Looking for info on Interface Card

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Looking for info on Interface Card
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Hey, I received a machine several months back that I have just now had time to get around to messing with (Enhanced IIe)
that has a 'Street Electronics Business Card' installed. I am not at home where the machine is (saw it this morning before I left for work) so photos will have to wait till this evening.

I briefly tried to find some details on-line this morning before leaving but had no luck. Figured you folks often have info on things I had never heard of so thought I would start here.
When plugged in the card gives you serial ports in slots 1 & 2 and a clock in slot 7. Even has the two little folded cardboard cards to stick into slots 2 and 7 (the card occupies slot 1) so you do not plug anything else into them.

Was hoping to find a manual or software or something to give some more meaning to this card. I will post the photos when I get home this evening and any help is greatly appreciated.

Zan

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

I might have the manual around somewhere -- I will have to look. That card uses phantom slots, iirc.

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

It does. As I said it plugs into slot one but uses 1 & 2 for the two serial ports and slot 7 as a clock. Photos have now been added to original post.
If you have the manual that would be fantastic. Sell, scan, copy, whatever you would be willing to do if you have it.
Thanks.

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Zan,

Hmmm.

This seems to be an interesting card.

I have never seen one.

I'd like to read up on it myself.

Steven Smile

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Zan,

Hmmm.

This seems to be an interesting card.

I have never seen one.

I'd like to read up on it myself.

Steven :)

MECC and other diag. show the card as Serial in slots 1 & 2 and clock in slot 7 and ProDOS recognized the clock right away so it appears to be in working order. I have actually had it sitting in storage with other machines for a couple of months now and just got to it. Picked the IIe up from craigslist with a monitor III, couple of drives a 5.25 controller and mouse interface card in it. Nice guy, had BIGGEST collection of laser discs I have ever seen (in his man cave........kinda odd) but really nice. $100.00 could not be beat and I had two other stops out in west NJ that day so it was worth it.

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Hello Zan8675,
first of all: this card is registrated at the Apple Documentation Center as :
Street Alpha Bits II, see at:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Serial/Street%20AlphaBits%20II/Photos/

in former days there existed an integrated software package
from Bank Street software with wordprocessing, database and spreadsheet datatransmission similar to appleworks....
the card was formerly designed to work with that software....
unfortunatly that software was several years ago availiable for download frem asimov and removed in the meantime...
- maybe because no downloads had been requested.....

the card was designed to work wit serial printer in slot one,
modem in slot 2 and the clock was used for timestamping the files.....

at the documentation center never had a manual - so maybe if you find a source of the softwarepackage - maybe it will contain a chapter about use and intergration of the card.....

sincerely speedyG

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

they're similar, surely. but they're definitely not the same card.

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Very similar but not the same card. Close though!

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Very similar but not the same card. Close though!

Hello Zane8675,
only comparing cards won´t bring you ahead in your task.....
i thought you have beeen looking for information....
just to clear difference:
picture at documentation center is earlier revision from ´83 and your´s is later revision from ´85.....
what´s real difference ? additional second serial port with second 6551.....
so if you want to detect information to the backpanel jackets you might pickup datasheet from 6551 SIO chip
take a signaltracer and measure cables from backpanel to chips.... one will lead to upper chip,
and one will lead to lower chip.... and each chip will have following connections to backpanel:

chip 1 ...higher chip...... =>... backpanel ( or top pin connector )
pin 8 RTS ( request to send )----- ?
pin 9 CTS ( clear to send ) ------ ?
pin 10 TxD ( transmit data ) ------?
pin 12 RxD ( recieve data )--------?
pin 1 GND ( ground=0V ) ----------?

chip 2 ...lower chip...... => ... backpanel ( or top pin connector )
pin 8 RTS ( request to send )----- ?
pin 9 CTS ( clear to send ) ------ ?
pin 10 TxD ( transmit data ) ------?
pin 12 RxD ( recieve data )--------?
pin 1 GND ( ground=0V ) ----------?

It´s just a guess, but i guess the connectors will be close or similar to those at the IIc....
if the enngineers of the card have been intelligent, they would have designed it for use with normal serial cables from Apple in those days.....

at least one dip switch block ought to be used for setting baudrate stopbits and parity of the ports... probably similar like serial setup at CCS7710.....

and back again to first posting.... if you don´t find manual for interfacecard
it still mighr be usefull to search for software ( and infos included there within the help pages ) to find further information.....
( sometimes it´s usefull to take a view beyond the borders of your fence ....)
speedyG

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Speedy, thank you for your assistance.

Your information was very thorough.

Unfortunately for me how it was engineered or the technical specs of the card are of little value to me as I have no such equipment or technical skills. I was only curious if there is software and documentation for it that anyone was aware of. However your find of the other card was great, points me in another direction.

As a side note, the picture you linked to of the "other" card is not an earlier revision from 1983 as it clearly shows a 1985 date stamp on the card. Perhaps it was just a different model or manufactured to fill a different price/need bracket? Not sure but will be interesting to try and find out!

Your information is much appreciated as always, you are truly a wealth of Apple II info and never hesitate in sharing your knowledge with others!
Thanks!
Zan

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Re: Looking for info on Interface Card

Hello Zane8675,
up to me it seemed that you intend to try using the card and therefor was looking for info....

so if looking for how to use - the most important information about the card would be, to find out
the pinouts of the connectors in order to search for a fitting cable to connect the card with a printer
and a modem.....

therefor the hints how to detect that information.... if you are not able to measure
the traces you might have the luck that major parts of the traces between chip and connectors are visible...
or you might have a person within your group of friends who might assist you with the measurement and detection.

In the very moment you have the information and are able to replace the question marks by pin numbers of the connectors the use of the cards should become possible.

Allthough the card is surely designed for use with the mentioned software, ist should be possible to also use that card with standard software.... for example using the port and modem with proterm or another modem software.

By creating a link to another computer with modemcable it should also be possible to discover the function of the related dip-switch ( if wrong setting is present no connection - if correct setting like at the opposite known computer ( for example a PC ) is given the correct setting for the connection i.e. Baudrate , Data Bits and Stop Bits will also been known and a transmission between both units is possible. So there is quite a good chance to detect the most important used parameters:
9600 Baud, 8 Bits, no Parity
19200 Baud, 8 Bits no parity....
that are the most commen settings for printer and for modem....

and printing should be possible the correct setting is detected and set at the printer and the card.... that´s not dependent to the software.... that port should be able to handle the normal commands also used together with the PR#1 command....

so in fact most of the task is just homework....

speedyG

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