Re: Looking for SmartPort info

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

In article <2q8n0s$2o2k@info2.rus.uni-stuttgart.de>,
Wulf Hofbauer <zcaa1122@rpool3.rus.uni-stuttgart.de> wrote:
> In article <Coz34o.1pn@actrix.gen.nz>,
> David Empson <dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
> >The IIc's SmartPort is documented in the IIc Technical Reference
> >Manual (the second edition also covers the IIc+) and there is a
> >separate manual for the IIc Memory Expansion Card.
> 
> In the second edition, SmartPort is not really documented. The only thing
> documented are the calling conventions of what Apple called "Protocol
> Converter" at that time; no real technical information is contained.

Are we talking about the same manual here?  The _first_ edition of the
IIc Technical Reference manual talks about the Protocol Converter.

The second edition only mentions the Protocol Converter in one place,
and it says it is the same thing as the SmartPort.

If you are only interested in talking to existing SmartPort devices,
including the Apple 3.5 Drive, UniDisk 3.5, Apple II/IIc memory
expansion card, and SmartPort hard drives, then there should be enough
information included to do that.

You're right about technical information, though.  The hardware side
isn't documented sufficiently to make an external SmartPort device,
for example.

There is considerably more information in the IIgs Firmware and
Hardware reference manuals, but it isn't quite enough to make your own
SmartPort device.

> The name "SmartPort" can be found in the ROM listings, and to figure
> out what is going on and how it is possible to connect an intelligent
> device to the IWM you'll have to read the listings which isn't easy
> to understand (much of Apples ROM code is really dirty) and make guesses
> about the IWM internals which are not documented at all.

You are definitely talking about the first edition.  The second
edition doesn't have a ROM listing.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand