Conference hydra::amiga_v1

You can use the cable that came with the scholar modem.

John

    john are you sure? i use a df03 and a buddy of mine said that the
    amiga supplied a voltage on the line that the df03 couldn't handle.
    hence i had to remove one pin in my bc22f cable. i don't remember
    what pin off hand but i can find out if needed.
    
    gregg

I use a Scholar on my Amiga 2000 with the original cable.  No problems at
all!
							..richard

    re: .2
    
    I think the serial port on the A1000 is different.  It was changed
    on the A500/A2000 so that you could use an ordinary cable.  Right?

    The amiga 500 schematics revealed a pin with power on it (on the
    serial line).  Out of ignorance and fear and because somebody
    pretending to know on the network told me to cut power lines
    so as not to blow the modem, I cut the one pin.  It works great.
    I don't know if it would have failed otherwise.
    It's radio shack 25-conductor ribbon cable with no connectors,
    which I connectorized with 2 radio shack blue plastic mass-terminated
    (ribbon-type) DB25 connectors, pin 1 to pin 1.
    The pin numbers are invisibly ( 8-) ) printed on the connector.
    Tom

    re:.5
    
    the power pin is supposed to be current limited so that it
    won't harm things like modems.  I chose not to test if they
    were right.  Since I use the same serial cable for a 1000 and
    a 2000, I disconnected any pin that the docs said had power on
    it.
    
    -dave

    I am currently using an Amiga 2000 with a Scholar modem. I took
    it all out of the box, plugged in the power supply, connected the
    serial cable to the modem and the computer, and powered it all up....
    and Voila !!  No problems, I have had it operating for more than
    a year now with no observable problems.  It's nice when everything
    works the way it is suppoed to work.
    
    =jbf=

    John,
    Have you (or anyone else) been able to use the Scholar with any
    term programs that use thier own phone books?  I haven't been able
    to get it to work.  I can get it to send a ^B, but when it is supposed
    to be dialing, the TR light goes off, and the number doesn't get
    dialed.

I can't seem to get the dialer to work in Handshake, but it does work for me
from Access!  (I use Access! sometimes when calling local BBS's, but not for
the VAX since it doesn't emulate a VTxxx)

							...richard

Scholar cable works fine for me (timeshared through a switch with a printer)
on an A500.

I just program the modem to save the numbers I dial. Then, once in the
terminal emulator, I hit ^B, then the letter corresponding to the number
I want to dial, then hit an "!"...

John

     John (.10),
     
     Could you write something about:
     >>(timeshared through a switch with a printer) on an A500.
                                                   
     I too have the Scholar working with an A500, but I am tired of pulling
     the cable to use the printer. I'd appreciate any info about switches, 
     availability, prices etc. I saw something at Lechmere for about $35
     that was designed to allow two printers with a PC. Is that essentially
     what you are taking about? 
                                
     Thanks,
     Dave     
     

     John (.10),
     
     Could you write something about:
     >>(timeshared through a switch with a printer) on an A500.
                                                   
     I too have the Scholar working with an A500, but I am tired of pulling
     the cable to use the printer. I'd appreciate any info about switches, 
     availability, prices etc. I saw something at Lechmere for about $35
     that was designed to allow two printers with a PC. Is that essentially
     what you are talking about? 
                                
     Thanks,
     Dave     
     

Sure. DEC makes several switch boxes. One has 2 female ports and one male.

Plug a standard DEC RS232 female/female cable from A500 to switch, then
a standard DEC male/female cable from port A to the printer and then the
scholar modem cable into port B (graphically:)



		+---------------+
                |              A|----BC22E?--------> Printer
                |  LQPX2-SW    B|--SCHOLAR-CABLE---> Modem
                |              C|----BC22D---------> A500 serial port
                |               |
                +---------------+


Remember you can't use both modem and  printer simultaneously!

John

> < Note 1439.13 by WJG::GUINEAU >

I looked a little closer last night. Here are corrected DEC part numbers for 
cabling/switch for sharing the serial port between a modem and printer.



		+---------------+
                |              A|----BC22E---------> Printer
                |  PCXXF-CZ    B|--SCHOLAR-CABLE---> Modem
                |              C|----BCC14---------> A500 serial port
                |               |
                +---------------+          


SCHOLAR CABLE is a BC22E
On the printer I have (LJ250) I use the "DEC-CONNECT" cabling (looks like a
fat phone line). The part numbners are:

		BC16E	(cable)
		H8571-A	(25 pin RS232 connector) 
 

Sorry if I caused any confusion!

