[Coco] embeddedcoco

[peak at mail.polarcomm.com]

James
Although I dont know exactly what you want to do with an 
embedded coco, here are some ideas:
For a terminal/console to the controller of a telescope you 
could use one of the PIA's with;
a small keypad and a small LCD
The keypad would have some alphanumeric keys plus one key 
which is different.
The LCD could be something like a 2 line x 16 char claculator 
like display.
How would that work??
the keypad would place a code on one port of the PIA,that 
port would be configured as an input port. Now that code 
would then be placed in a software ram buffer and also be 
echoed to the display through the other port of the PIA.

When enough characters were input to represent a "star" you 
would then push a "go" or "exec" key. That key would be 
different from the other keys. The only real difference 
though could be that it generates an interrupt. The interrupt 
could be generated through the same PIA.

The "ISR"(interrupt service routine) would then use the "star"
code in the buffer to go to a location in a look-up table to 
find telescope aiming coordinates.

Of course we would need some memory for programs not just 
data. How about one 43256 static ram chip giving 32k in the 
lower 32k area just like a 32k coco. If I am not mistaken 
that should be plenty of programm memory.

Now you will also need DATA memory for "look-up" tables.
That data memory could be on a separate plug-in cartrige or 
board that would stack on top of the main board with header 
pins. It also could have a card edge for plugging into a real 
coco to update and/or change "star chart"data.

Unless I am not understanding you application do you really 
need a "full-blown" repacked coco??

I hope some of these ideas help.

Eric