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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Software News => Topic started by: DJS on February 17, 2005, 06:24:26 PM

Title: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: DJS on February 17, 2005, 06:24:26 PM
ELBOX COMPUTER has released today the NEW drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III controllers. New software is available free of charge for all registered users of FastATA 1200 MK-III controllers.



The update includes new versions of:
• ATA3.driver
• ATA3Prefs
• AllegroCDFS

Changes:
ATA3.driver ver.8.4
- INTERRUPT support added
- RESIDENT mode support reworked

ATA3Prefs ver.8.4
- INT/NO_INT switch added
- changes in the SPLIT/NOSPLIT detection algorithm

AllegroCDFS ver.3.5
- support for MK-III hardware added


If you own an older FastATA controller and you are resident of the European Union, you can upgrade it now with the newest FastATA 1200 MK-III (http://eu-shop.elbox.com/cgibin/shop?info=420F12) in the Trade-Up Upgrade (http://eu-shop.elbox.com/cgibin/shop?show=910M997) Program receiving 40 EUR mail-in rebate.

Info on the current software versions is available in the DOWNLOADS | FastATA section (http://www.elbox.com/downloads_fastata.html).
Title: Re: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: amigakit on February 17, 2005, 07:37:59 PM
For anyone interested in getting this product, we are now distributors of the Fast ATA MKIII (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=192) as well as other Elbox products.

It's in stock now.
Title: Re: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: keropi on February 18, 2005, 06:30:19 AM
anyone knows what the interrupts that now are supported, offer?
Title: Re: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: darkcoder on February 18, 2005, 09:49:28 AM
Using interrupt support should reduce CPU load.
That is what Elbox told me (I am registered user).
Title: Re: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: x56h34 on February 18, 2005, 09:04:15 PM
Instead of writing support for a good UWSCSI-3 PCI card, or a UDMA ATA133, SATA, or something along those lines, that would be compatible with Mediator, that would support DMA, and possibly with integrated auto-booting through Eflash, why do they still bother with the old, slow, cpu-hogging FastATA? It must be a hot selling product so they do it, as for most people something faster than the stock PIO-0 mode is wanted.
Title: Re: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: lorddef on February 21, 2005, 04:18:09 PM
@x56h34

I totally agree, surely would be nice to get some new drivers for our mediators, but instead they are going to dump us mediator users once the Dragon is released.

To be honest I really don't believe that the reduced cpu load that the MK3 is marketed on is worth 40 euros, so I'm sticking with my old PowerFlyer.

Hey Elbox, why not give us some actual figures on the reduced cpu load, i.e real figures like "25% on an 030/50 and 20% on an 060/50" etc

Until then I'll just assume its an attempt to get some money for nothing off of the loyal amiga users that have supported you.
Title: Re: New drivers for FastATA 1200 MK-III
Post by: x56h34 on February 23, 2005, 05:43:56 PM
@lorddef:

Agreed. Even if let's say from 5 or 6 MBs per second you receive a speed gain and reach 7 to 8MB per second (if you trade in MK2 and get MK3 controller)...I really don't think it's worth the effort.

We need equivalent speeds to CSPPC scsi controller. Now that's fast. We have PCI expansion as options, so why not write drivers for an existing good SCSI card instead? :-( It's not like Elbox needs to design a card from scratch or something...all that's needed is a software driver.