[Coco] Introduction and Hardware project question.

[Alexander Wallace]

Hello All,

My Name is Alex Wallace. I live in Arteaga México, close to my hometown Saltillo.

My first computer was a CoCo 2 Back in 1982 or so, I fell in love with it right away and due to lightning died at a good time when it opened up the door to get a CoCo3. I’ve never loved a computer more. And this is still true. I’m a software developer like many of you probably, and work with modern hardware/software but nothing beats the feelings I still have for that old computer. It has gone with me everywhere i’ve lived, included USA for 10 years, 10 years ago.

Recently I pulled the old box out. Still have the CoCo 3 with 512k, a disto super controller with Ados3, a couple of joysticks, a few broken deluxe joystick, a couple of floppy drives 5.25 & 3.5 and a bunch of disks, a few cartridges, the RGB monitor, modem, cassette cable, should have some cassettes somewhere (with Popeye and donkey king, and can’t remember what else).  My 13 year old kid got hooked right away! And I’m as excited about it as back then. Incredible! I don’t know what it is about this thing that provokes such emotions… 

I’m very excited to find out that there is such a vibrant community. I want to set it all up and keep it running, get some of the modern hardware the community has made and keep the fire alive. 

That’s my intro.

Now with the question:

I am currently making an electric vehicle and I need to bottom balance my lithium batteries… I was wondering if someone here can tell me if the below is possible with no extra hardware or with something easily procurable:

1 - Can i measure battery voltage with the CoCo? I need to monitor 2 voltage thresholds: 2.5 and 2.8 volts of some batteries, the max charge in them is 3.5. I know the joysticks can measure the voltage the CoCo generate, but what about external voltage? 

2 - If i can see those thresholds, can I make the CoCo turn on Off/On a motor (or lights) (running from the battery being monitored), something that pulls ideally 25 amps. I know It has the MOTOR ON/OF switch, can I use it to open/close a circuit using a contactor that pulls maybe 1.5 amps?

Anyways, that’s it for now…

I’m very excited about reaching out to the community!

PS: Is there anything special I need to do to be accepted to the FB page BTW? I thought I saw my request being rejected?

Thanks!