to thinking that maybe the Rapid Road LEDs could easily be extended to the case front panel with some sort of small home-made fiber optic tubes...
I have an old fiber optic Christmas tree that has some long flexible tubes that would work. I could drill a couple of small holes in the front panel of my A2000 to hold the fiber optic tube.... might work. I would have to come up with a way to secure the tube at the Rapid Road end.
You could try a TOSLINK optical cable. Cut the ends off and you have a fiber optical cable.
also maybe just ask Jens if he would make a batch with header in place of LED. Or you could void warranty and put one there yourself:)
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A USB soundcard write-up would be mega-awesome! :)
I definitely want to use one on my A2000 w/OS3.9 when all my goodies arrive from AmigaKit!
I will do once I get one. My only worry for the A2000 is you might not have success on the ZII Bus. I intend to test it on both A1200 and A4000 anyway so if it works on Clockport you'll certainly be fine. Previously I think only Deneb could drive sound cards.
I'm probably going to order a second RapidRoad at some point :)