a2232
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a2232 [2018/08/25 16:01] – wiki_admin | a2232 [2019/12/09 18:54] – rewrites, added PDF schematics wiki_admin | ||
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- | ====== | + | **Commodore A2232 Serial Expansion Board** |
+ | |||
+ | The A2232, launched in 1990, is a standard 100-pin Zorro II expansion card for the big-box Amigas (A2000, A3000, A4000). It provides the host machine with 7 additional RS232 serial ports, capable of speeds from 50-19200 bps. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For more serial channels, additional A2232 boards can be plugged into the system at the same time (up to five boards giving a total of 36 serial ports). | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
- | The A2232 Multiport Serial Card is a standard 100-pin Zorro II expansion card for the Amiga (A2000, A3000, A4000). It provides the Amiga with 7 additional standard RS232 serial ports, capable of speeds from 50-19200 bps. For more serial channels, additional A2232 boards can be plugged into the system at the same time (up to five boards giving a total of 36 serial ports). | ||
===== Hardware ===== | ===== Hardware ===== | ||
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There are at least two revisions of the board: | There are at least two revisions of the board: | ||
- | Rev 4 boards have seven MOS Technology 6551 ACIA chips (Asynchronous Communications Interface Adapter) | + | * Rev 4 boards have seven MOS Technology 6551 ACIA (Asynchronous Communications Interface Adapter) |
- | Rev 6 boards have seven CSG (Commodore Semiconductor Group) 8551 ACIAs (HMOS-II variant of the 6551, released in 1984). | + | |
Silkscreen next to the Zorro connector says BERLIN/ | Silkscreen next to the Zorro connector says BERLIN/ | ||
- | The board originally | + | Originally the board came with user manual |
==== Enhancements and modifications ==== | ==== Enhancements and modifications ==== | ||
Up to 57600 on all ports using a custom device and hardware modification: | Up to 57600 on all ports using a custom device and hardware modification: | ||
- | Several sites also refer to mods for up to 115200 bps speeds (on all ports? Link?). Amiga.resource.cx also has a photo of a board with a title "Rev 6 board with RTS/CTS handshake mod". Another modification is to replace the 1.84 Mhz oscillator with a 3.68 Mhz one. This doubles the baud rates but the software won't know about this so the user must keep this in mind when using the board. | + | Several sites also refer to mods for up to 115200 bps speeds (on all ports? Link? |
- | === Connectors and pinouts === | + | Amiga.resource.cx also has a photo of a board with a title "Rev 6 board with RTS/CTS handshake mod". Another modification is to replace the 1.84 Mhz oscillator with a 3.68 Mhz one. This doubles the baud rates but the software won't know about this so the user must keep this in mind when using the board. |
+ | |||
+ | ==== Schematics ==== | ||
+ | {{https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Serial port pinouts | ||
The connector nearest to the Zorro connector of the board (leftmost) is the first serial port. | The connector nearest to the Zorro connector of the board (leftmost) is the first serial port. | ||
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{{ : | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
<table label> | <table label> | ||
< | < | ||
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|shell|shell| | |shell|shell| | ||
</ | </ | ||
- | |||
- | 1 -> 3 | ||
- | 2 -> 2 | ||
- | 3 -> 6 | ||
- | 4 -> 5 | ||
- | 5 -> 4 | ||
- | 6 -> 20 | ||
- | 7 -> 8 | ||
- | 8 -> 7 | ||
- | shell -> shell | ||
If you need to build your own cables and you are using solderable mini din connectors, make sure it will fit deep enough into the socket when the board is inside the computer' | If you need to build your own cables and you are using solderable mini din connectors, make sure it will fit deep enough into the socket when the board is inside the computer' | ||
Line 73: | Line 78: | ||
If you only plan to build a single cable and use that with a modern machine thrue an USB-serial adapter (9-pin), you can build a null-modem included connection that plugs straight into the USB-adapter. | If you only plan to build a single cable and use that with a modern machine thrue an USB-serial adapter (9-pin), you can build a null-modem included connection that plugs straight into the USB-adapter. | ||
- | Alternative null-modem cable pinout (8-pin mini DIN male -> DB9 female) | + | <table label> |
+ | < | ||
+ | |8-pin mini DIN|DB9| | ||
+ | |1|3| | ||
+ | |2|2| | ||
+ | |3|4| | ||
+ | |4|7| | ||
+ | |5|8| | ||
+ | |6|6| | ||
+ | |7|1| | ||
+ | |8|5| | ||
+ | </ | ||
- | 8-pin mini DIN -> DB9 | + | //Editors notes: I had lot of problems finding a working pinout of the mini din connector. Commodore' |
- | 1 -> 3 | + | // |
- | 2 -> 2 | + | |
- | 3 -> 4 | + | |
- | 4 -> 7 | + | |
- | 5 -> 8 | + | |
- | 6 -> 6 | + | |
- | 7 -> 1 | + | |
- | 8 -> 5 | + | |
- | Editors notes: I had lot of problems finding a working pinout of the mini din connector. Commodore' | + | ---- |
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Using the serial ports ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Workbench ==== | ||
- | == Usage == | ||
In Workbench the ports can be accessed using the serial.device driver (ver 33.11 from 1990 and newer, install disk available at Amiga.resource.cx) with the following unit numbers: | In Workbench the ports can be accessed using the serial.device driver (ver 33.11 from 1990 and newer, install disk available at Amiga.resource.cx) with the following unit numbers: | ||
- | Unit 0 -> default port (set in Prefs serial | + | <table label> |
- | Unit 1 -> Amiga' | + | < |
- | Unit 2 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 0|default port (set in Workbench' |
- | Unit 3 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 1|Amiga' |
- | Unit 4 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 2|A2232' |
- | Unit 5 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 3|A2232' |
- | Unit 6 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 4|A2232' |
- | Unit 7 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 5|A2232' |
- | Unit 8 -> A2232' | + | |Unit 6|A2232' |
+ | |Unit 7|A2232' | ||
+ | |Unit 8|A2232' | ||
+ | </ | ||
If several A2232 boards are installed, the second board' | If several A2232 boards are installed, the second board' | ||
- | In Amiga UNIX, the first port of the A2232 is known as / | + | ==== Amix ==== |
+ | |||
+ | In Amiga UNIX, the first port of the A2232 is known as **/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Probably the main selling point of the A2232 was the ability to connect several serial terminals to an AMIX machine. To start a login shell at any of the serial ports, use pmadm: **pmadm -e -p serial -s ql00** This enables shell in the first port at the default speed of 9600 bps (defined as the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | A real vintage dumb terminal (or a modern PC running terminal emulator, or a device like PockeTerm from Briel Computers) can be connected to the port and used to log into the machine. | ||
- | Probably the main selling point of the A2232 was the ability to connect several serial terminals to an AMIX machine. To start a login shell at any of the serial ports, use pmadm: pmadm -e -p serial | + | ---- |
- | == Sources: == | + | ===== Sources |
- | A2232 System schematics | + | * A2232 System schematics |
- | http:// | + | |
- | http:// | + | |
- | Wikimedia Commons (mini 8-pin DIN diagram) | + | |
- | Thanks to mackbw on English Amiga Board for information on the pinouts! | + | |
a2232.txt · Last modified: 2021/09/19 18:00 by 127.0.0.1