Path: kernighan.cs.umass.edu!barrett From: gzenz@ernie.mi.uni-koeln.de (Gideon Zenz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews Subject: REVIEW: HyperCOM1 serial port for A1200 Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Date: 24 Oct 1996 00:35:06 GMT Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett Lines: 168 Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator) Distribution: world Message-ID: <54mdjq$dk2@kernighan.cs.umass.edu> Reply-To: gzenz@ernie.mi.uni-koeln.de (Gideon Zenz) NNTP-Posting-Host: knots.cs.umass.edu Keywords: hardware, serial port, A1200, commercial X-Review-Number: Volume 1996 Number 29 Originator: barrett@knots.cs.umass.edu PRODUCT NAME HyperCOM1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION This is a internal high-speed serial port for the A1200, giving you up to 460000 bps without high CPU load. AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION Name: VMC Harald Frank Address: Spargelstr. 8 68809 Neulu=DFheim GERMANY Telephone: ++49-6205-392065 FAX: ++49-6205-392067 E-mail: I don't know, but he used H.FRANK@tfh.dssd.sub.org some time ago. LIST PRICE DM 99 (~=3DUS$ 66) MACHINE USED FOR TESTING Old C=3D-A1200, Blizzard IV (`030-50), SCSI-Kit, 24MB Fast RAM, Kickstart and Workbench 3.1. Modem used was a US Robotics Courier V.34+. INSTALLATION This is something special. It doesn't plug into PCMCIA or the normal expansion slot! There is a small connector left inside the A1200 where it's plugged in. The serial connector is put in the trapdoor under the floppy. Some notes to this connector: According to the manufacturer, this was intentionally for plugging the 2nd meg of CHIP RAM in the A1200, as it should have shipped with only 1MB CHIP. Probably more known is a battery clock by a 3th-party-company which was put in here. REVIEW The package came with a two-page "manual" that described briefly how to install it, a disk with the serial device, and a registration card, and - of course - the hardware itself. It's a tiny 2*4cm board with a 64(!) byte FIFO and some other stuff on it. Installation was really easy: just open the A1200 and plug it into that connector. As my trapdoor is already used by my SCSI, I made a small slot into my A1200's case. So much for the hardware side. Software was even more easy: just copy a HyperCOM1.device to DEVS: and use it in the terminal program. For those who need it, an Installer script is provided. :^) Until now I used my internal serial port with my 33,6kbps modem, so I was used to the general slowdown while sending/receiving something. Now it's really cool! 115200 bps, downloading a text file with 5492 cps, and the HyperCOM device just eats 2.14% CPU time! (measured by Top/Executive package, downloading /dev/zero %-). Haven't tested the 460000bps mode though, as I don't have anything which could deal with such a high speed. While using a normal PPP connection, it ate around 1.42% CPU. Just one drawback here: ppp.device doesn't work with 115200 bps, but this seems to be a bug in my ppp.device, as everything else works fine with it. For those who need it, there is a HyperCOM 3 (2 serial, one parallel) and a HyperCOM 4 (4 serial, one parallel, but as a Z2 card) available. As I ordered the thing I was asked by Mr Frank whether I want some pictures of the cards. I said yes and he called me and sent 6 pics of the HyperCOM's. On the evening I got the card he rung me up again and asked if I'm happy with the card and whether everything is OK. Now that is what I call service. :) If anyone wants these, just contact me, but Mr Frank told me he'll put up on a web server soon, so you'll probably find them there, soon. One word to the phone service: Every time I called, Mr Frank himself was on the phone, and as he's himself the developer he could answer all the question I asked him. Nothing to add. DOCUMENTATION 2 copied pages: one for disclaimer, another for installing the thing (German only). I myself had been happy if there had been some technical specs, something about the software... The installation guide itself is pretty easy to follow, shouldn't be a problem. LIKES - CHEAP! Even compared to similar PC products! - Easy to install and to use - Doesn't need either PCMCIA or the expansion port - The fastest serial for the Amiga I know about - Doesn't eat CPU while transferring (thanks to the 64 byte buffer, the original serial had just 1!) - Good hotline! DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS - Poor manual, although it covers the hardware installation quite good - If you have problems while uploading with NComm and any device other than serial.device: It's a problem of your xprzmodem.library, try another one. COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS There isn't any real competition, as far as I see. Only the Surf Squirrel, but this is mainly a SCSI host adaptor, and the serial only goes up to 115200 and is much more expensive. The only other card I know of which could come up to the specs of this one was the GVP IO Extender, which goes up to 230000bps, but was much more expensive (and is for Zorro Amigas only). WARRANTY There is a registration card. Don't know anything about warranty, but as a matter of law (in my country) it has to be at least 6 months. CONCLUSIONS This product is perfect for all who want to get rid of the bad internal serial, especially owners of the A1200. It's not very expensive and gives you a very fast additional serial port. So I can recommend it to everybody who uses a modem. The larger HyperCOM's are probably quite interesting for Sysops, as there is a Zorro version. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright 1996 by Gideon Zenz --- Accepted and posted by Daniel Barrett, comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator Send reviews to: amiga-reviews-submissions@math.uh.edu Request information: amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu Moderator mail: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu Anonymous ftp site: math.uh.edu, in /pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.reviews Web site: ftp://math.uh.edu/pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.reviews/index.html