[Coco] XPander-Coco lives!

Tue Apr 26 01:00:47 EDT 2016

I can't promise anything for the repair, but I can give it a try.
If you can't find anyone please think of me as last resort.

thank you...

cb

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On 4/25/2016 10:58:33 PM, Stephen H. Fischer <sfischer1 at mindspring.com> wrote:
No price, the person who gets it must prove that they can fix it. (I can tell! There is only one person who I know can do the job and he is not doing electronics much these days.)

As I said, take it to PM.

It's my time to take it to UPS that counts, money I have lots of.

SHF

It's my time to take it to UPS that
----- Original Message -----
From: "Camillus"
To: "Bill via Coco"
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 8:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Coco] XPander-Coco lives!

> Hi Stephen,
>
> Is that dead controller for sale and if yes what are you thinking about price?
>
> I do have drives I do not need more.
>
> thanks
>
> Sent from Mailbird [http://www.getmailbird.com/?utm_source=Mailbird&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sent-from-mailbird]
> On 4/25/2016 7:46:39 PM, Stephen H. Fischer wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Are you interested in the dead Disto Floppy Controller with SCSI Hard Disk interface for testing?
>
> I can throw in two or more SCSI hard drives.
>
> I think that the blown ICs are buss interface chips, I think that Jameco had them at the time it died.
>
> Nothing in my electronics room is considered usable any more and that part of my mind has been turned off.
>
> The schematic is available although one of our resident electronics experts has said he made intentional errors.
>
> I have a MPI but used it very little. That's the advantage of Disto's floppy controller with SCSI Hard Drive Adapter.
>
> SHF
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Zippster"
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts"
> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 5:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [Coco] XPander-Coco lives!
>
>
>> Stephen, anything that would work in a regular MPI should work. Any MPI replacement
>> will have to implement an 8-bit register at $FF7F and direct signals as an original
>> MPI would.
>>
>> I guess the only problem with the two-slot version might be if some software
>> required a 2 carts in the 2-4 slot range. In that case you’d want the XPander or
>> an original MPI.
>>
>> Are there plans for a case for the XPander Jim? Acrylic sheets like I think I saw the
>> Brazillian guys showing with their new MPI would look really cool and not be too hard
>> to do maybe. Looking forward to the XPander being available, along with a lot of others,
>> I’m sure. :) Please put me down for one if I’m not still on the list from last year.
>>
>> - Ed
>>
>>
>>> On Apr 25, 2016, at 7:06 PM, Stephen H. Fischer wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have no real interest but wondering if the floppy controller part would allow for the Disto Floppy Controller with SCSI hard drive interface to work.
>>>
>>> Mine died along with the CoCo 3 in use at the the time and likely a 6309 CPU. That was the end of my fighting electronics, I had all the SCSI hard drive files saved to floppies by then and now are on CDs.
>>>
>>> I understand that one person has the problem of transferring his Hard Disk contents to a CoCo SDC and is trying to do the massive job with floppies and perhaps not getting it done.
>>>
>>> SHF
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Zippster"
>>> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts"
>>> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 4:42 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] XPander-Coco lives!
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Jim (and everyone),
>>>>
>>>> Well, I started out wanting to create a simple adapter that would let you use a CoCo SDC
>>>> along with a floppy controller for easy transfer to and from actual floppies. Sort of a Y-cable
>>>> type thing on a PCB. I learned pretty quickly from Darren that full MPI register functionality
>>>> would be required.
>>>>
>>>> So it’s basically a two-slot MPI, with a standard MPI register implemented, and a switch which
>>>> sets the second slot as either 2, 3, or 4, as needed for software compatibility depending on
>>>> what you’re trying to do.
>>>>
>>>> I’ve been sharing about it on the Facebook group while developing it for those who wanted to sort of
>>>> follow along. It’s not intended to compete with a full-featured MPI like yours, it’s just a minimal
>>>> solution for someone who just wants to plug in only two carts.
>>>>
>>>> So no, there’s nothing there you’d need to worry about supporting.
>>>>
>>>> John Strong AFAIK intends to produce cases for the Mini-MPI, and I just wrapped up my last
>>>> round of hardware tweaks and put in an order for what should be final version test boards, and
>>>> the prototypes are working great, so they should be out before too long.
>>>>
>>>> A few pics here…
>>>>
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>> - Ed
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Apr 25, 2016, at 6:13 PM, RETRO Innovations wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On 4/25/2016 4:18 PM, Zippster wrote:
>>>>>> That is awesome.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Between this and the Mini-MPI, the MPI shortage should be a
>>>>>> thing of the past. :)
>>>>> Where's the scoop on the Mini-MPI? Is there something I should make sure I support?
>>>>>
>>>>> Jim
>>>
>>>
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