[Coco] Raspberry Pi and RS-232 ports

Sun Apr 2 13:40:00 EDT 2017

This should work on a Pi 2 B right?

On Sun, Apr 2, 2017 at 1:15 PM, Ron Klein <ron at kdomain.org> wrote:

> Hi Tim,
>
> The SD card I'm using is 32GB.  I don't have that filled, but need to make
> sure get the distribution size down to something manageable.  I'll post
> something soon and thanks for your interest!
>
> -Ron
>
>
> On Sun, Apr 2, 2017 at 12:03 PM, Tim Fadden <t.fadden at cox.net> wrote:
>
> > Ron,
> >
> > I am looking forward to seeing this available! What size is the image
> > now?  Most I have seen are 1.5G or less compressed, and less than 5g
> > expanded.  The file system can be expanded after making the sd  image.
> Hope
> > you get it figured out.
> >
> > Tim
> >
> >  On 4/1/2017 9:30 AM, Ron Klein wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Andrew,
> >>
> >> I've been working on getting an initial Raspberry Pi 3 Coco emulator
> >> distribution set up for those who might be interested to try for
> >> themselves.  It's being set up the why I like it, but could certainly be
> >> taken in any direction from the community as I plan to share an SD image
> >> soon.
> >>
> >> This is what I have so far:
> >>
> >> Raspberry Pi 3
> >>
> >> Latest Raspbian distribution
> >>
> >> Some RPi3 performance tweaks to allocate memory for programs and video.
> >>
> >> Restrict video mode to 640 x 480 (rather than the 1920 x 1080).
> >>
> >> A very slight CPU over clock and force all cores to be active all the
> >> time.
> >>
> >> Latest MAME (0.184) compiled with SDL2 (and video hardware
> acceleration).
> >> It runs from the console, no X involved.  I'm working on just compiling
> a
> >> version to support only the Coco / Dragon targets, but not a priority
> just
> >> yet.  For those interested, ChoccyHobNob provides precompiled, current
> >> versions of MAME for the RPi3:
> >>
> >> http://choccyhobnob.com/mame-0-184-for-raspberry-pi-macos/
> >>
> >> ... great site and information.
> >>
> >> Latest XRoar for those who prefer that emulator for Coco 2 / Dragon
> >> emulation.  It can be run from console or X, though the X version is
> very
> >> nice with the added benefit of menus, etc..
> >>
> >> Drivewire 4 configured to host/serve DSK images to the local instance of
> >> MAME (or XRoar) running on the RPi3.  If you use a USB to serial adapter
> >> or
> >> one of the serial interfaces to connect to the GPIO header, you can host
> >> files for a real Coco as well.
> >>
> >> Some scripts to start a Coco 2, Coco 3, MC-10 from MAME.  For the Coco
> 3,
> >> I
> >> have it configured with 2MB of RAM.  Great for NitrOS9 and Fuzix.  Any
> of
> >> these could be added to the /etc/rc.local file to boot directly into.
> >>
> >> I've also added am EMCEE server to host files for a real MC-10.
> >>
> >> Samba server and client packages.  You can transfer and DSK images,
> roms,
> >> etc., to the RPi3 from another workstation on your network or you can
> >> connect to other file server on your network from the RPi3.  Either way
> >> works and is available.
> >>
> >> Added a bunch of Coco development tools the distribution including
> >> everything needed to compile MAME and XRoar, lwtools, Toolshed, etc..
> >>
> >> Added William Astle's excellent lwwire application (with modifications
> >> from
> >> Brett) to allow Fuzix (running on a Coco 3) access to the Internet.
> This
> >> can include an emulator running on the RPi3 or a real Coco 3 connected
> to
> >> the RPi3 through the USB or GPIO serial port.
> >>
> >> I connect my RPi3 to a LCD monitor that happens to have both a HDMI and
> >> VGA
> >> connections.  I have not tested the RPi3's composite video output on the
> >> GPIO header, but will get to that at some point.
> >>
> >> I use a basic USB mouse and keyboard.  I came across a great deal on a
> >> Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller which works perfectly with the RPi3 as it
> >> already has built-in Bluetooth support.  Raspbian recognized the device
> >> with no issues.  I was playing Pop Star Pilot just yesterday using it.
> >> Very nice.  Nice thing is that controller has analog and digital control
> >> support.  Perfect the Coco!
> >>
> >> I know there's been much talk about booting into a Coco instantly at
> >> power-up.  I have not attempted to do that, but the boot process is very
> >> quick now (under 15 seconds).  I'm OK with that, but I'm sure there may
> be
> >> other things to do to improve it more.  Unless you create an emulator
> that
> >> doesn't require the Linux OS and talks directly to the hardware, not
> sure
> >> if there will ever be a way to achieve instant-on access to a Coco.
> >>
> >> The last part of my RPi3 testing is connecting a real Coco 3 keyboard to
> >> the RPi3.  I'm using information provided by Chris Hawks who really
> >> pioneered the early Coco emulation for the RPi.  I have the extra
> keyboard
> >> and Coco 3 case, so I may be able to build my own CocoPi, just like
> Chris
> >> did a while back.  With things like the USB to Coco joystick adapters,
