Simple Dragon Interface ...
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:55 am
Hi all. I'm trying to build a simple interface between my PC and my old 32. I'm trying to keep this simple and low-tech, so my first design used an Arduino (overkill perhaps) to interface into the joystick port, which I could then read data from (using X & Y as on/off and fire as a 'latch' for 2bit comms!). The one directional nature of this was fine for my initial ideas - using the Dragon to show email alerts or tweets or something.
However, now I've seen the Google Command Line (http://code.google.com/p/googlecl/) I'm starting to have more ambitious ideas, and I'd like to have some sort of 2-way comms. So what are my options? I presume the parallel port is 2 directional - this site (http://www.onastick.clara.co.uk/pcs_parallel.htm) suggests it is, but I didn't like the idea of modifying my old machine. I could use the tape interface, but I've never used that at a low level (is it easy? I guess I could find the rom routines and have a rummage, and produce something on the PC that makes tones ...). Or I could just buy a 64 and use the serial interface, but I'd rather the challenge of doing it on my old 32.
Any ideas?
However, now I've seen the Google Command Line (http://code.google.com/p/googlecl/) I'm starting to have more ambitious ideas, and I'd like to have some sort of 2-way comms. So what are my options? I presume the parallel port is 2 directional - this site (http://www.onastick.clara.co.uk/pcs_parallel.htm) suggests it is, but I didn't like the idea of modifying my old machine. I could use the tape interface, but I've never used that at a low level (is it easy? I guess I could find the rom routines and have a rummage, and produce something on the PC that makes tones ...). Or I could just buy a 64 and use the serial interface, but I'd rather the challenge of doing it on my old 32.
Any ideas?