Dave wrote:
>On Mar 19, 2010, at 8:44 PM, Ben wrote:
>>> And now, I can get datasheets for pretty much any random component in
>>> seconds, rather than having to wait for weeks to find a copy of a
>>> databook that I don't have. I have nearly three thousand PDF
>>> datasheets
>>> now, and those are just for parts that I've been interested in for
>>> one
>>> reason or another. (curiosity, repair, use in new design, found a
>>> chip
>>> somewhere and wanted to know what it is, etc) I have about 35-40
>>> databooks, and now I have FAR more useful information available to me
>>> then when I used to use those databooks regularly.
>>>
>>> Not all change is automatically bad.
>>
>> 3 am I want to check a datasheet ... it is 30 seconds including the
>> time
>> I take to turn on the light switch.
>> I need to use windows and the internet it is about 20 minutes later
>> I may have the information.
> That's because you use Windows. I get it in seconds. Every time.
A couple random thoughts:
Google goes through phases where searching for a random TTL or CMOS
or old microprocessor or transistor part number returns 95%+ sponsored
spam links to places that don't have the part but want to sell you the part anyway.
At other points Google is working "nicely" and the top couple hits are to the
actual datasheet.
If the part is a "basic part" that is still available in some commercial form or another
I find that going to Mouser or Digikey is often more effective today than going
through Google. And I say that being a big Google user.
Mouser and Digikey tend to keep parts in their search engines with links to datasheets for maybe a decade
or two after they leave special order. And it's useful to know that yes, the CA3146
is being discontinued. Or that the CD4007 is actually the same as the CA3600 :-).
Lots of Windows installations have a zillion spyware things running that interfere
greatly with downloading the PDF after you find it. Sometimes these things
make you believe that they're actually toolbars, but they aren't. Usually the
download accelerators fall in this category too... launching 50 simultaneous
download sessions to fetch a 3 page datasheet is usually a big loss.
I know that I'm being OS-ist when I talk about Windows like that, but really
it's the unknowing users getting sucked into thinking "another toolbar? Hey,
I want that!" and "another download accelerator? Hey, I want that!" that
are at fault. When you see a web browser and literally 75% of the screen
is taken up by toolbars and download accelerators that really are actually
all spyware, something is seriously out of whack, but I'd estimate that probably
90% of Windows PC's that are not vigilantly patrolled end up that way.
Tim.
I appreciate the old databooks very much... but with bound books
keeping them open on the bench to the page you want was always a problem.
Anything without a good binding fell apart 30 years ago. Even the ones
that are well bound (e.g. the hardback TTL books from TI) don't last
forever although they were printed by the millions and are still readily
found.
What I actually like, is having a big 23" or bigger screen at the bench
with web access to the datasheets. That's pretty decent. I can zoom the
pinout big enough that I can read it from the other side of the bench,
or I can open the pinout and the state table simultaneously in two
windows. Pretty good, at least as long as I have my glasses on.
But the screen still isn't as good as having the datasheet right there
on the bench (flat on the bench) a foot or less away from the circuit.
I wonder how a Kindle will do on the bench? Anyone drop their soldering iron
on a screen yet? The good pages in the databooks always had solder
or food or both on them, that made the good pages easier to find!
And don't bother lecturing me about not having food and solder in the
same place. We all grew up with solder when we were kids, and everyone
knows that WE'RE PERFECTLY NORMAL now that we're adults!
Tim.
Folks,
I've a 7937H that turns on and passes diag fine, but as soon as I
try to access it, I get a servo error. I suspect the HDA assembly but
have no spares to swap to confirm.
The entire drive is free for pickup from Rockville, MD. If you
want small parts shipped, there will be a charge for shipping and
handling...
Email me if interested. This notice will be in effect for 1 week
>from date of posting. After that, please disregard..
Thank you,
John Singleton
jsk at cimmerik.com (remove all the k's)
You guys may already know of this, some perhaps not.
All the OS's are there, MSDOS, Concurent CPM, Windows 1 thru 3
Autocad, Orcad, Mathematica, Maple, Matlab
Graphics like Dr. Halo
Programming languages MASM, Turbo Pascal
http://vetusware.com
Randy
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail is redefining busy with tools for the New Busy. Get more from your inbox.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID27925::T:WLMTAGL:ON:…
Dave wrote:
>Ben wrote:
>> And if you are lucky the fifth or sixth hit is a *free* pdf.
> I've never seen one that required payment, but I've seen plenty of
> places that SUPPOSEDLY have the PDF you're looking for, but actually
> don't.
Most commonly, I find places that try to sell me parts that haven't been
made for 30 or 40 years, but the page is simply a numeric list of every part
in some huge number range.
How can it be a viable business model to buy google advertising to sell
parts that you do not actually have? My guess: counterfeits, esp
relabeled counterfeits. Or maybe the advertising cost is so completely
negligible that they can afford to put up ads for things they don't have?
I remember "too cheap to meter" but that's ridiculous.
Tim.
1. Re: Does a Northstar S-100 Bus Horizon Classify as a Classic
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:05:18 -0400
> From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com>
> Subject: Re: Does a Northstar S-100 Bus Horizon Classify as a Classic
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Message-ID: <2C8AA3F6-864D-4777-A584-466024E6A276 at neurotica.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
> On Mar 19, 2010, at 1:12 PM, Robert J. Stevens wrote:
>
>> I have a set of the Steve Ciarcia Circuit Cellar Magazines if
>> Anyone is Interested
>> Volume I originally cost $8.00
>> Volume II originally cost $12.95
>> Volume III originally cost $16.95
>> Volume IV originally cost $18.95
>> WOW
>> Wow indeed.
>> Are these in fact "Circuit Cellar Ink" magazines, or are they the
>> compendium of Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar columns from BYTE magazine?
I was not aware that there were Different Publications of his Work.
These are indeed compendiums from BYTE. I guess I should have called
them Books.
But the are in Pristine Condition Looks like they have never been opened
MUCH
Bob
I have put online some pictures and schematics of a rather pathetic homebuilt TTL machine I constructed around 1985
Specs 12 bit wide, 8K ram, 256 word hardware stack.
CPU 3 x 74181
Hardcoded instruction set.
No blinkenlights, but, almost as good, 4 nixies as display.
Since I just cannot be bothered to make a proper homepage, I have just put everyting on my FTP server.
Find the goodies here :
ftp://jdreesen.dyndns.org/ftp/T3
Jos Dreesen
Hi folks,
> melamy at earthlink.net wrote:
> > if you want specs to programming microchip ics, go here...
> >
> > http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplgIdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1407
> I was under the impression that the FLASH specifications didn't cover
> the ICD hardware, but there you go...
> But they're handy anyway. I've got a Maplin PIC programmer kicking
> around somewhere -- the original software only programmed the 16C84
Despite the horrors of programming PICs; they do have at least one
redeeming feature here - they're genuine classic architectures, being
designed in the mid-70s for General Instruments ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIC_microcontroller#History
-cheers from julz @P
Hi! I am getting ready to make another manufactured PCB order for some S-100
PCBs. These are the S100Computers.com and/or N8VEM boards.
These are the S-100 regular prototyping board, S-100 backplane, S-100
buffered prototyping board, S-100 IDE, and S-100 ASCII keyboard.
If you are interested in getting in on the S-100 board order please contact
me. Thanks and have a nice day!
Andrew Lynch