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Re: AACP - Apple-to-Apple Copy
D. Finnigan wrote:
On 2009-08-31 17:40:24 -0500, "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> said:
D. Finnigan wrote:
On 2009-08-31 14:28:57 -0500, "Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> said:
If the receiving machine is essentially EXECing it, then carriage
returns will require enough following NULs to allow the Applesoft
interpreter time to tokenize and store each line.
That's what caused the slow-down when I tried it. I was using PR#2 on
the IIgs and IN#2 on the //e. Nearly took me an hour of fiddloing to
get the whole program intact, and afterward, I thought about making
an automated program to transfer between Apples.
One approach that would be "low impact" would be to write a tiny
intercept routine for COUT that performed a programmed time delay
after each CR. That way, all the other characters could go at top
speed (as long as only the CR caused the receiving machine to scroll).
That's a nice tidy solution.
On a semi-related note, there was a little machine language code listed
in Call-Apple (1978)
and it was prefixed by something like "Got one of the new Apples with
silent keys? Input this routine and your keys will clack away all night"
I've never actually typed it in, but I suppose that it clicked the
speaker with each key-press.
... Ok, that was totally non-related. ;-)
I remember that article--but I never installed it. Come to think of
it, I never had an Apple II with silent keys... ;-)
The only thing keeping me from trying Nadanet is having to build the
part. The most I have ever done with the game socket is poke two
wires in the annunciators, one to a green LED, the other to a red LED
and move a joystick up to turn on the red, and move it down to turn
on the green LED, and have the state displayed on-screen all with
Applesoft. I was impressed, anyway.
A couple of current-limiting resistors would be good, too. ;-)
There probably were some. I got this whole set of electronic things for
kids aged 10-14 or so. It is a board with a bunch of transistors,
resistors, photo-resistor, diodes, leds, 9v batt, quite a few wires of
varying lengths, and many other fun little electronic components. A
booklet came with it which told how to build different projects going
from things like a lie-detector, all the way to a transistor radio.
Anyway, I got that about 3 or more years ago as a gift, but got it out
again last summer when I realized that I could poke the wires into my
Apple IIgs and then use Applesoft to get input/output and make more fun
projects. So far, I have not fried any components.... yet! :-0
Great fun! If you're worried about ESD, etc., a hex buffer chip will
provide some protection. This is particularly relevant on the //e and
later machines, since the pushbutton inputs and annunciator outputs go
straight to the custom IOU chip.
You may be amused to hear that prior to the //e, Apple II annunciators
could directly drive Apple II pushbutton inputs, so the first version
of NadaNet was *exactly* a length of twisted pair with the ends inserted
into a pushbutton and annunciator (the other wire was ground). In fact,
that's why I called it *Nada* Net, since nothing but wire was needed for
a small network.
Yes, I remember reading this. IIRC, you went on to say that Apple added
some extra resistors or something in an attempt to fix the annunciators,
but in the process of doing so, removed other functionality. You
suggested snipping them out.
Capacitors, actually. They shunted each pushbutton input with a 0.1uF
capacitor, essentially killing its input bandwidth. I can only surmise
that they did it to prevent a joystick from becoming an EMI antenna, but
who knows? (And, besides the FCC, who really cares? ;-)
The little buffers on the adapter preserve the logical characteristics
of a piece of wire while beefing up the drive capability so that dozens
of machines can be on a net, even the harder-to-drive Apples.
Looks like a trip to the Radio Shack for me, then!
Or you can order a pair through Bill Garber:
www.garberstreet.com/Nadanet.html
That's too easy. :-) I need to get experience making electronic circuits
and things anyway.
The pre-built adapters are on a small PC board, and don't require
soldering. The homebuilt adapters are even smaller, but take some
soldering and dexterity. ;-)
Good. I need practice.
Excellent! Good luck, and if you need any advice, don't hesitate to
ask. ;-)
-michael
NadaNet 3.0 for Apple II parallel computing!
Home page: http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon/
"The wastebasket is our most important design
tool--and it's seriously underused."