Re: Serial Card ...

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article desnoyers@geocities.com writes...

>Okay, I have two cards here which may be functional serial cards, if I only
>knew how to use them.
> 
>The first is the "Serial //" card.  It causes video corruption on the //e no
>matter which slot it is placed in.  Does anybody know if this card worked
>with the //e in the first place?  Could the video corruption be cause by the
>16 or so dip switches being out of place?  Could it be cause by a spoiled,
>non-ROM chip?

    Sounds like a clone board, the original serial card Apple made was
simply called the "Apple Serial Interface Card" (ASIC) and was really
only capable of operating a printer. The newer revision was called the
"Super Serial Card" (SSC) and could run modems and printers; I don't
have my SSC in front of me but I think it read "Super Serial II".

    In any case, it can plug-in and operate in any slot expect possibly 
slot 3. The DIP switches and jumper block position should not cause what 
you describe above (this applies to both the ASIC and SSC). It sounds 
like there is a problem with the card that is causing the Apple IIe to 
misbehave, like a bad 74LSxxx or ROM firmware.

>The second card is a "Hayes MicroModem II".  I don't have the decoupler and
>I don't really know if it is a serial card -- but it may be.  (And I can
>always hope.)

    It is merely an interface to the external microcoupler box (most of
the modem circuity was in a clear plastic box that sat outside and had
an RJ-11 jack and hooked in directly to the phone line). The card alone
is completely worthless. The modem itself only supported 300 baud, and
although came from Hayes, was made before the Hayes standard for modems
(so it is not Hayes compatible, as strange as that may sound). It also
only supports pulse dialing and has no speaker.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca