ISA Ethernet Cards

jmmijo · 19 February 2002, 06:40

So why hasn't anybody come up with some kind of device drivers to utilise older PC ISA cards on an A2000/3000/4000?

Seems to me that just because you can use a bridgeboard you should be able to use an ISA card directly.

Please advise, thanks

EDIT: I just got to thinking about something, would installing Linux on the Amiga allow the use of ISA cards??? Again I'm asking for any help in this matter.

RetroMan · 19 February 2002, 10:55

The ISA slots on the A2000er Mobo are inactive and can only be used with an activ Bridgeboard/Emulation ! They cannot be used under AmigaOS directly AFAIK !

jmmijo · 19 February 2002, 21:14

So that's why those Golden Gate cards came out then? Also for the 1200/4000 there is something called a Mediator card, it converts Zorro slots to PCI slots. I should also clarify that I have a 4000, but I bet like the 2000 the ISA slots are inactive

So you mentioned a Bridgeboard/Emulation, do you mean something like PC Task can use these slots or what???

RetroMan · 19 February 2002, 21:30

No, PC Task is a software Emulator ! Those slots can be used by a hardware Emulator and that is a Bridgeboard

On the Bridgeboard you got a complete PC with CPU, Floppy Controller, HD Controller and so on ..... Btw. the Mediator doesn´t convert the slots into PCI slots ! It´s a standalone solution for getting PCI into A1200 and A4000, the function of the other free slots is still the same as before

jmmijo · 19 February 2002, 21:54

Thanks for the clarification I kinda figured that but wanted to make sure

As for the Mediator, so why does the manufacturer state this, it appears to connect into an open Zorro slot, preferrably the top one and then gives you 4 PCI slots to use? It appears to me that the single Zorro slot is converted into the 4 PCI slots. There are two versions of this board, one for the tower configs and another for the desktop machines. I'm looking at Software Hut's web site now at this product and they show both images in very great detail.

RetroMan · 19 February 2002, 22:51

Well ok, if you mean THIS by "converted" you are right

For me the Mediator is just an extension to use PCI cards in an Amiga (not all btw.) mainly focussed on Voodoo gfx card, but TV cards and sound cards are also possible ...

jmmijo · 19 February 2002, 23:44

Thanks Retro, I went to Elboxes web site and started to research the card some more, seems they don't recommend getting the Mediator Zorro version when using it with a standard desktop A3000 or 4000. The reason is that these have the Riser or Daughterboards in them and that the Mediator can have some real timing issues when trying to use it in this config. Of course they want to sell you their Tower kit along with the Mediator card for it instead

Looks like I'll have to stay with Zorro cards for the time being until I can afford the tower kit. Well, guess I'll look at getting the X-Surf board too, unless some kind soul out there has an older Zorro ethernet card they would like to part with, hint hint

LUKas007 · 27 May 2002, 14:22

btw I use Bridgeboard card A2088

in A2000 , and have a XT type hard disc connected to the ISA slot, the PC side and the Amiga herself see the XT disc (Filecard30 - western digital 40MB) , I can even format this disk in amiga OFS or FFS

jmmijo · 27 May 2002, 20:54

Yes, this is the Bridgeboard allowing the Amiga side to see and access devices on the ISA side

04 December 2014, 21:38

Is this to say that the despite being on the daughter board, they are not hooked up to the Amiga in any way? Also meaning that the way the bridge-board works is by plugging both into the Zorro and ISA slot at the same time thus forming the bridge between the two buses?

If that is so, it seems like it should be possible to build a Zorro/ISA bridge that doesn't host an entire PC as bridge-boards do but simply directly connects the two buses together. With perhaps the only logic on the connecter being something that a) knows about ISA buses and b) allows access to them via software.

Magic · 04 December 2014, 21:45

I still have a working one of these.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/goldengate2

I was helping Ethan work on drivers when his development machine went down with all of his source. I don't think the project ever recovered from that. Couldn't you guys just borrow this card from me and make a new version of PCB from it? This is of course if Ethan would allow it.

04 December 2014, 22:09

So, basically what I just described. Awesome.

I don't have experience as a hardware engineer only software. But I understand enough to know something like what you had should work. Very cool. Be nice if it could be rigged to a FPGA or something.

alewis · 02 February 2015, 21:16

The GoldenGate.. Lovely card. I reviewed it for Amiga User International. No problems at all using ISA modem card, serial card, and a hard disk. IIRC John Kennedy couldn't get a hard disk to work, and wasn't too happy that Eyetech let me keep the card after review.

Worked fine in a B2000, KS2, G-Force 030 card, Picasso II, with another I/O extender card in it and SCSI on the 030 card.

jbenam · 03 February 2015, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic

I still have a working one of these.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/goldengate2

I was helping Ethan work on drivers when his development machine went down with all of his source. I don't think the project ever recovered from that. Couldn't you guys just borrow this card from me and make a new version of PCB from it? This is of course if Ethan would allow it.

Seems pretty easy to reproduce, except maybe the content of the GALs...

