[Coco] Re: atari USB device
farna at att.net
farna at att.net
Sat Nov 27 03:38:49 EST 2004
You know, there are just some things that aren't very practical or useful. Okay, so continnuing to use a CoCo kind of falls into those categories, but that's beside the point! A USB device for DECB is just going a little to far, unless it emulates a certain device -- like disk drives (since controllers are hard to find, this would be a perfect replacement... darn, forgot, no 5.25" USB or IDE drives!! -- well, a hard disk controller anyway). For OS-9 (or rather NitrOS9) it would have some reasonable uses, since OS-9 makes the compuer somewhat useable. So make the USB adapter and get it working for OS-9 and forget the much harder DECB stuff already! Now I was/am a fervent supporter of DECB -- for most tasks that can be simplified to that level (simpler is usually better anyway!). Reading just about any USB device that is plugged in is just beyond DECB, so get on with it! Even OS-9 will require specific drivers for each type of device, if not for each manufacturer/individual device.
Now if an entire new motherboard was to be built that was 6809 compatible, it might be able to support DECB or a derivative of it and USB devices. I'd replace the disk drive controller with a couple USB ports with such a motherboard and use a 3.5" drive exclusively. If it were compatible enough with DECB games and such would just have to be transferred to 3.5" disks using a PC. I think I'd just put code on the board that did an auto boot from a flash card or disk, then load DECB or OS-9 from disk. The CC3 does that anyway. Such a single board experimenter's computer would be very useful even if it only used CC2 type graphics and not CC3, but had the greater memory capacity (and BASIC support for it!) of the CC3. That would eliminate the GIME problems, I'm sure a SAM would be easier to implement.
--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Independent
Magazine" (AIM)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http//:farna.home.att.net/AIM.html
(free download available!)
-------------- Original message ----------------------
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:38:22 -0500
> From: jdaggett at gate.net
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Re: atari USB device
> Mark
>
> The main problem in making any USB cartridge backward compatible with the Coco
> 1 and Coco 2 is that Color Basic and Extended Color Basic set in ROM and that
> precludes any simple ram patch of the ROM code impossible. The Coco 3 copies all
> those ROMS into ram and can be patched rather easy.
>
> What has to be done is the cartridge would have to have the Color Basic and/or
> Extended Color Basic ROM modified and stored and decoded at address $A000 to
> $BFFF and/or $8000 to $9FFF along with the USB software at $C000. First
> estimates is that the KEYIN subroutine is all that is needed to be patched. In
> fact
> Color Basic 1.2 is easier to patch than Color Basic 1.0. The KEYIN subroutine
> is
> where the computer looks at the PIA port and gets the value from it.
>
> It is not impossible but by far can be a bit more complex than that of the
> Atari
> versin and more hardware. Definitely more cost.
>
> just my wooden nickel
>
> james
>
>
> On 24 Nov 2004 at 7:58, Mark Marlette wrote:
>
> Date sent: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 07:58:26 -0600
> To: jhoger at pobox.com,
> CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts
> <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> From: Mark Marlette <mmarlett at isd.net>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Re: atari USB device
> Copies to: Send reply to: CoCoList for Color Computer
> Enthusiasts
> <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> <mailto:coco-
> request at maltedmedia.com?subject=unsubscribe>
> <mailto:coco-
> request at maltedmedia.com?subject=subscribe>
>
> > USB keyboard. Remember that what ever is developed should be backwards
> > compatible with the existing software. NitrOS-9 is not such a big deal
> > but RSDOS is where the problem lies. The new USB driver would have to
> > be in ROM/FLASH at power up and patch in not and not to step on
> > anything else. Then get the USB stream from the keyboard via the
> > hardware device, whatever that maybe and then emulate the software
> > call that originally was in the CoCo. POLCAT, peeks of the keyboard
> > port, etc...If not, you will find that your keyboard won't work with
> > certain programs after you have the CoCo booted up and you are able to
> > type from the command line via the USB. Double edge sword here. That
> > is why the hardware solution into the keyboard port was the choice at
> > Cloud-9. It can be done, just a few layers to sort out, the joy of the
> > beast. :)
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 12:05:34 -0800
> From: "John R. Hogerhuis" <jhoger at pobox.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Re: atari USB device
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <1101499534.1658.2173.camel at aragorn>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> On Fri, 2004-11-26 at 11:38, jdaggett at gate.net wrote:
> > Mark
> >
> > The main problem in making any USB cartridge backward compatible with the Coco
> > 1 and Coco 2 is that Color Basic and Extended Color Basic set in ROM and that
> > precludes any simple ram patch of the ROM code impossible. The Coco 3 copies
> all
> > those ROMS into ram and can be patched rather easy.
