News:

Printed Amstrad Addict magazine announced, check it out here!

Main Menu
avatar_DoctorCPC

How do i make RS232 Card for CPC and PCWW

Started by DoctorCPC, 02:12, 07 December 21

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DoctorCPC

How do I make a card that uses RS232 serial interface for CPC and PCW? I am well-versed in software, but not in CPC and PCW hardware. my request is just to add RS232 port to CPC/PCW. also i need to know send and receive command on CPC and PCW. I should only have send data function from this card and receive data function. Amstrad NC already has a serial port on it, so it's fine. What I want to do is hardware and software that will run on RS232 on all Amstrad CPC/PCW/NC computers. This is available on Amstrad NC. What I want is a simple RS232 card for the hardware I'm going to make to work on all computers. I couldn't find a card that does just this job in old projects. Of course, this card must be MX compatible. I would like to get your ideas. If I pass this stage, I will be able to start my project. If I do not pass this stage, I will not be able to start my project. The most important problem is, of course, finding time...
My Amstrad Products: Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad CPC 6128, Schneider CPC 6128, Amstrad NC 100, Amstrad HiFi EX330, Amstrad Fidelity CKX100 Music Keyboard, Amstrad Penpad 600, Amstrad Emailer Plus, Amstrad E3 Emailer, Amstrad VCR Programmable Remote Control, Amstrad DVD/Divx Player, Amstrad GT 65, Schneider CTM640

CPC Hardware: USIFACII, M4Wifi, ZMEM, MotherX4, GOTEK, PS2 Mouse Adapter, RSF3 (Soon), DES Mini (Soon)
PCW Hardware: GOTEK, PCWIO, uIDE (Soon), uRTC (Soon)

Editor-In-Chief / ACUC Magazine - Amstrad CPC User Club Magazine (Soon)
www.dizzyradio.com  / Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga and Other Home Computer's Musics
www.cpcuserclub.com / +90 555 498 36 55 for adding WhatsApp Group

GUNHED

#1
Well, I don't know for the PcW, but for the CPC we got different options:

As long as you're fine with 5 Volts, I would suggest the USIfAC I or II. Also the LambdaSpeak series of speech cards has such a port. They are available right now.

For a +/- 12 Volt solution it's probably the best to clone one of the commercial cards of back the day or to use the CPC-Booster+. Used units may be available, but only very seldomly.

Today a 5 Volt solution may be of greater use. What do our hardware specialists think?
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

DoctorCPC



my hardware that does the actual work will do RS232 communication. A simple circuit that I only know about the send and receive function will do. in other cases things get complicated for me. At the same time, I want it to work on hardware NC, CPC and PCW. The right choice for this is RS232.

Chip: MAX3232,
Port: TX RX VCC GND,
Operating voltage: 3.3V - 5.5V,
My Amstrad Products: Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad CPC 6128, Schneider CPC 6128, Amstrad NC 100, Amstrad HiFi EX330, Amstrad Fidelity CKX100 Music Keyboard, Amstrad Penpad 600, Amstrad Emailer Plus, Amstrad E3 Emailer, Amstrad VCR Programmable Remote Control, Amstrad DVD/Divx Player, Amstrad GT 65, Schneider CTM640

CPC Hardware: USIFACII, M4Wifi, ZMEM, MotherX4, GOTEK, PS2 Mouse Adapter, RSF3 (Soon), DES Mini (Soon)
PCW Hardware: GOTEK, PCWIO, uIDE (Soon), uRTC (Soon)

Editor-In-Chief / ACUC Magazine - Amstrad CPC User Club Magazine (Soon)
www.dizzyradio.com  / Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga and Other Home Computer's Musics
www.cpcuserclub.com / +90 555 498 36 55 for adding WhatsApp Group

DoctorCPC


does anyone have any ideas? I'm not an expert in hardware. but I want to make RS232 board for Amstrad CPC and PCW. I also need to learn the software code that includes the send and receive function. then i can make my hardware using this data communication. NC is already capable of RS232 communication. For CPC and PCW I need a card that does just that. My goal is for the hardware I will develop to work on both CPC, PCW and NC.

