[Coco] 6847 external character generator

[Al Hartman]

This is what the original Lowerkit II looks like installed in my main Coco 2 
which now has a 63B09E processor:

https://flic.kr/p/rpHaCu

This is what the character set looked like:

https://flic.kr/p/r8mmB8

I uploaded the manual for the board and character generator software (I have 
the tape for Charit here somewhere) in 2013 to the archive.

I have one in my TDP-100, this one, and a third which had the pins crushed 
and broken and I am in the middle of desoldering and repairing.

I know I was asked to read the ROM off one or more of them, but the only 
EPROM programmers I have are the three Coco ones, one is proken, and I don't 
have a good tape recorder to use the second, and I've never used the disk 
version of the software for the Color Burner, and don't feel confident that 
I know how to do it.

I wish there was a way to read the character set while it was in place. 
Maybe the the next time I have that Coco 2 setup, I could write a quick 
BASIC program to display all the characters, and this set could be 
re-created using Zippster's spreadsheet.

I seem to remember that there were several character sets uploaded to the 
CIS group. Some were made by Marty Goodman. I seem to remember that one set 
was taken from an IBM graphics card and adapted for the Lowerkit. I think 
this is what's in my TDP-100. I've been on the lookout for an "F" board Coco 
to resurrect the TDP-100, and a keycap to replace the missing one on the HJL 
keyboard.

If I can drag down the TDP off the high shelf, I'll try plugging it in and 
taking pictures of the inside, and the lowerkit character set. I just 
cleared my tray table in my bedroom (I repaired three virus infected laptops 
for friends), so this might be an easy project for tomorrow.

-[ Al ]-