[Coco] Coco Armatron Interfacing

[Andrew]

John - responses in-line...

 > Message: 14
 > Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:27:15 -0500
 > From: "Little John \(GIMEchip.com\)" <sales at gimechip.com>
 > Subject: Re: [Coco] Coco Armatron Interfacing
 > To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
 > Message-ID: <84B0DCE5B71C4B1B80F627141AC0AC00 at hackersafa71ff>
 > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
 > 	reply-type=original
 >
 > That particular article in Color Computer Magazine was one of several 
 > that
 > detailed the computer control of an Armatron. When my dad gave me all

That's what I've been finding; I have several of the articles - all the 
ones I have found so far are up on my site. The more I look, the more I 
find, it seems. At one point, I collected everything I had and released 
a "super-archive"; then promptly found another addition after I had 
published that one! Since then, I have found a few more...ha.

 > of his
 > CoCo Stuff, that article along with the one in Hot CoCo and

I haven't see anything about a Hot CoCo one - I would be interested in that!

 > Radio-Electronics prompted me to seek out some Armatrons (I've got 6
 > of
 > them, but haven't converted any as yet). The ROS article that you

I have a few Armatrons myself; my original Tomy Armatron from when I was 
a kid (in OK shape - it kinda got damaged in storage - melted plastic in 
one spot, but should function OK), a couple of Radio Shack ones (one 
specifically bought for a conversion - its in really rough shape), and 
my most recent one, a Discovery Channel "Spark" arm (its one of the 
latest re-releases! Ugly as sin, though):

http://www.phoenixgarage.org/show_article/93

I also know about another re-release, called the Smithsonian 
Robo-Arm/Bio-Arm:

http://www.phoenixgarage.org/show_article/107

 > mention,
 > if I remember correctly, was in Hot CoCo and was part of James J.
 > Barbarello's "Hardware Hacker" series. It was for controlling an
 > Armatron as
 > well. James did a whole series, the first of which was a PIA Pak for

Hmm - maybe so; but I distinctly remember a series of articles (of which 
I only have the two issues for the last two articles - there were three) 
in the Rainbow; I'll see if I can find the issues later tonight...

 > interfacing the rest of the series to the CoCo and part of the series
 > detailed an Armatron Connection to his PIA Port Cartridge. If I can
 > find the
 > articles, I'll scan them for you if you like. The article in

Yes - I would like that a lot; it would go great in my archive (CoCo and 
Armatron - I love them both!).

 > Radio-Electronics detailed how to connect one to a VIC-20 and if I'm
 > not
 > mistaken, the VIC-20 article mounted the Armatron to a piece of
 > plywood with
 > the motors external (connected by plastic "drive" shafts). I'll see if
 >  I can
 > find that one too. -John

I have that issue and article, and have it scanned in and on my website; 
I think it is in the "super-archive" I posted:

http://www.phoenixgarage.org/show_article/92

Which now has to be re-done...

:)

Thanks for the feedback on this!

-- Andrew L. Ayers
    Glendale, Arizona