My Amstrad Products: Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad CPC 6128, Schneider CPC 6128, Amstrad NC 100, Amstrad HiFi EX330, Amstrad Fidelity CKX100 Music Keyboard, Amstrad Penpad 600, Amstrad Emailer Plus, Amstrad E3 Emailer, Amstrad VCR Programmable Remote Control, Amstrad DVD/Divx Player, Amstrad GT 65, Schneider CTM640

CPC Hardware: USIFACII, M4Wifi, ZMEM, MotherX4, GOTEK, PS2 Mouse Adapter, RSF3 (Soon), DES Mini (Soon)
PCW Hardware: GOTEK, PCWIO, uIDE (Soon), uRTC (Soon)

Editor-In-Chief / ACUC Magazine - Amstrad CPC User Club Magazine (Soon)
www.dizzyradio.com  / Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga and Other Home Computer's Musics
www.cpcuserclub.com / +90 555 498 36 55 for adding WhatsApp Group

RetroCPC

#4
To better understand your requirements, you want to contorl a "Device" via RS232?

What data rate will you use? 300, 1200, 9600 baud?

The Amstrad NC100 already has an RS232 port... You would then just require a RS232 port for the Amstard CPC and a varient for the PCW...

More details on your "Device" would be interseting to better understand what your trying to achieve...

I see you already have a USIFACII - this is apperantly an RS232 port...

How about recreating the Amstard RS232 interface for the CPC - with ROM so you can send commands using the ROM's "built in" RSX commands... but maybe the USIFACII already supports this???

DoctorCPC


A simple board that will provide RS232 connection for CPC. also the code of send and receive functions on RS232 on CPC side. ie just 2 function codes. same goes for PCW. In NC, there is no need for such a card. It is enough to write functions that will send and receive whenever I want on the NC. My first goal is to make a simple RS232 card on Amstrad NC and Amstrad CPC. having the code of the send and receive functions. I was told that I couldn't get NC to talk to USIFACII. I don't know much about USIFACII. I only use FDD as emulator and hard disk. I'm open to your ideas on this.
My Amstrad Products: Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad CPC 6128, Schneider CPC 6128, Amstrad NC 100, Amstrad HiFi EX330, Amstrad Fidelity CKX100 Music Keyboard, Amstrad Penpad 600, Amstrad Emailer Plus, Amstrad E3 Emailer, Amstrad VCR Programmable Remote Control, Amstrad DVD/Divx Player, Amstrad GT 65, Schneider CTM640

CPC Hardware: USIFACII, M4Wifi, ZMEM, MotherX4, GOTEK, PS2 Mouse Adapter, RSF3 (Soon), DES Mini (Soon)
PCW Hardware: GOTEK, PCWIO, uIDE (Soon), uRTC (Soon)

Editor-In-Chief / ACUC Magazine - Amstrad CPC User Club Magazine (Soon)
www.dizzyradio.com  / Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga and Other Home Computer's Musics
www.cpcuserclub.com / +90 555 498 36 55 for adding WhatsApp Group

RetroCPC

#6
I dont know about the PCW, but I did once own an Orignal Amstard CPC RS232 interface:-

https://cpcrulez.fr/hardware-serie-interface_rs232c.htm

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:Amstrad_RS232C_PCB_Top.jpg

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/6/61/RS232C_Serial_Interface_%28Amsoft_UK%29_Manual.pdf

If you read the above manual you can get an idea of the new RSX Basic commands added by the ROM in the Amstrad RS232 interface - these extra RSX Basic commands allow you to send and receive Data over serial RS232...

It would be possible to remanufacture the orignal Amstrad RS232 interface - but first confirm what features the USIFACII already offers..

Again, it be good to understand the device your trying to contorl - what Data rate (speed) you need...

DoctorCPC


I did some research and I think it solves my problem with the USIFAC1 DB9 connector. madlax39 made the gerber file in an old time. He said he can share if anyone wants. I sent him a private message. It communicates RS232 with the USIFAC1 DB9 connector. this is a card that will do the job for me. I continue to research. Sometimes I can get the wrong result, but from what I've read, the PCB made by USIFAC1 and madlax39 works for me. @madlax39

My Amstrad Products: Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad CPC 6128, Schneider CPC 6128, Amstrad NC 100, Amstrad HiFi EX330, Amstrad Fidelity CKX100 Music Keyboard, Amstrad Penpad 600, Amstrad Emailer Plus, Amstrad E3 Emailer, Amstrad VCR Programmable Remote Control, Amstrad DVD/Divx Player, Amstrad GT 65, Schneider CTM640

CPC Hardware: USIFACII, M4Wifi, ZMEM, MotherX4, GOTEK, PS2 Mouse Adapter, RSF3 (Soon), DES Mini (Soon)
PCW Hardware: GOTEK, PCWIO, uIDE (Soon), uRTC (Soon)

Editor-In-Chief / ACUC Magazine - Amstrad CPC User Club Magazine (Soon)
www.dizzyradio.com  / Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Amiga and Other Home Computer's Musics
www.cpcuserclub.com / +90 555 498 36 55 for adding WhatsApp Group

Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod