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rapidfire_3.txt
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Article 353 of comp.sys.amiga.reviews:
Path: kernighan.cs.umass.edu!barrett
From: mustang@vrb.com (Aaron Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews
Subject: REVIEW: RapidFire SCSI-II controller
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Date: 10 Jun 1996 00:06:44 GMT
Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett
Lines: 259
Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator)
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <4pfouk$804@kernighan.cs.umass.edu>
Reply-To: mustang@vrb.com (Aaron Smith)
NNTP-Posting-Host: knots.cs.umass.edu
Keywords: hardware, SCSI, commercial
X-Review-Number: Volume 1996 Number 18
Originator: barrett@knots.cs.umass.edu
PRODUCT NAME
DKB RapidFire SCSI-II Controller
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The RapidFire is a SCSI-II (not wide or fast) controller with
2 SIMM sockets for up to 8MB of ram expansion.
AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION
Name: DKB
Address: 29318 Lorie Lane
Wixom, MI 48393
USA
Telephone: (313) 348-3755
FAX: (313) 348-3531
LIST PRICE
$159 (US).
I paid $128 plus shipping.
SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
HARDWARE
Needs a ZorroII bus only.
SOFTWARE
Should work with any Amiga from Kickstart 1.3 to
3.x. Requires only the DKB driver software to be
installed via floppy. (dkbscsi.device)
COPY PROTECTION
None
MACHINE USED FOR TESTING
A2000 020, 4MB fast, 2MB chip, 3.1 OS in ROM
A3000 40Mhz 040, 32MB fast, 2MB chip, 3.1 in rom.
A4000 25Mhz 040, 48MB ram, 2MB chip, 3.1 in rom.
(2) Comports 8 port serial cards
(1) 4.3 gig Quantum Grand Prix
(1) 1 gig Toshiba
(1) 1 gig IBM OBI drive.
(2) 540MB junker stock IDE drive on 4000 IDE controller
INSTALLATION
Installs in any of your 4 or 5 ZorroII/II slots. It only uses
ZorroII tho. It slides in a little rough, but fit into the Zorro pins
just fine in the end. Unfortunately, at least in my A4000, the back
end face plate on the card was too large to screw onto the mounting
slot in the back. So instead it just sits there, still firm enough for
very safe use.
The installation of the driver software is very easy, the disk
is even bootable. There is no copy util or install script. The
programs are just there to use, you can copy them if you want. The
software itself wasn't to bad for configuration a drive. The
dkbscsi.device is built internal on the rom of the card I assume. You
can access it, via hdtoolbox/etc but it is not on the disk or in
devs:. I like it this way.
REVIEW
The card comes in a Red good looking box packed into some foam
packed around it.
The card itself? My initial view was a bit dissapointing, the
card is a utteryly simply design. I could have designed this layout
myself. :)
I got it installed in my A4000 and looked to for the small "1"
the manual said would be there to show pin 1 of the SCSI 50 pin
connector. There was no 1 and the small arrow that was there just
didn't register in my head. Now, on the other 5 SCSI 1 & 2 controllers
I have had over the years have never had a problem if you accidentally
installed the cable on upsidedown. In other words, pin 50 on pin
1. The HD activity light just lit up and nothing worked until you
reversed the cable. Well, I plugged in my 3 SCSI drives, properly
terminated, properly configured, but backwards on the SCSI cable, and
turned the power on. I looked down and watched a tracer get white hot
and blow right off the card! I was quite mad about this. I couldn't
believe that this caused a problem, I have reversed SCSI connectors on
my Warp, an A2091, A Fastlane, the 3000 stock cont, and a GVP 040 card
without ever a problem, let alone smoking the card!
Anyway, got the ol soldering iron out (the card no longer
works at this time of course) and ran a bead of solder over the old
trace. Got it working, <whew> I wasn't in the mood to ship this back
to DKB the day I got it. :)
So I reconnected my drives, correctly this time, and tried to
boot the SCSI bus light just lit up and wouldn't shut off.. I moved my
drives around and SCSI ID's around and it still wouldn't boot. So I
had to do it, I forced myself to open the manual and searched for an
answer.. Here is what I found:
"The RapidFire board uses passive Termination. Some of the newer
SCSI drives such as the Quantum Trailblazer series, include an
active terminator, which should not be used with the RapidFire.
If your drive uses active termination, consult the drive manual
for information on how to disable it"
Well Termination was already completely disabled on the
drive. I tried EVERY possible config on this SCSI chain over a 3 hour
period this card had no hopes of working with this very widely sold
drive. I called DKB tech and he told me I could get it working if I
took off the termination jumper (which I had done) and that I could
get this drive working, he asked if I would like to ship my setup off
to him and he thought he could get it working. I decided just to wait
for my CyberStorm060 and SCSI modual to use my 4.3 gig drive now...I
thanked him for his help and gave it another 30 min of trying with no
luck. I don't think he could have got it working either.
