Expanding and Networking Microcomputers

Frontmatter

1. How to Expand Your IBM PC

Abstract

The IBM PC has five expansion slots and into these go the boards that enable you to add memory and to connect peripherals, such as disks and printers. Special facilities such as networking, mainframe access or voice recognition are also available via the appropriate expansion board plus software support. The IBM XT has eight slots of which three are for short boards and the same consideration for PC expansion apply equally to the XT, except that the latter requires a fixed disk controller board.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

2. IBM PC Communications

Abstract

This section outlines the basic principles of serial communications and covers the following areas:

i

Data communications

 

ii

Add-in modems

 

iii

Data encryption

 

iv

Videotex

 

vi

Special purpose.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

3. IBM PC Graphics

Abstract

The boards described in this section cover the following areas:

i

Monochrome graphics

 

ii

Colour graphics

 

iii

Videodisk/tape controllers

 

iv

Digitisation

 

v

Multifunction graphics.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

4. IBM PC Industrial Applications

Abstract

The IBM PC has a role to play in the monitoring and control of process flow systems in industry. This involves A to D conversion, data capture and processing. In this respect, the use of the PC is precisely the same as in the scientific context and the reader may consult Chapter 10 where these boards are described.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

5. IBM PC — Languages and Operating Systems

Abstract

The boards in this section will enable the user to either run software designed for the CP/M Operating System, or to develop and test programs to be run on the IBM PC. Both these applications effectively involve replacing the Intel 8088 processor on the PC motherboard by another on the add-in board.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

6. IBM PC Memory Expansion

Abstract

The boards reviewed in this section have been split into three categories:

i

non-volatile memory

 

ii

volatile memory

 

iii

RAM disk.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

7. IBM PC Multifunction Boards

Abstract

The purchase of additional expansion boards does not guarantee effortless enhancement once the full quota of corresponding expansion slots has been filled up. Given the manual dexterity required to fit some boards, and the wear and tear on electrical contacts with insertion and removal, the replacement of one board by another, as the application changes, is to be avoided whenever possible. The problem of ‘expansion’ slot capability arises with the IBM PC because three of these slots are normally occupied by boards performing basic rather than ‘expansion’ functions; the disk controller and video board occupy two slots and the parallel printer boards takes a third. If additional RAM is required from a fourth board there is only one slot left for the myriad of opportunities made available from add-in boards.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

8. IBM PC Networking

Abstract

When two or more microcomputers are linked together they form a network. There are many reasons why it is desirable to join up microcomputers, the more important include:

i

sharing of common files

 

ii

sharing of expensive peripherals such as printers and, disks

 

iii

passing messages and completing transactions between users on the network.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

9. IBM PC Peripherals

Abstract

This section deals with those peripherals for the PC that are packaged with add-in boards. This section is mainly concerned with backing store devices, i.e. tapes and disk:

i

hard disks, fixed and removable (cartridge)

 

ii

tapes, fixed spool and cartridge

 

iii

mice

 

iv

printers

 

v

others

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

10. IBM PC Scientific Applications

Abstract

The PC can be used to monitor and control laboratory experiments through the use of the appropriate add-in board. The boards classified in this section cover the following applications:

i

ADC (Analog to Digital Conversion)

 

ii

DAC (Digital to Analog Conversion)

 

iii

Data Acquisition (this involves both ADC and DAC)

 

iv

Digital conversion

 

v

GPIB Interfacing

 

vi

Instrumentation.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

11. IBM PC Terminal Emulation

Abstract

The PC can be made to imitate a mainframe terminal, such as an IBM 3278 VDU, so that it can accept the same data and achieve the same results as the 3278. In most cases this requires the use of an add-in board to handle the appropriate communications protocol, and software for graphics and keyboard emulation.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

12. IBM PC Voice and Sound

Abstract

This section covers boards used in the following areas

i

speech recognition

 

ii

speech synthesis

 

iii

speech digitisation.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

13. IBM PC Special Purpose

Abstract

This section contains a selection of boards which fall outside the main classification areas used in this book. They comprise many quite unusual and interesting applications and are evidence of the novel ways in which the PC is being used.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

14. How to Expand Your APPLE II Computer

Abstract

The Apple II plus has seven expansion slots (nos 1–7) plus slot 0 for the Apple language board. This contains 16 Kb of memory and, together with 48 Kb on the mother board, gives a total memory of 64 Kb.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

15. APPLE II 80-Column Boards

Abstract

The Apple II computer was designed to appeal to a wide range of computer users, including the education and hobbyist market, and since cost is an important factor in those latter areas, the hardware was designed to use a domestic colour TV set as a display device. The limited resolution of TV sets, however, restricted their text displays to 40 characters per line. PASCAL programmers accepted, more or less grudingly, the command lines that disappears from the right hand side of the screen and the nervous twitch of CTRL-A depressions when reading across from the left hand to right hand sides of their programs.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

