[Coco] Shell i=/t1& slowdown

[Willard Goosey]

>Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 17:26:26 -0600
>From: "Chester A Patterson" <vchester at setec-cr.com>
>
>Boot NOS9-030206
>Xmode /t1 9600-8-N-1 and all is well. Could send stuff to WinTerm (eg.
>list startup >/t1)

I'm amazed that works at all.  Shows just how much Boisy & crew have
improved on OS-9.  With stock OS-9 that *might* *maybe* work at 300
baud.

>Then I did shell i=/t1& and got a nice terminal on WinTerm. BUT the Coco
>slowed down horribly!

As others have already said, the bit-banger port uses a lot of CPU
time.  

>Suggestions?

Get a real serial port?  If you can't scrounge up a serial pak,
there's info floating around on how to install a daughterboard with a
6551 on the CoCo's motherboard.

If your main concern is file transfer, DriveWire may be the best way
to go.  If you really want to use your CoCo from a terminal, you
really do want a real serial port.  If you want to use your CoCo as a
terminal, it sounds like you've pretty much got it.

(And if you set up multiple serial ports, you can put a serial mouse
on one of them.  The Hi-Res mouse adaptor is another bit of hardware
that uses way too much CPU time.)

Willard
-- 
Willard Goosey  goosey at sdc.org
Socorro, New Mexico, USA
"I've never been to Contempt!  Isn't that somewhere in New Mexico?"
   --- Yacko