Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!psuvm!dxb132
From: DXB132@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Adding ports to Amy
Message-ID: <90330.224835DXB132@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 27 Nov 90 03:48:35 GMT
References: <335.274ACD1F@afitamy.fidonet.org>
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 41

In article <335.274ACD1F@afitamy.fidonet.org>,
Steve.Lewis@f52.n114.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Steve Lewis) says:

>AREA:UUCP_TECH
>Here's the situation: I want to add 4 or so 8520 (or roughly equivalent) chips
>for data acquisition and control to an Amiga 500 or 1000. "Doing it right"    t
>isn'
>a particular concern as the card/board/nest of wires won't be sold nor
>transferred from machine to machine.

>Or, to paraphrase this entire message, HELP!

Well, you're in luck. :-) Jeff Lavin (of The Puzzle Factory) has designed
an 8-port (4 parallel/4 serial) I/O board for the 500/1000/2000. [Obviously
if you only care about the parallel I/O, you simply omit the serial chips, and
vice versa]. The board uses 2 65C22 chips - next of kin to the 8520 - for
parallel I/O (plus extras like timers and a serial shift register) and 2
65C52 chips (basically two 6551 chips in a single package with some extra
features thrown in) for serial I/O. The serial chips support up to 38.4Kbps
*plus MIDI* (31250bps). The board plugs into one of the CIAs' sockets via
a flexible cable (the CIA is relocated to the I/O board).

Best of all, this is a public-domain hardware project (similar in philosophy
to the Lucas/Francis project), so it's CHEAP! A typical 2 serial/2 parallel
board                   will probably cost about $60. (Note that this is just
an estimate). Final assembly and FCC approval is left to the (not un-assisted)
imagination of the user.

The I/O board (plus the hard-to-find components, and all the software you
would expect and then some) will be available in final form by (best guess)
mid to late January.

I don't want to bore you, so I'll wrap it up. You can talk to Jeff at
(503)-935-3709, but please be polite and don't unless you have a real
reason to do so. Followups to this posting are very welcome!!!

Lastly, if you are technically inclined and willing to contribute, feel
free to contact us about it!


-- Dan Babcock