[Coco] CoCo/PC hybrid....

[Steve Bjork]

Frank Swygert wrote:
> I agree with you 100%! I was only suggesting DOS as it could be easily 
> pared down to a minimal system. I did mention that a Linux base (which 
> can also be stripped down!) would be much better.
> I also agree with you on "newish" hardware, not really old stuff! In 
> my last post I listed several P4 machines, complete computers, for 
> under $100. In reality a P3 system would be the lowest I'd shoot for, 
> mainly because of the VIA-C3 mini-ITX boards (the C3 uses a P3 
> compatible core). That would make an excellent board is one wanted to 
> mount it in a CoCo case, but I wouldn't mess up an original CoCo.
The idea was to put an Ion (smaller and more powerful than a VIA-C3 
mini-ITX boards) and the I/O board into a CoCo case to replace a dead CoCo.
The I/O board mounts so you can use the old ports in the case for 
plugging things like the joystick or Floppy Disk controller.
>
> The USB adapter for the CoCo cartridge port is intriguing! I was 
> thinking the parallel port would reduce the amount of hardware needed 
> at first, but maybe not. With the USB board you're doing a lot more 
> with software, which is probably better and easier, and even a P3 has 
> the processing power. I've never seen the real need/desire for being 
> able to connect all the old CoCo peripherals -- everything except 
> something like an I/O relay board can be emulated or transferred to PC 
> hardware. If you needed a 360K floppy it would be just as easy to 
> mount the physical drive in a PC case, or mod a USB floppy driver to 
> work with 360K. Come to think of it, will modern PC floppy controller 
> chips (integrated I/O chips) even support 360K floppies?
The I/O talks to the Floppy disk controller so you can read and write to 
the disk in ways the PC can not.
> If the CC4 project is dead for you, would there be a possibility of 
> you turning over the project to the CoCo community? Sounds like you've 
> already had everything running. The USB board shouldn't be a 
> necessity, but may be for playing games with the joysticks -- or can 
> the PC joystick port be used? Someone would have to be in charge of 
> building the hardware, but if the system will work without it that's a 
> start. Maybe stick it up on Source Forge under an open source/GPL 
> license, or upload it to Allen Huffman's CC4 site??? I'm not a 
> programmer, but could serve as a project coordinator.
> ------------
Yes, the USB I/O board not necessity, but for those that want to use old 
hardware with the system will gives you more of a true CoCo.

I don't know about an Allen Huffman's CoCo 4 site, but CoCo4.com is ran 
by me.

Steve Bjork