Re: Hardware idea

[Dennis Jenkins <djenkins@usb.com>]

"Terence J. Boldt" wrote:
> 
> > I am thinking that the block driver could fit in it's entirety in the
> > cx00-cxff ROM space (only 256 bytes needed).  It would bank switch the a
> 
> I got my drive working in the $Cx00 - $CxFF memory space using 189 bytes
> plus a text copyright message.

Cool.

> > Will GS/OS be able to use this device if it contains just a standard
> > ProDOS block driver?  Based upon the recent post about a home brew IDE
> 
> Yes, I booted my IIgs with my ROM-Drive and it uses standard ProDOS block
> driver code.

Cooler!

> I'm reading up on USB right now.  I realise that building a USB host card
> for the Apple II is all but impossible now.  Fortunately it wouldn't be too
> difficult to build it as a USB device.  Confused?  I was thinking about
> building a card for the Apple II that from a PC/Mac perspective, it appears
> as a standard USB device but from the Apple II's perspective, the card looks
> like a ProDOS block device.  Then some simple code on the PC/Mac could
> emulate a ProDOS hard drive.  Why not use parallel or serial?  USB is
> certainly more complicated but it will be around longer in the future.
> Also, building a USB device sounds like fun.

This sounds like an awesome project.  Please keep us informed!

side note: My employer owns the "usb.com" domain.  We receive email sent
to "admin@usb.com" all the time asking for driver specs and stuff.  One
guy keeps asking us if his device will make it to some kind of approved
list.  I could have real fun with this one ("No!  You must do ....
first!"). 

> > The three most dangerous things are a programmer with a soldering
> > iron, a manager who codes, and a user who gets ideas.
> I must be dangerous...  I'm a programmer with a soldering iron...  ;-)

:) Join the club!

> -- Terence J. Boldt

-- 
djenkins@usb.com                           Universal Savings Bank.

The three most dangerous things are a programmer with a soldering
iron, a manager who codes, and a user who gets ideas.


(We have all three here at Universal Savings Bank).