[Coco] The BIGGEST PROBLEM with (So-Called) NEW CoCo Hardware...

[Francis Swygert]

Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2017 20:22:37 -0500
From: Barry Nelson <barry.nelson at amobiledevice.com>

My project below is a HDMI adapter for the CoCo 3:

https://hackaday.io/project/7366-coco-3-rgb-to-scart-to-hdmi-cable <https://hackaday.io/project/7366-coco-3-rgb-to-scart-to-hdmi-cable>

It is a cable which leverages a modern, inexpensive, mass produced SCART -> HDMI converter.

For MIDI I use DriveWire, which lets me connect and use a modern systems sound card/midi.

For Hard drive I use a CoCo SDC which uses modern SD card storage as both CoCo floppies and hard disk storage.

For printing, again I use DriveWire, which enables me to print to any modern printer. There is support for this both for NitrOS9 and Extended Color BASIC.
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Now if Allen can get that CoCoPilot going, that might be a good solution at least for the printer (though I'd like to see something that simply works without added ROM for DECB). Something that does a transparent interface would be nice though. The RPi is small enough it could interface through the cartridge port and do a lot more, but would then need modified ROM code to work. A pity the video can't be sent over the cartridge port (not just text output, I know that can be done), then the RPi could handle that as well. What about programming something like the RPi to take CoCo RGB (and/or composite) video in and send it out over it's own built-in HDMI??? Use the GPIO buss on the RPi for input...
 Frank Swygert
 Fix-It-Frank Handyman Service
 803-604-6548