test-drb October 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

184 participants
568 discussions

by fmc＠reanimators.org

Dave McGuire <mcguire(a)neurotica.com> wrote: > So, yes, folks...the Z80 seems to be gearing up for a second > life...this time as an embedded processor. There are many variations I'd say that it's been there for a while. Ever look at an Adaptec 1542CF ISA SCSI card? A little bit above dead center is a Z80, clearly marked. -Frank McConnell

24 years, 1 month

Monitor for iSBC 8024

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Dave McGuire <mcguire(a)neurotica.com> > Of course, but now it's *only* doing that, mainstream-wise. I was >attempting to point out the shift in role from being a mainstream >general-purpose processor to being one used almost entirely for >embedded applications. It was the rare and maybe only thing Zilog did right and that was persuing the embedded market back around 84-86 timeframe. That was the breakpoint for PCs taking over and Z80 based systems and their like starting to loose influence. that and the Z8 business kept them going. The next big break was the Hitachi licensed 64180 (z180) giving the embedded designer a MMU, sio, DMA on chip and it was a little faster. I see things like that as important to the evolution of the microprocessor market and the chips. The same forces would also keep the 6502 in the running. Allison

24 years, 1 month

Monitor for iSBC 8024

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> And as the plain ole Z80 as well. The embedded systems world is >crazy about it, using it all over the place. I know a guy (younger You ainnt kiddin. >He just hates the PIC and the 8051. (I don't know what his problem is, >I like 'em both a lot) They have their place. ;) PIC is one I"ve not worked with but back 20 years I wrote code for the single chip 4bitters and they were the same thing and not all that bad. > I explained that I was running a Z80-based general-purpose computer >fifteen years ago (an IMSAI with a CCS Z80 CPU board which I still Late adoptor? the first Z80 for me was 1977 (january), NS* running at the astronomical speed of 4mhz. That makes that board 23.8 years old. >have) as my main machine, and that the Z80 processor was a >general-purpose machine that was very popular in the 70s and 80s...and >was definitely nothing "new". > > Know what? HE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME!! Caution clue LART in use. I'd have smacked him in the snout with a rolled up Zilog data book, Ca 1976. > So, yes, folks...the Z80 seems to be gearing up for a second >life...this time as an embedded processor. There are many variations No, its been there for the last, oh 15 years doing that. >as Allison stated above, but the standard 40-pin dip that we all >built SBCs out of years ago is at the head of the pack. > > Scary. But kinda cool in a way. Actually the raw Z80 is not seen much in new designs but it's later fellows are very much there. It's one of the most commonly available of the old line CPUs. If the 6800 were still available from Moto (68705 is) it would be used still as is the 6502 decendants. Like PDP-8, PDP11, VAX, Nova, 6502, 6800 and many others a good design is hard to displace. Oh and the CMOS 8085 also went to mars to push rocks around very successfully (mars rover). Allison

24 years, 1 month

DSQD floppy drives needed for KAYPRO II with Advent Turbo Rom

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> >On Sun, 29 Oct 2000, Bill Dawson wrote: >> Anyone on the list have one or two DSQD (DD,96TPI) they can spare at a >> reasonable cost? > >For MOST situations, MOST 1.2M drives can be configured as a >substitute. You want to keep the rotational speed at 300RPM, but go to >the 96TPI step, and keep the write current at the "360K" level. > >However, using the "right" drive is always a little easier. >Do you need full height or half height? The TEAC 55F does that natually and the 55GFV jumpers to that mode easily. The latter was used for DEC RX33, PC 1.2mb and a lot of other uses so it's pretty easy to find. I have a pot load as it's about the most versitle drive in the 96tpi class. The mitsubishis are a good second choice and also widely used in PCs. >For half height, I like the Shugart/Panasonic 465, although not everyone >is happy with those. This is slow and not very well known for reliability. Rather scarce too. Allison

