Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!visinfo
From: visinfo@ethz.UUCP (VISINFO Moderators)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: A.L.F.
Keywords: Harddisk Controller ALF
Message-ID: <1374@ethz.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jun 89 13:19:10 GMT
References: <17595@louie.udel.EDU>
Reply-To: visinfo@bernina.UUCP (VISINFO Moderators)
Organization: ETH Zuerich, Switzerland
Lines: 53

In article <17595@louie.udel.EDU> joe@bryans.scc.com writes:
>
>I just read in the recent issue of Amazing Computer that there is a new
>hard drive controller out on the market called A.L.F.! (Amiga Loads 
>Faster) by Prespect Technology Inc in Quebec.
>
>Anyone know more info about this?

I'm really amazed that you can get A.L.F. even in USA.

A.L.F. is an Interface to use PC/XT-Controllers on the Amiga for ST-506
drives. Original this Interface was published in the German ct magazine
(4/88). The ct device was not very fast (about 170 KB/s). Oliver Kastel
wrote a new device and called it alf.device. The hardware was the same
except another I/O address. The first ALF versions were made for the
OMTI controllers (5520 MFM - 5527 RLL). You can order different versions
of ALF (Software for ct Interface only, Soft- & Hardware or a set which
includes a Contoller also). Now there are also other version of ALF which
support Seagate or Wester Digital Controllers. The reason for this is
that we can't get OMTI controllers anymore here in Europe.

ALF harddrive systems are the cheapest solution available. If you build
your Interface yourself you get a 32 MB HD system for A2000 for SFr. 800.--
(ALF soft: ca. 100.--, ALF hard: 50.--, Seagate 238R ca. 450.--, OMTI 
 ca. 200.--).
But there also a few disadvantedges:

    - NO DMA: Disables other Tasks while doing I/O
              Doesn't work correctly with fast Amigas (I tried only on A2620)
              (There is a Turbo version of ALF, but it works only in SLOW
               or CHIP memory and it is SLOWER!!! than a 68000 ALF)
              If your AMIGA crashes while writing you MUST reformat your HD.

     - No Autoboot yet: May be this will come one day (We tried to modify
              ALF to autoboot, but it failed because ALF uses a DOS Process
              instead of an EXEC Task).

Performance:   Drive             Acc Time     Diskperf w/ 32K buf
               Seagate ST 238r   65 ms            238 KB/s
               Priam V 185       28 ms            374 KB/s  (Fastest w/ ALF)
               Microscience 725  85 ms            174 KB/s

If you want a chaep HD for your Amiga and don't want to expand to a '020
or a '030 System the ALF is OK.
But don't expect to ALF to be as good as a DMA controller like HF or 2090.
Consider buying an SCSI Harddisk system for professional usage.


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