[Coco] TRS-80 X-Pad

[Willard Goosey]

On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 01:56:01PM -0400, Bill Pierce wrote:
> 
> Hi, I've recently aquired a TRS-80 X-Pad for the Coco. These were
> made back in the Coco 2 & 2 days. For those who are not familiar
> with the X-Pad, it's a pen & drawing tablet for the Coco. It has a
> cart connected to the port.

X-Pad is a fun toy but I don't use mine much...

> What I want to know, is there any problems interfacing the X-Pad to
> OS-9? I would really like to try to do something in Level 2 with it

The big problem is that the X-Pad only works at 1MHz.  Unlike the
SSpak there's no cheap hack around that limit.  I've played around in
BASIC with running at 2MHz and dropping to 1MHz to actually sample the
xpad and that seemed to work, IIRC. 

I should also note that the xpad needs +12V so can only be used
directly on a CoCo1, the 2 & 3 have to use it in an MPI to provide the
power.

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