treesh@vangogh.helios.nd.edu (03/05/91)
I have get reciently pruchased the SwiftLink232 cartridge with cable. I have not yet installed it into my system because I have a few questions about it frist, primarly, can I use it in conjunction with other cardridge devices at the same time? I have C128 computer, and I would like to know if I can put the Swithlink in there along with an REU at the same time? The way I plan to do this is to take a 44 pin ribbon cable (4 inches in lenght) and snap on two 44 pin edge connectors onto it, and fit the REU and the Swithlink cartridges onto the cable at the same time. I presume that the Swithlink is switchable I/O page mapping so as not to cause conflicts witht the REU. Can anyone tell me if the REU is switchable, or does it even take up I/O page space at all? Also, If Kent Slulivan should be reading this message, please e-mail me reguarding the procedures I need to take as a programmer to get my hand on some tehcnical information used to try to get my BBS software to take advantage of this fine device. Thanks much people. ctfm
kentsu@microsoft.UUCP (Kent SULLIVAN) (03/07/91)
In article <1991Mar5.135550.5053@news.nd.edu>, treesh@vangogh.helios.nd.edu writes: > I have get reciently pruchased the SwiftLink232 cartridge with cable. I have > not yet installed it into my system because I have a few questions about it > frist, primarly, can I use it in conjunction with other cardridge devices > at the same time? Yes, with some restrictions. Unlike many cartridges for the C-64/128 which have onboard ROMs and may force the computer into a particular mode, the SwiftLink (and SID stereo cart) are fairly transparent--they just take over a few addresses in I/O memory which can be accessed for I/O. The only thing you have to watch out for is another cartridge-type device which wants to use the same locations in I/O memory. > I have C128 computer, and I would like to know if I can put the Swithlink > in there along with an REU at the same time? The way I plan to do this is to > take a 44 pin ribbon cable (4 inches in lenght) and snap on two 44 pin > edge connectors onto it, and fit the REU and the Swithlink cartridges onto > the cable at the same time. I presume that the Swithlink is switchable I/O > page mapping so as not to cause conflicts witht the REU. Yes. The REU uses memory in the $DF00 page. The SwiftLink's default I/O page is $DE00, so there is no conflict. Using a ribbon cable as a cart port extender is not usually a good idea (the ribbon cable is poorly shielded), and is especially bad with most REUs because they are often even more sensitive than the typical cartridge. The SL's address can be moved by changing an onboard jumper. This is only necessary when using something like a BusCard II IEEE interface (which "lives" at $DE00 and can't be moved). A much better idea is a commercial cart port expander. The Aprospand is a popular choice, but it does leave the REU sticking up in the air (the Aprospand has four vertical ports). I have just ordered a nifty expander that should allow one cart to stick up and one to lay flat--perfect for the SL/REU combo. I will post the results after I receive the unit and try it. > Can anyone tell me if the REU is switchable, or does it even take up I/O > page space at all? The REU is not switchable. I think's it's silly that the almost all cart port devices come hard-wired for one address, especially those which just have to map registers into memory and don't have onboard ROMs. A little forethought... > Also, If Kent Slulivan should be reading this message, please e-mail me > reguarding the procedures I need to take as a programmer to get my hand on > some tehcnical information used to try to get my BBS software to take > advantage of this fine device. Assuming that you purchased the unit from CMD, give them a call. They can provide all the necessary info. If you purchased it from Dr. Evil, drop me a line. Kent Sullivan Microsoft Corporation The opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
matt@zswamp.fidonet.org (Matthew Desmond) (03/09/91)
treesh@vangogh.helios.nd.edu wrote: >I have get reciently pruchased the SwiftLink232 cartridge >with cable. I have >not yet installed it into my system because I have a few >questions about it >frist, primarly, can I use it in conjunction with other >cardridge devices at the same time? Yes, as long as you have some device - a cartridge motherboard - that will permit you to plug in more than one at a time. Some conflicts may arise, but the REU (which you mentioned specifically) coexists fine with the SwiftLink. >The way I plan to do this is to >take a 44 pin ribbon cable (4 inches in lenght) and snap on >two 44 pin >edge connectors onto it, and fit the REU and the Swithlink >cartridges onto the cable at the same time. I did the same... it worked for me. >I presume that the Swithlink is switchable I/O >page mapping so as not to cause conflicts witht the REU. Default settings should work fine. >Can anyone tell me if the REU is switchable, or does it even >take up I/O page space at all? There is a jumper inside the SwiftLink to change its location from $DE00 to $DF00, but that's the default location of the REU (which can also be moved with a little hacking, but it's rather messy) -- +--------------------+------------------------+-----------------------------+ | Matthew Desmond, | UUCP: matt@spinq | #ifdef EMPLOYED | | 265 Beechlawn Dr., | FIDO: Sysop, 221/178 | #include "disclaimer.h" | | WATERLOO, Ont., | DATA: (519) 747-5322 | #endif | | CANADA, N2L 5W8. | Or Shout: "Yo, Limey!" | #include "smart_ass.h" | +--------------------+------------------------+-----------------------------+
treesh@bach.helios.nd.edu (03/10/91)
