Re: Homebrew STG card - CRAZY

["Arne Chr. Jorgensen" <instel-at-online.no>]

Hi,

While I am crazy,  let me add a few words.

You could interface an old AT - using a couple of simple cards, back-to-back on
the IO memory space.  Using NML, etc.  As I said,  there is lots of options.

But you would have a pretty usable enclosure.  You could make amps for steppers
and other stuff  directly on the ISA boards.  Taking out HD, floppy etc. - You
would have place for a transformer and power sypply.  For the logic, you have
+-5V, +-12V  already.  You could use 25p D-subs or something else,  to connect
directly to your step motors or servo.  And a lot of other things.  And you get
all of this "next" to nothing.

Years ago,  I remember some company made a DOS system that replaced the BASIC
eproms. This was nothing more than a small bootloader, and you just added the
binary DOS.  

So even if this sounds a little crazy,  it could be done.  If you short out
something, - well just replace it.  It should not be difficult to get another
of those old machines.  You could even use the display.  Say it would output
debugging info or status.  The RT- modules could be downloaded fast, from your
Linux box.  The system and hardware is well known, -  crazy ? Maybe,  but I
would not say it was stupid.

//ARNE