I can see four on-board and without dumping them the reproduction PCB would be useless

Maybe if he's still got the hard drive of his dev machine the data could be recovered from it?

19 February 2002, 06:40	#1
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	ISA Ethernet Cards So why hasn't anybody come up with some kind of device drivers to utilise older PC ISA cards on an A2000/3000/4000? Seems to me that just because you can use a bridgeboard you should be able to use an ISA card directly. Please advise, thanks EDIT: I just got to thinking about something, would installing Linux on the Amiga allow the use of ISA cards??? Again I'm asking for any help in this matter. Last edited by jmmijo; 19 February 2002 at 10:22.

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19 February 2002, 10:55	#2
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	The ISA slots on the A2000er Mobo are inactive and can only be used with an activ Bridgeboard/Emulation ! They cannot be used under AmigaOS directly AFAIK !

19 February 2002, 21:14	#3
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	So that's why those Golden Gate cards came out then? Also for the 1200/4000 there is something called a Mediator card, it converts Zorro slots to PCI slots. I should also clarify that I have a 4000, but I bet like the 2000 the ISA slots are inactive So you mentioned a Bridgeboard/Emulation, do you mean something like PC Task can use these slots or what???

19 February 2002, 21:30	#4
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	No, PC Task is a software Emulator ! Those slots can be used by a hardware Emulator and that is a Bridgeboard On the Bridgeboard you got a complete PC with CPU, Floppy Controller, HD Controller and so on ..... Btw. the Mediator doesn´t convert the slots into PCI slots ! It´s a standalone solution for getting PCI into A1200 and A4000, the function of the other free slots is still the same as before

19 February 2002, 21:54	#5
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	Thanks for the clarification I kinda figured that but wanted to make sure As for the Mediator, so why does the manufacturer state this, it appears to connect into an open Zorro slot, preferrably the top one and then gives you 4 PCI slots to use? It appears to me that the single Zorro slot is converted into the 4 PCI slots. There are two versions of this board, one for the tower configs and another for the desktop machines. I'm looking at Software Hut's web site now at this product and they show both images in very great detail.

19 February 2002, 22:51	#6
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	Well ok, if you mean THIS by "converted" you are right For me the Mediator is just an extension to use PCI cards in an Amiga (not all btw.) mainly focussed on Voodoo gfx card, but TV cards and sound cards are also possible ...

19 February 2002, 23:44	#7
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	Thanks Retro, I went to Elboxes web site and started to research the card some more, seems they don't recommend getting the Mediator Zorro version when using it with a standard desktop A3000 or 4000. The reason is that these have the Riser or Daughterboards in them and that the Mediator can have some real timing issues when trying to use it in this config. Of course they want to sell you their Tower kit along with the Mediator card for it instead Looks like I'll have to stay with Zorro cards for the time being until I can afford the tower kit. Well, guess I'll look at getting the X-Surf board too, unless some kind soul out there has an older Zorro ethernet card they would like to part with, hint hint

27 May 2002, 14:22	#8
LUKas007 Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: England Age: 45 Posts: 159	btw I use Bridgeboard card A2088 in A2000 , and have a XT type hard disc connected to the ISA slot, the PC side and the Amiga herself see the XT disc (Filecard30 - western digital 40MB) , I can even format this disk in amiga OFS or FFS

27 May 2002, 20:54	#9
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	Yes, this is the Bridgeboard allowing the Amiga side to see and access devices on the ISA side

04 December 2014, 21:38	#10
nyteshade Posts: n/a	Is this to say that the despite being on the daughter board, they are not hooked up to the Amiga in any way? Also meaning that the way the bridge-board works is by plugging both into the Zorro and ISA slot at the same time thus forming the bridge between the two buses? If that is so, it seems like it should be possible to build a Zorro/ISA bridge that doesn't host an entire PC as bridge-boards do but simply directly connects the two buses together. With perhaps the only logic on the connecter being something that a) knows about ISA buses and b) allows access to them via software.

04 December 2014, 21:45	#11
Magic Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: USA Posts: 365	I still have a working one of these. http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/goldengate2 I was helping Ethan work on drivers when his development machine went down with all of his source. I don't think the project ever recovered from that. Couldn't you guys just borrow this card from me and make a new version of PCB from it? This is of course if Ethan would allow it.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

04 December 2014, 22:09	#12
nyteshade Posts: n/a	So, basically what I just described. Awesome. I don't have experience as a hardware engineer only software. But I understand enough to know something like what you had should work. Very cool. Be nice if it could be rigged to a FPGA or something.

02 February 2015, 21:16	#13
alewis Monochrome and 8 bit Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Underbarrow, Gods Country Age: 57 Posts: 600	The GoldenGate.. Lovely card. I reviewed it for Amiga User International. No problems at all using ISA modem card, serial card, and a hard disk. IIRC John Kennedy couldn't get a hard disk to work, and wasn't too happy that Eyetech let me keep the card after review. Worked fine in a B2000, KS2, G-Force 030 card, Picasso II, with another I/O extender card in it and SCSI on the 030 card.