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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: curtis on May 30, 2015, 02:44:17 PM

Title: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: curtis on May 30, 2015, 02:44:17 PM

Title pretty well says it all.

Can you use 2 separate IDE devices on a single 7720UW?

Now here's why.

I'm installing a '386SX bridgeboard and to conserve space and, to reduce the number of cables wanted to attach a CF for the PC hard drive along with the CF attached on the Amiga side.  Going on the same SCSI/IDE bus would be a heck of a lot easier than a separate controller just for the PC side.

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: mechy on May 30, 2015, 02:58:33 PM

Quote from: curtis;790210

Title pretty well says it all.

Can you use 2 separate IDE devices on a single 7720UW?

Now here's why.

I'm installing a '386SX bridgeboard and to conserve space and, to reduce the number of cables wanted to attach a CF for the PC hard drive along with the CF attached on the Amiga side.  Going on the same SCSI/IDE bus would be a heck of a lot easier than a separate controller just for the PC side.

No, its one scsi/ide bridge to device.

the pc side can use harddrives on the amiga side tho :) i can't recall if you need sxserv for that or some such. cdrom can also be shared.

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on May 30, 2015, 04:45:17 PM

Quote from: mechy;790211

No, its one scsi/ide bridge to device.

Not that I would try, but I guess something like the TrueIDE wouldn't work either?  It's one device...  just one device that happens to support two cards, LOL. :lol:

So no Master/Slave?

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1203

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: mechy on May 30, 2015, 09:37:26 PM

I haven't used true ide so i might be wrong here, but if you can use just master or slave it should work. you won't get both though with the acard bridge.

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: curtis on May 30, 2015, 10:29:28 PM

Well, at least y'all saved me the frustration of trying that!

Too bad.

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: danbeaver on May 30, 2015, 11:21:16 PM

IDE "Controllers" can have 2 devices, a Master and a Slave; the ACard is a "Bridge" or a conversion device, not a controller.

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on May 31, 2015, 06:24:55 AM

Quote from: danbeaver;790234

IDE "Controllers" can have 2 devices, a Master and a Slave; the ACard is a "Bridge" or a conversion device, not a controller.

That's what I was thinking, using the ACard as a bridge to a controller that supported two cards.  Wonder if it would work?  Yeah, probably not.  I wouldn't be surprised if some enterprising Amiga user tries it out though!  :)

Edit: Does the Amiga even recognize when there's an ACard plugged in?  I would think it would be invisible to the system, the Amiga would just see the device at the end of the chain?

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: danbeaver on May 31, 2015, 09:16:03 AM

Well the controller is the SCSI, so there could be 7 SCSI I/II or 15 SCSI III drives off the bus that were bridged to the SCSI controller; a tad bit expensive for my taste and each ACard Bridge requires a wee bit of time to do the conversion, but it is possible.

Title: Re: Multiple IDE devices on single Acard 7720UW
Post by: danbeaver on May 31, 2015, 09:25:39 AM

Quote from: Oldsmobile_Mike;790250

...
Edit: Does the Amiga even recognize when there's an ACard plugged in?  I would think it would be invisible to the system, the Amiga would just see the device at the end of the chain?

Well if the ACard is "plugged in" the end of the chain using a good lubricant, it might not notice until the device got off; however I just don't see how the Amiga wouldn't notice this initially.