cccph@jessica.cs.ucla.edu (Charles Hobbs) (05/01/91)
I'm looking for a quick and dirty way to add Extended Basic to my] TRS-80 color computer. I heard that Tandy had stopped supporting this machine, so am I out of luck? Thanks in advanc -------------------------------------------------------------- | Charles P. Hobbs | Rail transit has arrived in LA! | cccph@eel.cs.ucla.edu | If you can't ride, then *listen* | N6YMK @ K6VE | >>>> 471.3375 mHz <<<<!
session@seq.uncwil.edu (Zack C. Sessions) (05/01/91)
cccph@jessica.cs.ucla.edu (Charles Hobbs) writes: >I'm looking for a quick and dirty way to add Extended Basic to my] >TRS-80 color computer. I heard that Tandy had stopped supporting >this machine, so am I out of luck? I assume your CoCo is an earlier model and only has Color Basic and Not Extended Color Basic? You can upgrade it yourself by removing the Color Basic chip and replacing it with the ECB chip. The chip is available via mailorder from several advertisers in The Rainbow. The safest way to remove the chip without damaging the motherboard is the destructive method. (destructive to the chip, that is!) You clip all the leads of the rom and carefully de-solder out all the pins from the MB. The install a SOCKET into which you will insert your new ECB rom. Zack Sessions session@seq.uncwil.edu
n062gj@tamuts.tamu.edu (Richard Lorbieski) (05/02/91)
In article <1486@seq.uncwil.edu> session@seq.uncwil.edu (Zack C. Sessions) writes: >cccph@jessica.cs.ucla.edu (Charles Hobbs) writes: > >>I'm looking for a quick and dirty way to add Extended Basic to my] >>TRS-80 color computer. I heard that Tandy had stopped supporting >>this machine, so am I out of luck? > >I assume your CoCo is an earlier model and only has Color Basic and >Not Extended Color Basic? You can upgrade it yourself by removing the >Color Basic chip and replacing it with the ECB chip. The chip is >available via mailorder from several advertisers in The Rainbow. >The safest way to remove the chip without damaging the motherboard >is the destructive method. (destructive to the chip, that is!) You >clip all the leads of the rom and carefully de-solder out all the >pins from the MB. The install a SOCKET into which you will insert your >new ECB rom. > No its not the way to do it on an old CoCo Zack !!!!!! If he has an old CoCo machine, all he needs to do is open the case , check for an empty sockets, see if it's a 24 pin or 28 pin. Order that 24 or 28 pin EBC from mailorder or conntact a local Radio Shack and ask if National Parts still has any in stock. Now for the easy part. install the chip (make sure not to install it backwards) and presto !!!! it should power up in extended basic mode. Zack this is not intended as a flame. I would hate to see this guy destroy his computer and blame it all on you. ------ Richard Lorbieski : The toll roads... Internet: n062gj@tamuts.tamu.edu : they're free !!! L. Ron Hubbard - How can a dead man write current best sellers?
kennii@wybbs.mi.org (Kenn Booth II) (05/03/91)
In article <1486@seq.uncwil.edu>, session@seq.uncwil.edu (Zack C. Sessions) writes: and cccph@jessica.cs.ucla.edu (Charles Hobbs) writes: CH] I'm looking for a quick and dirty way to add Extended Basic to my CH] TRS-80 color computer. I heard that Tandy had stopped supporting CH] this machine, so am I out of luck? ZS] I assume your CoCo is an earlier model and only has Color Basic and ZS] Not Extended Color Basic? You can upgrade it yourself by removing the ZS] Color Basic chip and replacing it with the ECB chip. The chip is ZS] available via mailorder from several advertisers in The Rainbow. ZS] The safest way to remove the chip without damaging the motherboard ZS] is the destructive method. (destructive to the chip, that is!) You ZS] clip all the leads of the rom and carefully de-solder out all the ZS] pins from the MB. The install a SOCKET into which you will insert your ZS] new ECB rom. Well, (in my CoCo) there is an extra chip socket right next to the standard basic chip. (I was lucky enough to get one that had every single chip in sockets and not soldered into place :) ) Just plug your extended-basic chip into that socket... be careful not to bend the pins or rub your shoes on the rug... that should be all there is to it. I've experimented with writing graphics programs for some friends with only color basic and removed my ECB chip from time to time... YOU MUST HAVE BOTH CHIPS IN THE COMPUTER TO RUN EXTENDED BASIC! The ECB chip still calls the majority of routines in the Standard Color Basic (SCB) chip, like the i/o routines, text screen handling, most of the BASIC keywords... the ECB chip simply adds to the SCB chip, but will not run on it's own... (sorta like a 80x87 co-processor, but different... sorta...) You might want to subscribe to comp.sys.m6809 as this group is devoted to the CoCo family. Also, once you get the chip working, and you can't get a hold of a ECB manual, let me know... I don't use mine anymore, and it's in reasonably good shape. You're welcome to it. (just please, could we split shipping costs if you want me to send it? :) ) Oh, definitely get a subscription to Rainbow(tm). It is probably THE BEST magazine for the CoCo. Later! Kenn "Jazz" Booth II -- Micro-Data Consultants [kennii@wybbs.mi.org] [...!uunet.uu.net!mailrus!sharkey!wybbs!kennii] "I know you believe you understood what you think I said, but I'm not sure, you realize that what you heard is not what I meant!!!!!"