[Coco] tcp off-loading

[L. Curtis Boyle]

Back in the 1980's there were both Z80 cards (from multiple vendors), and 68008 cards (from MicroRGS, or something like that (don't have ads handy).

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 14, 2017, at 8:42 AM, Mark D. Overholser <marko555.os2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 13-Apr-17 17:19, camillus gmail wrote:
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> I followed the conversation about the tcp off-loading and I was just
>> wondering if it would be possible to have a second 6809/6309 and a
>> DMA controller and some support SRAM. The two cpu's could communicate
>> on a interrupt based negotiation scheme, and the second one can be in
>> control of the DMA controller, completely on his own. This would set
>> the first cpu in a more convenient workload as he only has to be
>> interrupted when data need to be read and rewritten from the support
>> Sram into the standard coco ram. The second cpu can do the tcp stack
>> more easy because it's the only thing it needs to do, except given
>> commands to the DMA, and maybe the 6309 would be the better choice,
>> for speed.
>> 
> 
> Has Anyone made a Coprocossor for the CoCo before??  The Apple ][ with the 6502 has multiple Aux Processors...  The first was the Micro-Soft Z-80 Card, ( and Clones of the Z80 Card ), the Stellation Mill Cards with the 6809, and I have some plans for a 68008 Card...
> <http://www.appleii-box.de/H061E_MC68008pageEN.htm>
> 
> 
>> The DMA can tranfer data way faster then cpu's can, so the time it
>> would interrupt the cpu (s) is minimum.
>> 
> 
> That would be a benefit...
> 
>> 
>> This setup would also give a extra memory space to the coco, for
>> extra hardware, like e.g. parallel port, dedicated serial port, etc
>> etc. ( these extras would of course be optional, when the second CPU
>> is not used for the the tcp stack.)
>> 
> 
> Network Interfaces like the ESP8266 WiFi Module are interfaced to Microcontrollers or Microprocessors with SPI or I2C or a UART ( Serial ) Interface..  A Secondary Processor Would be a Given, in that a 1980's era Microprocessor would not be able to get much of anything done if it had to spend most of its time communicating with an ESP8266..
> 
> The WizNet W5100 is Bus Mapped Device, and wouldn't really need a Second Processor, but in the end, every little bit helps...
> 
> Having the ability to add a Parallel Port, or 6551 Serial Port would be a benefit for getting the CoCo to communicate with other devices...
> 
> 
>> Hope this make some sense to someone...lol
>> 
> 
> Loud and Clear....
> 
>> Just my  $0.02
>> 
>> 
>> cb
>> 
> 
> 
> MarkO
> 
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