Few things for you here:
Databook makes PCMCIA docking stations that need external power (bad)
but use the Parallel Port (Good!) to give you access to anything in
their PCMCIA dock. I have one and can give you more specs. Other
companies make these, too. Perhaps you can use an ISA model, too?
I also have parallel port SCSI adapters, IDE hard drive adapters,
Floppy Drives, and I forget what else here :) Between the serial port
for a wireless modem, and the parallel port for other things, you should
be able to figure out most of what you want, I hope!
Lessee, ELKS, I'm on the ELKS developers list, Bluebell is apparently
discontinued (Drat!) far as I know. Try asking Alistair Riddoch
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> for how to join that list, it's moved since I
joined it, it's the linux-8086 list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; The
last release was on 5-20-99, see below for a quote of that message.
If you want to order stuff from the US, I'll send stuff to you, though
I too am poorish & some times I can get a little bogged down. The hard
parts are postage from US to Norway, but I don't think it's going to be
too atrocious, and getting payment from you to me, THAT's rough, though
American Express International Money Orders are rumored to work well,
you can also go through Postal Service Money Orders.
Mark
> Subject:
> ELKS 0.0.76 released
> Date:
> Thu, 20 May 1999 17:48:34 +0100 (BST)
> From:
> Alistair Riddoch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Mailing List)
>
>
>
>
> ELKS 0.0.76 has been released and is available from the following URLs:-
>
> ftp://ftp.ecss.oton.ac.uk/pub/elks/elks-0.0.76/
> ftp://linux.mit.edu/pub/ELKS/kernel/elks-0.0.76/
>
> The release directory contains the following files:-
>
> elks-0.0.76.tar.gz - Kernel source
> elks-0.0.76.diff.gz - diffs from previous version
> images.zip - pre-compiled binary
> System.map.gz - symbols of pre-compiled binary
>
> This is a kernel only release. For userland sources and binaries, and disk
> images please see release 0.0.75.
>
> This release features two significant kernel feature updates:
>
> There is now support for the select(2) system call. This code has been
> debuuged and integrated. At the moment it supports the full Linux feature
> set, but in future I plan to remove the feature which modifies the
> timeout value to reflect the amount of time not slept. This is a feature found
> only in Linux, and I don't think much software will rely on it. If anyone
> thinks there are important reasons why this should be included please let
> me know.
>
> There is also support for the signal(2) system call including signal
> handlers. I have tested this only to a limited extent but it does seem to
> work reliably. I don't know what would happen if a signal was issued while
> a previous signal was being handled as there is no masking or blocking
> support. I would like to be able to add support for ^C and ^Z interrupts
> from the keyboard but have not yet come up with a way of doing this.
>
> In order to implement select(2) I had to debug the timer code which was
> causing crashes before due to the way the scheduler works. In order to
> fix this I have re-written the low level context switching code to work
> in a more obvious way. Please look over the code to see if you agree with
> the way I have done it.
>
> For those interested in ROMable ELKS I have added a file to the
> Documentation directory called cs_write which describes the code which
> writes to the kernel data segment. Another way of dealing with this will
> have to be implemented before ELKS can be installed in ROM.
>
> Please give this kernel a try, and report any bugs or problems as usual to
> the main mailing list.
>
> Al
>
Thor Harald Johansen wrote:
>
> > I checked your specification and the suggestions I have is that you
> > should try to get it working by utilizing the standard IO as far as
> > possible (serial/parallel ports). It may be hard to find details
>
> I think so too. The parallel port has 8 bidirectional pins, 4 output pins
> and 6 input pins. They must be usable for *something*? ;D
>
> > about e.g. the memory interface and the display. I guess that
> > the expansion port is just the XT 8 bit bus which may possible
> > to connect some IDE interface to. There is also the possibility
>
> Yeah. Could be. :)
>
> > to utilize the parallell port for a disk interface. Such interfaces
> > were available some years ago but I guess it may be hard to find
> > one now. The parallell port was also used for LAN connections.
>
> If I'm going to use the parallel port for many things at once, I'll have to
> use some kind of switch, so I can decide wich device to use. A big port
> switch would be a bit big to carry around. Maybe I can find a port I can
> connect the switch to, or something. The parallel port offers the best
> capabilities.
