Hardware question

[Timmy!]

Hello Everyone,

One of my fondest memories of the C64 was hosting my own BBS when I was 15.  Some kids didn't even have permission to use a phone but my dad let me get my own phone line, and have an our home phone line extended into my room so I could run my board 24/7, and still visit other boards.  My favorite BBS program was called ARB BBS, and was a basic program written by a man named Arthur Brock, who happened to live a few hours away.  This program let you customize the layout of your board, which made it that much more enjoyable to use.  So my question is, will the Commander X16 have a port that will allow me to attach a modem?  I realized the reason I want this machine is to learn how to program my own BBS, and have a board again, like I did as a teenager.

Thanks

[StephenHorn]

Well, the X16 will have user ports, and folks could design cards that could do that, but you might want to consider a more modern BBS through SSH. Though the X16 will not come with a built-in networking device, again, someone could build one, and several have expressed an interest in maybe, possibly doing so.

[Sandmage]

Actually, I feel connecting to C64 BBSs much more enjoyable than DOS or Linux based BBSs. And I too, wan't to run my own BBS. I have started writing a BBS server, but it will be run on a Linux server, although it will be designed to primarily output PETSCII in 40/20 mode.

I have recently started to use  my C128 to browse BBSs and I too want to use the X16 for that purpose. I think modem options will quickly emerge once the X16 is finished. So many people want it. And I also think, maybe it's good that it isn't there by default. I see the X16 as a platform to tinker with. It will be the foundation for endless options of tinkering and if a VIA get's destroyed by my inability to apply correct voltages, it will be a 5€ replacement and not a, oh my god I killed a CIA. If it can do everything by default, it might get boring quick ?...

[Yuki]

I was also thinking of writing BBS software designed specifically for the X16, but I've put that on pause while devs figure out a nice and proper way to implement serial/UART/networking and terminal software have been written for it. Which I'm pretty sure it will happen. Maybe it can interface with this forum and pull off downloads, why not. I already wrote some code before UART has been killed off in the emulator r37.

[Timmy!]

Thank you everyone for your input.  I can hardly wait for this product to launch.  I sold all of my Commodore equipment in 1992 to raise money to move to the other side of the US, and have had the desire to get back into it from time to time since then, especially after I started getting into other programming languages.  I feel that I've shorted myself in a big way by not taking the time to master basic and machine language, coupled with a more thorough understanding of the relationship between software and hardware.  This is why I enjoy listening to the 8 bit guy explain things.  It makes me feel like a kid again.

[TomXP411]

I've been doing some research on the User port, and it looks like it will have 14 addressable lines. This is enough to run software serial at up to 9600bps without any trouble, and with an external device like an Arduino, it could go much faster - at least 115,200. 

If I can get buy-in from Lorin and Mike, I'll start working on a Fast Serial library that uses an external Arduino as a UART and communicate with it through the User port. 

 

[Gigino]

I am looking for a newer version of ARB than 7.60. What version were you running? I tried to get ahold of Arthur Brock with no luck. Would love to run it again!

[Timmy!]

Unfortunately, I don't remember.  It was decades ago.