[Coco] Got a DUMB QUESTION???

[Alex Evans]

Pretty sure the 4-in-1 was marketed as SCSI (and I know I used a SCI
hard drive on it). As for the parallel port, I never had any trouble
using it on a CoCo 3, but my printer was of the same vintage as the
4-in-1.

On Sat, Jun 29, 2019 at 3:50 AM Gene Heskett <gheskett at shentel.net> wrote:
>
> On Saturday 29 June 2019 03:07:16 Gene Heskett wrote:
>
> > On Saturday 29 June 2019 01:36:04 L. Curtis Boyle wrote:
> > > It does NOT require an MPI. It even has a Mini Bus connector inside
> > > of it, that Disto sold multiple cards for (the maximum functionality
> > > was the 4 in 1 board, which added a hardware serial port, parallel
> > > port, SASI hard drive interface, and a real time clock, if I
> > > remember correctly).
> >
> > Thats close, but without the mpi, it (the 4n1 version) will need a 12
> > volt wall wart plugged into a jack in its edge as the serial port
> > can't get it from the coco3. I never bothered with it as I've an mpi,
> > which can supply that voltage.
>
> I should add that on a coco3, because its double clock speed, pretty well
> renders the parport worthless unless one wants to design a buffer which
> will hold the data true long enough for it to get thru the FCC mandated
> input filtering in most printers parallel inputs, which need valid data
> and strobe timings in the 2  microsecond territory. At the coco3 clock
> speeds you will miss characters about 20% of the time. I don't think
> that FCC rule existed at the time Tony designed the 4n1. Since the
> Canadian DOC usually followed the US in things like that, but with a few
> months delay, Tony didn't try to please with that design.
>
> What may have worked but I never got around to trying it, might have been
> to halt the cpu when the strobe went true with the e-clock, and cancel
> the halt with the printers ack. But I didn't follow up and see how that
> would have affected os9. I don't believe any of the halts would have
> affected dram refresh long enough to matter.
> >
> > > L. Curtis Boyle
> > > curtisboyle at sasktel.net
> > >
> > > > On Jun 28, 2019, at 11:13 PM, Joe Schutts via Coco
> > > > <coco at maltedmedia.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hi Everyone,
> > > > I (THINK - BUT I'M NOT SURE YET - BUT I'M HOPING) that I just
> > > > bought a Disto II Super Controller for the CoCo (on E-Bay - sorry
> > > > guys)... My question is, WILL THIS CONTROLLER work on a CoCo III
> > > > WITHOUT an MPI Interface OR does it require it???
> > > >
> > > > Thanks guys...
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Coco mailing list
> > > > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > > > https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
> > Cheers, Gene Heskett
> > --
> > "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
> >  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
> > -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
> > If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law
> > respectable. - Louis D. Brandeis
> > Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
>
>
> Cheers, Gene Heskett
> --
> "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
>  soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
> -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
> If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
>  - Louis D. Brandeis
> Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
>
> --
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