Possible NEW USB solutions for the Amiga

[danbeaver]

There is a discussion on EAB:
eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=66255

That involves two hardware solutions to the lack of available USB devices for our Amigas.

The first is a small USB 1.1 controller for "bedded" devices referenced as:  item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=251042721473

The chip was used in the Thylacine USB board made in Australia which has been posted by the original designers as now "open" to the community with schematics, software source code and drivers.  It originally had its own stack but uses Poseidon well. It works in OS 4.1.  It is proposed as a project that could be built and sold in Zorro and clock port versions by "do gooders" who want to help out the Amiga community and maybe could use generated funds for other projects. The cost of the components for both seem inexpensive.

The Thylacine information is below:
http://members.iinet.com.au/~loofy/index.html

Count me in as a buyer if someone will build it

[danbeaver]

AFAIK the SL811 chip used in Thylacine is quite unstable (according to experts like Chris Hodges, Jens Schoenfeld, Michael Boehmer and many others).

Rubbish is cheap but it's still rubbish.

That is a surprise to hear. My Thylacine card seems very stable and works with printers, mice, keyboards and thumb drives. In fact the Thylacine.device lists Chris Hodges as having put the final fixes to it in 2004.  I've read where a lot of people used it with Epson scanners and loved it ( my Epson scanner is still packed from a recent move).  Could it be a problem with USB 2.0 devices?  The USB hard drives and 100 MBit/s NIC's might be slowed, but do you think there is data corruption with them?  I've only had positive experiences, what details have you had that show it is "rubbish?"  Could you list the references to those comments to pin down the problems?

[danbeaver]

Really?  Can you tell us what it says, it appears in German

It would be most desirable in a Zorro and a clock port version

[danbeaver]

I don't think Jens had made the boards for E3B -- Deneb although they work together on PCB boards for Subway

[danbeaver]

Could you remark on the unreliable and inadequate statement?  It seems to work on the Thylacine card for 1.1 devices. When there are no solutions out there, even a compromised one is better than none

[danbeaver]

Folks,

Build a better mouse trap; I will buy one!  It can't all be a"bust."  Just charge more. I mean have you seen the prices for stuff these days, and I'm still in line

[danbeaver]

A check of the postings show major work under way with one card sporting an Ethernet interface. Moma's makin' some gravy now!!

[danbeaver]

I've had two NEW Thylacine cards for a week now from the amazing Genny_Flick. They may only support thumb drives, mice, keyboards, printers, scanners, and Asix based Ethernet dongles, but even with the slow 1.1 speed for €91 or $121 or £78 it is a great investment.

We should all support our own community and display more purring and less hissing.

[danbeaver]

Yes.

[danbeaver]

The Thylacine re-developer is working on a half-size board of this USB board.

[danbeaver]

Deneb or Subway?  Ask Michael at E3B.  But Jens should have an anouncement about his X-Surf 100 with 100 Mbs Ethernet and USB onboard.