Expanding and Networking Microcomputers: The complete and upto date guideto over 600 boards for Apple and IBM PCs

324 Pages·1985·63.72 MB·English

by  Dennis Longley

EXPANDING
AND
NETWORKING
MICROCOMPUTERS
EXPANDING
AND
NETWORKING
MICROCOMPUTERS
The complete and upto date guideto
over 600 boards forApple and IBM pes
Dennis Longley
and Michael Shain
Compiled byMickCard
MACMILLAN PRESS
LONDON
MacmillanReferenceBooks
© TheMacmillanPressLtd.,1985
All rightsreserved. Noreproduction,copyortransmissionof thispublication
may be made withoutwritten permission.
Noparagraphof thispublicationmay be reproduced,copiedortransmittedsave
withwritten permissionor inaccordancewiththe provisionsof theCopyright
Act1956(asamended).
Any person who does anyunauthorisedact inrelationto thispublication may
beliableto criminal prosecutionandcivil claimsfor damages.
Firstpublished in 1985by
THEMACMILLAN PRESSLTD.
London and Basingstoke
AssociatedcompaniesinAuckland, Delhi, Dublin, Gaborone, Hamburg,Harare,
Hong Kong,Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur,Lagos, Manzini, Melbourne, Mexico
City,Nairobi, NewYork,Singapore,Tokyo.
BritishLibraryCataloguingInPublicationData
Longley,Dennis
Expanding&networkingmicrocomputers.
1.Computernetworks 2.Microcomputers
I.TitleII.Shain, Michael
001.64'404 TK105.5
ISBN978-0-333-38006-2 ISBN978-1-349-07625-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-07625-3
shall
Thepaperbackeditionof thisbookissold subjectto the conditionthatit
not, byway of trade orotherwise,belent, resold, hired out, orotherwise cover
circulatedwithoutthe publisher'spriorconsentinanyform of bindingoreluding
otherthan thatinwhich it ispublishedandwithoutasimilarcondition inc
thiscondition being imposedonthe subsequentpurchaser
IMPORTANTNOTE inthis
Whilsteverycare has beentaken incompilingthe informationcontained'orsor
Handbook, the Publishersand Editorsacceptnoresponsibilityfor anyerr
omissions.
CORRESPONDENCE
Lettersoneditorial mattersshouldbeaddressedto:
Dennis Longleyand MichaelShain
Expandingand Networking Microcomputers
4LittleEssexStreet
LondonWC2R3LF
Enquiriesaboutdespatch, invoicingorcommercial mattersshouldbe
addressedto:
CustomerServicesDepartment
The Macmillan PressLtd.
Houndmills, Basingstoke
HampshireRG21 2XS
Forinformationaboutplacingadvertising inthispublicationcontact:
MagazineCo-Partnership
100Fleet Street
London'EC4B4AA
[phone]
CONTENTS
Introduction vii
How to use the Directory ix
1. HOW TO EXPAND YOUR IBM PC 1
2. IBM PCCOMMUNICATIONS 5
3. IBM PCGRAPHICS 19
4. IBM PCINDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS 31
5. IBM PCLANGUAGES AND OPERATING
SYSTEMS 39
6. IBM PCMEMORY EXPANSION 43
7. IBM PCMULTIFUNCTION BOARDS 51
8. IBM PCNETWORKING 67
9. IBM PCPERIPHERALS 73
10. IBM PCSCIENTIFICAPPLICATIONS 85
11. IBM PCTERMINAL EMULATION 95
12. IBM PCVOICEAND SOUND 107
13. IBM PCSPECIAL PURPOSE 111
14. HOW TO EXPAND YOUR APPLE II
COMPUTER 113
15. APPLEII 80-COLUMN BOARDS 115
16. APPLE II COMMUNICATIONS 119
17. APPLE II GRAPHICS 133
18. APPLE II INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS 139
19. APPLE II LANGUAGES AND
OPERATING SYSTEMS 147
20. APPLE II MEMORY EXPANSION 153
21. APPLEII MULTIFUNCTION 161
22. APPLE II NETWORKING 165
23. APPLE II PERIPHERALS 167
24. APPLE II SCIENTIFICAPPLICATIONS 179
25. APPLE SPEEDENHANCEMENT 197
26. APPLE VOICE AND SOUND 201
27. APPLE SPECIAL PURPOSE 209
28. HOW TO BUILD AN IBM XT LOOKALIKE 211
29. THE RS232C SERIAL INTERFACE 215
30. PERSONAL COMPUTER NETWORKING 221
APPENDIXES
1 UNDERSTANDING MICROCOMPUTER
BUSES 239
2 IBM's TOKEN PASSING RING AND THE
PC NETWORK 246
3 PERSONAL COMPUTERS IN TEST AND
MEASUREMENT 247
4 ELECTRONIC PROTOTYPING 256
5 APPLE II COMPATIBILITY 263
6 IBM PCCOMPATIBILITY 264
7 IBM/APPLECOMMUNICATION 266
8 LOCAL AREA NETWORK STANDARDS 270
9 GLOSSARY OFTERMS 273
10 MANUFACTURERS' PRODUCTS 283
11 MANUFACTURERS' ADDRESSES 291
12 SHORT BOARDS FORTHE IBM
PORTABLE PERSONAL COMPUTER
(PPC)AND THE XT 305
INDEX 306
v
WANTED. British made
portable bus. micro, incl.
