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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Astral on November 09, 2006, 08:58:18 AM

Title: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: Astral on November 09, 2006, 08:58:18 AM

Just purchased an Amiga 1200 and would like to add an external IDE CD/DVD drive. Rather than hack the case I would like to run the cable out of the expansion hole on the right hand rear of the unit. Is it likely to cause any reliability issues/interference with such a long length cable or the fact it passes over the rest of the board to get there?

Title: Re: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: McVenco on November 09, 2006, 09:10:12 AM

As long as you make the cable not too long it shouldn't give any trouble IMHO, and if the cable is well isolated it shouldn't bother the mainboard as well (or the other way round).

For better movability of the cable you might want to get yourself a round IDE cable instead of a flatcable (or carefully separate all wires in the flatcable yourself)

Title: Re: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: blobrana on November 09, 2006, 09:16:21 AM

Hum,
yeah,
shorter is better.
i guess 60 cm is the largest length you can get away.

Title: Re: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: keropi on November 09, 2006, 09:30:02 AM

when I had a fastata1200, I was using without any kind of probs, a 75cm 80pin IDE cable, that connected a HD and a CDROM.

Title: Re: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: Chain on November 09, 2006, 01:09:17 PM

i had 70cm hdd+cd cable (thru pcmcia hole :), wotks without any problem.
fastata is another story, i think there is 80cm limit mentioned in manual

Title: Re: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: alewis on November 10, 2006, 10:27:44 PM

The spec limits the cable length to 45cm / 18inches. Anything over that is out-of-spec, and suscpetible to noise, timing problems, and interference, etc.

YMMV, but thats the spec limit.

Title: Re: External IDE CD for Amiga 1200 - cable length limit?
Post by: amigakit on November 10, 2006, 11:17:56 PM

Use one of these cables which allows detachment of the IDE lead:

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=550


Also a low cost buffered IDE interface:

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=532