Re: Replace the 9010A base with an IBM Parallel port?

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Looking over the architecture of the Fluke it appears that one could build
a small interface box that would allow the use of the probe as well as the
pod. One also would want the SYNC function to enable the scope, but that
would be trivial on the Parallel port interface. Just need a BNC connector
is all, I think!

Having a probe to enable a Guided Fault test routine is a great plus. Of
course, one could use a simple interface for a Serial Port as well, and one
could still use the probe's I/O features...

An old (or not so old) notebook computer that is a complete test
fixture/burner is quite intriguing...sell your bases now while they are
still worth something ;-)

John :-#)#

At 07:37 PM 26/02/2002 +0000, Mike Coates wrote:

>well, the main reason for the 'IBM Fluke' idea, was with an open source
>program (which is what I plan to do if it ever becomes reality) extra
>options not in the original fluke could be added - for instance the 9010 has
>a mask for ram tests, useful where the colour map ram is only 4 bits for
>instance, this could very easily be done in software. other ideas were to
>allow 'templates' for boards to be created, detailing memory maps, rom
>signatures, page mechanisms (to allow all pages to be checked) etc. - for
>building the original (simple) templates it would be fairly easy to add an
>option for mame to create them (at least ram/rom checksums (multiple where
>various bootlegs exist)
>
>other advantages include reading roms direct to files on the PC, using built
>in ROMIDENT to identify roms - basically, anything you lot can think of!
>
>I have a bid on an 8088 pod (which I can;t check, becuase my stupid
>microsoft based internet connection just decided to drop the line and the
>wife is now on the phone!) which I am hoping to use to test the
>communication protocol without risk to my more useful pods (z80 and 68000)
>
>if anyone has info on the connections etc, then it will all be appreciated
>and may help the idea become reality
>
>oh, and the other reason for the idea, when I go anywhere to look at arcade
>stuff, I always take the laptop and the eprom programmer, so if I can drive
>the pod from the laptop, I don;t need to take the fluke too!

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Received on Tue Feb 26 22:09:26 2002