Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!ukc!strath-cs!glasgow!rankinp
From: rankinp@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Peter Rankin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Connecting ST and 8bit
Message-ID: <1006@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Date: 18 Apr 88 13:48:48 GMT
Reply-To: rankinp@crete.UUCP (Peter Rankin)
Organization: Comp Sci, Glasgow Univ, Scotland
Lines: 18


Has anyone out  there ever used an ST as a file  server for an 8bit machine?  I
would  like to  keep  all  my  8bit stuff on  ST  disks.  A 'get' type  command
given on  the 8bit would then  cause the ST to send  over the file needed  (via
a joystick port?). This would  mean that an ST hard drive  could be used in the
same way. Is there any code available to do this? If so, can it be done without
the ST user being aware of what is going on (or at least without disturbing any
program running on an ST).

  I would think that any routine to do this would have to be interrupt driven.
The ST watches for the 'get' signal during a VBI. When it arrives, an interrupt
is generated on the ST. The ST procedes with the request using the VBI to send
blocks of data over. Any program running on the ST is only frozen during disk
access. Is my thinking correct? 


Peter Rankin:     UUCP: rankinp@glasgow.cs.ac.uk
                 JANET: rankinp@uk.ac.cs.glasgow