Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ames!elroy!cit-vax!tybalt.caltech.edu!bdiscoe
From: bdiscoe@tybalt.caltech.edu (Ben W. Discoe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Card Cages and extra serial port support for A500
Keywords: Amiga expansion serial port A500
Message-ID: <10744@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 20 May 89 03:55:15 GMT
References: <656@mtunh.ATT.COM>
Sender: news@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu
Reply-To: bdiscoe@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (Ben W. Discoe)
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Organization: Caltech
Lines: 44

In article <656@mtunh.ATT.COM> mkd@mtunh.UUCP (Mark Darby) writes:
>
>I know that there are at least a couple (possibly more???) implementations
>of multiple serial ports available for the Amiga 2000.
>
>I have an Amiga 500, and I understand the limitations of it's expansion
>capabilities. I want to expand the machine to support multiple serial
>ports, and I can get this by getting one of the ASDG products (my
>preference is the $299 (?) Dual serial board). However, I need
>some sort of expansion "cage" to support the A2000 form factor card.
>
> [comments about puttin the 2000 board in a 500 expansion box]
>held A1000 expansion cards but the sides had to be cut away to hold
>the A2000 form factor.
>
>Has anyone successfully used a multiport serial board with a 500 in one
>of the currently available expansion cages for the 500?

   I had a similar need, multi-serial ports for my 1000.  After determining
that (1) nothing of the kind existed and (2) even for the 2000 it costs an
arm and a leg, I built one myself, with ~$30 of parts, three days of work and
a lot of help from friends.

   No, it doesn't work yet, the software side needs to be done.  I suppose
I'll have to buy the Exec docs, or maybe the "Guru's Guide" somethingorather.
Much better would be to get the software that drives the ASDG device and follow
the same interfacing design they used.  However, I don't know if ASDG would be
so friendly. ... (PLEASE?)

   The whole point of this message is that this is (1) not a difficult project
and (2) it should work identically on the 500, just putting the bus connector
on upside-down.  When (if) the software works, I would gladly give out the
design and instructions, in the style of the LUCAS project.  This, however,
is an IF that depends on how much help I can find with the software side.

>Thanks in advance for any information that anyone can give me!!
>
>Mark K. Darby
>AT&T Bell Laboratories                       AT&T: (201)957-2706
>200 Laurel Ave.                              uucp:..!att!mtunh!mkd
>Middletown, NJ 07748     

Actually, I'm rather asking for help than being helpful, but I though this
would be of general interest notwithstanding.  - Ben, starving tech student