John

     Numbers, numbers, numbers. Tracking down that stuff should keep me 
     going for awhile.  Thanks.  -Dave

    If you have to buy them, I believe the A/B switches from DEC are
    overpriced.  The best deal I found was from a place in Oklahoma.  (I
    think the company name is BCD and the person is Jim Black.  It appears
    to be a one person company.)  Prices start at about $30.  You can get
    A/B, A/B/C, or A/B/C/D switches with connectors of the sex you desire.
    The price varies by $5 for each sex change operation performed.  I paid
    about $50 for an A/B/C sexed so that I could use all M/F cables on the
    2000.

	Paul

    The DAC catalogue I received yesterday had a switch for $50.
    Tom

    We just bought a switch from CompuAdd; very good price and knowledgable
    service when I had a question.  They have an AB serial switch in
    their latest catalog for $15. 1-800-627-1967.

    This may be a little off the subject, but does anyone know of a
    joystick/mouse A/B switch?  (Hopefully for less money than an RS232 A/B
    switch.)

	Paul

    re: .19
         
    look in the back of some Atari ST magazines - the 1040ST has it's
    joystick ports recessed under it.  So a market has developed for
    just the critter you are asking for.  The May/June 1988 Atari Explorer
    Magazine, pg 59, has an ad for Mouse Master for $39.95
    Practical Solutions
    1930 E. Grant Rd.
    Tucson, AZ 85719
    602-884-9612
    
    should work for an Amiga if they pass thru all pins (ST mice use
    different pins).
    
    -dave

    I had the same problem with swapping many devices in and out of
    my one serial port.  I balked at the high prices for serial switches
    and the fact that most were only two way switches.  What I finally
    did was to build my own four way switch.  Most serial switches use
    DB25 connectors for all three plugs (2in/1out - or vice versa) and
    switch all 25 lines.  For all of my applications, I only need to
    switch 4 of the 25 lines (DTR, TRANS, RECV, GRND).  I couldn't find
    the part I really wanted, but.... I did find a 3 pole four position
    rotary switch.  By tieing all the grounds together I got it all
    to work.  With 4 DB25 connectors, the rotary switch and a small
    project box, I built the whole thing for about $15.  This may not
    work for some of the devices that some people need to hookup, but
    I find it works find for my LA75, Scholar modem, a VT180 and a spare.
    I got the parts at ACTIVE Electronics in Westboro. 
    

Right now I'm still at the 'switching cables' stage, but I hear a wild rumor
somwhere that a parallel-to-serial interface exists.  Anybody ever heard of
one?  Might be nice to hook your serial printer (that's all I have) to your
parallel port...

					John Boy

    I have seen advertisements for serial-to-parallel and
    parallel-to-serial conversion boxes.  I don't remember the names
    of the catalogs I've seen them in, but look in the backs of catalogs
    that provide miscellaneous cables, computer furniture, etc.  They
    are pretty standard items.
    
    I've standardized on parallel printers for home use since my IDS
    460 in 1979.  As a result I have never had a need for the converter.
        John Sauter

Black Box Coporation has a "Serial to Parallel Converter"

Converts parallel to serial or serial to parallel - $119.00

If anyone wants more info, send mail and I'll photo copy the page from
thier catalog.

BTW:		BLACK BOX CORPORATION
		P.O. BOX 12800
		PITTSBURGH, PA
			15241

		ORDERS:		(412) 746-5530
		TECH SUPPORT:	(412) 746-5565

John
		

    JAMECO Electronics also has Par->Ser converters for approx $60
    unbuffered.
    
    I use a Black Box unit at work on the Amiga to go from the Par port
    to a serial LJ250.  Works fine.
    
    John
    

What sort of cable do I need to go from the A-500 to a Gemini-10X (Centronics)
parallel input? I've heard that a "standard" IBM printer cable will do. Are
there any pins that should be disabled before use? 

Also, I've heard about a new set of printer drivers that is/should soon be
available for the Amiga. What additional features will that give me? I'm used to
using the Fontmaster II word processor on the C-64. It allows printing in a
graphics mode, using a 120 dot/inch horizontal and half-dot (ie. interlaced) 144
dot/inch vertical. It also allows me to design my own NLQ fonts. Are there any 
word processors that will do that for the Amiga? 

Dave

Sorry for putting that last note in this topic. After having read about cables 
and ser/par interfaces, I forgot what note I was reading.

Dave

    
    
    
       Hi....
    
       Has anybody got the pinout for the power supply port on a Scholar
    Plus 2400 baud modem?  I was given (to borrow) one of these but it is
    missing the power supply (not to mention the handbook).
    
    
    Thanks.
    Chuck

    
    Chuck,
    
    I just read this info right off the power supply of my Scholar Plus -
    
    Pin  1 common
     "   2 ground
     "   3 + 5 @ .8a
     "   4 -12 @ .1a
     "   5 +12 @ .1a
    
    Frank
    
    
    

    
    
    Thanks Frank!
    
    Chuck