Subject: REVIEW: Amiga Smart Port
From: [email-masked] (James Coulter)
Date: 11 Apr 1994 02:35:07 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

	Amiga Smart Port (TM)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

	A multi-purpose device that plugs into the joystick ports, offering
joystick cable extension, a 15-pin IBM style analog game port, and auto
switching between analog sticks and the mouse ports.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

	Name:		InterACTIVE Digital Devices
	Address:	2238 Nantuckett Court
			Marietta, GA  30066
			USA

	Telephone:	(404) 516-0248

	E-mail:		[email-masked] (Alvin Derouen)

LIST PRICE

	$52.95 (US)

SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

	HARDWARE

		Any Amiga with mouse/joystick ports.

	SOFTWARE

		None.

COPY PROTECTION

	None.

MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

	Amiga 2000 with A2620 68020 accelerator
	6MB Fast RAM, 1MB Chip RAM
	A2091 SCSI controller
	A2320 Deinterlacer
	AmigaDOS 2.04

	Advanced Gravis Analog Joystick
	Advanced Gravis Analog Pro Joystick
	Sega Genesis Joypad (modified, pins 5 and 7 swapped, so +5 volts
	 goes to the correct pin on the joypad)

REVIEW

	The analog port is a 15-pin IBM PC style game port, so you can plug
any such stick directly.  Although the primary purpose of the Smart Port is
to provide an IBM-PC analog port, it offers many other features.  Also
included with the package are various patches for games to help with analog
support.

	Installation is easy.  Two extension cables are included which can
be freely detached from the Smart Port.  Also provided are four Velcro
patches so you can place the Smart Port in orientations other than
just lying on your desk.

	First off, it should be noted that the IBM joystick connector is
capable of supporting two analog sticks (via a Y-adaptor).  The Smart Port
passes through all the pins, but to support both sticks simultaneously it
puts one stick on mouse port number 1 and the other on mouse port number 2.
Just remember, only one input device (on each mouse port) may be used at a
time.  Also provided are pots for adjusting the X and Y axis for either
mouse port for fine tuning.  The Smart Port uses 100k potentiometres instead
of the usual capacitors.  Note that some IBM analog sticks (such as the
Flight Stick Pro, Gravis Analog Pro and Thrustmaster) with 4 independent
buttons, "view controls", and/or throttle support are really "two joysticks
in one".  The extra features (if enabled) would use the other mouse port.

	To accommodate rudder pedals, the Smart Port provides a switch that
"steals" an analog line from mouse port number 1.  If this feature is used,
if your mouse has three buttons, the third button cannot be used while the
rudder pedals are enabled.  IDD sells the rudder pedal adaptor separately.

	The Smart Port provides automatic switching between the analog
joystick(s) and the mouse ports.  To switch between devices, you simply
press the first button on the appropriate device.  Two LEDs tell you whether
the currently activated device is on the 15-pin connector or the mouse ports.

	Included with the Smart Port is SmartPortCal.  Its primary purpose
is to help with calibration of analog sticks.  It does provide a display for
the currently activated device on a given port (mouse, analog stick, or
digital stick).  For example: if you had a digital stick and pressed a
direction or button, the program would relay that back to you.

	What was most surprising was discovering the included patches for
various games:  Flight Simulator 2, F-15 Strike Eagle II, Knights of the Sky
(rudder and throttle support also), Red Baron, Gunship 2000, F-18
Interceptor, World Circuit, Birds of Prey, and others.  One of the reasons
for these patches is that a directly connected analog stick on the Amiga
(without any capacitors or potentiometres) gives a range of 0-38.  The
Smart Port on the other hand can give you the full range of 0-255.  Some
games expect the former, or weren't programmed right.  Unfortunately I could
not test any of these patches, since I don't own any of the appropriate
games.  The only game I have tested the analog mode with is Fighter Duel Pro
Flight Recorder and Fighter Duel Pro 2.  All the patches are copyrighted by
IDD and are available only to Smart Port owners.

	At the time of this writing, the Smart Port Plus is pending
release.  Differences between the first Smart Port and the new Smart Port
Plus are:

     1. Three switchable gain settings. These will allow the unit to switch
down to handle games with a hard-coded 0-40 range (low gain), DoubleNTSC
(medium), as well as the standard range (high).

     2.  A built-in "trigger" switch. When turned on, it will cause BOTH
ports to go to analog mode when your analog fire button is pressed.  This
allows you to use the mouse port in analog mode even if there is no analog
device with a "fire" button on that port.

     3. Having the multiple ranges allows me to narrow the adjustment range
of the ports slightly. It will still be a little critical, but it is a bit
easier to adjust.

DOCUMENTATION

	The supplied 15-page manual contains information on installation,
operation, adjustment of analog sticks, and troubleshooting.  Also included
are some tech notes and other notes on the software patches.  These are just
stapled pages and may have been updated since this review.

	On several occasion I have sent E-mail to the tech support.  The
response time was good and my questions were answered in detail.

BUGS

	None that I could find, hardware or software.

	However, the tech notes mention that you cannot use the Smart Port
and a Beetle Mouse simultaneously on an Amiga 500 (with stock power
supply).  The reason is that the Beetle Mouse draws too much power,

WARRANTY

	1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

	About the only missing feature on the Smart Port is a third mouse
port.  Why?  Because you still have to unplug your mouse to plug in a second
digital stick.  You could probably wire another digital stick on the 15-pin
connector, but that would exclude the use of some analog joysticks.  Other
than that, the Smart Port lives up to to its claims.  Perhaps it is a bit
pricey, but it provides full analog support, and the game patches alone may
be worthwhile to some people.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

	Copyright 1994 James D. Coulter.  All rights reserved.

-- Via DLG Pro v1.0
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+ James D. Coulter             FIDO = 1:153/911 +
+ I'm an artist, I know where to draw the line. +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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