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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Expansion product woes
Message-ID: <1606@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Mar-87 14:37:26 EST
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.1606
Posted: Tue Mar 31 14:37:26 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 2-Apr-87 05:39:21 EST
References: <371@sbcs.UUCP>
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 30

in article <371@sbcs.UUCP>, root@sbcs.UUCP (Root) says:

> What Perry says with respect to board interoperability is, of course, 
> correct; however let's place the blame where it belongs - on Commodore.  Face 
> it, the Zorro standard is not a standard in the way the VME Bus, MultiBus II, 
> NuBus, etc are spec'ed.  As far as bus specs go, the Zorro "standard" is more 
> of a edge connector pinout and a bracket mechanical than a formal "here is 
> what ya gotta do to be 99.99% sure the widget will work". (Yup, I've
> designed Amiga boards).

Whaddaya want!  You've got ONE document to follow, the Expansion 
Specification booklet.  It gives you power, loading, and timing data.  Much
of the timing data does come from the 8MHz 68000 spec, but its still there
and it is saying, DO THIS OR ELSE.  I've heard lots of stories about boards
that don't work, and I've yet to see one that's not in the OR ELSE category.
A standard expansion box from CBM (or the built-in slots of an A2000) would
help force manufacturers into closer accord with the specs, and it does give
them a bit more slop factor (2 "F" series loads per most pins, versus 1). I
agree that this book could have been written better, as time permits I'm
sure it'll change more of a "here's everything you need, all in one place"
sort of book.  But this is a well defined bus, not just "build it to plug
in here and hope for the best".
-- 
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Dave Haynie     Commodore Technology              // /|  ___   __   __   __ 
  {ihnp4|caip|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh          |\  // /_|     | /  \ /  \ /  \
Commodore rarely admits to knowing me,        \\// /  |  +--+ |  | |  | |  |
  much less sharing my personal opinions.      \/ /   |  |___ \__/ \__/ \__/

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