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Re: Franklin Ace 500 serial port - SSC compatible?

Bill Garber wrote:

"schmidtd" <schmidtd@my-deja.com> wrote in message 3b5d2e00-461a-457d-88cc-be0f40cd7c8b@q23g2000yqd.googlegroups.com">news:3b5d2e00-461a-457d-88cc-be0f40cd7c8b@q23g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 10, 6:31 pm, "Bill Garber" <willy4...@garberstreet.com> wrote:


In that case, the Apple IIc must also be SSC compatible,
being the Franklin Ace 500 manual says that it is Apple
IIc compatible, for reference see Page 10-4 below the
picture. Even the connector matches.


The Apple IIc is also SSC compatible at the hardware level.
But, the Laser 128, which also claims "IIc compatiblity,"
is not - it is only compatible at the firmware level.
Even though it has the same connector.  So, as I mentioned
earlier in the thread... just because the manual says it's
compatible with the IIc (as both the Laser and Franklin do)
that doesn't necessarily tell you the whole story.



IOW, the IIc has the same parts as the Super Serial Card,
while the Franklin Ace 500 also does, and the Laser 128
doesn't? That almost makes me want to open a Laser and look.


Or it could be the same 6551, but connected differently so
that Laser firmware is needed to bridge the gap.

They almost certainly felt they had to write their own firmware,
since they knew the implications of copying the Apple firmware.
and they may not have felt any need for maintaining full SSC
hardware compatibility

-michael

NadaNet and AppleCrate II: parallel computing for Apple II computers!
Home page: http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon

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