test-drb August 2001

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

295 participants
726 discussions

by paul＠orchard.wccnet.org

> Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2001 07:26:19 -0600 > From: "Richard Erlacher" <edick(a)idcomm.com> > Subject: Re: SemiOT: Mourning for Classic Computing > > There are lots of things one CPU could do more simply than another, > but, normally, there were others that went the other way. I remember, > back in '80 or so, demonstrating that the 4 MHz 6502 was considerably > faster and more code efficient than the 8 MHz 68000. This was, of > course, because the 8 MHz 68K had to fetch two words just to get its > opcode, though it didn't take long to execute it once the opcode and > operands were in place. In 1980, most 8-bit CPUs were more efficient that the 68000 in terms of code size as long as you limited yourself to 64K. When you got past 64K, the 68000 scaled smoothly while programming the 8-bitters became a Chinese fire drill. Paul R. Santa-Maria Monroe, Michigan USA

23 years, 4 months

Gateway Z80 ISA cards

by optimus＠canit.se

I've come across two full-length eight-bit ISA cards from Gateway Communications. The main chips on it is a family of Zilog chips: Z80 CPU, 2?SCC, Z80 CTC. The blanking plate fatures a micro-D50, the same kind found on SCSI cards. It's not uncommon to find Zilog chips on SCSI controllers, but that connector was AFAIk introduced with SCSI-2, and an 8-bit SCSI-2 card seems like an odd thing to do. The card is labelled WNIM Z80 and is copyrighted 1990. The farther end of the card features two 10-pin headers marked PORT 1,2 and PORt 3,4 respectively. What could this board be for? -- En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. Remember: - On the Amiga, you can make a way. - On Linux, there is a way, you just don't know it. - On Windows, there is no way and you know it. Aaron Digulla

23 years, 4 months

FS: VAXStation 3100/M76

by cmcmanis＠mcmanis.com

I bought a pallet with some VAXStations at auction and I'm going to sell several of them on Ebay to raise funds to cover the cost of storage for the rest of my collection. However, before I do that, and at the risk of ruining my market, there are three types of systems available: VS3100/M76 16MB Mono, w/ RZ23 VS3100/M76 16MB Color (8pln, not the SPX), w/RZ23 VS4000/M60 24MB Color, w/RZ24 If you want one, make me an offer by midnight pacific time thursday (I'm planning to start listing them Friday). Note I will expect you to cover the cost of packing and shipping it which shouldn't be all that much (say 30 lbs from Sunnyvale, CA 94087). Note that I'll balance the offer against the hard luck story that comes with it :-) So if you have a good story that will help your cause. I will include an MMJ cable with a male DB25 adapter (either DTE or DCE your choice). No, none of them came with the funky SCSI cable that you need for a VS3100. I've also got a VS3100 M30? (KA42) with an RX23 that is available for $10 + postage (it has 8MB and no internal hard drives) --Chuck

23 years, 4 months

Update SIMPLEX doc

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)mcmanis.com> >I've updated the SIMPLEX document and would appreciate critical reviews for >accuracy completeness. The URL is here: ><http://www.mcmanis.com/chuck/computers/simplex.html> > >It also includes my idea for the front panel. I don't know if it will work >out that way but that is what I'm shooting for. If I'm lucky the whole >thing will fit in one Radio Shack project box, (assuming I make it out of >an FPGA) if I build it out of tubes it will probably take up a couple of >racks :-) An aside to this.... Why fpga other than as an exercise in FPGA and cpu design? Why not program a PIC or somesuch to emulate the processor??? I doesnt have to be fast as a teaching tool and the ram/rom required to do this would be reasonable. Allison

23 years, 4 months

SC/MP NIBL emultor by Henry Mason

by sipke＠wxs.nl

Hi Folk, Henry Mason coded an emulator for the SC/MP NIBL system This was a SC/MP based development system that National Semiconductor made. It includes the NIBL ROM so you can program it in very itsypitsy tiny BASIC. I'll be on the lookout for more info on this system. Its aviable for downloading I've included it in my SC/MP page http://xgistor.ath.cx Drill down to: ==> Vintage Computers ==> SC/MP Elektor Emulator Regards, Sipke de Wal

23 years, 4 months

Assembly vs. Everything Else (was: SemiOT: Mourning for ClassicComputing)

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Aug 18, 22:29, Derek Peschel wrote: > Acorn designed a 6502-based computer for the BBC, called (natch) the BBC > Microcomputer. Sophie Wilson wrote a fine BASIC for the machine. When > Acorn designed the ARM chip and a line of computers based on that, the BASIC > got ported, but I don't know who did that work. Sophie did. She wrote TWIN (Two WINdow Editor), ChangeFSI (image manipulation program), and some ray-traced demos as well, and several other things. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

23 years, 4 months

Update SIMPLEX doc

by cmcmanis＠mcmanis.com

I've updated the SIMPLEX document and would appreciate critical reviews for accuracy completeness. The URL is here: <http://www.mcmanis.com/chuck/computers/simplex.html> It also includes my idea for the front panel. I don't know if it will work out that way but that is what I'm shooting for. If I'm lucky the whole thing will fit in one Radio Shack project box, (assuming I make it out of an FPGA) if I build it out of tubes it will probably take up a couple of racks :-) --Chuck (And thanks to Jim Battle who pointed out a clearly better way to do accumulator loads.)

23 years, 4 months

SemiOT: Mourning for Classic Computing

by technos＠nerdland.org

HTML isn't flimsy as a language goes.. The problem is the wack intrepreters. Each does something different, especially in the case of a broken document.. (Not starting a browser flamewar.. No, I'm not. Really. No flames. Shaddup already!.) Jim > > HTML is no programming language, silly. You'd learn more by running a > Cardiac, > and besides, HTML is so flimsy that it can never be predicted in any > whatsoever. > > -- > En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. > > Die Zeit kommt aus der Zukunft, die nicht existiert, in die > Gegenwart, die keine Dauer hat, und geht in die Vergangenheit, > die aufgehort hat, zu bestehen. > --- Augustinus (Rom. Kirchenlehrer, 354-430 n. Chr.)

23 years, 4 months

This week's finds

by optimus＠canit.se

A summary of what I've stumbled over in the past week or so: One ABC80. This one's been equipped with a TKN80 80 column kit. It also came with two datasettes. One interesting tidbit is that the keyboard is actually made by Keytronic. And the Z80 is a really pretty model, all white with very visible traces and the core mounted on top of it all. One Spectravideo MSX datasette, as though I haven't got enough of those already. One Atari 1040STFM with Notator dongle. I had to skip the monitor. One extremely hacked-up Amiga 500. With all the solder, broken pins, added sockets and switches, it's one hideous "Rock lobster". One Commodore VC-1520 plotter/printer. One North Hills MAU. It's surprisingly small. But isn't it supposed to have any AC mains? One BayTech multiport controller 525. What is this? It's a smallish box with five DB25 ports in the back. Each port has still got a DB25/RJ45 adaptor, which makes it worthwhile regardless of what it actually might be. A lot of electronics out of a can recycling machine, TOMRA brand. Seems to be VME, with a lot of useful Motorola chips. An AC adaptor for a Luxor VEC (Also known as a Fairchild, SABA, etc). Various Mac parts, including a video capture card and a MIDI interface. -- En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. Was ist ein Erwachsener? Ein Kind, das vom Alter aufgepumpt ist. --- Simone de Beauvoir

23 years, 4 months

Danish

by optimus＠canit.se

My, what an interesting find today. I just hope the boys were able to find a taxi, or it will have ended up on a dirty road in the middle of nowhere. The beast I'm referring to is an RC855, made by Regnecentralen of Denmark. It's a brown and beige (which seems to have been the colours of choice for all Scandinavian computers, whether Luxor, Tandberg or Regnecentralen =) tiltable screen with a sturdy stand into which a microcomputer is fit. It also came with two eight-inch floppy drives, which someone with a sick sense of humour has named "Picollo". I also managed to find two floppies, one of which seems to contain CP/M. Urgh. Couldn't it have been something more interesting? Nevertheless, it's Danish, so I like it. The floppies are daisychained on a D36. There are also two serial ports, a detachable keyboard and some kind of network port, IIRC a three or four-pin DIN connector. Among other finds were a C64C, an Atari 520STFM (yawn) and two small Memorex Telex boxes with VGA out and twinax networking. Some kind of terminals apparently, these seem to have been used in a cinema booking system. There was also a DECwriter IV there, but I had to leave it since some people think VGA monitors are more fun than 300 bps hard copy terminals. =) -- En ligne avec Thor 2.6a. When cherry tree blooms, people go and walk there, eat dumpling, bring sake and talk each other such things as "A superb view!" and "Full of spring here", and they become very happily and cheerful. But this is a lie. People gather below cherry trees and get drunk, vomit, fight, which are happening since the old days of Edo period. From long time ago. THE FULL OF CHERRY BOOLMS, CHAPTER 1

23 years, 4 months

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test-drb August 2001