FastATA 4000 MK-VII CF/SATA controllers

[QuikSanz]

In an A3000, what would be a better option, the onboard SCSI with a SCSI-IDE adapter and CF or use this for CF?

thanks

Doing it that way would give you proper DMA instead of PIO.

[matt3k]

In an A3000, what would be a better option, the onboard SCSI with a SCSI-IDE adapter and CF or use this for CF?

thanks

Use the 3000D SCSI controller.  Many options, my favorite is the Acard 2000SUP.  Fits the 3000 perfectly and I get over 4 megs/sec with a nice SATA SSD.  Not to mention scsi dma without a huge hit to the cpu.

[LoadWB]

I'm also thinking of getting one for my A4000 but dopn't use IDE /SATA much with it as only my boot drive is on IDE but all other drives are powered by my CS-MKIII onboard scsi

I keep thinking I would like to grab one, but I also have a CS-MKIII.  68-pin SCSI to SATA adapters are not cheap, especially ones that support hard drives.  I have one for IDE for my DVD-RW, but it only supports ATAPI devices.

I could buy the FastIDE and use an IDE-to-SATA adapter (or one of my IDE SSDs,) or I could find a 68-pin SCSI-to-SATA.

Decisions decisions.

[Acill]

I ended up ordering one from Amigastore.eu because I want to try it out. I'm sure it wont be faster than using the scsi on my CSPPC, but it will still allow me to use some nice modern drives without jumping through a lot of hoops.

I intend to do a full review of it once it gets in. They are currently delayed from my understanding.

[matt3k]

I can give you a 27megs/sec reason to get an acard scsi to sata adapter.  Works great with the CS MKIII.

The IDE will be much slower and much more cpu intensive...

I keep thinking I would like to grab one, but I also have a CS-MKIII.  68-pin SCSI to SATA adapters are not cheap, especially ones that support hard drives.  I have one for IDE for my DVD-RW, but it only supports ATAPI devices.

I could buy the FastIDE and use an IDE-to-SATA adapter (or one of my IDE SSDs,) or I could find a 68-pin SCSI-to-SATA.

Decisions decisions.

[LoadWB]

I can give you a 27megs/sec reason to get an acard scsi to sata adapter.  Works great with the CS MKIII.

The IDE will be much slower and much more cpu intensive...

Spoken truth.  Even my 2000 has a Blizzard 060 with fast SCSI, and my 3000 has SCSI on-board.  I guess at some point I need to stop trying to justify the purchase and grab a new X-Surf, instead

[DJS]

> Pretty lame to put CF and SATA in the title when it requires an IDE-SATA adapter

> Indeed, judging by the picture, this controller has nothing to do with SATA...

> I belive that previous versions hasn't worked with CF adapters.

FastATA 4000 controllers without CF/SATA description have supported Compact Flash cards and SATA drives but only in PIO 0 and in PIO 3 modes. Controllers with CF/SATA in name support them also in the higher PIO mods (PIO 4 and PIO5).

Using CF cards requires  Compact Flash - PATA adapter. Using SATA drives requires PATA-to-SATA converter. These few dollars adapters are easy to obtain and very convenient to use. To each PATA ribbon you can connect two adapters, one set as MASTER, second as SLAVE. MASTER/SLAVE setting is switchable by jumpers located on these adapters. Here is photos showing typical installation of Compact Flash - PATA adapter and SATA drive in the Amiga tower system:






> I think it's about high time that Elbox made a proper SATA controller instead.

Soldering CF card sockets or SATA connectors on the FastATA boards would not give any advantage over current solution, which is in our opinion more flexible and more convenient to use.

> I'm also interested in the changelog, or is the change from MK VI to VII only:
> * color changed from green to black

* small changes on the board layout
* some timing enhancements in the CPLD firmware
* new BootROM (ver. 9.0)
The main change in new BootROM is that it does not generate scsi.device even if there is nothing attached to the A4000 motherboard IDE port. It starts from 2nd.scsi.device. If you have more FastATA 4000 controllers installed in computer the second controller starts from 3rd.scsi.device and so on.

[Acill]

I've got an ACARD on my CSPPC actually. Yes its fast, yes I can run an SSD with it too, but you still need to buy one ACARD at nearly $100 each for every single device you want to use. It adds up fast.

This isnt that much money to try, and if I decide its not worth the hit I can resell it. I have a 75MHZ 060 and a 420Mhz PPC on mine, not going to notice a hit on my system.

[slaapliedje]

I never could get the cf card reader to work that was included with the one I bought (must have been the VI, though I always thought it was the VII.  This product should at least include the no-IDE board, so you get insta-boot on an A4000.

[Dandy]

...
I'm sure it wont be faster than using the scsi on my CSPPC,
...

So am I.
I'm so glad I don't have to use the IDE of my A4k and can use the UW-SCSI of my CSPPC instead. Using SCSI makes the System feel much more responsive than with IDE.

I have disabled the internal IDE entirely with the hardware hack to disable A4000 IDE port, so it now does not waste any time anymore during boot for scanning for IDE drives...

EDIT:

I have a 75MHZ 060 and a 420Mhz PPC on mine,

You naughty boy!
 ;-)
I just have 50 mHz 060 and a 200 mHz PPC on mine.
But worse than that is that we can populate the CSPPC with just 128 mB RAM.

B.t.w. - does your system also suffer from contact problems in the plug connection between CSPPC and the A4k mobo from time to time?
Mine always did.
Initially it happened once or twice a year, but lately ist becoming more frequent and is getting on my nerves.

Each time I have to pull the Miggy out of the corner, have to open the case, remove the CSPPC, clean the contacts with commercially available contact spray, let it dry for at least one hour, put all back together, test it, close the case and push it back to it's place. Really annoying.

As you're offering recapping service in the US, you might be able to tell me where I can get replacement for the plug connection between CSPPC and the A4k mobo from?

[kirk_m]

Mine arrived today...and works great.  I am glad to have the option to use some of my IDE peripherals on the A3000.  I can't believe how quickly it got here, as well - less than a week from Spain to US.

[Acill]

So am I.
I'm so glad I don't have to use the IDE of my A4k and can use the UW-SCSI of my CSPPC instead. Using SCSI makes the System feel much more responsive than with IDE.

I have disabled the internal IDE entirely with the hardware hack to disable A4000 IDE port, so it now does not waste any time anymore during boot for scanning for IDE drives...

EDIT:



You naughty boy!
 ;-)
I just have 50 mHz 060 and a 200 mHz PPC on mine.
But worse than that is that we can populate the CSPPC with just 128 mB RAM.

B.t.w. - does your system also suffer from contact problems in the plug connection between CSPPC and the A4k mobo from time to time?
Mine always did.
Initially it happened once or twice a year, but lately ist becoming more frequent and is getting on my nerves.

Each time I have to pull the Miggy out of the corner, have to open the case, remove the CSPPC, clean the contacts with commercially available contact spray, let it dry for at least one hour, put all back together, test it, close the case and push it back to it's place. Really annoying.

As you're offering recapping service in the US, you might be able to tell me where I can get replacement for the plug connection between CSPPC and the A4k mobo from?

Finding new cpu connectors is near impossible. I've fixed many by CARFULLY using an xacto knife and bending the pins inward to make them tighter. Not to much though,  just enough to make a more solid connection

[Acill]

Mine arrived today...and works great.  I am glad to have the option to use some of my IDE peripherals on the A3000.  I can't believe how quickly it got here, as well - less than a week from Spain to US.

My wife just mine came yesterday from Spain too. Can't wait to get home on 19th to try it out.