[comp.sys.apple2] Super Serial Card drivers

mvk@pawl.rpi.edu (Michael V. Kent) (08/09/90)

     I'm looking for a GS/OS driver for the Super Serial Card.  I upgraded
to a GS from a II+, so I have the old cable.  My Apple dealer wants $30 for
one with the proper connections.  I can print just fine from ProDOS 8, but
GS/OS keeps insisting that I use the printer port.  I figure that with a
driver, the Control Panel might accept my configuration.  Does such a 
beastie exist?  Is it public domain?  Can someone email one to me or post
it to comp.binaries.apple2?

Michael Kent
mvk@pawl.rpi.edu

toddpw@tybalt.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel) (08/09/90)

As soon as the GS/OS references come out of beta, I'd be happy to write one.

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu

mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) (08/09/90)

In article <HZ0$D}#@rpi.edu> mvk@pawl.rpi.edu (Michael V. Kent) writes:
>
>     I'm looking for a GS/OS driver for the Super Serial Card.  I upgraded
>to a GS from a II+, so I have the old cable.  My Apple dealer wants $30 for
>one with the proper connections.  I can print just fine from ProDOS 8, but
>GS/OS keeps insisting that I use the printer port.  I figure that with a
>driver, the Control Panel might accept my configuration.  Does such a 
>beastie exist?  Is it public domain?  Can someone email one to me or post
>it to comp.binaries.apple2?
>
>Michael Kent
>mvk@pawl.rpi.edu

Personally, I think the $30 will save you a lot of headaches.  But if you
insist:

First, you don't want a "GS/OS driver".  You want a "Print Manager port driver."
You don't care if GS/OS can talk to the printer or not, you care if the
currently selected printer driver can.  We have three non-network port drivers
on the System Software:  PRINTER, MODEM and PARALLEL.CARD.

I actually believe that PARALLEL.CARD will print, albeit slowly, to the
Super Serial Card.  You should try it.  You might have to switch slot 2 to
"Your card" so it doesn't find the Pascal protocol bytes in the modem port
firmware and use them, but I'm not sure about either.

-- 
============================================================================
Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions represented here are
Developer Technical Support, Apple II |  not necessarily those of Apple
Group.  Personal mail only, please.   |  Computer, Inc.  Remember that."
============================================================================

mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) (08/09/90)

In article <1990Aug8.195211.28266@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu> toddpw@tybalt.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel) writes:
>As soon as the GS/OS references come out of beta, I'd be happy to write one.
>
>Todd Whitesel
>toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu

See previous posts for details on the real scoop.

However, please don't ANYONE write any kind of loaded serial port/card drivers
without contacting DTS first.  We're trying to work out some specifications
for such things so that all such drivers will work alike.  That way, if you
have two programs that were written using two different serial drivers, they
should both work with whatever driver you have installed.

(Switching drivers requires activating one, deactivating the other and rebooting
the system.  We're trying to avoid having to go through this just to switch
programs that were written with different drivers.)

-- 
============================================================================
Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions represented here are
Developer Technical Support, Apple II |  not necessarily those of Apple
Group.  Personal mail only, please.   |  Computer, Inc.  Remember that."
============================================================================

toddpw@tybalt.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel) (08/09/90)

mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) writes:

>However, please don't ANYONE write any kind of loaded serial port/card drivers
>without contacting DTS first.  We're trying to work out some specifications
>for such things so that all such drivers will work alike.  That way, if you
>have two programs that were written using two different serial drivers, they
>should both work with whatever driver you have installed.

Wouldn't think of it. That's why I'm waiting of the Class 1 manuals -- I expect
them to tell me what I can rely on and what I have to call DTS for.

>(Switching drivers requires activating one, deactivating the other and rebooting
>the system.  We're trying to avoid having to go through this just to switch
>programs that were written with different drivers.)

Could you give an example of that?

You seem to be implying that the system can only recognize one driver per
peripheral; if that is so then how is Appletalk/Printer/Modem handled?

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu

mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) (08/09/90)

In article <1990Aug9.010115.3970@laguna.ccsf.caltech.edu> toddpw@tybalt.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel) writes:
>mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) writes:
>
>You seem to be implying that the system can only recognize one driver per
>peripheral; if that is so then how is Appletalk/Printer/Modem handled?
>
>Todd Whitesel
>toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu

Close, but no cigar.  This is generally the case, but no one said there
couldn't be more than one kind of driver per peripheral.  What you want to
print is a Print Manager port driver, which is not the same as a GS/OS driver
(or a printer driver or a MIDI driver or an AppleTalk driver).

See the File Type Note for file type $BB for more details.

-- 
============================================================================
Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions represented here are
Developer Technical Support, Apple II |  not necessarily those of Apple
Group.  Personal mail only, please.   |  Computer, Inc.  Remember that."
============================================================================