> it
> >> might even be possible to use real Coco joysticks with the RPi while
> it's
> >> in a Coco case (using the factory holes on the case).  The RPi3
> composite
> >> video and analog audio port could be run to the factory location on the
> >> case, too.  These types of things would require some sort of basic
> >> backplane to mount the 6 pin joystick DIN connectors and the composite
> >> video and audio connectors.
> >>
> >> Anyway, getting a bit closer each day.  I would like to share something
> >> soon, but need to find a way to limit the size the SD card image and
> find
> >> a
> >> place to host it.
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> -Ron
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sat, Apr 1, 2017 at 2:08 AM, Andrew <keeper63 at cox.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> In theory it could be done; the quickest way would be to (somehow) get a
> >>> CoCo emulator written in standard C/C++ and cross-compile to the ARM
> core
> >>> used in the Pi. At least - that's the high-level view. There's a lot of
> >>> low-level stuff that -would- make this a herculean effort (video being
> >>> the
> >>> main one).
> >>>
> >>> It's been a while since I last looked at CoCo 3 emulators - I seem to
> >>> recall that David Keil released the source to his CoCo 3 emulator, but
> I
> >>> can't seem to find it (I know I have a copy myself - but I can't seem
> to
> >>> find it on the web). But I did find the VCC source (for Windows) - and
> >>> it's
> >>> in C. So maybe that could be futzed with to get it into something more
> >>> portable and standard? Probably the first step would be to get it to
> run
> >>> under Linux using the framebuffer. Then port that?
> >>>
> >>> Another possibility would be to take the whole MESS version, and strip
> it
> >>> down to the bare-bones to get it to run the CoCo 3 - then port that
> code
> >>> (I'm pretty sure MESS is written in C or C++). Again, you'd want to
> >>> target
> >>> the framebuffer, of course.
> >>>
> >>> Lastly - and this is something that could be tried with MESS, because
> >>> I've
> >>> seen some tutorial on the technique - you could try to boot a
> >>> bare-minimum
> >>> X window system, that immediately starts MESS. Strip the linux kernel
> >>> down
> >>> to the bones, kick off X, then MESS (with CoCo 3 roms). While it won't
> be
> >>> "instant on", it will probably be a lot better than "standard" linux
> >>> bootup
> >>> on the Pi. Something like this:
> >>>
> >>> https://blogs.wcode.org/2013/09/howto-boot-your-raspberry-pi
> >>> -into-a-fullscreen-browser-kiosk/
> >>>
> >>> Keywords to grep are "browser kiosk fullscreen" - the takeaway is that
> >>> you
> >>> don't need a full-on desktop to run an X window aware piece of
> software.
> >>>
> >>> Ooh - another interesting possibility:
> >>>
> >>> https://devtidbits.com/2013/04/23/run-dos-on-the-raspberry-
> >>> pi-use-rpix86-to-turn-your-pi-into-a-1980s-super-computer/
> >>>
> >>> http://rpix86.patrickaalto.com/
> >>>
> >>> ...then run one the DOS CoCo 3 emulators on top of that, perhaps?
> >>>
> >>> -- Andrew L. Ayers, Glendale, Arizona
> >>>
> >>> Message: 3
> >>>
> >>>> Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:15:36 -0500
> >>>> From: Dave Philipsen <dave at davebiz.com>
> >>>> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [Coco] Raspberry Pi and RS-232 ports
> >>>> Message-ID: <7fa405aa-019f-85e8-def1-d1824713c955 at davebiz.com>
> >>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
> >>>>
> >>>> I think, actually, that someone has already emulated a CoCo on a
> >>>> Raspberry Pi.  I've seen it mentioned here and there.  But someone
> >>>> pointed out some days ago that a Raspberry Pi takes a finite amount of
> >>>> time to boot and there's nothing like a good ol' CoCo that starts up
> >>>> pretty much immediately.  I brought up the idea that if a Rasperry Pi
> >>>> was only going to emulate a CoCo and nothing else it could surely be
> >>>> made to boot up instantly just like a CoCo.  After all, it has a CPU
> >>>> that runs at a clock speed of several hundred megahertz!  But I was
> >>>> speaking only theoretically.  I imagine it would be a herculean
> software
> >>>> effort to get in to the internals of the Pi and figure out how to get
> it
> >>>> to boot up and run as a CoCo without the aid of the Linux (or other)
> >>>> operating system.  It's certainly possible but it doesn't seem like it
> >>>> would be worth the effort just to save the 15 seconds or so required
> to
> >>>> boot into Linux and then run a CoCo emulator.
> >>>>
> >>>> Dave
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>> Coco mailing list
> >>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >>> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> > --
> > Tim Fadden
> > "Hey Schmidt, don't forget about the six P's.
> > Proper Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance!"
> >
> >
> > --
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
>
> --
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