Using the PCW 8256/8512 as a Dumb Terminal (2014)

[ComSoft6128]

Interesting, if too short, thread from vintage-radio.net:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=102997

Other PCW links from the site:

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=008872823631354711830%3A4sch4flwhxq&ie=UTF-8&q=amstrad+pcw&s=Search+this+website

[GeoffB17]

Note that the link above goes to a forum regarding use of the PCW as a terminal for something else.   The forum includes a link to an article in another magazine detailing the design of the CPS8256 interface, including a circuit for a 'clone' of this interface, which certain people here might find useful?

The article for the clone is written by Brian Frost.   I believe that this will be the same person who wrote another article recently quoted here for the 'scientific Interface' for the PCW, there credited as Brian J Frost.

Geoff

[JonB]

I've had a play with this and here is the result so far.

[attach=1]

(Also as alluded to here: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/UIDE_Universal_IDE_adapter_cards_for_Z-80_computers#PCW_Serial_.2F_parallel_port.)

This is a Z80 bus device, so would plug into a Z80 shim or the uIDE expansion port adapter. You can make a bus cable to connect it and the uIDE to the PCW using female IDC sockets mounted directly to a 40 way ribbon cable. This board is a clone of the Amstrad CPS8256 interface and so should work with the existing Amstrad drivers.

Only thing is, it is still on the "drawing board"; that is to say, I've not had boards fabricated or built one yet. There was no interest from other users.