Re: Apple Workstation Card and the 2nd port

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Bart <pilgrimer@my-deja.com> wrote:

> According to my Apple Workstation Card Manual the bottom port
> marked "Printer" on a Workstation card is actually a standard serial
> port which can be used for a printer or other serial device.
> Has anyone used this port?

I haven't used it, but I can comment on how it works.

The Chooser.II application lets you select a direct connect printer via
the second port, instead of a network printer.  After doing this, the
I/O firmware in the Workstation Card (BASIC and Pascal 1.1 I/O
interface) will communicate with the second port, rather than directing
data to the chosen network printer.

> Is it 100% compatable with the SSC?

No.  The Workstation card uses a different serial chip (Z8530 SCC
instead of a 6551), and the Apple II has no direct control of it anyway
- it is controlled by the 65C02 microprocessor on the workstation card,
with which the Apple II exchanges data.

The only points at which it is compatible with other serial ports is
that the firmware interface is based on the same standards, and the
connector is the same as the IIgs.  I don't know whether the firmware
supports a variation of the SSC firmware command set (also used by the
IIc and IIgs firmware) but I expect it does.