Re: Apple IIe TCP-IP w/ LANceGS Card

["Bill Garber" <willy46pa@comcast.net>]

"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
20031221024741.26239.00001406@mb-m06.aol.com">news:20031221024741.26239.00001406@mb-m06.aol.com...
: Bill Garber wrote:
:
: >Would it be possible to use the Z-80 on a card
: >instead of a 65C02 for a smartport device that
: >would connect to the floppy port on the IIc?
: >I'm not sure if the Z-80 is easier or harder
: >to program than the 65C02, but I am under the
: >assumption that the analog card in a UniDisk
: >3.5" drive is a standalone computer more or
: >less. Shouldn't matter what type of computer
: >then in that case. Right?
:
: The card inside the Unidisk 3.5 is a computer--more accurately,
: an embedded microcontroller.  It is not particularly important
: what kind of processor it is, as long as it has sufficient ROM,
I/O
: pins, and speed for the task.  (Most embedded system engineers
: will choose a member of a processor family that they already
: know well and have the tools for, or one they want to get to
know.)

Well, I want to know as much as I can about the 65C02,
so I might as well start there. Then again, the 65C816
would more than likely do the job just a tad better.

: I should say that programming such a controller, which must
: interface both disk drive hardware and to the smartport
interface,
: with tight real-time constraints, is a non-trivial task.  Of
course,
: the faster the processor is and the more ROM and RAM it has,
: the less "tight" the code needs to be...  In these days of
20+Mhz
: microcontrollers with 16KB of ROM and 8KB of RAM, it could
: be programmed in C and get the job done.  ;-)

Yes, and there are several microcontrollers that have
that, but to choose the right one for the job. That
would also reduce the physical size requirements.
You can also program those in ASM but I am not sure
how difficult that would be.

: The problem will be getting a _full_ understanding of the
smartport
: interface and whatever you want to interface to.

That's what I'm working on now. I'm building simple
interfaces now to get familiar with all there is to
know in order to create a good solid working device.
Thanks for your views. I do respect your experience.

Bill @ GarberStreet Enterprizez };-)
Web Site - http://garberstreet.netfirms.com
Email - willy4SPAM6pa@comXcast.net
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