Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga.emulations:1081 comp.sys.amiga.programmer:4060
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!bagate!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.emulations,comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: MS-DOS emulator for CDTV?
Message-ID: <22034@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 30 May 91 05:54:32 GMT
References: <1239@cbmger.UUCP> <1991May24.021015.27939@news.iastate.edu> <7!Z_4N|@warwick.ac.uk> <1991May29.231913.25175@news.iastate.edu>
Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 51

In article <1991May29.231913.25175@news.iastate.edu> taab5@isuvax.iastate.edu writes:
>In article <7!Z_4N|@warwick.ac.uk>, phupp@warwick.ac.uk (S Millington) writes:
>>In article <1991May24.021015.27939@news.iastate.edu> xgr39@isuvax.iastate.edu writes:

>>     Get serious. JANUS won't even use the serial port yet!

You can't use the Amiga's serial port via Janus.  That's an MS-DOS problem,
not an Amiga problem.  MS-DOS basically assumes the exact bit patterns that
your serial chip will have in its registers.  It's impossible to emulate a
hardware device at that detail and get any speed out of it.  

>In addition to the use of an Amiga CD-ROM drive to run IBM CD-ROM software, 
>a feature that Commodore should have included a long time ago is the ability 
>to use any serial port or modems on the IBM side with Amiga software.  

That, on the other hand, could be done, since the Amiga device driver model
would allow the IBM-side processor to handle serial interrupts and buffering,
and it of course makes no assumptions about what the underlying hardware looks
like.  Far as I can tell, there's no reason Commodore has to write such a
program for you; if you're a programmer, the Janus docs are available.  Or,
if you want to brute force it, you could take over the BridgeCard with some
kind of custom server program of your own (MS-DOS isn't going to be much use
with your serial server running, unless you figure out how to do it as some
kind of device driver or TSR, like the janus hard disk -- I'm not at all up
on what's actually possible under MS-DOS).

>Internal modems and multi-serial port cards for IBM are less than 1/5 the 
>cost of similar cards for Amiga, 

Dang, if you can get a 6-8 port serial card with CPU for the ISA bus for
under $50, I bet you could actually make some real money on the Janus serial 
server for it.  Even without CPU (hell, the 8088 on the original Bridge Card
bangs bytes around better than 1/4 the speed of the 4502 on the A2232; you 
might get it servicing four ports on its own real nicely).

>   In short, I call into serious question Commodore's commitment to the
>Janus software.  There is so much potential with this software that
>has to date been totally ignored by Commodore.

     "Son, that's what we call an opportunity." - Foghorn Leghorn

Commodore cannot possibly write Janus cross drivers for every ISA bus card 
under the sun.  If you see an opening, go for it!  Don't let Commodore get
in your way.  I'll tell you, as an occasional user of Janus software, there
are a few more pressing issues before they start fiddling with serial cards.
But the basic system does work reasonably well.

-- 
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: hazy     BIX: hazy
      "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight" -R.E.M.