02-21-2017, 08:14 AM
You are guessing wrong. The C64 itself needs special software to be able to handle a high baud rate. The stock user port (kernal) routines can only handle about 600 baud. After that, you need a special driver. 1200/2400 baud was built into most terminal programs. Later the UP9600 hack was created and added as an external driver for terminal programs like NovaTerm. The Swiftlink plugs into the cartridge port and has a UART (serial transceiver chip) connected directly to the C64's address bus. The UART handles the communication in hardware, but special software is needed to be able to read/write to the Swiftlink's control and data addresses. The WiModem was built to work with the user port, and certain lines are required from the user port. There is one handshaking line that is emulated inside of the ESP8266 chip, and there is no DSR/DTR or RI lines. Even if you could make RxD/TxD work, it would be limited to 1200 or 2400 baud, because without the proper handshaking it is not going to work at higher baud rates.
I could have made the WiModem a cartridge that emulated the Swiftlink, but that would have tied up the cartridge port - which is something that I didn't want to do.
I could have made the WiModem a cartridge that emulated the Swiftlink, but that would have tied up the cartridge port - which is something that I didn't want to do.