24 years, 1 month

DSQD floppy drives needed for KAYPRO II with Advent Turbo Rom

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> >On Sun, 29 Oct 2000, ajp166 wrote: >> >Anyone on the list have one or two DSQD (DD,96TPI) they can spare at a >> >reasonable cost? >> the best choice is FD55GFV or the FD55E series. I happen to use the GFV. > >Do you prefer the Teac 55GFV (1.2M) over the 55F (720K)? The 55GFV for this use is jumperd so that its running as the 55F and 720k mode. They are interchageable in this app with one note: the 55GFV is far more common. >Good point! 720K 3.5" tends to be a lot more convenient for media and >withstanding abuse than 720K 5.25" I've been running one that way for several years. The drive I burried inside as "A:" is one of those oddball IBM PS/2 no bezel types. By doing that the externally accessable drives are uncommitted and makes space available. Allison

24 years, 1 month

Monitor for iSBC 8024

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On October 29, ajp166 wrote: > >the near future. I'm quite sure nobody is going to hire me to generate > code > >for the Z80 or 8080. I've been known to write code in assembler as > well, > >but haven't done anything for hire in about 10 years that has required > Z80 > >or 8080 coding. > > > While I understand the desire it's all outside the scope of the original > problem to test and apparently use a bunch of 8085 multibus cards. > > Oh, z80 is still out there as Z180, Z380 and Rabbit for embedded > apps and CPU library cores in gate arrays. And as the plain ole Z80 as well. The embedded systems world is crazy about it, using it all over the place. I know a guy (younger fellow, just out of college, only learned what the college decided to teach him, very naive) who works for a defense contractor...sent me email the other day asking if I'd see the neat "NEW" processor called the Z80. What a great embedded processor it is, he babbled. He was quite pleased that someone finally came out with a really nice cpu that had an instruction set that made sense for the embedded world to use. He just hates the PIC and the 8051. (I don't know what his problem is, I like 'em both a lot) I explained that I was running a Z80-based general-purpose computer fifteen years ago (an IMSAI with a CCS Z80 CPU board which I still have) as my main machine, and that the Z80 processor was a general-purpose machine that was very popular in the 70s and 80s...and was definitely nothing "new". Know what? HE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME!! So, yes, folks...the Z80 seems to be gearing up for a second life...this time as an embedded processor. There are many variations as Allison stated above, but the standard 40-pin dip that we all built SBCs out of years ago is at the head of the pack. Scary. But kinda cool in a way. -Dave McGuire

24 years, 1 month

DSQD floppy drives needed for KAYPRO II with Advent Turbo Rom

by whdawson＠mlynk.com

Anyone on the list have one or two DSQD (DD,96TPI) they can spare at a reasonable cost? I have a Kaypro II with the Advent Turbo Rom and would like to take advantage of its capabilities. Thanks, Don, for all the help. Bill

24 years, 1 month

DSQD floppy drives needed for KAYPRO II with Advent Turbo Rom

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Bill Dawson <whdawson(a)mlynk.com> >Anyone on the list have one or two DSQD (DD,96TPI) they can spare at a >reasonable cost? the best choice is FD55GFV or the FD55E series. I happen to use the GFV. Before going to 3.5' drives. Also you need the drive personality board or turborom will not run in other than 40 track mode. If you have trouble finding a suitable set of drives let me know. I may add that I kept a 360k (DD48tpi) in the system as that is common media (odd disk finds I'd like to read with uniform). Also you can use 3.5" floppies (anyone that has jumper or switch for DS0-3). Use them with 720k media and it's nice. Another trick is to put a 3.5" drive internal and treat it like a hard disk. This is my current config and that gives me roughly 1.8mb of space (A:781k, B:360k, C: 781k). One of the CP/M oddities is once you get drive size orver 500k space as a problem seems to drop off quickly as an issue. Allison

24 years, 1 month

SMC 2010, 2009 & 3007 dip chips???

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Innfogra(a)aol.com <Innfogra(a)aol.com> >I have a SMC 2010B with a date code of 7736 in Ceramic with gold legs. Is >this a second source of the Western Digital or something different? SMC was the WD second source and at times prime delivery. Allison

24 years, 1 month

INS8154 used in Cytospin

by abrarwadera＠hotmail.com

Dear Sirs We have many cytospins which are centrifuges esed in cytology departments and the peripherals chips used are INS8154N, we are not able to find any of them from any source. Can you suggest any or some equivalents. With Regards Abrar _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.

24 years, 1 month

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test-drb October 2000