Fin. Plan, Exec. Desk Top,
W.p.& filing software.Must
have BT aprvd. on-board
modem and auto-dial for
direct connect to Prestel,
Micronet 800, and other
Viewdata systems. Built-in
screen, RS232 and printer
interfaces, twin disk drives
and 64K bytes of memory
req'd. Should be no or
Distributedby: Wren Computers Limited
Carrythecompanyinyourhandnotonyourshoulders
8T0h0eIWStrheentIrSaddeinSgigsSntyoeldeftwb0ay1rTteeeaL1nlemsm.a,alrepndLCimoPmriteepsduleateinrISsdtBLhlnemltllsrleahddTeemPleeacrrolkemcolfSEBox'elfltlcwsuahtriTevee™leDceIoSsmakttor.paAdIlSleptmhneacrecksoooefvxPnceqlurntdetec0t1VSOAoTufatwnarerecSInycstMem,csroannedl
II ForfulldetailsoftheWrenExecutiveSystemcompletetruscouponand --,
senditto: PonyMicrosystems Limited
I 11FrancisWay Cippenham SloughSL1 5PJ or 61HartflE!tdAvenue Elstree Herts WOO 3JJ
Tel[phone] Tel[phone] Telex 295964 FCROFTG
Name
I
Company
_
I Address _
L
______ _____ Telephone _ --.J
INTRODUCTION
The major themes of this book are expansion and manufacturersstarted producing boardswhich would
networking, This is a practical guide and has been enhance the Apple in such areas asdisplay, memory
written to cover all aspects of microcomputer and sound, overcoming the performance limitations
enhancement, from identifying the area of relevant of the original machine.
application through to board selection and operation. The IBM Personal Computer was introduced in the
The basic principles underlying the ways in which United States in August 1981 and to Europe in
boards are used are also fully explained. January 1983, and although it is based on a
This book is about add-in boards (often referred later generation of microprocessor components, its
to as cards) for the Apple II and IBM Personal packaging was similar to Apple. The IBM was
Computers. It contains detailed descriptions of more designed for cassette tape use as well as disk, the
than 600 board level products made for these display monitor was sold separately and the system
computers by over two hundred independent third came with 64 Kb of RAM, the minimum required on
party manufacturers. In a dynamic growth sector the PC,the maximum available for the Apple. Also,
like the add-in market it is inevitable that there will like the Apple it was an open system. IBM, learning
be some omissions and inaccuracies. However, great from Apple's success, encouraged other firms
care has been taken in the compilation. Each to make expansion boards by releasing detailed
manufacturer received a copy of their entry for hardware and software specifications for the PC.
checking and, in the few instances where there was IBM became the overnight industry standard. In
no response, companies were phoned for latest retrospect it is now possible to see the IBM family
product information and prices. of PC's as a well planned, integrated product line
Why add-in? spanning consumer, small business and corporate
Boards are used to enhance a personal computer to computing. However, it has maintained its position
make it perform in new and better ways. Boards also asthe dominantmarketleader, partlyby encouraging
enable one to get morecost effectiveperformanceout third parties to make add-in enhancements. If no
of a microcomputer. In this respect they can be one else made things to fit in the PC, it has been
considered as productivity tools used to enhance argued, IBM might just be another major company
overall software performance, whether by increasing producing microcomputers.
memory, improving graphics and text or speeding By the end of 1984 it is estimated that there will
up overall processing. be around one million each IBM and Apple II
Almost every aspect of personal computer use personal computers and in 1983 more Apple II
involves an add-in board. Advances in spreadsheet computers were sold than in any previous year.
software,for example, require more internal memory How is it then that the Apple II still sells so well and
(RAM) and high resolution colour graphics for that the IBM PC,in spite of the fact that it does not
displaying financial information. Adding a new use the latest technology, is so dominant? There is,
printer, disk drive or connection to a network of course, no single answer, but the fact that both
involves using an add-in board for the appropriate machines can be dramatically enhanced by adding
interfacing or expansion. the right board gives them a technological indepen
By using an appropriate add-in board for your dence and a flexibility they would otherwise not
Apple II or IBM PC you can customize your have.
microcomputer to suit your own specific needs. As A single board for the IBM PC,such as Quadram's
your computing requirements develop in line with Quadboard, comes complete with parallel and serial
new software packages or business expansion, communication ports, clock and up to one-quarter
choosing the right board becomes an important Mb of memory. A few years ago this amount
issue. This book will help you identify the relevant of memory and functionability would have been
application areas, such as graphics, memory, speed inconceivable. Similarly, boards are available for the
enhancement or networking. It will also help you to Apple which increase its throughput several times
choose the board most appropriate to your needs over through the use of more powerful CPU chips,
from the comprehensive listing of manufacturer's making the Apple II more powerful than some 16 bit
products. microcomputers.
