Date   : Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:46:39 -0600
From   : jules.richardson99@... (Jules Richardson)
Subject: Tube on the Archimedes

Theo Markettos wrote:
> A post in comp.sys.acorn.programmer set me wondering about Tube support on
> the Archimedes.
> 
> We all know that the BBC was used as a host system for ARM development.  But
> is there any other Tube support out there, perhaps with the Archimedes as
> host?  I know there was a Tube podule - was there any software for it? 

Hmm, I might have some stuff that came via Dave Walker, if I get chance I'll 
dig later; I recall him saying something about TUBE code. I'm not sure if it 
was ever released though, and possibly just used internally within Acorn.

I have one of the TUBE podules, but in storage and I don't think I grabbed a 
photo of it - I can't recall what IC's are on it now. Could it even be used 
for talking to TUBE "slaves", or was it wired only so that an ARM-based 
machine could act as a copro for a Beeb?

> Were there any other Tube applications for the Arc?

Remember that a BBC podule existed - so I suppose that was the preferred route 
for an Arc interfacing to BBC peripherals; I'm not sure if they ever intended 
for mere mortals to talk to Beeb copros from a RISC machine (I've got one of 
those podules, too - it has a user port, analogue port, and 1MHz bus interface).

cheers

Jules