[Coco] Wiring inputs to the Coco

[George Ramsower]

  For those not really handy at building circuits for your Coco....

  The ORC-90 sound cart has two, eight bit output chips that are used to 
create the sounds. These chips can also be used to control SIXTEEN 
relays or transistors to control other things. The 16 bits can be used 
for other things as well. All that needs to be done is remove/cut the 
resistors that connect the outputs of those two chips and use the pins 
to safely drive your outputs. From there, you can easily make the 
circuits to drive other things. Turn LEDs on and off, activate relays, 
cause fires in your computer, whatever you can think of.
  Easy stuff here.
  You can also copy the design and ad more stuff, as the original design 
leaves room for MANY more chips to add MANY more input and output chips. 
More than you should ever need!! This would be easy to do using the 
ORC-90 cart because the groundwork is already there. However, you need 
to be cautious with your soldering and design.
  I've done much the same thing with an RS232 cart. The decoding chip is 
already there and there is still room for adding more stuff. Many 
possibilities to play with and learn.
  You don't have to build a totally new board to connect to the outside 
with you Coco. Just use the carts that are already available and add to 
them.

  I know that most of us are already familiar with this sort of thing 
and are into creating new and powerful new things for our Cocos but, for 
beginners, these are suggestions on how to connect to the outside world 
with a Coco without building a new circuit board to connect to the Coco.
George