StarTalk: a new LocalTalk hub

[cheesestraws]

I seem to have built a prototype LocalTalk hub, mostly to learn how to. It provides six ports (arbitrary number).



I am in some doubt as to the actual usefulness of this thing. Would they be useful to anyone else? Is it worth actually debugging this/testing it properly?

(pinging @Durosity who I have briefly talked to before about this)

 

[robin-fo]

I like it

 

[ironborn65]

I love the cello scores! They are capacitors, are they?

 

[twelvetone12]

Love this, and I still want to play the score on it

 

[cheesestraws]

I love the cello scores! They are capacitors, are they?

Diodes - that's the diode matrix that turns carrier detect on a port into TX enable / carrier detect suppression on the other ports - could use a load of OR gates but diodes are simpler and cheaper!

 

[ironborn65]

I fully trust you mate

 

[pl212]

I think this is great, and would definitely want one (whether by building it myself or if someone decides to sell it.)

 

[sfiera]

I don't think it would be useful to me but I would still want one. 5/8 time?

 

[zigzagjoe]

It'd certainly be a fun thing for LAN parties and shows!

 

[AeSix]

That's pretty awesome!

I think this definitely could be useful to some people. It's definitely in the toy or niche category though. There's more modern ways to network these things, albeit less authentically.

I think the next step, depending if you want to capitalize on the idea, moentarily, or if you're willing to give back to the community (in ideas, not physical product). If you want to make money on it, you're probably going to go broke trying.

The next step, imho, would be to put the schematics and any code up on github, maybe a BOM at a pcb fab to let people purchase directly from there. You'll get a few people who will think it's a finished product (no matter how many times you post that it's a WIP, beta, prototype, etc, because people) - but you'll get more who are willing to help debug the physical and firmware... though you might end us seeing it integrated into something with a pico w... because nothing is complete without a pico w... lol


I'd personally love to have one, so I could maybe get several of my Macs to talk to my printer

 

[olePigeon]

@cheesestraws I wonder if you could size it so it'll fit in an old GS108 Netgear case.

 

[stepleton]

Cool! Maybe a lot of people know, but what are the BNCs for?

 

[cheesestraws]

Thanks all

The next step, imho, would be to put the schematics and any code up on github

This is absolutely the plan, pretty much everything I do ends up open source. But there are some known glitches with it, and it was more a "is it worth debugging them" kind of question - and I think it sounds like it is.

I wonder if you could size it so it'll fit in an old GS108 Netgear case.

Now I like this idea...

Cool! Maybe a lot of people know, but what are the BNCs for?

Oh, they're just glorified test points for me to attach an oscilloscope to while debugging. Nothing exciting, sorry

 

[cheesestraws]

revision 2 PCB is coming along - this is by far the most complex electronic thing I've ever built. We're up to 127 resistors, 41 diodes, only 36 caps though. It's giving me a bit of a headache...

 

[ironborn65]

revision 2 PCB is coming along - this is by far the most complex electronic thing I've ever built. We're up to 127 resistors, 41 diodes, only 36 caps though. It's giving me a bit of a headache...

respect!

 

[mikes-macs]

We're up to 127 resistors, 41 diodes, only 36 caps

Is it an AM/FM radio too?

 

[nathall]

I’d definitely grab one. I still do LocalTalk networking with my machines that don’t have Ethernet.

 

[jmacz]

That’s pretty cool!

 

[cheesestraws]

Is it an AM/FM radio too?

and an espresso maker, many of the diodes are to stop it squirting high pressure steam up the localtalk tx lines

 

[ArmorAlley]

@cheesestraws Is this a device to allow one Mac use many serial devices or a device that allows many Macs to send each other packets via AppleTalk? Or is it something else again?
If it can be used for networking Macs, would you stick on an RJ45 port to it please? It would obviate the need for a bridge Mac. I certainly would be interested in one if I could connect my Mac 512K to my Mac Mini G4 file server.
Could one play NetTrek on a group of, say, SEs with this?