Project: Programs to allow interactions between old Lego Control Interfaces (RCX, Lego Interface B, others?)

[Bliss]

@Toastie,

Since the FT232H seems to do the job and has even a FT245 mode, I decided to pursue my test with the FT245 while I'm waiting for the FT232H delivery later this week (Amazon).

So I tested the FT245 in its native mode (Serial Com port) which sends Bytes directly to its Datalines D0-D7 and reads bytes from the same datalines (Shared).

Since the datalines are shared, we need some TTL chips ...

I juste tested the Outputs D0-D5 for now with the 74HC174 that was lying around...  (74HC573 would also do the job).
The CLK of this 74HC174 is wired to the FT245 RXF and RD pins but for the RD pin I needed a small RC circuit (1K res + 10nF Cap) to make a pulse...  Easy.

It is working flawlessly with a Terminal utility like Hercules sending Bytes one at a time (Hex).
AND IT IS WORKING with TCLOGO_S.com as well in DOSBox-X !

No arduino at all, just the FT245 (Should be soon the FT232H) and 74HC174 and RC circuit (1K Res + 10nF cap ) (And LEDS :-) )

Now for the Inputs (6, 7) There is more to add...
I guess that TCLogo_s read continuously when it is not writing ? (DOS shares the same IO Adress right?)

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Bliss

[evank]

25 minutes ago, Bliss said:

No arduino at all, just the FT245 (Should be soon the FT232H) and 74HC174 and RC circuit (1K Res + 10nF cap ) (And LEDS :-) )

Now you have my attention. ;)

Were all of these components readily available in the 1980s?

[Bliss]

@evank

Now that's the tricky part...

USB I believe did not exist in 1980s I think...

And in today's computer, no more parallel port and no more ISA bus and no more serial port...

But we can still get seiral comm with the use of USB to serial adapters...

Suppose you accept the USB-Serial adapter and start your rules from the serial RX / TX pin and GND...   
The FT245 / FT232H does more, as it allows to transform Serial comm from the USB port (Still seen as COM port in the OS) to parallel data lines (D0 to D7) directly...
FT245 is called a USB to parallel FIFO interface...  (Still using COM port on the PC, but no TX RX at the other end, it is directly parallel lines).  (FT232H can do the same but is more universal as it can also do basic USB to serial with RX TX etc).

So it depends if you accept the FT245/232H like you would maybe accept a USB-Serial adapter...

For the TTL part, I'm pretty sure everyting was available back then but was 74LSxxx, not the more efficient 74HCxxx.  (Gemini said all the 74LS174, 244, 573 were avail at the end of 1970s) 

Edited 5 hours ago by Bliss

[evank]

3 hours ago, Bliss said:

USB I believe did not exist in 1980s I think...

And in today's computer, no more parallel port and no more ISA bus and no more serial port...

But we can still get seiral comm with the use of USB to serial adapters...

Suppose you accept the USB-Serial adapter and start your rules from the serial RX / TX pin and GND...   
The FT245 / FT232H does more, as it allows to transform Serial comm from the USB port (Still seen as COM port in the OS) to parallel data lines (D0 to D7) directly...
FT245 is called a USB to parallel FIFO interface...  (Still using COM port on the PC, but no TX RX at the other end, it is directly parallel lines).  (FT232H can do the same but is more universal as it can also do basic USB to serial with RX TX etc).

So it depends if you accept the FT245/232H like you would maybe accept a USB-Serial adapter...

For the TTL part, I'm pretty sure everyting was available back then but was 74LSxxx, not the more efficient 74HCxxx.  (Gemini said all the 74LS174, 244, 573 were avail at the end of 1970s) 

USB is definitely out of the question for the 1980s.

However, a USB-to-serial adapter is fine for modern use an period authenticity.

Regarding your comment, "it depends if you accept the FT245/232H" -- I don't know enough about this. @Toastie what's your opinion ... Also you seem to understand, in our private messages, how best to explain such things to me!