a2232
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a2232 [2018/08/25 16:02] – 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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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