> >
> > What has to be done is the cartridge would have to have the Color Basic and/or
> > Extended Color Basic ROM modified and stored and decoded at address $A000 to
> > $BFFF and/or $8000 to $9FFF along with the USB software at $C000. First
> > estimates is that the KEYIN subroutine is all that is needed to be patched. In
> fact
> > Color Basic 1.2 is easier to patch than Color Basic 1.0. The KEYIN subroutine
> is
> > where the computer looks at the PIA port and gets the value from it.
> >
> > It is not impossible but by far can be a bit more complex than that of the
> Atari
> > versin and more hardware. Definitely more cost.
> >
>
> Yep, more cost. No reason to complicate this simple hardware device by
> adding built-in storage, at least on the first iteration. It's just a
> bus.
>
> OS-9 will work fine if we simply write appropriate drivers, loaded at
> boot.
>
> The Coco 3 under BASIC or DOS can be patched at runtime.
>
> Those that take 0-time-to-boot seriously will come up with something
> completely in ROM as an internal upgrade, or something on another
> multi-pak slot.
>
> The simplest ROM improvement for use with this USB controller would just
> go look for an attached USB storage device with a special file on it and
> use as a patch or ROM image to boot the machine. Assuming USB Storage
> will work with it, which I don't have any hard reason to believe that it
> won't.
>
> -- John.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:29:31 -0000
> From: "mallsamillion" <mallsamillion at aol.com>
> Subject: [Coco] [Color Computer] Ebay listings that may be of interest
> To: ColorComputer at yahoogroups.com
> Message-ID: <co7ekb+6tnq at eGroups.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
>
>
>
> http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=mallsamillion
>
> VINTAGE TANDY TRS-80 Anti-Glare Panel Item number: 5141950562
>
>
> RARE Radio Shack TRS-80 DC Modem 1B #26-1175 Item number:
> 5141951156
>
>
> PortaCalc for Tandy 100 Portable Computer Item number: 5141951661
>
>
> Model 3 III Magic Carpet Cassette Cat. No. 26-1919 Item number:
> 5141951980
>
>
>
> Model 1Pilot Plus Cat. No. 26-2205 Item number: 5141952341
>
>
> Model III/4 Accounts Receivable Cat No 26-1541 Item number:
> 5141952643
>
>
>
> Tandy 1000 EX - Personal DeskMate Cat No. 25-1050 Item number:
> 5142308056
>
>
> Model 4 TRSDOS and BASIC Interpreter Cat. No. 26-0316 Item number:
> 5142308966
>
>
>
> Model III/4 Accounts Payable Cat No 26-1542 Item number: 5142312950
>
>
> Model 1000 MS-DOS/GW - BASIC Cat No 25-1050 Item number: 5142309380
>
>
> Tandy 4000 Installation and Operation Manual Item number: 5142314331
>
>
> Tandy 1000 SL/2 -- A Practical Guide Item number: 5142315301
>
>
> Tandy 1000 SL -- A Practical Guide Item number: 5142315715
>
>
> Tandy 1000 SX -- A Practical Guide Item number: 5142316155
>
>
>
> Level II 2 BASIC Reference Manual (2nd Ed) Cat# 26-2102 Item number:
> 5142317502
>
>
> Tandy 1000 RL Installation & Operation Manual Item number: 5142318534
>
>
> Tandy ViaNet General Information Booklette Item number: 5142319971
>
>
>
> Model II Profile Forms Cat No. 26-4556 Item number: 5142330647
>
>
> Model 16 Assembler 16 Programming Package Manual Item number:
> 5142331935
>
>
> TRS-80 Scripsit 16 Manual, Key Labels, Intro, Tech Info Item number:
> 5142333781
>
>
> TRS-80 15-Meg Hard Disk Owner's Manual Item number: 5142334458
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 17:22:53 -0500
> From: "James C. Hrubik, Sr." <jimhrubik at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] [Color Computer] Ebay listings that may be of
> interest
> To: ColorComputer at yahoogroups.com, CoCoList for Color Computer
> Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <B7399C34-3FF9-11D9-B0F6-000A27D82FB6 at earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> Rare? Is that why one is sitting in my closet not talking to anything
> since you can no longer connect to anywhere at 300 baud?
>
> On Friday, November 26, 2004, at 09:29 AM, mallsamillion wrote:
>
> >
> > RARE Radio Shack TRS-80 DC Modem 1B #26-1175 Item number:
> > 5141951156
> >
>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> -----Items below rated "R"; parental discretion advised----
> ---------------------------------------------------
> "I have an excuse : all of my ancestors were teenagers..."
> From the sayings of Grampa Jim, Copyright 2003.
