On Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 5:26 PM, <cctalk-request at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh at aracnet.com>
> At 7:20 PM +0000 2/25/13, Liam Proven wrote:
>>On 25 Feb 2013 18:26, "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> The talk about the Acorn and RISC OS reminds me that I've been interested
>>in one of these, primarily to run RISC OS. What is the recommended
>>version, price, and place to get a Raspberry Pi from?
>>>
>>> I assume I want a "2.0 Model B 512Mb"? I've found a seller on eBay with
>>this and they include a case for $57.
>>
>>If you want to keep it super cheap, try to find a Linux user upgrading to
>>the 512MB version. 256MB is a vast amount of RAM for Risc OS, whereas it is
>>not enough for a graphical Linux desktop. You really don't need half a gig
>>for Risc OS, unless of course you want to run Linux as well.
>
> I'd want the option of putting Linux on there. Though my current
> UNIX box only has 256Mb. :-) Realistically I'll probably see about
> turning it into a PDP-11 or PDP-10 after I play with RISC OS for an
> hour or two.
>
> Zane
The latter projects would be fun. I've been pondering getting one to
put as small a linux distro on as possible and then getting Brad
Parker's CADR emulator http://www.unlambda.com/cadr/ running on it.
That would make for a screaming little LISP machine :)
Getting SIMH & running 2.11BSD on it's emulated PDP-11 or VMS on the
emulated VAX could be entertaining as well.
William
--
Live like you will never die, love like you've never been hurt, dance
like no-one is watching.
Alex White
>
> I have a similar problem; I've noticed that the IRQ line is
> constantly asserted, which it's not if I just pull the VIC
> (of course, that could be because the boot routine is
> crashing; the VIC otherwise looks like it's probably working
> fine, since it emits a proper NTSC black screen with color
> burst).
>
> Is there a relatively simple test that can be done with an
> analog scope (no storage) that can determine whether the
> PLA is bad? Some of the outputs, at least, seem to toggle.
> I'd like to narrow it down before I put down the money for
> a replacement part.
>
A friend of mine asked me to repair his failed Commodore 64 many years ago.
He thoughtfully supplied a schematic for me to work from.
As far as I recall (and nobody ever accused me of having a good memory), I
wrote some code using the assembler on my BBC Micro, put it in an EPROM,
swapped that for the ROM in the Commodore and identified a RAM problem
by outputing status on the user port.
I'm not sure I should admit to this but rather than an EPROM, I think it was
actually my cheapo EPROM eliminator - a 2K static RAM equipped with two flying
to a bench power supply...
If I remember correctly, I replaced the suspect RAM chip and the machine
worked.
Regards,
Peter Coghlan.
Been thinking about it recently also for one or two projects. Has anyone tried any of the other little usb stick microcomputers? I've seen various comments on some *really* cheap ones on amazon which seem pretty competitive other than no ethernet port but a lot of heat/overheating comments.
I'm tempted for the raspberry just for a dlna server with attached (but self powered) usb drive. Others could do similar various tasks though.
I have been testing my C64s today, and 1 works perfectly, joysticks and
game, etc.
Hooked up via DIN cable to 3 RCA to Commodore color monitor, everything is
fine.
My questions are these:
1 of the C64 powers on, but absolutely nothing appears on the screen.
1 of the C64 has a totally different pin configuration for the monitor and
disk drive, only 5 pins for the monitor. The FCC ID, model number, etc. is
exactly the same as the others, but these connections are different. Any
ideas?
_____
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2013.0.2899 / Virus Database: 2641/6130 - Release Date: 02/25/13
We've had some success decoding the various LSI chips found within the
IBM Displaywriter System, in this case the external 8-inch floppy
drive subsystem (IBM 6360), but one last chip has stumped us, or more
accurately stumped our Estonian colleague who was familiar with the
IBM to Intel part number mapping, see here:
http://www.cpu-world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=164045#164045
Anyone with knowledge of how to implement the NEC D765D floppy disk
controller in a detached setup might be able to make a good guess as
to the function of the remaining 40-pin DIP IC (labelled 4430030) in
the picture?
http://i.imgur.com/VtMxSqj.jpg
is it another peripheral chip or perhaps a CPU? I'm guessing the
former since I don't see anything that might hold ROM code for a CPU.
The Intel 4178628 to the right is an Intel 8255A-5 (Programmable
Peripheral Interface (PPI)).
Mine has the 4Mb RAM upgrade, 10BaseT network adaptor, and the standard 80Mb Conner IDE and 3.5 floppy.
>
>
Nicely equipped. When you say pc gear, do you IBM compatible or incompatible? Do you have a Nimbus yet? If no, Why not?
My offlist question to Tony was does he own an AA, and if not why not? For the rest of you Britishers,do you own one, and if not why not? Do you have a problem withit?
----- Original Message -----
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 01:44:34 -0800 (PST)
From: William Maddox <wmaddox at pacbell.net>
I recently bought a Vector Graphic MZB-5025 and its matching display and
keyboard from a seller on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vector-Graphics-MZB-5025-Computer-Z-80-CPU-64K-RAM-…http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vector-Graphics-MT-Terminal-Mindless-Terminal-and-K…
The keyboard and display are packaged like a terminal, with styling
nearly identical to the SOROC IQ-120, but the video generation is
actually performed on an S-100 card in the main chassis.
The seller did not pack the terminal properly at all, and the fragile
structural foam enclosure was shattered in transit:
...
--Bill
------ Reply:
I believe someone on the Vintage Computer Forum has a Mindless Terminal that
he doesn't know what to do with (he thought it was a 'normal' RS-232
terminal); maybe he'd like to see it go to an appreciative home:
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?35650-Terminal-hook-…
Failing that, you can use an ordinary RS-232 terminal, although you may have
to burn a new monitor ROM.
FYI, if you decide to keep it, there is a Vector Graphic user group and
quite a bit of documentation and software available.
mike
Try to get one going here. Just cant fine the Diagnostic manual
DEC # EK-DS730-UG. Also need the Console/Microcode tape
or image. found a wounded image out there, but would like to find
the original contents. This is on DecTape (TU58)
Thanks, Jerry
OK, so I hacked a quick 'n dirty xmodem implementation together in RSI
BASIC on the QX10 so that I could transfer a few essentials over via the
serial link.
It worked on a few files, but I've found a couple of problem files where it
will consistently block when trying to send an ACK back to the sender
following a packet receive - in one file it's on packet 76 every single
time, while in the other it's always packet 161 (it receives the complete
packet OK, checksum is valid, packet sequence numbers are all good, but it
stalls writing to the serial port).
Any thoughts? I can't think of a reason why it should work fine on some
files, but barf consistently - and at different points - with these other
two. I did wonder if there was a particular byte encountered in these
packets which hadn't been seen previously in these files (or any of the
others I've sent successfully) which was somehow tripping up the underlying
serial code on the QX-10, but that's not the case. I suppose there might be
a particular magic *sequence* of bytes which is received and causing
problems, but that's harder[1] to check for.
Oh, I've disabled the disk-write code on the QX-10 just to rule that out,
too; it still fails even when it's just tossing received data away.
[1] hmm, although I could just zero out the problem packets and see if that
stops it happening, I suppose. Will report back.
cheers
Jules
