test-drb February 2008

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

236 participants
373 discussions

by cclist＠sydex.com

> Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:56:25 -0500 My vote, considering old technology would be for mechanical (and possibly pneumatic). Mechanical read-write memories have existed for a long time (think about the adjustable combination action on a pipe organ). Read-only memories are possibly even older (Jacquard looms, player pianos, music boxes). Mechanisms for performing addition and subtraction are also very old. By 1850, fine precision machining had progressed pretty far along. But Will's right--in 1906, electronics was very primitive, particularly in terms of controlling device characteristics. Remember that spark-gap transmitters overlapped the discovery of thermionic electronic devices by quite a few years, mostly due to--I suspect--power-handling capabilities and general reliability. Incidentally, I ran across a 2001 US patent for a mechanical bit- serial adder (6249485). Very clever. But could one have a computer that could execute conditional branches and modify its own program? Yes, I think so--consider program storage arranged as pins set in concentric circles on the surface of a rotating disc. One could certainly devise a method of skipping instructions until a certain pin had been encountered. Similarly, if a register could be implemented to hold a single instruction word, instructions could be implemented to store into it and execute it. For what little it's worth. Cheers, Chuck

16 years, 5 months

Digitalker, SP0256, and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information)

by dm561＠torfree.net

--------Original Message: Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2008 07:53:22 +0000 From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at usap.gov> Subject: Re: Digitalker, SP0256, and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information) On Tue, Feb 05, 2008 at 01:33:42AM -0500, Roy J. Tellason wrote: > On Sunday 03 February 2008 16:54, Scanning wrote: > > Pete, > > > > The SP0256 had the best sounding speech I think ( it uses twice as many > > speech sounds ( 128 allophones ? ) as the SC-01 only had 64 phonemes )). 59 Allophones plus 6 pauses, according to the datasheet. <snip> -ethan ---------Reply: I built a speech synthesizer for my PETs many years ago using the SP2056; nothing to it. I also used a Votrax PSS to announce users logging in to a Cromemco "BBS" and today still have a PC with an SP0256 announcing Caller ID info on incoming calls; not really that much difference in the sound. Keep in mind that the SP0256 is only an allophone generator; although there were expansion ROMs available, for text-to-speech you needed something like the CTS256-AL2, which was a PIC (yes, GI made PICs in the '70s!) programmed as an ASCII > allophone processor (unless you were only speaking pre-programmed sequences which you could hard-code in your program). mike

16 years, 5 months

Oldest operational computer

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:58:35 -0500 From: "William Donzelli" <wdonzelli at gmail.com> Subject: Re: Oldest operational computer >I am sitting here, reading this thread, and am astounded by what >people think tubes could do back in 1906. It would have been >*impossible* to make any sort of computing device using the technology >of the time. You would have better luck porting OS/2 to a 709. --- Are you sure it hasn't been done? After all, apparently OS/2 was ported to some other unlikely platforms...;-) m

16 years, 5 months

Oldest operational computer was Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 54,

by blstuart＠bellsouth.net

From: bpope at wordstock.com (Bryan Pope) > > So if one or more of its lights are burnt out, is it no longer operational? > <ducks, runs and hides under the nearest flameproof and > thermonuclearproof boulder> Well, now that you mention it... It's probably been several years since I bored everyone with this story. Way back when I was in college a large electronics company donated an old hybrid computer. I was the only person on campus who had much interest in it, so I started working to get it up and running. I started with the analog computer, and things seemed to go pretty well. But there was one problem. It would never switch from initial condition mode to operate mode. So I'm sitting there pouring over the schematics trying to figure out what could be wrong, when it hit me, and I sat there saying, "no, they didn't." I had realized that one of the indicator lamps had burned out, but I figured that'd be something I'd worry about once it was up and running. But they used the voltage drop across the bulb as a pull-up. So the computer literally did not operate because of a burned out light bulb. When I replaced the bulb, it worked just fine. BLS

16 years, 5 months

MSX Joystick

by sbolton＠bfree.on.ca

I see the pinouts online but haven't checked to > see if it's compatible with a standard Atari type joystick. >Sure it is! > Interesting how MSX devices are unknown here...They are so popular in >Brazil! That's just how it goes! OK second part of my question then: what about the mouse? What other more easily obtainable mouse would work on the MSX machine? Commodore made mice with 9-pin connectors for the C64 but I doubt it would work or the Amiga one .... and of course, the "serial" mouse from a PC I would expect won't work as well. Or....I guess more easily does anyone out there have an MSX compatible mouse they'd like to sell me for the museum? Thanks No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.4/1277 - Release Date: 2/13/2008 8:00 PM

16 years, 5 months

Heath ET-3400 Trainer Simulator SW

by James＠jdfogg.com

> Dave, > > He's probably a starving student like we were at one time and doesn't have > a > lot of disposable cash. And beer is expensive. > > I sent him the "free" simulator. An ET-3400A un-built kit just sold for > $355 > on Ebay ! The " A" has 1024 bytes of RAM vs 256. > > I think your price is off by about a factor of 10 based on what I've seen. > If you find one that cheap ( $10 - $20 ) I'll buy it ! > > Best regards, Steven > I believe the premium for this particular deal was its un-built state. The ET-3400 is common and inexpensive. I think I'll go buy one myself, since I have a fondness for them since my freshman college course used one. I find any un-built Heathkit has significantly more value.

16 years, 5 months

Oldest operational computer was Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 54, Issue 23

by evan＠snarc.net

Assuming Charles meant a "real" computer -- not a human or slide rule -- then I bet the answer is some kind of analog computer. -----Original Message----- From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> Subj: Re: Oldest operational computer was Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 54, Issue 23 Date: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:31 pm Size: 173 bytes To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> On Wed, 13 Feb 2008, Charles H Dickman wrote: > So what is the oldest computer still operational? Meaningless question, until you DEFINE: "Oldest" "computer" "operational"

16 years, 5 months

PC-magazine and Byte still need to go

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

I've contacted someone (you know who you are) with contact information to pick up this collection of PC-magazine and Byte in Pasadena. I just got an email from the owner's widow that this someone has not yet phoned her. They need to be gone by the 16th or else they get recycled. I'm sorry to have to do it this way, but I need someone on this list who lives in the Los Angeles area who wants the mags to contact me ASAP so we can get these magazines picked up. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

16 years, 5 months

Heath ET-3400 Trainer Simulator SW

by ddb77＠iinet.net.au

Steven I have recently started to study microprocessor fundamentals and have been trying to find this simulator. Would it be possible for you to send me a copy of it if you still have it. Kind Regards Daniel Baldacchino

16 years, 5 months

Oldest operational computer was Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 54, Issue

by blstuart＠bellsouth.net

> Not completely on topic, but my boss wishes to build a computer using > modern knowledge, but only materials, IO etc that existed as at 1st Jan > 1900. The basic premise is that had a need existed, and they knew how > to make one, could have it been done. Well, if 1900 isn't on topic, I don't know what is :-) >... > This is to be a real computer, stored program, RAM, ALU etc. Ian has > already built 2 of those by hand, one with TTL and one with 4000A CMOS, > so has some idea of how to do it (personally I'd just get a micro), but > he has the determination and the resources complete this. I'll keep > the list posted if there is any interest. I'll bet there are several of us that are interested. But beyond that, I think you win the award for the coolest job. Now, if I could only figure out how to get FedEx to want to do something like that... BLS

16 years, 5 months

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test-drb February 2008