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From: spg@well.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: CLtd 20M hard disk
Message-ID: <2758@well.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Mar-87 01:39:34 EST
Article-I.D.: well.2758
Posted: Thu Mar 12 01:39:34 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Mar-87 05:35:24 EST
References: <256@mcdsun.UUCP> <1479@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Reply-To: spg@well.UUCP (Stephen P. Grant)
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 56



In article <256@mcdsun.UUCP>, daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes:

>Just a point of information: anyone who's not buffering the 86 pin edge
>connector is not conforming to the expansion specification.  From Chapter
>physical.new, page 8, of the Amiga "Schematics and Expansion Specifications"
>
>        4. Loading
>
>                There is 1 AMP available on the plus 5 volts.
>
>                Put your buffers as close to [86 pin] connector as you
>                possibly can.
>
>                You can put one 74F load on each signal.
>
>Any board that follows these rules shouldn't have any loading problem.
>There are a few signals that sometimes can't be buffered, but the main
>one (address, data, strobes, etc.) must be.  Also, there's a good amount
>of timing constraints that must also be followed; some Amiga specific,
>some based on the timing specification of an 8MHz 68000.  I'll bet you that
>most of the boards that are having trouble are violating some of these
>design rules.  I don't personally have access to any of these expansion 
>devices, so I'm not stating that they categorically violate any of the
>given rules.  But these rules were written up for a specific reason -- to
>be followed!  If a manufacturer breaks them, all the fast PALs in the world
>may not help.

Way to go Dave!  How come C-A hasn't come out PUBLICLY and said this?  Many
people are misinformed about what is or is not allowed and CLTD et al are
capitalizing on this.  If Cltd. said my design was bad I would certainly
have set them straight.  Why is C-A silent?  IBM or Apple would not let
this go by!  As far as I know, there are not currently ANY buffered passthrus
available.  Everyone is cheating(if this is wrong, please tell me).  I know
that you are on CIS.  Why did you not cry FOUL! when Cltd. posted that crap
about "Bug Fixes".  If C-A would support and defend the Amiga, then people
might have a little more respect for it.  Third party developers cannot do
the whole job.  If, for example, Access Associates says that Cltd. is not to
spec, people perceive that it is just sour grapes.  If C-A says it, it means
much more.  

By the way, the Alegra is fully compatible with the spec(including FCC).
We didn't do a passthru because to do it correctly would have added to
the retail price and made FCC that much more difficult.  We believed that
many people needed inexpensive add-on memory and I feel that we have
provided a quality product to meet this need.

By the way, if anyone is interested, the Alegra 2 meg upgrade is now 
available from Access.  Call for prices.

Steve Grant

Disclaimer:  Although I work for Access Associates, the opinions expressed
             above are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions
			 of Access Associates.