[Coco] Re: atari USB device

[Mark Marlette]

At 11/23/2004 05:39 PM -0800, you wrote:

USB keyboard. Remember that what ever is developed should be backwards 
compatible with the existing software. NitrOS-9 is not such a big deal but 
RSDOS is where the problem lies. The new USB driver would have to be in 
ROM/FLASH at power up and patch in not and not to step on anything else. 
Then get the USB stream from the keyboard via the hardware device, whatever 
that maybe and then emulate the software call that originally was in the 
CoCo. POLCAT, peeks of the keyboard port, etc...If not, you will find that 
your keyboard won't work with certain programs after you have the CoCo 
booted up and you are able to type from the command line via the USB. 
Double edge sword here. That is why the hardware solution into the keyboard 
port was the choice at Cloud-9. It can be done, just a few layers to sort 
out, the joy of the beast. :)

We have remapped the definition of the keyboard port under NitrOS-9 to 
accept keycodes just like a PC does. This was a test case for the PS2 type 
keyboards and our PS2 keyboard interface on the SuperBoard. This way each 
window could set caps, num, etc. for each one. That was awhile ago and 
Boisy did this case test into an Atmel AVR. Those things are a blast!!!!

My $0.02 :)

Mark
Cloud-9




>On Tue, 2004-11-23 at 12:56, Mark McDougall wrote:
> > John R. Hogerhuis wrote:
> >
> > > Well if we get USB storage working, why not just convert the disks to
> > > floppy images on flash drive or 3.5" USB floppy drive, or USB hard
> > > drive, and not hook up the 5.25"?
> >
> > I thought it'd be pretty cool to be able to use a USB flash stick as a 
> CoCo
> > hard disk - you could carry around your entire CoCo collection in your
> > pocket! Imagine turning up to a CoCo meet, plugging a flash stick into
> > someone else's machine, and having your own CoCo setup at your fingertips!
> >
>
>As Mark says you can do something similar *today* with a CF card and
>Cloud-9 hardware.
>
>Hopefully we'll be able to make the USB key drives work too, if only
>because it's fun, cool, and we'll learn a lot.
>
> > Having said that, I can see that a (USB) PC keyboard would increase your
> > productivity - I know I have trouble adapting to different keyboards.
>
>Well the keyboard idea is nice, but I think it is being done first
>mainly because the Atari guys already implemented it so it should be
>easy to get going and we can see something working. Same goes for
>joysticks. The mouse will be more useful, and that should be second,
>again, an easy one to do.
>
> >  As for
> > USB floppy drives - I don't see the need for re-implementing 5.25" drives
> > (why wouldn't you just use an existing controller?) but it'd be handy for
> > using 'non-standard' drives such as 3.5" etc.
> >
>
>Yeah, not sure but I think all these USB storage devices work the same,
>hard drive, flash, floppy drives. We'll see.
>
> > Of course, USB ethernet is also a pretty interesting option. Anyone feel
> > like porting Samba to the CoCo? ;) Or bluetooth? ;)
>
>SMB! You'll never cram that beast into the coco.
>
>But simpler things like FTP, email, http can be made to work fairly
>easily.
>
>As far as Ethernet, I'd like to see a simple USB<->RS232 adapter working
>before diving into Ethernet adapter.
>
> >
> > Regards,
>
>
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