Thanks for the help Kent. My hopes that the ribbon cable wont cause too much of a problem with reguards to the noise getting into the circuit. Keepiing the lenght short as possible should help a lot. Beause the REU is stuck at address $DF00 in I/O, and the SwiftLink is at the other address, there should be no conflicts, but that completely rules out the use of the Lt Kernal Hard Disk Drive along with these two devices, since the Lt Kernal host adapter is also switchabe, but only two pages of I/O are avaliable, and both woud be taken. ctfm
kentsu@microsoft.UUCP (Kent SULLIVAN) (03/12/91)
In article <1991Mar9.211859.20933@news.nd.edu> treesh@bach.helios.nd.edu writes: >Thanks for the help Kent. My hopes that the ribbon cable wont cause too >much of a problem with reguards to the noise getting into the circuit. >Keepiing the lenght short as possible should help a lot. Let us know how well the ribbon cable works. It seems to work ok for Matt Desmond, but that could just be "dumb luck" <GRIN>. (No offense, Matt!) >Beause the REU is stuck at address $DF00 in I/O, and the SwiftLink is at the >other address, there should be no conflicts, but that completely rules out >the use of the Lt Kernal Hard Disk Drive along with these two devices, since >the Lt Kernal host adapter is also switchabe, but only two pages of I/O >are avaliable, and both woud be taken. Well, that depends. If you're using this stuff on a C-128 (in *any* of the modes: C-64, C-128, or CP/M), there is a third I/O slot available--$D700. The reason for this is CBM fully decoded all the I/O pages in the C-128 since they had to have room for the 8563 VDC and the MMU. On a C-64, the I/O block is not fully decoded, as you can tell by references to "SID mirrors". I believe Fred Bowen mentioned once that $D700 was to be the "home" for CBM's own SwiftLink-type device for the C-128... which was never released, of course. Memory maps in the C-128 PRG list $D700 as reserved for the future. You can use the SL at $D700 by cutting the jumper and not reattaching it to either $DE00 or $DF00 then running a clip lead into the computer... I can post the exact chip & pin numbers if anyone is interested. Most of the current software which supports the SL can be configured for any of the three I/O locations, except Desterm 128. Matt has made noises about adding support for $DF00 and $D700 in an future release. (Matt, comment?) Cheers, Kent Sullivan Microsoft Corporation The opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
treesh@vangogh.helios.nd.edu (03/13/91)
YES! Very intrested, how do I make this turkey address at D700?! ctfm .s
U15803@uicvm.uic.edu (Manuel Flores) (03/15/91)
Does anyone have a way to have an RS-232 port on a C64 WITHOUT an extra cartridge? Can the data lines of the user port be expanded, or the user port be accessed for the proper signals? Ive seen in C64 books that there are routines to access the port, but doesnt show how to make a standard port. There are signal discriptions of the pins on the port, can these be extended with an edge card connector for the proper RS-232 signals? Ill bet if it can, it can only go 2400 Baud - close enough. Ill give it a try and tell you guys what happens.
technews@iitmax.iit.edu (Tech News Account) (03/15/91)
I have a RS-232 adapter (like a cartridge) which connects to the USER port,
like a modem would, and provides RS-232 standard output...
is there any reason this wouldn't work? $25 and it's yours.
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My employer disagrees. cs4344af@evax.arl.utexas.edu (Fuzzy Fox) (03/15/91)
In article <91073.110357U15803@uicvm.uic.edu> U15803@uicvm.uic.edu (Manuel Flores) writes: >Does anyone have a way to have an RS-232 port on a C64 WITHOUT an extra >cartridge? Can the data lines of the user port be expanded, or the user port >be accessed for the proper signals? Yes, all you need is an RS-232 interface. Once such critter is the Aprotek Modem Interface, available for $27.95 from Software Support International. Another nifty Aprotek device is the Convert-a-Com, which does the opposite, turning an RS-232 interface into a Commodore User Port. Why? So you can take your 2400 Aprotek modem with you when you upgrade to another type of computer. Only $29.95! -- David DeSimone, aka "Fuzzy Fox" on some networks. /!/! INET: an207@cleveland.freenet.edu / .. Q-Link: Fuzzy Fox / --* Quote: "Foxes are people too! And vice versa." / ---
cs4344af@evax.arl.utexas.edu (Fuzzy Fox) (03/16/91)
In article <1991Mar14.232719.24621@iitmax.iit.edu> technews@iitmax.iit.edu (Tech News Account) writes: >I have a RS-232 adapter (like a cartridge) which connects to the USER port, >like a modem would, and provides RS-232 standard output... > >is there any reason this wouldn't work? $25 and it's yours. Some people may not know the difference between these, so perhaps I should explain. A modem adapter that plugs into the User Port is a simple device, which merely takes output signals from the port and translates them to the proper voltages for the RS-232 standard. However, it is still the responsibility of the CPU to shift every little bit out through this port, at the proper time, in order to send or receive at any particular baud rate. The 1 MHz C64 processor becomes sorely taxed at high baud rates such as 9600 or so, and can do very little else when trying to run at this speed. An adapter that plugs into the Cartridge Port is a more complex device, namely a UART. This works differently, in that the UART will accept whole bytes of input at a time, and shift the bits out all by itself, thus taking ten times less overhead away from the processor. So, at 9600 baud, the processor does not have to sevice 9600 interrupts per second (as with the User Port), but only 960 interrupts per second. Thus UART communications are much more reliable. The price of this is that most terminal programs do not support the UART, so you are tied to specific programs in order to reap the benefits. -- David DeSimone, aka "Fuzzy Fox" on some networks. /!/! INET: an207@cleveland.freenet.edu / .. Q-Link: Fuzzy Fox / --* Quote: "Foxes are people too! And vice versa." / ---