From: decwrl!well.sf.ca.us!well!rjo@uunet.UU.NET (robert olivier)
Subject: powerglove/ Goldbrick
Date: 26 Apr 91 05:12:56 GMT



This is my first posting to the net so forgive me if my header is
screwed up.

I just spoke to  Donald Vastlake (I think), d2002@applelink.apple.com,
AKA the guy who designed the software for the Goldbrick at Transfinite
Systems in Cambridge.

The Goldbrick is a device which allows any Nintendo device to be connected
to a Mac via the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB).  The device will detect the presence
of the powerpad, U-force, powerglove, as well as standard joysticks.

It appears the Transfinite uses the box to develop software for physically
impaired children. He cited an example where some speach impaired kids used
a powerpad to make menu choices which would trigger a voice synthesizer
for them.

The Goldbrick does read the high-rez mode with full x,y,z,roll analog finger
data being reported. He seemed to think that IF he were to develop an RS-232
version, it wouldn't be ready for at least 6 months. 

The ADB is real bizzare and Apple licenses firms to develop for it. The
docs on the Mac (Inside Macintosh ...) don't give detailed treatments on
it and apparently Apple deals with those who it finds distributing devices
for the ADB if they aren't licensed.

I don't know what the legal implications are if a device is built that
isn't intended to connect to the Mac but rather to the peripheral but it
seems to me that the powerglove problem would be solved if someone were
to come up with that device.

The Goldbrick comes in two flavors. The model 1 is a programmer's development
box which you can take apart to make firmware updates or whatever. It costs
$245. The model 2 is a little box that just sits inline between the glove
and the ADB in an injection molded case. IT runs for about $160.

I know, we can all buy Macs and use them to hook the glove up to our PCs!