Re: A89: multiplayer-adapter ???


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Re: A89: multiplayer-adapter ???




I don't quite understand what you mean by saying "all that"! Worried
about CPU time?
Most of the hard work (the actual transmission of each byte) is done by
hardware, the CPU is free to do other things.
The "preparation" of data is done with a few assembler instructions.

The hardware takes care of sending the data all around the network
automatically. Instead of replying "ok, I've got the data" to the
*sender* (as usual), this signal is passed on as *data* to the *next*
calc! Now *this* calc will *also* say "ok, I've got the data" to the
calc *it* believes was the sender. But this would be the *next* calc in
the ring and so on... until, finally, the last calc gets the data and
says "ok, I've got the data" to the *first* calc, which initiated the
chain reaction. The wheel has come full circle.

/Johan


Miles Raymond wrote:
> 
> Is all that possible during gameplay?
> 
> -Miles Raymond      EML: m_rayman@bigfoot.com
> ICQ: 13217756       IRC: Killer2        AIM: MRayMan
> http://www.bigfoot.com/~m_rayman/
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johan <johei804@student.liu.se>
> To: assembly-89@lists.ticalc.org <assembly-89@lists.ticalc.org>
> Date: Monday, January 11, 1999 6:44 PM
> Subject: Re: A89: multiplayer-adapter ???
> 
> >Well, my implementation doesn't require much hardware. It's simpler to
> >build than a PC-to-calc link.
> >
> >The calculators are connected in a circular fashion, much like a
> >token-ring network (I guess).
> >Red wire from calc "n" is connected to white wire on calc "n+1" and so
> >on all the way around. That's all.
> >
> >It's possible to use the ROM-routines for the transmissions, but the
> >data must be prepared and sent in a special order. Also, all calculators
> >must know how many other calculators there are in the network, and their
> >sequence numbers.
> >
> >/Johan


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