16. APPLE II Communications

Abstract

This section contains an outline of the basic principles of serial communications and covers the following areas:

i

Data Communications

 

ii

Add-in modems

 

iii

Data Encryption

 

iv

Videotex

 

v

Multifunction

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

17. APPLE II Graphics

Abstract

The boards described in this section cover the following areas:

i

Colour graphics

 

ii

Videodisc/tape controllers

 

iii

Digitisation.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

18. APPLE II Industrial Applications

Abstract

The Apple has a role to play in the monitoring and control of process flow systems in industry. This involves A to D conversion, data capture and processing. In this respect the use of the Apple is precisely the same as in the Scientific context and the reader may consult Section 24 where these boards are described.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

19. APPLE II Languages and Operating Systems

Abstract

The boards in this section will enable the user to either run software designed for the CP/M operating system, or to develop and test programs to be run on the Apple II. Both these applications effectively involve replacing the 6502 processor on the Apple motherboard by another on the add-in board. The use of a co-processor for speed enhancement on the Apple is showed in chapter 25.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

20. APPLE II Memory Expansion

Abstract

The boards reviewed in this section have been split into three categories:

i

non-volatile memory

 

ii

volatile memory

 

iii

RAM disk.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

21. APPLE Multifunction

Abstract

This section reviews both multifunction and clock/ calendar boards for the Apple. The clock/calendar facility may either be a board in its own right or else incorporated into a multifunction board.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

22. APPLE II Networking

Abstract

When two or more microcomputers are linked together they form a network. There are many reasons why it is desirable to join up microcomputers, the more important include:

i

sharing of common files

 

ii

sharing of expensive peripherals such as hard disks and printers

 

iii

passing messages and completing transactions between users on the network.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

23. APPLE II Peripherals

Abstract

This section deals with those peripherals for the Apple that are packaged with add-in boards. Apart from printer buffers, this section is mainly concerned with backing store devices, i.e. tapes and disks:

i

floppy disks

 

ii

hard disks, fixed and removable (cartridge)

 

iii

printer drivers and buffers

 

iv

others

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

24. APPLE II Scientific Applications

Abstract

The Apple can be used to monitor and control laboratory experiments through the use of appropriate add-in boards. The boards classified in this section cover the following applications:

i

ADC (Analog to Digital Conversion)

 

ii

DAC (Digital to Analog Conversion)

 

iii

Data Acquisition (this involves both ADC and DAC)

 

iv

GPIB Interfacing

 

v

Instrumentation

 

vi

Digital Conversion.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

25. APPLE Speed Enhancement

Abstract

Microcomputers were primarily intended for interactive applications in the education, business and hobbyist markets. In these fields the total process traditionally involved high proportions of user interaction or file read/write operations, so the CPU spent much of its time awaiting operator or peripheral action. There is a common maxim, however, that user’s expectations will always rise beyond a system’s power and the widespread application of microcomputers has inevitably pushed software packages to higher and higher orders of sophistication with corresponding demands on processor speed and power.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

26. APPLE Voice and Sound

Abstract

This section covers boards used in the following areas

i

Music

 

ii

Sound processing

 

iii

Speech recognition

 

iv

Speech synthesis

 

v

Speech digitisation

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

27. APPLE Special Purpose

Abstract

This section contains a selection of boards that fall outside the main classification areas used in this book. They comprise many quite unusual and interesting applications and are evidence of the novel ways in which the Apple is being used.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

28. How to Build an IBM XT Lookalike

Abstract

With the IBM PC expansion boards now available it is possible to configure a system that uses the minimum of IBM components. For example, if a PC, not the XT hard disk version, is obtained with only one floppy disk drive, 64 Kb of memory and the keyboard (even that does not have to be IBM) this configuration can be expanded to become a 64 Kb system with a hard disk, colour/graphics monitor, serial/parallel ports, clock/calendar and be fully compatible with the XT.

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

29. The RS232C Serial Interface

Abstract

Serial interfacing is a technique used to transfer data one bit at a time. It is generally used as a means of linking computers to relatively slow peripheral devices, such as, printers, VDU’s, and even to other computers. Serial data transmission has an advantage over parallel transmission in that as few as two wires may be used (one data line, one common line), in contrast to parallel transmission which requires one line for each bit of data being transmitted. One disadvantage of serial transmission, however, is that because data is transmitted one bit at a time, it is relatively slow when compared to parallel transmission (see fig. 26)

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

30. Personal Computer Networking

Abstract

This chapter discusses linking together personal computers and other equipment by means of a Local Area Network. It is divided into four sections:

i

The Need for Networking This section describes the benefits Local Area Networks can bring and to whom these benefits apply. Potential users are divided into three broad categories.

 

ii

Types of Local Area Network The various designs of Local Area Networks currently available are explained. The criteria for choosing a suitable network are considered.

 

iii

Particular Networks A table presents information on a wide range of networks commercially available for personal computers. The leading networks are reviewed in detail, including PC Net, Omninet, Plan 2000, EtherSeries and Multilink.

 

iv

The Future for Local Area Networks Finally the problems facing Local Area Networks are examined, and developments that can be expected are suggested.

 

Dennis Longley, Michael Shain

Backmatter