A85: OS hardware

To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: A85: OS hardware
From: "William M. Palko" <WILLIAMPALKO@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 16:06:24 +0000
Delivered-To: assembly-85-outgoing@towerguard.unix.edu.sollentuna.se
Reply-To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org


hello again guys. i've just got some more points for you to ponder about the
hardware side of this OS

1. as far as i know, you can't load files directly from your computer to the
e2. this disadvantage might become tedious; if you wanted to fill your 512k
it would take about 20 comp->calc, calc->e2 transfers. this could easily be
overcome by a C++/VB program or a slight change in hardware

2. have you considered adding an extra linkport on the e2? obviously, if you
had your link prgm on the expander, you would be trying to pull yourself up
by the bootstraps. before you get flustered about the technical problems,
take my word that this would be a very easy thing to do. the micro that
controls the e2 has MANY unused I/O lines. all that needs to be done is (a)
put an extra link port on the board and (b) make a slight software upgrade
on the micro, and, we're there.

the benefits of this simple upgrade would be numerous:
1. you can I/O swap your programs without a time consuming switch of cables
and unnessary data transfer between the calc/e2
2. you could transfer up to 512k at the press of a button
3. if you are playing against someone else, all the files required for the
game would have to be uploaded to the calc. if the size of the DLL's, info
on various levels of a game, is larger than 25k, your two-player games might
have a significant dent in them. but, with the extra link port, this problem
simply would not exist.

nick palko