[Coco] CoCoNet status

[Roger Taylor]

At 10:29 PM 12/6/2008, you wrote:

>Have you tested this with a CoCo 1?  Recent tests I've done have led
>me to the conclusion that the CoCo 1 hardware is not capable of
>transmitting 57600 bps through the bit banger port, although it can
>receive data at that speed. My guess is that the opamp used for the
>level translation to +/- 12 volts can't operate that fast.  You will
>probably have to lower the transmission speed or specify a CoCo 2 as
>the minimum requirement.
>
>Darren

If time allows tomorrow, two CoCo 1's will be tested with 
CoCoNet.  As of tonight I have error-free 57.6 kbps and 115.2 kbps on 
a CoCo 2.  A 50-retry counter was just added, although even before I 
added that I ran a looping random sector test for 12 hours straight 
without CRC checking and woke up to see the test program reporting no errors.

The latest EPROM was just burned, I put it in the ROM Pak, turned the 
CoCo on, typed DIR, and got a directory before the ENTER key was 
completely pushed down.  :)
I then typed DRIVE 0,"D01"   DIR  and within 2 seconds the directory 
listed for the d01.dsk image stored in CoCo3.com's CoCoNet disk 
folder.  I set up that folder as a default for CoCoNet even though a 
full http:// URL can be used to point to any image on the web.  It 
gets copied to the server once per DRIVE command, so the disk access 
speed is the same as a mounted PC virtual disk, and both are way 
faster than a real floppy disk.  You're probably wondering what 
happens if you mount a web disk and type DIR right away while the 
server is still downloading the disk.  The CoCo waits it out just 
like it does when a controller is seeking a track or if a drive is 
off.  It only takes a few seconds or more for a web disk to be mounted, though.

Still more testing: WLOAD/DLOAD web files onto a mounted virtual 
disk.  This is where CoCoNet will SHINE.

I'm debating whether to try the disk posting feature where CoCo user 
1 could send a mounted disk to a place on the web where CoCo user 2 
could mount it.  User 2 could make changes to the disk as usual, post 
the disk, user 1 could type DIR and see the changes, and so 
forth.  It's just an idea and probably needs to be well thought out 
before jumping in.

-- 
Roger Taylor

http://www.wordofthedayonline.com