Apple Localtalk adapter with DB25

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Tue Dec 16 17:01:40 2003

> Digging through a bin of connectors I found a Apple Localtalk (round 3
> pin)
> to DB25m adapter, brand was I think Sonic. Could this possibly just
> connect
> to a PC serial port and go with some software? (where? software right).

No. A PC serial port is not even CLOSE to being capable of implementing
LocalTalk.

LocalTalk requires HDLC with NRZI encoding, means for generating and
detecting a coding violation for framing, and an EIA-485 differential
transceiver. The only serial chips I've ever seen used to implement it
are the 8530 and its variants, and the Motorola MC68302 and MC68360 when
used with a MC68195.

LocalTalk (and PhoneNet) adapters with a DB25 connector were for use
on the Lisa or Macintosh XL, and perhaps some other obscure devices.

There did exist LocalTalk cards for PCs, but they used either a DE9
or a mini-DIN 8 connector.

I wrote a LocalTalk driver for the MC68360 when I was a software
engineer at Telebit, working on the NetBlazer LS router. It turns
out that the fancy serial channel in the MC68360

Eric
Received on Tue Dec 16 2003 - 17:01:40 GMT

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