a TI/USR DSP
chip, which is prolly useless outside of the intended use
Some of the DSP's are "general purpose" -- external program
store. However, since you called it a "TI/USR" part, I assume
it has a USR house number on it and, as such, is probably
a masked part. If so, "useless outside of the intended use" :>
Unless either (a) the USB part number is just their code for a standard
device (HP were fond of doing this...), or (b) you can disable the
internal mask ROM and run it from external program store, say by changing
the state of a pin.
Without knowing more about the device I can't possibly know if either of
these is the case.
So, *if* I can
get a Dynamic-RAM -> Static RAM converter board designed
for the CoCo, I could upgrade 4 CoCo3s to 512K with each modem board.
What's the issue *preventing* this from happening?
(unfamiliar with the internals of a CoCo3)
The CoCo 3 is designed round a custom chip called GIME (Graphics,
Interrupts, Memroy Enhancement). It handles all the video side, the
memory mamangement (remmber the 6809 can only directly address 64K), etc.
Said chip outputs a 9 bit multiplexed address (designed to link to the 9
addres pins on 256K bit DRAMs), and the DRAM timing signals. It also
expects 16 bit wide memory IIRC.
It's probably possible to add external circuitry to turn that back into a
normal 18 bit address and hang SRAM off it, but I think it's more work
than finding some 41256s...
Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- SysAdmin,
Iceberg Computers
zmerch at
30below.com
What do you do when Life gives you lemons,
and you don't *like* lemonade?????????????
Use it to flavor your *tea*!
As I commented last night, citric acid is ideal for cleaning up battery
corrosion from calles with alkaline electrolyte (NiCds, alkaline primary
cells, etc).
-tony