Re: Apple II internal modem

[et472@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Black)]

Michael J. Mahon (mjmahon@aol.com) writes:
> In article <311226.BDRCJBRW@news.telusplanet.net>, Simon Williams
> <*email*@*luddite.ca*> writes:
> 
>>Just a thought: with the impending arrival of the 8-bit internet,
>>would it be possible/sensible for someone to design a modem-on-a-card.
>>I was thinking that if it's possible (and seemingly worthwhile) to
>>plant a laptop HD on a card, then perhaps a laptop modem on a card
>>might be the next great Apple II accessory... any takers?
> 
> Actually, there were (and still are) _lots_ of "modems on cards" for
> the Apple II series.  Novation, Hayes, AE, etc., etc., all made modems
> on cards.  The speeds were a little on the slow side by today's standards,
> ranging from 300bps to 2400bps (and maybe Novation's had a faster
> mode...).
> 
> Of course, an SSC hooked to a (typically $5) thrift store modem gets
> you at least 33kbps.  ;-)
> 
Now that's an idea.  Take the board out of the external modem case,
stuff it inside the Apple, hook it to a serial board, and you've got
an internal.  My 14.4K board is quite small compared to the case.

Back in 1995, I paid five dollars for a bunch of computer boards,
including a 2400 baud modem.  I was using a Mac Plus at the time,
so the internal modem was not useful.  But it used an 8250 UART,
on the bus, to which the actual modem was connected.  I cut the
pins on that UART, desoldered the pins, and had an external modem,
albeit at TTL levels.  I added the needed RS-232 drivers and receivers,
which I happened to have, and got myself a 2400 baud modem for nothing.

If internal modems were still that way, it would be real easy to
connect it to an Apple.

Since modems today are far more integrated, one would have to
create an interface for connecting the Apple bus to the ISA bus.
(Or maybe fancier bus, though they may be software modems and
not suitable for this.)  A little thought, and I suspect it
wouldn't be too much trouble.  Then the issue would be writing
software that deals with something like the 16550 UART, rather
than the 6551 or 8350 or even 6850 used in Apple serial boards.

   Michael