DKB Ferret (tm) (firmware revision of 10/16/95) =============================================== BRIEF DESCRIPTION SCSI II daughter board for DKB's Amiga 1200 accelerators AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION Name: DKB Address: P.O. Box 438 Wixom, Michigan 48393-0438 Telephone: (810) 348-3821 FAX: (810) 348-3531 LIST PRICE $99 (US) DEMO VERSION None SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE Amiga 1200 DKB A1200 68030 Accelerator (ex. Cobra, Viper, or Mongoose) SOFTWARE No minimum version of AmigaDOS specified. Tested with 3.0; Product claims to be 3.1 compatible COPY PROTECTION None for hardware. None for included utility software. MACHINE USED FOR TESTING Amiga 1200 DKB 1230/28 (Cobra) with 4MB Fast RAM and 68882/28 FPU AmigaDOS 3.0 Quantum ELS127S hard drive INSTALLATION In theory the Ferret SCSI II option (Ferret hereafter) can be installed by opening the trap door under the A1200 and attaching it to one's DKB accelerator, slipping the DB25 SCSI connector past the accelerator and out the knock-out expansion port space on the back of one's A1200. I was forced to dismantle my Amiga to reach the the things I needed to reach. The included partitioning software and utilities are in contrast fairly easy to use. It is necessary to run an Installer-based utility to update the board firmware with the current drivers. REVIEW Installation of the Ferret was somewhat difficult. It attaches to a DKB accelerator by a plastic stacking connector held in place by two screws. It is necessary to remove the DKB accelerator to attach the Ferret. Installation involves aligning the connector, attaching the screws, and sliding the DB25 connector out to the knock-out slot on the rear of an A1200. Once the unit is in place, the board must be updated to the current driver code with an Installer-based utility. This makes future updates simple. The Ferret appears simple and well designed. The DB25 connector is soldered onto the board which is L-shaped. Once properly installed, the Ferret should allow use of "external hard drives, QIC and DAT tape backup units, removable media drives from manufacturers such as Iomega and Syquest, and CD-ROM drives." DOCUMENTATION The Ferret includes a ten page manual which documents the board, installation, and use of the included software. It includes pictures to clarify board installation. The included utility disk contains a documentation update in the form of a README file. LIKES I was glad to use a SCSI hard disk with my Amiga. The Ferret provides a SCSI II host connected directly to the replacement CPU and FAST RAM. DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS Installation is not enjoyable. I would have liked the board to have been smaller and the DB-25 connector to be a separate piece connected to the rear of the machine by a cable and securely fastened there. COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS The Ferret is the only SCSI board I've used with an Amiga computer. My only other experience with a SCSI adaptor is with the CV Tech RAMFast SCSI board for Apple II series computers. I found the RAMFast board to be more elegant and reliable, which brings me to... BUGS First, since installing the Ferret my Amiga refuses to reset from the keyboard. I have discovered a work-around. By tapping caps-lock while holding down the Amiga keys and the control key, it usually will reset on the first try. Sometimes I have to repeat the sequence a second time. Removing the Ferret will eliminate this problem. From time to time while performing large reads and or writes the in-use light on my drive will light and remain lit; the Amiga will freeze. I have a work-around: By turning off my hard drive then turning it back on again, the Amiga will report a disk I/O error; I cancel the error and the interrupted operation will resume normally. I have never encountered data loss; this is only a mild inconvenience. I used this drive on an Apple IIGS for a few years prior to using it with the Ferret and during that time never had any problems with it. The Quantum drive is back on my IIGS again and works fine today. The connection between the Ferret and the DKB accelerator seems a bit volatile. Often if I open my Amiga to service another sub-system or just accidentally wiggle the DB-25 connector too much, the Ferret will stop working. Then I must take my Amiga apart and clean the connection between the Ferret and the accelerator with alcohol, finally reassembling everything. This usually solves the problem. Lastly, the DB-25 connector does not lock into the knock-out port in away way; it simply rattles around. Also, my drive cable doesn't seem to screw into the DB-25 connecter securely. VENDOR SUPPORT When I first receive my Ferret, it would not perform large writes to my hard drive at all. After calling DKB I learned that I had been shipped an older board another customer had returned to my mail order company without all the necessary parts. DKB gladly sent out a new installation disk (with updated firmware) and the plastic stacking connector I was missing. WARRANTY The Ferret is warranted against manufacturing defects for one year from purchase. DKB will repair or replace a board in warranty accompanied by a sales receipt. CONCLUSIONS The Ferret board is usable, but it could have been better. For someone with a DKB accelerator and SCSI devices, the Ferret could be very useful. I have since returned my Quantum drive to my Apple IIGS and installed a 2.5" IDE drive inside my Amiga. The IDE interface is generally more reliable and trouble free. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright 1996 Christopher Wicklein contact: chrisw@ais.net END ===