[Coco] Tcp off-loading on CoCo

Christopher Noyes cnoyes72 at cox.net
Wed Apr 12 21:48:24 EDT 2017


Telnet, FTP, a simple implementation  of DNS resolution and maybe ICMP (ping).  The hardware could be something like the 64nic (10Mbps ethernet with a socket for an optional boot rom maybe).

-CN



-----Original Message-----
From: Coco [mailto:coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com] On Behalf Of Lee Patterson
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 9:42 PM
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Subject: Re: [Coco] Tcp off-loading on CoCo

So I’ve been trying to think about what the Coco would want to use networking for. And how to accomplish it. I would agree that the practicality of running a browser on the coco would be pretty much a no go, but a connection to a BBS type site would be feasible. Games would be the other huge user. And then there is an internet joystick and perhaps an drivewire on someone else’s machine? Personally the game idea is what I’m focused on.

I think these requirements would float my boat: 
- If there was a cartridge I could plug in that would in turn connect to my local network via wifi.
- When the cart is the active cartridge, a small UI for logging into the network would be provided.
- Coco can write bytes to the cartridge to tell it where to connect to, then buffer bytes it reads back from network connection.
- Perhaps provide an interrupt that the coco would receive when data comes in. 
- Can the cartridge read the Coco’s memory on it’s own while the coco is doing other stuff? Maybe that’s the DMA I have heard about?

Lee



On 4/12/17, 6:50 PM, "Coco on behalf of Mark D. Overholser" <coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com on behalf of marko555.os2 at gmail.com> wrote:

    On 12-Apr-17 11:06, Aaron Wolfe wrote:
    > There are options like the "Adafruit Feather M0 WiFi - ATSAMD21 +
    > ATWINC1500":  https://www.adafruit.com/product/3010
    >
    > That is only one example.. I've used a few variations on this theme of
    > "some arduino compatible processor" + "some wifi chip".   This one
    > does support TLS, SSL, and afaik all the modern things.
    >
    > Since all of these boards are (mostly) compatible via open source
    > libraries etc, the same control software would work on several
    > devices, maybe with small changes but most of this is abstracted out
    > by networking and serial I/o libraries etc.
    >
    > You could implement a standard (or non standard, if it helps) serial
    > port on a few IO pins and talk to the coco via bitbanger, or better
    > use SPI onto the coco bus somehow, or anything really.  Then you'd
    > have communication between whatever code you're running on the
    > arduino-like cpu and the coco, and the same processor can use network
    > library calls and do the SSL etc for you.
    >
    
    Theoretically, a Microcontroller with SPI and I2C Support could be 
    connected to the CoCo's Data and Address Bus, and act as a Smart Device.
    
    > I don't know where you (or anyone lol :) draws the line between whats
    > a network card and whats another computer, but the arduino + network
    > chip idea would be instant on, or very nearly.  Plus it wouldn't tie
    > you to one chipset or board... still kind of one "family" but there
    > are options at least.
    >
    
    Very True...
    
    > $0.02
    > -Aaron
    
    
    
    I am interested in Networking older 8-bit Computers, so as to make 
    Networked Games..  Currently I am working on getting the CoCo Bit-Banger 
    Port working with a Lantronix UDS-10..
    
    
    MarkO
    
    
    
    -- 
    Coco mailing list
    Coco at maltedmedia.com
    https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
    



-- 
Coco mailing list
Coco at maltedmedia.com
https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco



More information about the Coco mailing list