An expansion board will fit into one of five slots The add-in after market enhancement sale is
in the IBM PCor seven in the Apple lie. These slots attractive for both manufacturers and dealers. Any
are a precious commodity and they need to be filled add-on peripheral, such as a printer or screen,
prudently. If choosing the right software is one half requires an add-in board to interface with the Apple
of the battle in computing, selecting the right boards or IBM PC. Research shows that within the first year
and peripherals is the other half. of purchase of a personal computer, 50% of
The Add-in Market customers return for add-ins, spending over 25% of
When Apple Computers Inc launched the original the original system purchase price.
Apple II back in 1977 they established an important The add-in peripheral and board after-sale market
precedent. The Apple II became known as an open is expected to grow at a somewhat faster rate than
system because it was easy to add in extra electronic the basic microcomputer hardware market. The
circuitry to make it perform in more powerful ways. anticipated dollar volume for the hardware accessor
These add-in products were called boards, or ies market could increase from $800 million in 1981
cards, and very quickly a number of independent to over $4 billion in 1986.
vii
* Computers
!!!!i!i!
*
Peripherals
*
Software
* Consumables
*
Consultancy
AXI~
for MICRO to MAINFRAME COMMUNICATIONS:
*
Apple and IBM PC Terminal Emulation boards
* i.!..i.ii.!..i
Modems :~:~:~:
.:..:...:...:.
*
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
.......
Protocol convertors :::::::
:::::::
.:.:.:.
:::::::
:::::::
.......
AXI~ .::.:.:.:.:.:.
:::::::
:::::::
SPECIALISE in VERTICAL MARKET SOFTWARE:
* *
Accountancy Medical i!i!i!i
* * :::::::
~~I~
Insurance Construction
.......
* ..............
* .-.:.-.:...:..
Fleet Management Retailing
~~~~~~~
* * ..............
:::::::
Printing & Publishing Agriculture :::::::
1~~f
.......
m~m
:::::::
:::::::
I~~~
for PLOTTERS, DOT MATRIX, DAISYWHEEL and LINE
PRINTERS from £220 :~:~:~:
:::::::
~~!Iiii
~:~
HOWTO USE THE DIRECTORY
The directory is essentially in two main sections, looks at mainframe/microcomputerconnectivity. The
one dealing with the IBM PC and XT, the other linking ofmicrocomputersisfullyexplored in Chapter
covering the Apple II. Each section is subdivided 30, Personal Computer Networking, which examines
i.tltoapplication areas such asgraphics,multifunction, the implications of using the microcomputer as a
networking etc. and is accompanied by an overview workstation on a Local Area Network (LAN).
to help the reader appreciate the benefits involved. Whilstthe Local Area Networkmay bethe province
The underlying principles of each mode of operation ofthe largerorganization, mostusers will beinvolved
isestablished and even though add-insareconstantly in connecting one or more serial devices such as a
changing, the reader will be able to assess the printer or modem to a microcomputer. This is
relative merits of one manufacturer's products covered in Chapter29on The RS232CSerial Interface,
against another's. and has a trouble shooting section to overcome the
The main index at the end of the book lists the problem ofwhatto do when it's plugged in, switched
entire contents in alphabetical order, including on and won't work.
product brand names and manufacturers. It is Both the Apple II and IBM PCare used extensively
supplemented by Appendix 10which lists the add-in in scientific and industrial applications. These areas
boards produced by each manufacturer, and Appen do not normally concern the business user and the
dix II which gives the address, telephone number relevant chapters can be safely omitted. They follow
and overseas distributors, where relevant, of each the same format as the rest of the book, and the
manufacturer. board survey here is extensive and is supported
The first time IBM PCbuyer will need to consider by technical appendices. The laboratory worker,
the option of using a multifunction board and he engineer and scientist will find these sections of
should consult this section first. It is interesting to direct interest.
note that over 60 percent of the IBM PCssold in the Finally, the appendices contain useful information
USA go out with a multifunction board. on microcomputer compatibility, file transfers and
The more mature user may sooner or later be bus standards. Chapter 28, How to Build an IBM XT
concerned to link his microcomputers together to Lookalike, will appeal to the enthusiast who wants
gain access to a common database. This aspect is to be a PCowner but cannot yet afford it.
covered in Chapter 11, Terminal Emulation, which
ix
Dumb interface cards make
for vocal programmers!
Ifyour time is worth money,
perhaps you should consider
an intelligent interface from:
Cambridge Electronic Design
Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 4BH
Tel:Cambridge [phone] Telex:817923
x