mlgy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (01/16/91)
I've got some money burning a hole in my pocket and am looking for
some info on various hardware options that I'd like to add to my
system. My system = A2500, 5 megs, 2 floppies, 385 megs of HD space,
etc. I've got some questions for the net about some of the expansion
options I am considering. (I'm finally at the point where I'm adding
luxuries rather than necessities to my system 8-) Anyway, her goes:
1) Streaming Tape Backup devices -
I only know of one Amiga specific tape-drive - the WT-150 made
by GVP. What other options do I have? What other software/hardware
do I need to take a standard SCSI tape drive and plug it into my
Amiga? I think I remember reading someplace that GVP's unit uses
a Wangtek SCSI tape-drive as the hardware - anyone know? If so, is
there anyway I can just get the GVP software driver and buy the
Wangtek (or another SCSI) tape-drive someplace else and get it working
with the Amiga? What other 3rd party (PD or commercial) software
drivers are there and what hardware do they work with? Also, what
tape format should I look for in order to maintain compatibility with
Amiga Unix? (BTW, I've got a GVP Impact SCSI controller upgraded with
Series II ROMS.)
2) MultiSync flicker-fixed display -
I'm also considering upgrading my display and have pretty much
decided that I would go with C='s A2320. Any suggestions as to a
good quality but not TOO expensive monitor? Does anyone know of any
multi-synch monitors that also accept composite input? Has anyone
used a monitor by AOC? (They make a monitor which, superficially at
least, seems to resemble the C= 1950 - did they OEM the 1950?) Any
other advice on what to look for (and avoid) while monitor shopping?
3) Tower cases -
I've run out of internal drive bays, and am sick of cluttering
up my desk with external boxes so I am looking for a tower case with
lots of room in it. I know of two Amiga towers - the Golem and the
Bomack (Bomark? maybe)... has anyone out there used or seen these
products? How many 3 1/2" drive bays in each? 5 1/4" HH bays?
FH bays? What about their power-supply and ventilation systems?
Anyone know of any other Amiga towers? Also, what would be involved
in putting a 2000 inside of a IBM-PC clone tower?
Whew.... enough questions. Thanks in advance for the answers. 8-)
- Chris
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| Christopher A. Wolf | The Amiga Exchange BBS (607) 253-7832 |
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+--------------------------------------------------------------------+rbabel@babylon.rmt.sub.org (Ralph Babel) (01/17/91)
In article <1991Jan16.050943.2082@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> mlgy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes: > 1) Streaming Tape Backup devices - > I only know of one Amiga specific tape-drive - the WT-150 > made by GVP. What other options do I have? What other > software/hardware do I need to take a standard SCSI tape > drive and plug it into my Amiga? To operate a tape streamer, all you really need is a SCSI host adapter board and a device driver that supports HD_SCSICMD (aka "SCSI Direct"), a special command that is used by most tape streamer software to send raw SCSI commands to a SCSI target. > I think I remember reading someplace that GVP's unit uses > a Wangtek SCSI tape-drive as the hardware - anyone know? Yes, GVP do sell the Wangtek 150 MB streamer. > If so, is there anyway I can just get the GVP software > driver and buy the Wangtek (or another SCSI) tape-drive > someplace else and get it working with the Amiga? Sure, no problem. All you need is a bare GVP SCSI host adapter (the device driver ROM is included, of course) and a tape backup program. As far as I know, GVP's TapeStore software is available separately. > What other 3rd party (PD or commercial) software drivers > are there and what hardware do they work with? It's not really third-party "drivers". The device driver has to be supplied by the manufacturer of the SCSI board. data to be written to tape | Read() (file mode) | CMD_READ (image mode) V tape backup software (e.g. TapeStore) | HD_SCSICMD | V device driver | | (magic) V SCSI host adapter | SCSI protocol | V tape streamer If the tape backup software is an AmigaDOS handler, then the usual packet-mechanism is used to send data to be stored to the tape handler. > Also, what tape format should I look for in order to > maintain compatibility with Amiga Unix? Using a tape handler, it should be possible to use "tar". I haven't tried it, though. I don't know about stand-alone Amiga backup software supporting UNIX format. > (BTW, I've got a GVP Impact SCSI controller upgraded with > Series II ROMS.) Apart from the tape streamer and the backup software, that's really all you need. Ralph
billsey@agora.rain.com (Bill Seymour) (01/30/91)
In article <05709.AA05709@babylon.rmt.sub.org> cbmvax.commodore.com!cbmehq!babylon!rbabel (Ralph Babel) writes: :In article <1991Jan16.050943.2082@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> :mlgy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes: : :: What other 3rd party (PD or commercial) software drivers :: are there and what hardware do they work with? : :It's not really third-party "drivers". The device driver has :to be supplied by the manufacturer of the SCSI board. : : data to be written to tape : | :Read() (file mode) | CMD_READ (image mode) : V : tape backup software (e.g. TapeStore) : | : HD_SCSICMD | : V : device driver : | : | (magic) : V : SCSI host adapter : | : SCSI protocol | : V : tape streamer : :If the tape backup software is an AmigaDOS handler, then the :usual packet-mechanism is used to send data to be stored to :the tape handler. Examples of this type of software out in the public domain (or freely distributable) are Markus Wandel's tape-handler and Bob Rothermeyer's BTNtape-handler. Either will work with many combinations of drives and controllers. There is also a utility called 'Tabu', which is a stand alone tape backup program. It has the drive access stuff built in and doesn't require any special handler. I've tested each of these (using TAR with the handlers) on a 3000/Archive, a 2000/Nexus/Archive, a 3000/Emulex and the 2000/Emulex. They all work consistantly, with the best throughput coming from Tabu in image mode and BTNtape 1.1 in file by file mode. Nexus also distributes a tape.device for their board that allows you to mount a tape for use with either their tape software or for use with Central Coast's Quarterback software. This is a bit different than the handlers, since it doesn't allow any 'filesystem' type accesses to the tape. :: Also, what tape format should I look for in order to :: maintain compatibility with Amiga Unix? : :Using a tape handler, it should be possible to use "tar". I :haven't tried it, though. I don't know about stand-alone :Amiga backup software supporting UNIX format. The TAR I use (33860 bytes) works well with either Markus' or Bob's tape handlers. It writes a format that my XENIX system at wrok doesn't seem to have any trouble reading, although I haven't tried an actual restore from my Amiga tapes onto the XENIX system. :-) It does, however, seem to have troubles reading a tar file created on the UNIX SYS V.4 system I get me newsfeed from. :-( :Ralph -- -Bill Seymour billsey@agora.uucp or billsey@agora.rain.com ***** American People/Link Amiga Zone Hardware Specialist NES*BILL ***** Bejed, Inc. NES, Inc. NAG BBS NES BBX BBS Home Sometimes (503)281-8153 (503)246-9311 (503)656-7393 (503)640-9337 (503) 640-0842