Overview Features Coding ApolloOS Performance Forum Downloads Products Order Contact

Welcome to the Apollo Forum

This forum is for people interested in the APOLLO CPU.
Please read the forum usage manual.
Please visit our Apollo-Discord Server for support.



All TopicsNewsPerformanceGamesDemosApolloVampireAROSWorkbenchATARIReleases
Documentation about the Vampire hardware

Connecting 4 IDE Devices to V4SA - How?

Chris Green

Posts 29
26 Oct 2021 00:18


Hi everyone

I have a V4 SA (recent model with 3 USB ports and only one IDE header.

Ideally, I would like to attach more drives (CD and HDD) to it (they will be powered with their own power supplies, not from the IDE ports). Is it possible, and if so what are my options

Can I use an A1200 buffered IDE port splitter like this: EXTERNAL LINK ? Or would I need to have a 40-pin 2nd port soldered into place in the unpopulated PCB space next to the 44pin port? Reluctant to do the latter for obvious reasons.

Thanks
Chris


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
26 Oct 2021 11:34


Hi Chris,

regarding your question with 4 IDE devices.
Can you please help me understand what devices you like to connect, how to power them, and how you want to power the V4.

Thanks
Gunnar


Chris Green

Posts 29
26 Oct 2021 20:18


Hi Gunnar

I would like to add an additional hard drive and a CD Drive (my thinking is to put the hard drive and the CF card on one IDE port, with the CD drive on the 2nd IDE port to reduce the speed impact on the Hard disks). Obviously, this is hampered by the fact the current iteration of the V4SA only has one IDE header.

I have two options for power - external PSUs for the CD and hard drive or put the lot into a Checkmate 1500 Mini case, in which case everything would be powered from the SFX PSU in the case.

So, to my original question, will an A1200-style buffered IDE interface like the one I referenced in my first post work on the V4SA, or would it be a case of soldering in the second IDE port onto the V4SA itself (which I don’t want to do)?


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
27 Oct 2021 07:38


Hi Chris,

Chris Green wrote:

I have two options for power - external PSUs for the CD and hard drive

The power topic is important to discuss.
If you power an external device like DVD drive with a second power supply then this can create two electric system which are connected via the IDE cable but which might not have the same ground level.
This can be dangerous to the components.


Chris Green

Posts 29
27 Oct 2021 08:46


Ok, noted.

But can I please get an answer about the IDE ports.

Will an A1200-style buffered IDE interface like the one I referenced in my first post work on the V4SA (to split the IDE into two), or would it be a case of having to solder in the second IDE port onto the unpopulated space on the V4SA itself (which I don’t want to do)?

Thanks
Chris




Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
27 Oct 2021 09:11


Chris Green wrote:

Ok, noted.
 
But can I please get an answer about the IDE ports.

I have not tries this. Therefore I can not answer if this will work.

But the Vampire IDE supports fastIDE modes.
In fact the Vampire IDE is by far the fastest controller available for Amigas. You get ~19MB/sec with it on ApolloOS.
I would assume that you loose the performance with this adapter.




Chris Green

Posts 29
27 Oct 2021 11:14


Thanks. Not bothered about the speed, connectivity is far more important at this stage.


Richard Statham

Posts 49
27 Oct 2021 20:31


I have tried various adapters achive what you are saying with no success as yet. Sorry to say it but Vampire cockes up the same as Commodore did by only putting one ide port on it. They should of been think future expansion not what the little box can hold. I have another adapter coming soon so will see if I have more luck with that.



Chris Green

Posts 29
04 Nov 2021 14:25


Thanks Richard, do please let us know if you have any joy with the adapter you have coming.

Gunnar - what would be involved to add the second IDE port onto the V4SA board? Is it just a case of soldering on the header in the unoccupied space on the board, or are there other components that need to be added as well? Thanks.


David Wright

Posts 373
04 Nov 2021 14:46


at some point you are getting into Rube Goldberg territory with all these devices.


