Re: [NTLK] NIC & IBM

From: Victor Rehorst (victor_at_newtontalk.net)
Date: Tue Dec 09 2003 - 07:32:07 PST


Roman Pixell wrote:
> concerning the thread on newton interconnect port: i think it actually was
> an IBM patent that apple licenced. this was before intels USB and apple

Nope, sorry. The NIC port was custom-designed for Apple by JAE (Japan
Aviation Electronics) specifically for the 2000. It probably got included in
the eMate because Apple expected third-party peripherals to be made using it.
  If you look at other handhelds from that era, like say old HP or NEC WinCE
machines with docking stations, the NIC port is not unlike those ports. That
was its original purpose: to allow the Newton to be easily slid into a
docking station. Of course such hardware never saw the light of day.

> hoped IBM's standard to prevail - unfortunately it didnt... from what i
> understand though, NIC does the same job as USB, apart from being much
> slower...

NIC is 26 pins, USB is 4.

USB provides +5VDC, ground, and Rx/Tx data lines. NIC provides two RS-422
serial channels, audio in/out, +5VDC, charging lines, etc etc.

> a pity newton never got USB and real IrDA form the beginning. well well

The USB specification was just a glint in a hardware engineer's eye at the
time the Newton 2000 was being designed (1996). It just didn't exist.

-- 
Victor Rehorst - victor_at_newtontalk.net - chuma_at_chuma.org
NewtonTalk list administrator - http://www.newtontalk.net
Will the last person to leave the platform please turn off the backlight?
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