> On Jul 31, 2022, at 2:01 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
>
> On 7/31/22 11:38 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
>> One easy way would be to plug in a USB to RS232 adapter into any old Linux
>> device, like a Pi. Another is to use an RS232 converter card for the
>> built-in UARTs. I don't know about the Pi, but I've used such a device for
>> the BeagleBone Black.
>
> I was thinking of the BeagleBone Black as another option. I personally have
> no experience with them.
It's like Pi, I believe, another ARM based Linux device. I started using the
BBB some years ago when the Pi was using a chip whose specs were secret.
Supposedly that's been cured. The BBB is built on TI silicon that comes with a
downloadable 5000 page reference manual.
There's a cost-reduced model called the BeagleBone Green which is just as good
for most purposes. It's what David Gesswein recommends for his MFM emulator.
Adafruit is a good source of these things. Among other things they sell an
RS232 "cape" (the BB name for plugin option cards), which is an RS232 level
converter and DE9 connector that ties into one of the on-chip UARTs. Some
years ago I built a variant that connects to all four UARTs, to make a 4 port
mux for PLATO terminals.
The standard Linux is Debian, preloaded and of course you can install whatever
else you want in the usual easy way.
paul
