wrd@tekigm2.UUCP (Bill Dippert) (07/20/86)
Due to our editor being out at the moment, I cannot send email, just news. At any rate, I do not understand your message to me. I am not into software to any great extent and did not intend to write any software, in fact was not aware that it would take software. In my Legend 1380 printer there exists a 4k p.b. and I thought that somehow (thru the joystick ports?) the 1200XL could be made to look like another buffer. To make a null modem using the standard Atari daisy chain cables involves what pins? In the system that I had in mind, I would be using either two or three 1050 dd's, an 850, an Hayes compatible modem, and the Legend 1380 printer. However, I have several other setups that I might also want to use it on. The other setup would be either an 800XLE or 1200XLE with one or two 1050 dd's, an 1027 printer and a 1030 modem. I have seen printer buffers available that merely connect in and I though that with appropriate cabling something similar could be done with a spare 1200XL unit. If anyone else has any ideas, let's open up the discussion on the net. Thanks in advance, --Bill--
cbbrowne@watnot.UUCP (Christopher Browne) (07/25/86)
> Due to our editor being out at the moment, I cannot send email, just news. > At any rate, I do not understand your message to me. I am not into software > to any great extent and did not intend to write any software, in fact was > not aware that it would take software. In my Legend 1380 printer there > exists a 4k p.b. and I thought that somehow (thru the joystick ports?) the > 1200XL could be made to look like another buffer. To make a null modem > using the standard Atari daisy chain cables involves what pins? > > In the system that I had in mind, I would be using either two or three 1050 > dd's, an 850, an Hayes compatible modem, and the Legend 1380 printer. However, > I have several other setups that I might also want to use it on. The other > setup would be either an 800XLE or 1200XLE with one or two 1050 dd's, an 1027 > printer and a 1030 modem. I have seen printer buffers available that merely > connect in and I though that with appropriate cabling something similar could > be done with a spare 1200XL unit. > > If anyone else has any ideas, let's open up the discussion on the net. > > Thanks in advance, > --Bill-- This is something which I have looked at, and discovered that it is certainly possible, although somewhat complex (as far as hardware is concerned). Note that I am not a hardware person - for someone into hardware hacking, the job would be trivial. Using joystick ports is the cheapest way of doing things - however - it may not be possible on the 1200. I have used hardware on an 800XL to impliment printer hookup through the joysticks. A similar setup, with similar software, routing output to another computer would not be difficult. Unfortunately, the interface that I built (it was in an ANALOG of several years ago) would only output 7 bits rather than the standard 8 bits that current dot matrix printers support. It meant that I could output listings and other text, BUT, I could not output any graphics. That has not been a hardship to me, but could be for some. Perhaps this interface has some outputs that it uses that are necessary for proper compatibility with the printer (i.e. - the printer NEEDS certain signals) which would not be necessary in communicating with another Atari. There is another difficulty (which I gather would not affect you, but would affect others, including myself). One needs suitable software in both computers in order to operate this buffer. You seem to have enough drives to make it almost convenient to have one hooked up to the 'Buffer' computer. In my case, I have one drive, which makes it quite inconvenient to load software into both computers. This could be remedied by using a cartridge ($ :-) ), but this complicates matters quite a bit. Are there any hardware experts who can tell us if going through joystick ports is practical? I could probably find out by consulting my library, however, I do not have access to it at this time (being at school 480 km from home, 300 miles to the non SI people here). I will be interested to hear any information on the idea of using an old computer as a buffer. Christopher Browne University of Waterloo