My Quantum GrandPrix 4.3 gig drive works great on my Warp SCSI
on my 3000, and it even worked GREAT on my A3000 slow OLD scsi bus!
I am now successfully running my IBM and Toshiba drives on the
DKB card. I have no choice but to run everything this way because,
when I moved my BBS (vrb.com) to an A4000 I lost my 40Mhz 040 3000
Warp and it's incredible SCSI speed. The Warp wouldn't boot in my
A4000. So, until the CS060/SCSI II is available, I had to find a
quick SCSI II solution. I can't wait to get my Warp converted for the
4k or my CS060, I miss my 4.3 gig drive as well as decent speed.
As for RAM, I took 8 MB off my new A4000's motherboard and put
it on the card thinking it would have better memory access than the
pitiiful A4000 mem bus, the DKB card was very easy to configure, 2
jumpers moved and it was ready for my simms. The jumper config is
printed on the card which is a very good idea.
To help with overall Speed on my system I went ahead and
installed AFSpro and telneted to their support site and got the newest
beta of the software. Boy did this help! AFSpro cut my boot time in
half! I now wasn't so distrought about the SCSI performance as I was.
DOCUMENTATION
It has a 10 page (or so) manual with it. The Manual is fair
and explains about everything you need to know to get the card running
well. Pretty forward and simple.
LIKES
This is a tough one. After what I am used to in SCSI cards,
this card is nothing wonderful. I do like the fact that you can mount
a very small 3.5" drive on the card itself, this helps out users that
don't have room anywhere else in their system.
DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS
The card design is so simple it seems like a first project
from a highschool Electronics class. When the card blew a trace I
couldn't believe my eyes. The 50pin connector was so tight I couldnt
pull off my cable the first time and ended up gently prying it off
with a tiny screwdriver over a 4 minute period. The next 50pin
connector that I crimped onto my cable, I oiled with a nonconductive
lube. This seemed to help, but not much.
I 2 SIMM sockets where generally fine, but when I installed
ram in them, I wasn't comfortable with the hight in relation to the
card above it. The simms where actually touching one of my comports
cards.
The RAM speed was only 16 bit access. (or so I was later told)
and was actually slower than the 4000 stock memory, which is SCARY! So
I put the 2 4MB simms back on the A4000 motherboard.
The SCSI speed? It is not fast or wide SCSI2 so it was not
much faster than the old stock A3000 speed. I guess the card does it's
job, but for $149 retail it is a complete joke, a card like this would
be a great deal for those low end users needing SCSI if it costs about
$60 at most. It must have about $15 worth of OEM parts on it. I have
always liked DKB and I am GREATLY looking forward to their new 8 port
extremely high speed serial card to run my internet BBS on, but this
card just doesn't do it for me.... Or anyone, for $60 this would be a
great card for some people. But for $150, it could do much better. I
hope their super serial/parallel/ethernet card is as much of a Godsend
as it sounds like it will be when it ships in late August.
COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS
It can't compare to my Warp Engine SCSI II and the only other
card I have tested with these drives is a A2091 card which is a SCSI I
old C= card, the DKB is much faster than it.
BUGS
None
VENDOR SUPPORT
I called DKB to get help with my Quantum drive, well to get it
working with the DKB card that is. At first I was treated like I
didn't know a whole lot about drives, once I comfirmed my abilities
with him he was pretty darn nice and tried to be helpful trying to
find me some Quantum settings, he couldn't find them, but that was
alright I nothing was going to get this drive working.
WARRANTY
1 year Warranty. Full repair. Customer must pay
shipping. Unknown if selling the card will transfer warranty.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, a good product, for 1990. If they would sell the card
for around $60, what is it worth my review might have been much more
favorable.
I know DKB has some serious smart people there, I can't
understand why they didn't use just a little bit more brains in the
design of this card.
** (2 stars out of 5)
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright 1996 Aaron Smith
"Amiga, computers for people who want more than just a PC."
Finger mustang@vrb.com info@vrb.com recent@vrb.com who@vrb.com
A3000 Warped 040/40Mhz 16MB/2gigs, 17 serial ports, OS3.1
Visit my Cnet-Rexx-AWS Integrated Web page www.vrb.com!
A4000Tower 060 or PPC soon!
Call me via AmiPhone!
---
Accepted and posted by Daniel Barrett, comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator
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