ExtenDOS and CD Writer Suite were both originally developed because we needed (well, wanted :-)) CD-ROM and CD recorder access on our systems. Ethernet support is something else we wanted for a time, but since we don't have a Milan or a Hades, the available options all seemed to involve connecting circuit boards outside the machine, which is something we'd rather avoid.
A while back we discovered the Daynaport SCSI/Link, a small box which connects a SCSI interface to an Ethernet. This is no longer manufactured, but since it was originally developed for the Mac, there are lots of used ones available. A few months of development, and now we have Atari software to allow you to use one to connect your Atari to an Ethernet!
Drivers are available for the following stacks:
 | STinG: this has had extensive use and seems stable. |
| MintNet: this has had some use and seems relatively stable. |
The drivers are being released as free copyrighted software; we intend to support and improve them on an ongoing basis, so please report any problems to us and we will do our best to resolve them.
| STinG drivers
|
| MintNet drivers
|
Please make sure you don't mix components from different versions; they probably won't be compatible, and that may cause a system crash.
| a Daynaport SCSI/Link-T (model DP0801) or SCSI/Link-3 (model DP0802); users have also reported success with the Pocket SCSI/Link-T (model DP0901) and Pocket SCSI/Link (model DP0902); and with the Farallon EtherMac SCSI (model 572-2) (apparently a rebadged Daynaport) |
| a SCSI port that supports arbitration |
| a recent version of HDDRIVER (v7 or later) or other SCSIDRV support |
| a TCP/IP stack (see above) |
| the SCSI/Link drivers themselves |
If you do not have a source for the Daynaport hardware, we suggest asking in the appropriate Mac newsgroup, or checking on eBay. If all else fails, contact us; we may be able to suggest other sources from our researches.
A note on voltage: the SCSI/Link (like many other small devices) uses an external power supply. The voltage required for models DP0801 & DP0802 is 12V DC, centre positive. The DP0901 & DP0902 use a different supply, which a helpful user tells us is 5V DC, centre positive.
| STinG
|
| MintNet
|
We expect (but cannot guarantee) that the drivers will also work:
| on other original Atari systems (see Restrictions below for minimum requirements when connecting to an ACSI port) |
| with other firmware revisions of the above Daynaport hardware |
| with other releases of the operating system |
| to communicate with other systems (e.g. Linux, cable modems) on the Ethernet |
In addition, the drivers will probably work with other SCSI/Link devices from Daynaport, but since we do not have any of the other devices, we are unable to test this.
| when connecting to the ACSI port, you will also need:
| ||||
| (STiNG only) if the SCSI/Link is connected to the Falcon's SCSI port or the ACSI port of other Atari systems, access to the floppy drive is effectively prevented while the driver is active. This is because the driver polls the SCSI/Link hardware from a routine running under the timer interrupt, and the ports concerned share hardware with the floppy disk controller. You can use STiNG's CPX to deactivate the driver temporarily if you need to gain access to the floppy drive. | ||||
| (SCSI/Link-3 only) the SCSI/Link-3 has three ports: AUI, coax (10base2), and RJ45 (10baseT). If you connect to a hub/switch/router port that supports both 10Mbps and 100Mbps, the SCSI/Link-3 seems unable to determine which of the three ports to use, and will not establish a connection. This is a hardware compatibility issue that cannot be fixed by software. Either use a 10Mbps-only hub/switch/router, or connect a 10baseT MAU to the AUI port and use that to connect to the rest of the network. This problem does not occur with the SCSI/Link-T, which has only one port (10baseT). |
Please note that these drivers have not been subjected to the extensive testing of our commercial software. Therefore you should take the normal precautions when using beta software. In particular, since this device may share the bus with your hard disk(s), it is possible that the driver could interfere with I/O to them. We strongly recommend backing up your hard disk on a regular basis to ensure that you do not lose important data. (If you need backup software, you know where to come :-)).
In order to help others trying to develop drivers for Daynaport SCSI/Link devices, we have decided to release the information that we have deduced, concerning the SCSI command set used by the SCSI/Link. Note that this information was derived by experimentation with the devices, and was not provided by the manufacturer. Although it is believed to be correct, we disclaim any liability for direct or indirect damage due to the use of the information. You are on your own! However, we will be glad to get any additions or corrections to the documentation, and intend to maintain the latest version of the documentation on this page.
| Download v1.20 of the SCSI/Link command set documentation |