Steve Hodson

Posts 32
04 Nov 2021 17:57


Richard Statham wrote:

I have tried various adapters achive what you are saying with no success as yet. Sorry to say it but Vampire cockes up the same as Commodore did by only putting one ide port on it. They should of been think future expansion not what the little box can hold. I have another adapter coming soon so will see if I have more luck with that.
 

When you say you have tried many devices, could you be more specific.

Did you try the buffered IDE from Elbox? I thought it works on the V2/1200...but it's been a while since I tried.

EXTERNAL LINK 



Chris Green

Posts 29
04 Nov 2021 23:02


David Wright wrote:

at some point you are getting into Rube Goldberg territory with all these devices.

I have no idea what you are talking about???


David Wright

Posts 373
05 Nov 2021 01:07


Chris Green wrote:

David Wright wrote:

  at some point you are getting into Rube Goldberg territory with all these devices.
 

  I have no idea what you are talking about???

EXTERNAL LINK  Just a lame attempt at humor. The reference is used when things are overly complicated in their implementation.


Richard Statham

Posts 49
05 Nov 2021 20:46


You made a board to add an extra usb to the original v4. Could a board not be made to add another ide port. Im sure there is enough users that would pay for this. V4 1200 has 2 x ide why cant the v4+ have 2


Marco Bruines

Posts 31
06 Nov 2021 01:49


Gunnar von Boehn wrote:

  The power topic is important to discuss.
  If you power an external device like DVD drive with a second power supply then this can create two electric system which are connected via the IDE cable but which might not have the same ground level.
  This can be dangerous to the components.

I want to connect an optical device too, so i can play may original cd32 en cdtv games again, but then on the A500 ;) Afcource i dont want to cut in my mint a500 case, so external it will be..

is there any adviced method to do this?



Richard Statham

Posts 49
18 Nov 2021 22:34


Success with CoffinOS. Apollo dont seem to like the extra cable length.

EXTERNAL LINK 



John William

Posts 563
19 Nov 2021 17:34


Richard Statham wrote:

        Success with CoffinOS. Apollo dont seem to like the extra cable length.
         
          EXTERNAL LINK         
         
       

       
      Isn't this completely negating the whole point of been small, compressed, portable and space efficient? Honestly, as time passed by, for my V4 I don't need a CD-ROM. It may look little ugly, but I have an IDE extended outside the case with dual IDE: master/slave. I turn off V4..take the SD from the SD adapter.....transfer all the data...put that SD back...turn on the V4..ta-da.
     
      With this I can have more than 4 GB that I would have gotten from a DVD, can read/write anytime and be able to transfer large data, faster and energy efficient.
   
      What I want is a core update that any of the USB port allow USB external disk drive to work as a real Amiga disk drive (as well as supporting high density Amiga disk).


NoXLar - DemoSceneLover

Posts 63
20 Nov 2021 16:06


the open source ntfs-3g driver could play a role here. to bad the usb ports isn't real usb. (as far as i know)


Richard Statham

Posts 49
20 Nov 2021 23:12


I only did as proof of concept and as a challenge. I will most likely go back to no cdrom system. Another big issue with cdrom and Vampire and A1200 / 600 / A500 is none of them have Audio header so games like TZero genetic species that have audio on the cd can be heard. the only Amiga with Audio headers is A4000.


John William

Posts 563
22 Nov 2021 07:36


Richard Statham wrote:

I only did as proof of concept and as a challenge. I will most likely go back to no cdrom system. Another big issue with cdrom and Vampire and A1200 / 600 / A500 is none of them have Audio header so games like TZero genetic species that have audio on the cd can be heard. the only Amiga with Audio headers is A4000.

We know it can be done. Wanna know how we know it can be done? It have IDE that works like A1200 but better. By default, it can be done. No one is doing it, because it is insane to do it. It can be done. In fact, I have an adapter that can have two 3.5" IDE and one 1 2.5" IDE if I wanted too. But I wouldn't.

posts 20