FastATA 1200 and Indivision - how to?

[JohnFante]

Think you for all the advice :-)

I am going with the "kickstart-riser with flat cable"-solution since it is the only way that will fit under the Mediator.

Does anybody know where I can buy such a thing finished? I do not really have the time/soldering capabilities.

[Multivac]

Rob
Where did you find the picture of the FastATA 1200 on cables? Looks interesting but what about signal losses?

Over to our techs to come up with ready made solution. Which we have been waiting for since the Indivision1200 first came out. :-)

[UberFreak]

What I would do:

1) Sell FastATA and BPPC
2) Buy BPPC with SCSI

Best (and fastest) solution, IMO.

[Rob]

Rob
Where did you find the picture of the FastATA 1200 on cables? Looks interesting but what about signal losses?

Over to our techs to come up with ready made solution. Which we have been waiting for since the Indivision1200 first came out. :-)

Found it here.

http://www.commodore.gen.tr/adp/alpyre/

[Rob]

What I would do:

1) Sell FastATA and BPPC
2) Buy BPPC with SCSI

Best (and fastest) solution, IMO.

As long as you're not using OS4.x which doesn't have a driver for the SCSI.

[JohnFante]

And just to be completely sure: There is no other "HD speed up"-solution on the market besides the FastATA?

[Rob]

There was IDE Fix Express but you can't buy them new now and the max speed possible was 5.1MB/s.

[JohnFante]

OK. I have thought a bit more about it and since the "remove kickstart via cable"-solution demands 320 x soldering I will write to Jens Schoenfield and ask if it is safe to rise The Indivision via a cable solution. That only means about 50x soldering. Not sure if it will fit under the Mediator but it is worth a try.

Has anybody done that?

[JohnFante]

Jens have answered and he clearly recommends rising/moving the kickstarte via a flat cable solution as seen here: http://www.commodore.gen.tr/adp/alpyre/images/25.jpg

And now to the soldering .... :-)

[JohnFante]

Apparently Elbox have thought about this problem :-). I wrote to them and got this answer:

"Hello,

If you need to install the BVision or Indivision uder FastATA 1200 we
recommed
to rise the main FastATA board using the precision sockets.

Four of them are available in the BVisionKIT:
http://eu-shop.elbox.com/en_US/p/BVision-KIT/29

If the FastATA is rised as high that it is necessary to rise the
Mediator board you can do it using the Mediator 1200 Riser KIT.

It rises Mediator 11,5 mm:
http://eu-shop.elbox.com/en_US/p/Mediator-1200-Riser-KIT/57

Best regards,
ELBOX COMPUTER, Support Dept."

So apparently the solution is to rise the FastATA over the Indivision via the BVisionKIT and then rise the Mediator via the Mediator 1200 Riser kit.

Has anybody done this with succes?

[kreciu]

This sounds good, but how are you going to install PCI cards in your case? There is not way to shift about 11.5 mm PCI slots in my Ebox 1200? At least I need to look at it carefully, OR just leave some space... and add some spacer for PCI card screws

[JohnFante]

I think the trick is spacers for the PCI screws. At least that is what I will try :-)

[Rob]

Apparently Elbox have thought about this problem :-). I wrote to them and got this answer:

"Hello,

If you need to install the BVision or Indivision uder FastATA 1200 we
recommed
to rise the main FastATA board using the precision sockets.

Four of them are available in the BVisionKIT:
http://eu-shop.elbox.com/en_US/p/BVision-KIT/29

If the FastATA is rised as high that it is necessary to rise the
Mediator board you can do it using the Mediator 1200 Riser KIT.

It rises Mediator 11,5 mm:
http://eu-shop.elbox.com/en_US/p/Mediator-1200-Riser-KIT/57

Best regards,
ELBOX COMPUTER, Support Dept."

So apparently the solution is to rise the FastATA over the Indivision via the BVisionKIT and then rise the Mediator via the Mediator 1200 Riser kit.

Has anybody done this with succes?

So long as there's 11.5mm between the connectors on the PCI card and the end of the bracket then it shouldn't be a real problem.  If that's the case you could screw 11.5mm stand-offs in the holes on the back panel so you can secure the cards properly.  Either that or make your own offset brackets from the blanks that come with the tower.

[Shamron]

I recommend using a good socket, with round pins that doesn't bend so easily.


I use these (or similar) myself for standard 40-pins ic's

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIL-40-DIP40Quality-Precision-Turned-PIN-Open-Frame-PCB-40-Way-IC-Socket-0-6-/400548167824?hash=item5d42880090:g:giIAAOxyeR9TJe93

and for more custom situations...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10Pcs-2-54mm-Pitch-Straight-40-Pin-PCB-Board-Socket-Connector-Headers-/191691482640?hash=item2ca1b3e610:g:sPsAAOSwsB9V9-G-

Something to note, is that the legs on these, as with similar items (as the FastATA 1200 and others) that has round legs, are that they expand the small connectors in the sockets a bit, so going back to an other solution with flat pins afterwards, normally won't pose a problem, but if you experience instability or other problems, bad connections/loose contacts CAN be a culprit.

I had to raise my FastATA 1200 doing this when combining it with my Mediator. I also cut down the pins on the solder side with a sharp sitecutter since i didn't like how close they got to something i can't remember atm. :-)

Edit: Now i remember..  here's some pics. :-)

http://www.amiga.org/forums/album.php?albumid=221

[doctorq]

Why not just get a SCSI PCI controller card and use the Mediator SCSI driver on Aminet? http://aminet.net/package/driver/media/aic78xx.device

Make a small bootdrive on the normal IDE controller, get the Mediator SCSI activated as earlier as possible and transfer control to the SCSI drive.

[JohnFante]

Why not just get a SCSI PCI controller card and use the Mediator SCSI driver on Aminet? http://aminet.net/package/driver/media/aic78xx.device

Make a small bootdrive on the normal IDE controller, get the Mediator SCSI activated as earlier as possible and transfer control to the SCSI drive.

Not a bad idea :-)

Is it supported in OS4.1 Classic and do you know what the speed is?