[Coco] Proto CoCo

[Mike Pepe]

Hi Mark,

Mark Marlette wrote:
> Mike,
> 
> We bought all of the remaining stock thata certain vendor had from 
> Tandy. I still have over 150 cases. :) Always wanted some shorty cases 
> but you have to buy ROM packs for that and I HATE to destroy to create....

Any chance I could buy a few of those cases? :)

> I have Orcad for schematic capture, WinBoard for board layout and 
> Specctra for my auto router. Ivex with out of business but I know their 
> layout tool so well, I know all the work arounds and can make any part I 
> want to.

Sounds like a good combo. I got Eagle because it was in my budget for 
the "lite" version (which makes eurocard size boards) but the docs are 
cryptic at best. I've been able to make a schematic, lay the chips out 
on the board, route it- but I could never figure out how to make the 
physical board- the card edges, etc. I've pretty much given up on it, 
but maybe I'll give it another go.

I'd really rather not get into the darkroom aspect of making my own PCBs 
again. With the availability of board houses out there, I'd rather spend 
the time on the PC designing the thing and just send away for boards. 
Wire wrapping is nice, but it's far to easy to make mistakes and it gets 
really messy really fast.

> If I was to make a quick prototype board what would people like on it???
> 
> Decode section, wire wrap section to bus signals????
> 
> I would go with a solder masked board with gold card edge.

Personally all I'd like to see would be something with the edge 
connector and the rest blank with holes to drop in wire wrap sockets- or 
a matrix of plated thru holes to drop in regular sockets.

It would be great to have that, though.

> I already have the board outline....the rest is a snap.......

I'll buy some!


If you want to see what I'm working with now:

http://www.doki-doki.net/~lamune/temp/proto-r.html

-Mike