[Coco] TRS-80 X-Pad

[Bill Pierce]

Willard,
I got the x-pad complete with manual and demo tape. From reading the manual, it seems pretty simple. The x-y is a given (0-255 x 0-191), it's the pen status that gets complicated. It seems to be magnetics or something since it can sense the pen "near" the board, then pressing down registers "pen down". The menu areas are what's going to be interesting. It gives you menus with free screen space :-)
I figure in Level 2 hi-res I could use the tricks used on the old joysticks. Just use the arrow keys for fine control, or maybe a control key while moving the pen...

Bill Pierce
My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
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-----Original Message-----
From: Willard Goosey <goosey at virgo.sdc.org>
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Fri, May 24, 2013 7:01 pm
Subject: Re: [Coco] TRS-80 X-Pad


On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 04:37:32PM -0400, Bill Pierce wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the info Willard, that's just the stuff I was looking
> for. Luckily, I have an old grey MPI with the pal fix so I should be
> able to use it with the Coco 3. I just have to remember to slow
> everything down for port access. 

Yeah, pre-Drivewire the MPI was pretty much required for a serious
OS-9 machine... I also have the old-style MPI but mine is white.

Be sure you get the xpad docs.  The status register is complex. (At
least it was more than I could figure out just watching the numbers!) 

If you need it I have a .dsk with the "demo" BASIC program that came
with it, and/or the BASIC I wrote dealing with the xpad.

>I'd love to do a NitrOS-9 version of something similar to CocoMax 2
> with X-Pad support. I'm already working on a graphics program for
> level 2.

That would be pretty cool.  I don't think anybody's done a new drawing
program since MVCanvas and MAX9 were released.

>I recieved the last package today from the previous owner (4 boxes in

Awesome!

Willard
-- 
Willard Goosey  goosey at sdc.org
Socorro, New Mexico, USA
I search my heart and find Cimmeria, land of Darkness and the Night.
  -- R.E. Howard

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