Hello all. After some advice, and I figured someone here would
probably be able to help.
I'm the owner of a (grey case) Spectrum +2, and I'm keen to try
communication with other devices via RS232. Obviously, the +2 has a
built-in RS232 port, but as far as I can tell, it's not much good for
two-way comms with other machines, and is of course hampered by the completely non-standard plug. I've used the port for printing via a QL serial-to-parallel cable, and it works fine for that, but I'm guessing
it isn't great for anything else.
If I want to play with sending data to and from a PC, and also other
old crap I have lying around like my Amstrad NC100, is it best to use
the built-in port or the IF1? Also, is the IF1 RS232 port useable in
128K mode? I've not been able to answer this, and it doesn't seem well-documented. Obviously the P channel is attached to stream 3, and
in 48K mode drives the ZX printer, and in 128K mode goes to the RS232,
so does that mean the T and B channels will correctly use the IF1
RS232 in 128K mode? I hope it does - or will I have to stick to 48K
mode if I want to use the IF1 RS232?
Also, as I have the IF1 printer cable, which ends in a 25-pin male
plug, is it possible to just get hold of one other cable that will let
me connect direct to a PC?
Any other hints and tips for connection to other machines? Like
software for the Speccy? Am I insane for wondering if it's possible to convert text from the PC to Tasword files???
Lee Osborne <losborne74@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm the owner of a (grey case) Spectrum +2, and I'm keen to tryIt can be vaguely tolerable if you make sure you use RTS/CTS
communication with other devices via RS232. Obviously, the +2 has a
built-in RS232 port, but as far as I can tell, it's not much good for
two-way comms with other machines, and is of course hampered by the
completely non-standard plug.
handshaking, and your serial lead is properly wired. It's still pretty
bad though. I think I got my best results at 2400 baud.
If I want to play with sending data to and from a PC, and also other
old crap I have lying around like my Amstrad NC100, is it best to use
the built-in port or the IF1?
I seem to remember the IF1 port was very slow
Also, as I have the IF1 printer cable, which ends in a 25-pin male
plug, is it possible to just get hold of one other cable that will let
me connect direct to a PC?
Am I insane for wondering if it's possible to convert text from the PC
to Tasword files???
I think Tasword Two files (at least) were pretty much just a straight
dump of the 64-column ASCII text with no line breaks. So 64 chars for
one line, 64 for the next, and so on. I still have a few old Tasword
files from the 80s (originally from microdrive) and they all seem to
be like that.
On Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:20:04 GMT, Russell Marks wrote:
Lee Osborne <losborne74@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm the owner of a (grey case) Spectrum +2, and I'm keen to tryIt can be vaguely tolerable if you make sure you use RTS/CTS
communication with other devices via RS232. Obviously, the +2 has a
built-in RS232 port, but as far as I can tell, it's not much good for
two-way comms with other machines, and is of course hampered by the
completely non-standard plug.
handshaking, and your serial lead is properly wired. It's still pretty
bad though. I think I got my best results at 2400 baud.
Interesting. So the IF-1 hard/software is that much different to what Sir Clive and his folks have used for the +2 later?
I seem to remember the IF1 port was very slow
Well. The Z80 CPU runs at 3.5 MHz, there is no SIO available and the 16550 UART (with FIFO) was born years after the Spectrum. In that light, serial communication via software...
Volker Bartheld <news2020@bartheld.net> wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:20:04 GMT, Russell Marks wrote:To be fair, I don't think I ever used the IF1 port - it's just the
I seem to remember the IF1 port was very slowWell. The Z80 CPU runs at 3.5 MHz, there is no SIO available and the 16550 >> UART (with FIFO) was born years after the Spectrum. In that light, serial
communication via software...
impression I had at the time. I could have phrased that better.
On Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:38:12 GMT, Russell Marks wrote:
Volker Bartheld <news2020@bartheld.net> wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:20:04 GMT, Russell Marks wrote:To be fair, I don't think I ever used the IF1 port - it's just the
I seem to remember the IF1 port was very slowWell. The Z80 CPU runs at 3.5 MHz, there is no SIO available and the 16550 >>> UART (with FIFO) was born years after the Spectrum. In that light, serial >>> communication via software...
impression I had at the time. I could have phrased that better.
Verdict: It's not USB3. Surprise, surprise. ;-)
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