What is this - Basic Technology BT-1030

[NoPizzaTonite]

Hope someone can help.
This states it's a "versatile interface port" - it is for a coco2 or coco3
It has the edge connector to plug it into the coco expansion slot and on the side it has a 26-pin IDE

I'm kinda at a loss for what this is used for. Is it a parallel interface? RS-232?

Thank you!

 

[kc8eyt]

The only information I can find is an advertisement for it in Color Computer News #24 on page 45:

https://colorcomputerarchive.com/re.../Color Computer News #24 - September 1983.pdf

Its states: BT-1030 VIP Versatile Interface Port. Connect CoCo to the outside world with two 8-bit parallel ports, two 16-bit timer/counters and a serial shift register. All user programmable. $69.95.

 

[kc8eyt]

I found one other blurb on it in the Hot COCO April 1984 issue on page 50:

https://archive.org/details/HotCoco198404/page/n49/mode/2up

It states: "A parallel port with two 8-bit ports and control lines, two 16-bit timers and shift register. It is ideal for home control or data input applications."

 

[NoPizzaTonite]

Thank you for the articles. I had seen the first one, but not the second. So that was good info ("for home control or data input applications").
I just don't know how to use it - I don't know if there is a program that went with this or if you have to program your own or ?? - certainly specs would help if anyone out there recognizes it

Thanks again for the extra info you found!!!

 

[kc8eyt]

I'm sure there is software associated with it, but finding it is another task. I did a search on the Internet Archive for documentation and/or software but nothing turned up. Perhaps if you visit some CoCo only forums/groups on the net they'll have the required information.

 

[NoPizzaTonite]

Totally - been scouring for a week now (which is why I was surprised I didn't come across that second article of yours! haha!) - I'll keep digging here and there. Something will come up. You've been most kind. Thank you!

 

[Eudimorphodon]

I’d be willing to bet a shiny new nickel it has a 6522 VIA inside it. (And very little else.)

 

[NoPizzaTonite]

I’d be willing to bet a shiny new nickel it has a 6522 VIA inside it. (And very little else.)

Welp, I certainly feel embarrassed - not only should the name of the thing have given me a clue - but I could have saved myself a little time if I would have just opened it up and seen the 6522 in there. Sheesh! Nice call! Mystery solved.

Thank you (you too kc8eyt) for helping me out here!

-Alex

 

[Eudimorphodon]

I'm curious how much documentation/software that thing came with in the first place. If you can suss out what addresses it's mapping the chip to you may well know about all there is to know about it outside of the VIA's datasheet.