Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU!ralphw
From: ralphw@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralph Hyre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: New Apple II introductions
Message-ID: <1187@PT.CS.CMU.EDU>
Date: 21 Mar 88 22:03:54 GMT
References: <8803100916.AA16112@crash.cts.com> <1142@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> <855@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG>
Sender: netnews@PT.CS.CMU.EDU
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
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In article <855@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG> rms@meccsd.UUCP (Roger M. Shimada) writes:
>In article <1142@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> ralphw@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralph Hyre) writes:
>>OK, what's on the Apple II 'workstation' card that makes it cost $249?
>>Must be a processor AND an 8530, but has anyone seen one? 
>
>The Workstation card has a 65c02, an 8530, a 64K ROM, and (I think) 16K
>of RAM, and all the stuff to make it work (glue chips).
Another Apple ][ on a peripheral card.  Neato.
Does anyone know which parts are soldered?  It'd be interesting to 
try doing other things with the 8530 (like syncrhonous stuff for packet
radio, and such).

>
>>I'm suprised that the //c isn't supported via the SmartPort, since there
>>was a plan to do this at one time.
>
>I'm surprised that the SmartPort's lived this long.  Hopefully Apple
>has a slotless gs in mind to replace the //c.
Me, too.  It has enough built in to make it worthwhile.
>
>>I'm disappointed that the ][+ isn't supported, either but maybe the ProDOS
>>software side is too big.
>
>Actually, the current software wants an enhanced //e.  Firmware
>speaking, the original //e and other ][ machines don't handle
>interrupts very well.  I believe that the 128K requirement is
>unavoidable with ProDOS.

Anyone know what the software interface look like?

ProDOS requires a 64K ][+, but I though the upper 64K in //e's was use for a 
/RAM ramdisk device.  I'd think that with 64K Rom, and the targeted market,
(access to file servers) some ProDOS-space-saving technique like use of the
already-existing smartport routines could be used.  Oh well.

My ][+ does reasonable jobs with interrupts, as long as you don't expect 
DOS 3.3 to handle it, or ProDOS to do it in any reasonable amount of time.
DOS 3.3 and the interrupt firmware conflict in their use of location $45, 
and ProDOS interrupts latency was either 120, 240, or ~360ms, probably due
to worrying about flipping page bits to get everything back to bank 0.
This limits interrupt-driven I/O to ~3000 cps, which is where things 
(like MIDI) start happening.

I though the unenhanced  problem here was the 80col firmware on the original //e
locking out interrupts for too long.  I can imagine that if you're using
Disk ]['s you have the same problem, since the RWTS stuff disables interrupts.
I don't know if the protocol converter/SmartPort stuff used for the UniDisk 3.5
is any more interruptable.  Hope so, since I'm designing an OS for it.

If Apple is serious about supporting older machines, then maybe a ][/][+
'enhancement kit' with 65c02 and 'better' ROMs, is called for.  A third party
could write the code, 

Anyway, thanks for the information.
--
					- Ralph W. Hyre, Jr.

Internet: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu    Phone:(412)268-{2847,3275} CMU-{BUGS,DARK}
Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA
-- 
					- Ralph W. Hyre, Jr.

Internet: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu    Phone:(412)268-{2847,3275} CMU-{BUGS,DARK}
Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA