Re: Hardware musings

["Justin England" <justin@rapidcity.net>]

"sicklittlemonkey"  wrote ...
> Justin England wrote:
>> Second topic, disk transfer from a Windoze PC to A2 disks.  Since there 
>> is
>> no way to directly connect a disk ][ drive to a PC (unlike other 8 bit
>> computer's disk drives), why couldn't a "magic" box be built that would
>> connect a disk ][ to a USB port.
>
> Short answer: voltage/current and timing, IIRC. The magic box would be
> an Apple II. I don't mean to burst your bubble or anything, but if you
> search c.s.a2 on Google Groups you'll find it's been discussed before.
>

What voltage / current issues would there be?  Most everything that I have 
seen about controlling a Disk ][ is done with TTL level signals.  Timing 
issues can easily be accomplished with a PIC and some asm / C code.  The 
only voltage / current issue I can find would get getting +/- 12V for the 
drive motor, as a 12V signal is not found on the USB port.  An external 
power supply may be needed since I can only get 5V at 500mA out of the USB 
port.

Justin