SWAUG REVIEW: USB BAR

[SWAUG]

We were approached by a non-Amiga company, USB-Pendrive.co.uk to test the USB Bar for a number of weeks on our Amigas.
The result is this review.  Check it out if you fancy an alternative to ancient floppy disks on your Amiga.

Our website is also in the process of getting a complete facelift and overhaul- we hope you like the changes that have been made.
The review link can be found at http://www.swaug.org.uk

[cecilia]

very cool!
i've had my eye on these things for awhile. now, i just need the money  :lol:
how much -Writing to- can these things take???

[mboehmer_e3b]

how much -Writing to- can these things take???

Depends on the flash memory used in the stick. Usually more than 100.000 write cycles guaranteed.

I have some CF cards now in usage for several years without problems.

Michael

P.S.: 0.75 MB/s with an USB 2.0 highspeed card ? Wuha. Real cool. That's 52% of USB1.1 bandwidth... doesn't fit into Elbox advertisment numbers, I guess.

[SWAUG]

Michael,

The test version was a USB 1.1 only device.  When we tested the device on a Win XP PC with USB, we achieved speeds that very similar but marginally less

Perhaps the slightly better speed is down to Chris Hodges' more efficient USB stack... BTW: he was helpful in getting the device working in the first place.

If we had our Subway working, it would be very nice to test the device, but it smoked when it was installed!

[mboehmer_e3b]

The test version was a USB 1.1 only device.

You should note this in your review, especially as you emphasize the Spider being an USB 2.0 controller.

If we had our Subway working, it would be very nice to test the device, but it smoked when it was installed!

Each USB controller leaving E3B production has been tested in an Amiga system for reliable operation. Especially the SUBWAY does not like being connected wrong way round We had several people who didn't follow the manual and killed their SUBWAY. That's unfortunate, but clockport cards always face this problem, and I cannot do more about this issue than providing a manual with a step by step instruction.
There's even an installation guide on the website of E3B (with pictures showing the necessary steps).

As I offered you in the past I can provide you with a sample ALGOR any time.

Michael

[tjaoz]

@SWAUG

If we had our Subway working, it would be very nice to test the device, but it smoked when it was installed!

It would be very easy and cheap (less than 1 EUR) for the producer of the hardware fitted to the A1200 clock port to include in it the protection against the hardware damage in case of connecting it wrong way round.  

E3B prefers that hardware smokes in such case and they can charge the customers once again, I guess.

[tjaoz]

@SWAUG

Perhaps the slightly better speed is down to Chris Hodges' more efficient USB stack...

.. or down to Pawel Stypula' more efficient USB Spider driver.

[mboehmer_e3b]

Ah, Mr. Rat aka Tjaoz aka Elbox Press Department ... I presume.

It would be very easy and cheap (less than 1 EUR) for the producer of the hardware fitted to the A1200 clock port to include in it the protection against the hardware damage in case of connecting it wrong way round.

Read the USB specs, especially the sections about power budget, and think about why a protection diode with 0.7V - 1.0V drop is not possible at this place. As you seem to be an ingenious hardware engineer, you certainly will understand.

E3B prefers that hardware smokes in such case and they can charge the customers once again, I guess.

Once more, you are starting to throw with mud.
I start getting tired of your jester jokes... get something new.

[mboehmer_e3b]

.. or down to Pawel Stypula' more efficient USB Spider driver.

Could also be the highly efficient RDB killer code which does the magic. Or the CPU copying from PCI graphic card memory to Amiga memory... who knows...

[tjaoz]

@mboehmer_e3b

Ah, Mr. Rat aka Tjaoz aka Elbox Press Department ... I presume.

Thank you for nominating me to the Elbox Press Department.  :-)
Unfortunately, the nomination coming from the E3Bugs company is worthless :-(

Read the USB specs especially the sections about power budget, and think about why a protection diode with 0.7V - 1.0V drop is not possible at this place.

You are really such a lamer? Or you are so greedy that you play dumb?

Haven't you heard about Power MOS transistors?  :-o

Adding to the Subway board one IRF7809AV HEXFET transistor for less than 1 EUR would be enough for securing this board against any damage in case of connecting it wrong way round.

It looks you play dumb because you prefer that your customers' hardware smokes and you can charge them once again.  :pissed:

[mboehmer_e3b]

Thank you for nominating me to the Elbox Press Department.  

It's your behaviour which entitles you.

Haven't you heard about Power MOS transistors?

No, what are these thingies ? Never ever heard of them... but seriously, Mr. Rat, if you used the grey substance between your ears as intended, you would have come to the conclusion that even such a Power MOSFET would only help in one of many possible scenarios of misalignment between two connectors and one cable.

It looks you play dumb because you prefer that your customers' hardware smokes and you can charge them once again.

Yeah. Good theory. But just repeating some weird accusations doesn't make it real.

As you entitle me to be dumb, it fits perfectly to me offering a complete printed manual with pictures on how to connect the SUBWAY, along with complete instructions on the webpage to give hints and help... and this in both English and German... these efforts are really fitting into your picture very well.
Feel free to check these things yourself at E3B website, just choose English as language, then "Support" and "Manual" / "Mounting".

Well, Ratty, you are not as enlightening as some months before... maybe you should take some holidays to recreate.

Michael