[Coco] $4 USB HOST a chip

[John W. Linville]

On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 08:49:17AM -0600, Allen Huffman wrote:
> > On Feb 23, 2017, at 8:38 AM, John W. Linville <linville at tuxdriver.com> wrote:
> > 
> > That's just not true. Code running on the CoCo that probes the PIA
> > for keyboard input is not going to work with a USB keyboard, no matter
> > what the USB chip pushes down the serial port.
> 
> I don't know what the serial port has to do with this.

You literally described the device as "a $4 chip that does all the
USB stuff, and spits out serial".
 
> The adapter would plug in the keyboard port, just like the PS/2 adapters and such. Key up, key down, etc. would all be mapped in to the proper matrix so it would be 100% transparent to the CoCO.

Then you replace the effort of writing a driver with the effort of
designing custom hardware for each type of USB device. Admittedly,
that would eliminate the need for modifying _CoCo_ software.

>
> > You are probably thinking that the USB chip can handle HID-style
> > devices already, which might be true. But there will still need to
> > be something running on the CoCo to translates whatever the USB chip
> > sends on the serial port into useful input for programs running on
> > the CoCo. Frank is right, it will be easier to centralize that piece
> > of software in OS-9. Code running under DECB will need every program
> > to be individually patched for the new USB chip's input.
> 
> Ah, I see. No, not serial. It would plug in to the Keyboard port.
> 
> A second interface would plug in to a joystick port for USB joysticks.
> 
> Best part ... either could take a cheap Bluetooth dongle, then you could use a bluetooth keyboard, bluetooth mouse, or CERTAIN types of Bluetooth game pads. It appears gamepad are not standardized, and they have different firmware for different types of PS gamepad.

I look forward to seeing all these dual USB and Bluetooth peripherals
coming soon for the CoCo! ;-)

John
-- 
John W. Linville		Someday the world will need a hero, and you
linville at tuxdriver.com			might be all we have.  Be ready.