Networking Apple IIc or IIc+

From: Richard Erlacher <richard_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Fri Jul 7 10:13:33 2000

Since the IIc has come up again, I'm still looking for a way to get useable
parallel I/O out of one of these guys. Is there a way to get parllel output
AND input using a IIc? I've had one lying about for some 10 years and still
haven't found a single reason to keep it, except that I'd have to carry it
upstairs to dispose of it.

If I could get, say, 4 bits of input and seven or eight bits of output
without having to open the box, it would be useable for something. Another
useful bit of information would be the memory map that's used. I could see
building a PIA or some such into the thing if I could find a place ion the
map that's sufficiently innoccuous.

Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: Ethan Dicks <ethan_dicks_at_yahoo.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 8:31 AM
Subject: Re: Networking Apple IIc or IIc+


> --- Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com> wrote:
> > Many people have told me you can't network the IIc or IIc+
>
> Hmm... I always thought you _could_.
>
> > but I am sure I remember somebody telling me the IIc+ could be kludged
> > to sort of work.
>
> Maybe that's what I'm remembering.
>
> > Skipping that issue (unless somebody knows more), I wonder if a
> > slower/dumber protocol than LocalTalk/AppleTalk might work?
>
> I _had_ assumed the IIc+ has a Z8530 SIO chip inside. If that is _not_
> the case then it's probably some flavor of ACIA 65xx or 68xx UART. The
> Z8530 is a great chip, found in Suns, Macs, COMBOARDs ;-)
>
> For LocalTalk, Apple runs the chip at ~230kbps, IIRC (tangentally, I
> have the Byte article unveiling the 128K Mac where they describe a
> "slotless" architecture using virtual slots off the serial port in a
> manner that sounds like what USB has finally brought to the masses).
> I do not know if a 4Mhz 65C02 can pull data off the chip fast enough
> to be practical. We used to use a 4Mhz Z8530 w/an 8Mhz 68000 with
> plenty of cycles to go around.
>
> > The idea would be to plug a PhoneNet adapter into a IIc/IIc+ serial
port,
>
> > Now add a second IIc/IIc+ to the "network" and run a normal terminal
> > program on it. Seems to me all you need to add is some kind of protocol
for
> > a packet with an address field and it should work. Ideas, opinions?
>
> Kermit? That would handle a point-to-point network, any way. You might
be
> able to start with a PPP implementation for the 6502 and retrofit some
kind
> of ARPish protocol on top of it (since PPP lacks that sort of thing) and
go
> from there.
>
> On a side note, I recently aquired an older IIgs. It works and I have no
> software for it except my 1978-1983 era stuff for my old II. Did people
> ever network the IIgs to a Mac? If so, how?
>
> -ethan
>
>
> >
>
>
> =====
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> vanish, please note my new public address: erd_at_iname.com
>
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> permanent home is: http://penguincentral.com/
>
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>
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Received on Fri Jul 07 2000 - 10:13:33 BST

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