The PiStorm project continue their roadmap. For once you have an upgrade solution for Classic Amiga’s that doesn’t cost too much.
After Michal Schulz released the first stable version 1.0 of Emu68 just over a week ago (Emu68 1.0 can be found here), Michal is working intensively on a WLAN driver. Patreons were able to test it too.
In his post yesterday on his Petreon page here, Michal state that he made a lot of progress with the development. This includes the WLAN driver. Now it initializes correctly, scans for available networks and can connect to them. When this happens the user receive data packets (data frames) that can now be passed to the network.
SANA-II Driver Interface for PiStorm Amiga Users
Testing the connection is vital. But, to get it to work in AmigaOS. There’s need for a driver. AmigaOS uses SANA-II drivers.
Introduction to SANA-II on Amiga
SANA-II is the software interface between AmiTCP and your network interface. There are freely available SANA-II drivers for SLIP. CSLIP, the A2060 card and the A2065 card and PPP. If you are purchasing a card to connect your Amiga to a network such as Ethernet, make sure that the card has a SANA-II driver if you want to use any TCP stack for the Amiga with the card.
Amitopia recommends anyone on Classic Amiga to get Roadshow 68k TCP/IP stack as it does everything correct. You do have other solutions like Miami, TermiteTCP and even basic AmiTCP. They all need MUI or require hours of setting them up. With Roadshow you get a proper TCP/IP stack that doesn’t require much, that also got a fully working DHCP! Yes, my power-plugs that allows Ethernet through power in your home works with just a few clicks.
The SANA-II is the standard Amiga network device driver specification released by Commodore-Amiga. The SANA-II specification is available on the Aminet, fish disks and other forums. Roadshow 68k, Miami, TermiteTCP and plain AmiTCP supports them.
SANA-II driver in the works for PiStorm Amigas
Michal in the PiStorm team mention on his Patreon site that he aims at complete the SANA-II driver interface. For the time being, he can only connect to a predefined network for testing reasons. Once this works and he can use the driver with AmigaOS, he will then add the wireless features. These features are releasing network scans to AmigaOS, getting signal strength, choosing a wireless network to connect to, and so on.
After completing this step, he is thinking about if he will use an available tool or write his own to display the networks on AmigaOS and allow the user to connect.
Finally, Michal will also provide some kind of configuration file so that the driver can connect to a specific network when it starts. As a final step, he then tries to implement wireless security protocols with WPA/WPA2/WPA3. The roadmap for this at his free time. So, expect it to be done when it is done.
Until this works. You can use a Zorro or Plipbox to go on-line. I have my Amiga 2000 from 1986 on-line using a X-Surf card.
What sort of PiStorm configuration do you have?
