[Coco] X-PAD Service Manual

[Bill Pierce]

According to what Gene told me once, the pad is like a big antennae grid. and the pen produces a signal (or other way around?). The closer you get, the stronger the signal gets and I think there's a small pressure switch in the tip of the pen for when you actually touch the surface. Gene can explain it better. 
I got mine over a year ago and still haven't hooked it up. It was almost brand new, and the surface/templet looked like it had not been marked on.
 
One note, it will not work in Coco 3 OS9 L2 as the pad & pen both require the Coco's timing and in L2, the clock is doubled causing it to not work properly. A driver would have to be written that slows down the clock when the pen is read.
There is also some patches for CocoMax in the archives to use the pad instead of the cocomax interface.
The user's manual gives all the tech info on reading the pen in ML.
 

Bill Pierce
"Today is a good day... I woke up" - Ritchie Havens
 

My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
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-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Gault <robert.gault at att.net>
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Tue, Jun 3, 2014 7:18 am
Subject: Re: [Coco] X-PAD Service Manual


Brian Goers wrote:
> I need to find a service manual for the Tandy X-Pad.
> Any available from any body here?
>

There is the owner's manual at
http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/coco/Documents/Manuals/Hardware/X-Pad%20GT-116%20Owners%20Manual%20%28Tandy%29.pdf

Implied in the manual is that there are two items which might require service, a 

switch inside the pen and the pad itself. Can't tell from the manual whether the 

pad is pressure sensitive or reads the location of the pen electronically. A 
sticky switch inside the pen seems the most likely simple fix.

Robert


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