I wrote about using a 100 MHz Scenix SX microcontroller to act as a
disk controller for Apple ][-format diskettes.
Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com> wrote:
> Why not just toss a cray XMP against the problem. Seriously, in 1979ish
> apple managed to do it with a little (very little) at something less than
> 2mhz... why would a PIC at a gazillion MHz be the hot ticket when the real
> need is enough ram to store all them bits!
Because the Scenix can do it all in software, and costs less than the
clever seven-chip Apple solution.
And the Scenix won't be limited to only Apple ][ format.
If you prefer to build the seven-chip TTL solution, go for it. Different
strokes for different folks. Of course, that solution requires a
processor with completely predictable execution times, which will make
it very hard to do with any modern PC. Unless you want to stick a
microprocessor (say, a 6502) on the controller as well, in which case you
also need to add memory, etc., and it's no longer a clever seven-chip
solution; now it's perhaps a ten-chip solution.
Received on Thu Sep 16 1999 - 02:38:47 BST