[Coco] CoCoNet

[Frank Swygert]

Roger (and all!), I'm impressed, but still find the idea of CoCoNet, and Drivewire, a bit ambiguous. Basically both allow a PC to be a disc server for the CoCo. Sort of like replacing the floppy drive with a PC. What I find ambiguous is the fact that the emulators do the same thing, only run on a PC also. While the idea is to make the PC a slave to the CoCo instead of the other way around, it just seems like a lot of trouble for nothing. I suppose it's good for sharing files between the two systems, or using the PC to download DSK files then install on the CoCo. I suppose those who have a CoCo and PC both set up at and in use at the same time will find it more useful though. The PC can easily serve the CoCo while still doing other things. I guess I'm getting stuck on the scenario where the CoCo is the main computer and you just set up a PC as a drive server. 

Now I can see it more as a hard drive solution. Package a hard drive in a stand-alone case with a microcontroller hard programmed to use CoCoNet. There are a few cheap single board computers with a serial port that would work nicely. If a mini OS/CoCoNet server could be written for one of those, or maybe better a PIC or something, then it would be a wonderful hard drive controller. If you could get a bare bones Linux driver going then a stripped down Linux would work nicely, maybe little more than a custom kernel burned into a ROM. 

Just some thoughts I've been having. I still like the idea of a single board x86 based computer with an emulator in ROM with a flash memory section for customizing, or a switch protected SD or USB drive (those would be easier). Using the DOS based emulator DOS could be stripped down and the thing could transparently boot into the emulator. That would be an "instant CoCo4". Enhancements could then be made to the emulator. That's the easiest solution to the CoCo4 "problem". Several of these would fit the bill - http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8498487406.html. Although the article is for Linux devices, some of them are PC compatible. I like this one: http://www.compulab.co.il/x270cm/html/x270-sb-datasheet.htm. I'm sure the "prices starting below $120" are for the basic model in quantity, not singles. A $300 "CoCo4" sans monitor and keyboard would be easily possible using a modified emulator and one of these. The only thing that would be missing is the cartridge port. Might be possible to emulate it through a PCI port though, with a card or header for connections. The cartridge port is the one thing that would be hard to deal with, but as long as there is some type of easy to connect I/O board I don't see that as a problem, even if the I/O board is a USB dongle. 

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Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:37:15 -0600
From: Roger Taylor <operator at coco3.com>

Some updates

CoCoNet is currently (while I type) reading a .php file from 
CoCo3.com once every SECOND in 115200 bps mode, and about 2.5 seconds 
in 57600 bps mode, which includes printing the readout to the WIDTH 
80 screen.  It's about 11 lines of text generated by the .php 
script.  The complete turnaround is 1 second in 115200 bps mode. 
<snip>

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
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