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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Hardware News => Topic started by: kdhdat on May 06, 2002, 09:21:16 PM

Title: USB card Highway
Post by: kdhdat on May 06, 2002, 09:21:16 PM
The HIGHWAY USB card will be made available to the public by May, 31st 2002 and will be distributed by KDH Datentechnik (http://www.kdh-amiga-shop.com/default.htm). This is the first time that Amiga users can connect and use modern USB devices in connection with their classic Amigas.


HIGHWAY is a Zorro II USB card and comes with an integrated 4-port-hub.  The user has the possibility to connect up to four USB devices without the need for an additional hub. In addition, the HIGHWAY card can be expanded by the new 10Mbit ethernet module NORWAY without wasting an additional Zorro slot. A compatibility list for Zorro-boards and Zorro-cards can be found here (http://www.e3b.de/usb/compatibility.html). The boards have been developed and manufactured by E3B (http://www.e3b.de/usb/) ( Michael Boehmer ). The worldwide distribution is done by KDH Datentechnik and your local Amiga dealer (http://www.kdh-amiga-shop.com/usb-distribution.htm) will have the cards in stock by the end of May.

 

  The scope of delivery includes the USB software stack Poseidon by Chris Hodges. Drivers for USB mice, keyboard and parallel interface ( printers ) and mass storage devices ( SCSI emulation : e.g. flashcard-reader, ZIP-devices,   digicams following the MSD-standard ) will be shipped in addition to the HIGHWAY card without any additional cost. More drivers ( webcam, digicam and printers) are being developed right now by third party companies.
 


We do support the development of the Amiga OS4.0 contained USB-stack by providing the USB cards HIGHWAY and SUBWAY. Both cards serve as the reference-hardware for the USB software-development and will be directly supported by OS4.0. Alternatively it will also be possible to use the provided Poseidon stack. KDH Datentechnik
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: Tomas on May 06, 2002, 11:38:21 PM
Sounds awesome!
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: PhatAgnus on May 07, 2002, 02:34:53 AM
This I can hardly wait for!! AmigaOne?? I'm sitting on the fence for that to prove worthy.
USB for the Classic is a major asset, even if it isn't fully 2.0 compatible. My biggest concern right now is who's gonna
sell them here in the States? Oh, I see it now...KDH have Software Hut listed as US Distributor!! Cool! My order gets placed tomorrow!
Still would like to see drivers developed for PDA devices though. Anyone out there tinkerin' in this driver code yet??
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: Chathurawind on May 07, 2002, 11:06:51 AM
Quote
PhatAgnus wrote:

Still would like to see drivers developed for PDA devices though. Anyone out there tinkerin' in this driver code yet??


do you not just point the connection software at the required port driver - ie: serial.device or silversurfer.device etc ? I would imagine there would be an equivalent USB.device or somesuch.
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: Agafaster on May 07, 2002, 11:18:38 AM
Ooops! that Anonymous was me.

I guess what you do is put the device as usb.device and set the unit number ?
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: PhatAgnus on May 07, 2002, 01:57:49 PM
Well, erm...with Spitfire2 PDA linking software (which BTW is a superb piece of code bar none!) I had to have it point to the '8n1.device' for it to communicate with my Handspring. If there's to be a flat out 'universal' usb.device driver without bells & whistles it may just work...it just sounds all too simple to be true! I've never dealt with USB ports, not even on Wintel boxes, so it's uncharted waters all together. Now...what about accessories that attach to the PDA expansion ports, like MiniJAM MP3 module, or the various digicam devices? Wouldn't they need devoted drivers?
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: Allen on May 07, 2002, 03:30:49 PM
It should be that simple.

Yous should not need any extra drivers but I guess we will have to wait and see...:)

Looks damned good though!

Allen
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: Chathurawind on May 07, 2002, 08:30:59 PM
Anyone know if theres going to be a UK dealer?  Power?  Maybe Eyetech (even though they have the A1)??
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: kdhdat on May 08, 2002, 08:07:51 AM
Any dealer who wants to sell the USB product line is welcome to order from us.

cheers
Guenter - KDH -
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: PhatAgnus on May 08, 2002, 01:31:31 PM
Is there a dealer minimum required?
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: PhatAgnus on May 08, 2002, 01:36:18 PM
Seeing the recent post on B&P being updated made me start to wonder about USB Midi devices and Highway/Subway support for those as well....hmmmmmm.
Title: Re: USB card Highway
Post by: kdhdat on May 08, 2002, 04:51:10 PM
We will discuss this subject with the dealer when he contacts us.