Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!lpami
From: lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Card Cages and extra serial port support for A500
Message-ID: <2433@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: 21 May 89 16:44:19 GMT
Sender: lpami@van-bc.UUCP
Lines: 58

In <10744@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, bdiscoe@tybalt.caltech.edu (Ben W. Discoe) writes:
>    I had a similar need, multi-serial ports for my 1000.  ...

>    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?)

Is there any particular reason why you think ASDG would be willing to give away
the software for one of their products? 

>    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.

(1) If it isn't difficult, then you shouldn't have to ask for software for a
    commercial product.
(2) The A500 expansion connector is not 'upside down' when compared to the
    A1000 expansion connector.

Please don't take this as a flame. I see postings all the time saying 'This
would be easy to do, with little effort and cost', usually coupled with
'product x is too expensive'. There is a world of difference between your
slap-on-the-side homebrew project and ASDGs multi-serial offering (and the same
goes for most homebrew, 'hardware only so far' projects and their commercial
counterparts).

Is your hardware auto-config? Does it properly implement the CBM specs for the
machine it's intended for? It's a lot easier to wire up a kludge to operate at
a fixed address than it is to implement autoconfig. It's a lot easier to ignore
the bus specs when you don't plan on running any other peripherals off the
expansion bus. Yes, you have a board built, cheaply and relatively easily. You
have maybe 1/10 of the work done.

The software is the biggie. It will be virtually guaranteed to take 10 times as
long, with 10 times the effort required for the hardware, and with less chance
of you being able to bypass the design rules.  By the sound of your posting,
you are not in a position to 'easily write the sofwtare', so it could be that
10 times is a VERY conservative estimate of what it will really take.  Yes, you
will need books, and a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of writing
devices, not to mention the actual time spent writing and debugging the code.

If you're doing it for fun, fine, but if you figure your time as being worth
something, you'd best factor that into the calculation before you say that
'product x is too expensive'.

-larry

--
  - Don't tell me what kind of a day to have! -
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|   //   Larry Phillips                                                |
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