>
> > Unfortunately the Twiddler uses both the PS/2 and the serial port
> > which may make it hard to connect to your machine. There may be
> > someone who has made a parallell port interface to it.
>
> I know, but I could do without the mouse, you know. :)
>
> > I'm not sure what you mean by "Hard RAM" is that some kind of
> > flash memory or what?
>
> It's 384KB's of RAM on battery backup. Keeps data for 12 hours without any
> power source. Can be turned off to get expanded memory.
>
> > To get your machine up and running as quick as possible I suggest
> > that you focus on the problem to connect the machine to the
> > internet to start with. In this case you can not depend on the
> > PCMCIA solutions I suggested earlier. The easiest way then may be to
> > get some wireless modem to connect to the serial port. There are
> > some nice radio circuits developed by the Norwegian company
> > "Nordic VLSI ASA" which are distributed by the British company
> > Richardson Electronics and are available on e.g. ELFA. I bought
>
> I *live* in Norway. Must be possible to get them without going through
> Brittain.
>
> > a couple of them there recently to experiment with. Unfortunately
> > this was not a ready to go solution but there is an evaluation
> > kit available which may be useful. The circuits are only one way
> > either transmit or receive so that would mean half duplex, but if
> > you use two circuits in each end you should be able to get full
> > duplex, but then you have to put send and recive on different
> > frequencies. These circuits are intended for the 433 MHz band
>
> What's wrong with half duplex? ;D
>
> > which is free and you get that by a 4.000 Mhz crystal reference
> > but by choosing two slightly different frequencies you should
> > be able to get full duplex. These circuits allows up to 9600 b/s
> > and may reach a distance up to 800 m, which of course depends
> > on the antennas and so. Check http://www.nvlsi.no
>
> Nice. 800 m is far from our house. ;)
>
> > The next step then is to get the communication working at both
> > ends. In case you have a Linux computer in the other end I
> > guess that it will not be too hard to get your connection
> > to internet work. In case your "base" is Windows it can certainly
> > also be done but I don't know enough about Windows to have an
> > opinion whether this is hard or easy. In case you use Linux you
> > just have to login through one of the "base" machine's serial
> > ports (which is enabled by default I think) and then you run
> > some terminal emulator, like Kermit or Procomm or equivalent
> > in your wearable T1000 DOS machine. (I guess that you will
> > stick to DOS here). Now you have a wearable terminal which
>
> I'll probably do so, yes. But if someone can tell me where I can get ELKS
> Linux BlueBell, and tell me how I compile my kernmel to work on an 8086
> machine...
>
> > allows you to read/write email and also browse the web by
> > using Lynx (no graphics).
>
> I've used Lynx before. I do have Linux on my machine. :)
>
> > You may then experiment somewhat with the twiddler but you may
> > also build something Twiddler like your self and interface to
> > e.g the parallel port. You may also separate the computer and
> > the original keyboard by a long cord so you can e.g. place the
> > keyboard wrapped around your arm in some way.
>
> If I could only find out where I'm going to have my keyboard... ;D
>
> > The display you may be able to place in a convenient way on your
> > front in some way maybe.
>
> I have it on a fanny pack/bum bag right now. I do have a support problem.
> The display doesn't point towards me. I could need a support that could be
> regulated..
>
> > After this you are able to do a lot of fun things with this machine.
> > You may be also able to connect a hard drive with some effort
> > but it may be somewhat tricky.
>
> Maybe I should get the specifications fot the ISA bus, turn on my computer,
> and measure the voltages on the expansion port, to see if it's really an ISA
> bus. :)
>
> > If I were you here I should use this setup for a while and get some
> > experience with it, convenicene, wishes, power consumption and so on.
>
> Yeah. :)
>
> > At the same time you may consider planning what your next hard ware
> > will be. After a while, you may want to be able to do a lot of more
> > things with your wearable which your T1000 machine may not easily
> > allow for without an incredible effort. It all depends on what you
> > will want to use it for. The T1000 hardware may serve you perfectly
> > well but you may also find the T1000 too limited from some aspects.
>
> I was thinking about the PC/104 solution, but it's difficult to get such
> equipment in Norway, and I don't know how expensive it is. I do have a
> limited supply of money. I should really find someone in the US that could
> send stuff to me. :)
> --
> Thor Harald Johansen
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> --
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