Changes
The [[SchneiderwareCentronics Port]] series consists of several DIY projects which have been released in is an external [[8bit Printer Ports|8bit Printer Port]], published by german magazine [[CPC Schneider International]] published by as part of their [[DMVSchneiderware]]DIY series. The name "Schneiderware" was probably choosen due to its double meaning ("CPC Hardware" in computer languageplain PCB, or "specially fitted clothing" in german language). Aside from building the hardware on one's own, one could fully assembled board were also available via mail-order printed circuit boards, either fully assembled, or plain PCBs without components.
The various boards are having special connectors, [[ECB Bus]] connector of the board is intended to be mounted on plugged into the "Basisplatine" (some kind of a motherboard with [[ECB BusSchneiderware Basisplatine]] sockets) which allows to connect up to five Schneiderware boards to the CPCs Expansion Port; with some small modifications one , but it could be also connect the boards wired directly to the CPCs Expansion Port (the motherboard is merely an Y-cable-like adaptor without electrical components, so one doesn't really need it). * [[Schneiderware Basisplatine|Schneiderware #2a Basisplatine (Motherboard)]] (7/1986 pages 60-67)
* [[Schneiderware Centronics Port|Schneiderware #2b Centronics (Printer Port)]] (7/1986 pages 60-67, plus complaints from 10/1986 page 10, port B redefined on 12/1986 page 124 and 3/1987 pages 8-9)
== I/O Ports ==
Default I/O Address is F8E0h-F8E3h. An alternate I/O Address is jumper select-able (intended to allow to connect two Centronics cards to the computer), the alternate address was originally defined as F8F0h-F8F3h, but the later [[Schneiderware Uni-PIO|Schneiderware #6 Uni-PIO]] project did accidently use that addresses, too. In result, it was somewhat suggested (or silently implied) to change the secondary Centronics address to F8E4h-F8E7h.
{|{{Prettytable|width: 700px; font-size: 2em;}}
|Address (default) || Address (alternate) || Usage
|-
|F8E0h || F8F0h (later redefined to F8E4h) || Schneiderware Centronics [[8255 PPI chip|8255 PPI]] Port A (data)
|-
|F8E1h || F8F1h (later redefined to F8E5h) || Schneiderware Centronics [[8255 PPI chip|8255 PPI]] Port B (unused)
|-
|F8E2h || F8F2h (later redefined to F8E6h) || Schneiderware Centronics [[8255 PPI chip|8255 PPI]] Port C (busy/strobe)<br>(bit7=busy, bit6-1=unused, bit0=strobe; strobe is externally inverted)<br>(autolf is wired to GND, all other control/status signals are not connected)
|-
|F8E3h || F8F3h (later redefined to F8E7h) || Schneiderware Centronics [[8255 PPI chip|8255 PPI]] Control
|-
|}
Using a [[8255 PPI chip]] with 24 I/O lines is possibly the most expensive and overcomplicated 8bit Printer Port solution, especially as the circuit uses only 10 of the 24 signals (it implements only Data, Strobe, and Busy - other Centronics signals like Error, Ack, Select, etc. aren't connected).
'''Note''' - The same magazine released a number of different [[8bit Printer Ports|8bit Printer Port]] solutions: A [[CPCI 8bit Printer Mod|joystick-signal based one]] (simple & messy), the Happy Computer [[Happy Computer 8bit Printer Mod|cassette-write based one]] (simple & elegant), and the [[Schneiderware]] one (complex & expensive).
== Pictures ==
File:Schneiderware 2 Centronics (solder side).jpg|Centronics (solder side)
</gallery>
== Scanned Article ==
* [[Media:Schneiderware 2 - Backplane and Centronics.pdf|Schneiderware 2 - Backplane and Centronics.pdf]] - Basisplatine and Printer Port - '''7/1986 page 60-67''', plus complaints from 10/1986 page 10, port B redefined on 12/1986 page 124 and 3/1987 page 8-9, final notes from 11/1987 page 98
[[Category:Peripherals]]