> Unauthorized use of my stuff may cause senility.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 15:23:39 -0800
> From: "Neil Morrison" <neilsmorr at hotpop.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] [Color Computer] Ebay listings that may be of
> interest
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <23cc01c4d40f$3712e680$37ae74ce at bc.hsia.telus.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James C. Hrubik, Sr." <jimhrubik at earthlink.net>
>
>
> > Rare? Is that why one is sitting in my closet not talking to anything
> > since you can no longer connect to anywhere at 300 baud?
>
> One person's RARE! is another person's, "Another one of those <yawn>".
>
> NM
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 15:27:59 -0800 (PST)
> From: Robert Emery <theother_bob at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Coco] CoCo Zone graphic adventure
> To: coco at maltedmedia.com
> Message-ID: <20041126232759.39943.qmail at web81503.mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hi all...
> I have uploaded the Rainbow adventure winner CoCo Zone to the games forum on
> CoCo3.com
>
> http://www.coco3.com/forums/
>
> Also on the disk are Whodunit, Voyager and Jake Commander's Color Space Trek.
> I'll probably also post it to my website for downloading eventually.
>
> -Bob
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
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>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 17:37:16 -0600
> From: Allen Huffman <alsplace at pobox.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] [Color Computer] Ebay listings that may be of
> interest
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <1B48691A-4004-11D9-9736-000A95983AB4 at pobox.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> > Rare? Is that why one is sitting in my closet not talking to anything
> > since you can no longer connect to anywhere at 300 baud?
>
> Heh, well, look at the folks with classic cars that just sit in their
> garage and they don't actually drive them anywhere :-)
>
> -- A
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 17:38:37 -0600
> From: Mannequin* <mannslists at invigorated.org>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] [Color Computer] Ebay listings that may be of
> interest
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <1101512317.3122.2.camel at cora>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> On Fri, 2004-11-26 at 15:23 -0800, Neil Morrison wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "James C. Hrubik, Sr." <jimhrubik at earthlink.net>
> >
> >
> > > Rare? Is that why one is sitting in my closet not talking to anything
> > > since you can no longer connect to anywhere at 300 baud?
> >
> > One person's RARE! is another person's, "Another one of those <yawn>".
> >
> > NM
>
> How much do you think they wanted for the modem? I've got one on
> Coco3.com's store: http://www.coco3.com/cgi-bin/shop.cgi
>
> Of course, there are a few other things that may interest someone on
> there, also...
>
> -M.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 17:47:17 -0600
> From: Mannequin* <mannslists at invigorated.org>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] [Color Computer] Ebay listings that may be of
> interest
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <1101512838.3125.5.camel at cora>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> On Fri, 2004-11-26 at 17:38 -0600, Mannequin* wrote:
> > On Fri, 2004-11-26 at 15:23 -0800, Neil Morrison wrote:
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "James C. Hrubik, Sr." <jimhrubik at earthlink.net>
> > >
> > >
> > > > Rare? Is that why one is sitting in my closet not talking to anything
> > > > since you can no longer connect to anywhere at 300 baud?
> > >
> > > One person's RARE! is another person's, "Another one of those <yawn>".
> > >
> > > NM
> >
> > How much do you think they wanted for the modem?
>
> Duh... Just looked at it on Ebay. There's no way anyone would pay $9.00
> shipping on something that may only be won for $0.99. :P
>
> -M.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 16:10:15 -0800 (PST)
> From: Robert Emery <theother_bob at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Coco] upgrading CoCo2 to 64K
> To: coco at maltedmedia.com
> Message-ID: <20041127001015.84344.qmail at web81509.mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> While skimming through magazines, I found Tony DiStefano's article on the
> subject... here are the relevant details:
>
> Upgrading a 16K Color Computer 2 to 64K
> ---------------------------------------
> Open the case by removing the screws in the
> bottom, then carefully remove the keyboard.
>
> Remove the eight identical chips located
> along the front edge of the CoCo2 main board.
> These are the 16K chips.
>
> Replace the 16K chips with 64K chips. There
> are many different part numbers which will work,
> as long as they are comatible with 4164 chips.
>
> Look for a small "W1" in between the 6822 PIA
> and the 74LS244 chips. Right above the "W1" mark
> are two solder points. Solder these two points
> together and re-assemble the CoCo2.
>
> You now own a 64K Color Computer 2.
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> Some hobbyists used to piggyback the 16K chips
> to get 32K of memory. In the mid-80's that might
> have been a good choice, but I wouldn't recommend
> it these days. If anyone wants the instructions
> to do that, I can provide them.
>
> Note that the CoCo2's 16K chips are 2118 chips.
> 4116 chips will *not* work in the CoCO2.
>
> ---------------------------------------
> Source: Tony DiStefano, Turn of the Screw
> The Rainbow, January 1984, p.130
>
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
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