NeXTstation questions

From: Dave McGuire <mcguire_at_neurotica.com>
Date: Tue May 22 14:15:27 2001

On May 22, Marion Bates wrote:
> I don't see an ADB port on the unit itself, but the megapixel has
> one. Does that mean that the computer _requires_ the megapixel display
> in order to be useable at all? Or, in the absence of that monitor, can
> it use one of the other ports (which one?) for a keyboard/mouse?

  Be careful here...Some NeXTs use ADB and some don't. And yes, you
need the monitor.

> What is the purpose of the "DSP" port? (Two triangles beside it, one
> pointing up and one down, and the connector is 15-pin)

  The DSP port didn't have any set purpose. It's a high-speed
synchronous port with a directt path to the machine's DSP chip. It's
been used for many things including high-quality video and audio I/O
and stuff like that. I've seen many home-brew lab experiments using
that port also, both in personal applications as well as in
laboratories. One popular application involved building an interface
to connecting a glove-like input device (PowerGlove or something like
that) to the DSP port and use it for virtual-reality-like
experimentation.

> Which port(s), if any, are LocalTalk-able? I see two mini-din serial
> ports (labeled A and B) and one old-fasioned 9-pin connector with a
> picture of a laserprinter.

  An "old-fashioned" 9-pin connector...I got a good chuckle out of
that. ;)

> Last thing -- what are the specs on these, or where can I find that
> out?

  Those serial ports use the same pinouts as Macs and Sun IPC/IPX
machines.

        -Dave McGuire
Received on Tue May 22 2001 - 14:15:27 BST