[E3-hacking] About connecting to the serial on the E3

[David Given]

RS232 is actually +/- 12V! My recollection is that the E3 runs at 0V/5V (I
described it as TTL back in 2003). A 3.3V serial converter might work, I
couldn't say.
On Wed, 3 Apr 2019 at 20:52 Nick Griffin <span1922 at live.com> wrote:

> On your site..
> “In order to talk to the E2, you need the appropriate cable. Irritatingly,
> while the E2 has a serial port, it runs at TTL line levels not RS232
> levels. This means that if you're going to connect it to a PC, you need a
> line level converter”
>
> So I can use a CPC 2102 USB to TTL serial converter because its a line
> level converter… 😊 and its RX line is 3.3 volt, this can’t take 5
> volts because it could blow the UART0…?
>
> Spanner..
>
> *From:* David Given <dg at cowlark.com>
> *Sent:* ‎Wednesday‎, ‎3‎ ‎April‎ ‎2019 ‎18‎:‎52
> *To:* Discussion of the Amstrad E3 emailer hardware/software
> <e3-hacking at earth.li>
>
> I've got a tool which speaks the PBL protocol and will let you read and
> write the flash: http://cowlark.com/amstrad/
> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http://cowlark.com/amstrad/&data=02%7c01%7c%7c0ff5e97479d549450d8208d6b85d225c%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c636899107478251836&sdata=1rV57mYpj1Hs38RqCM3fqnEhqzLh5F3vWhwQWqW9AuM%3D&reserved=0>
>
>
> It's also got details of the serial pinout.
>
> On Wed, 3 Apr 2019 at 19:07 Nick Griffin <span1922 at live.com> wrote:
>
>> As far as I know when you connect this to serial you don’t get a console,
>> like if you connect TheC64 Mini to Putty using a CPC 2102 USB to TTL serial
>> convertor, you can log on with your root user and password so you can add
>> files, change games and edit files and that ,TheC64 Mini uses Uboot to boot
>> up with not PBL so it must be the PBL that's stopping the console coming up
>> so if we could hack the PBL (Primary Boot Loader) and keep the firmware on
>> the NAND so its still boots up with Amstrad E3 logo and that, we need to
>> see the system files and see what can be changed. PBL is on the NOR Flash
>> and the Kernel and System is on the NAND Flash. I don’t know anything about
>> PBL so we need someone who does.it
>> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http://does.it&data=02%7c01%7c%7c0ff5e97479d549450d8208d6b85d225c%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c636899107478261846&sdata=cKbkujL//PuqTj5W5Dtacrb2GoLLKmqXMA81FjPrIDE%3D&reserved=0>
>> all most works the same as TheC64 Mini,(Its a small Commodore 64, Mini
>> Console, its here.. https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/THEC64Mini
>> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/THEC64Mini&data=02%7c01%7c%7c0ff5e97479d549450d8208d6b85d225c%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c636899107478271851&sdata=bd45fNPeGF/ASugX1AaQYewd6OIAxHko0Z9iDRsRAbI%3D&reserved=0>)
>> The mini has 2 partitions, One for Uboot and other for the Kernel and
>> System. but only has one chip, NAND Flash, its made by Toshiba too.. 😊.
>> Amstrad E3 has 2 chips NOR and NAND Flash. and is using a different Boot
>> loader.
>>
>> Oh.. Can I use my CPC 2102 USB to TTL serial converter to connect to the
>> serial on the E3..? this is a pic of it here..
>> *https://sc02.alicdn.com/kf/HTB11eb9PFXXXXcLaXXXq6xXFXXXd/CP2102-USB-2-0-to-TTL-UART.jpg_350x350.jpg*
>> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://sc02.alicdn.com/kf/HTB11eb9PFXXXXcLaXXXq6xXFXXXd/CP2102-USB-2-0-to-TTL-UART.jpg_350x350.jpg&data=02%7c01%7c%7c0ff5e97479d549450d8208d6b85d225c%7c84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7c1%7c0%7c636899107478281862&sdata=P8EsfPfMK3uzbtWcuKbOcwf1gTPEVk3IFhNWzhTzLIk%3D&reserved=0> I
>> have used it on my TheC64 Mini and my Gotek Drive.
>>
>> Spanner..
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>>
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