At 01:08 11/12/98 +0000, ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
>> Curiously enough, the text-to-speech capabilities of this machine sound
>> awfully close to the speech-sound pack I have for my CoCo's... methinks
>> it's based on the same chipset, as they're roughly the same era.
>
>Could well be. There were a pair of chips from GI - one was the SPO256
>which was a speech synthesiser chip, and the other was the CTS256 which
>was a PIC7000 (TMS7000-a-like), I think, programmed with the
>text-to-speech algorithm. The Speech-sound pack for the Coco used a
>microcontroller (I forget which) with much the same algorithm, but also
>with commands to control an AY3-891x sound chip.
These chips (the SPO256-AL2 and the CTS256A-AL2) seem really hard to find
these days, but I've found a supplier of them if anyone is interested. A
U.S. company called SMC Electronics, based in Brockton, MA, has the
SPO256-AL2 for $US5.00 and the CTS256A-AL2 for $US7.50 (both include
specification and application sheets).
SMC Electronics web page is http://personal.tmlp.com/SMCONE/
The chips are listed on http://personal.tmlp.com/SMCONE/IC.HTM
Regards,
| Scott McLauchlan |E-Mail: scott(a)cts.canberra.edu.au |
| Network Services Team |Phone : +61 2 6201 5544 (Ext.5544)|
| Client Services Division |Post : University of Canberra, |
| University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA | ACT, 2601, AUSTRALIA. |
I have a complete 5 1/4" Sony MO drive with 7 disks, cables, Bustek
bus-mastering 16 bit SCSI controller, Softeware and SW manual that need a
home. If anyone wants it E-mail me directly. I'll sell it outright or
trade for somehting that I can use.
Joe
Boy, does that bring back memories. When I was in middle school, a fellow
>from 3M (I think his name was Doug Kinney) visited our school with a couple
of computers. One was quite large - in a rack, and used decimal
arithmatic. The other was a binary computer, and was much smaller. It was
named "Little Binary Joe".
He left behind a schematic for some JK flip flops built out of Motorola
2N554 power transistors, and it used #49 light bulbs (not the more common
#47 bulbs). A friend of mine convinced me that we should try and build it.
We scrounged for parts, wrote letters, etc. Got a free dial from the
telephone company, free resistors from Hamilton Hall in Milwaukee, but
Motorola would not come thru with the transistors. We eventually had to
save up and order them. We got about 4 flip flops built.
That got me started in electronics, from which I jumped into Computer Science.
Jay
At 02:55 AM 12/10/98 -0600, you wrote:
>On Wed, 9 Dec 1998, Aaron Christopher Finney wrote:
>
>> And the 1/3 part is in the form of the "electronic" computer I'm building
>> from the January 1960 issue of Electronics Illustrated...(flip-flops,
>> light-bulbs, and a rotary phone dial - woo-hoo!) I'm about 1/3
>> completed...
>
>One of my favorite early personal computers! I regret that the designer
>didn't give it a name, though. Specs:
>
>Name: "Electronic Computer"
>Intro: Jan 1960
>Price: approx $35
>Technology: discrete transistors
>Memory: 6 bits
>Input: rotary telephone dial
>Clock speed: as fast as you can dial
>Output: 12 incandescent lights
>Programming language: patch cords
>
>The author describes how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide on this
>box, but it's really more of a calculator than a computer since it doesn't
>have control logic or a clock.
>
>I hope to do a web page some day that describes this machine and several
>other home computers from the 1950's and 1960's.
>
>-- Doug
>
In a message dated 12/9/98 3:24:05 PM Pacific Standard Time,
ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk writes:
>
> OK, anyone else here got a Tektronix 8000 microprocessor development system
> (either the 11/03 floppy-based one or the 11/23 hard-disk based one)?
>
I have one of each that are soon to be scrap unless someone is interested.
Then yours will be the only one left.
I can pack for shipping but they are very heavy.
Paxton
Portland, OR
USA
>Stil cleaning. Found a molded plug with no cable so I guess it's a
>shorting plug. It's bigger than a DB connector but the same style. It has
>51 pins in three rows. The name R Squared is molded into it. Anyone know
>what it's for? Anyone need it?
You sure it has 51 pins? I'll bet you that it has 50, and that it's
actually a SCSI terminator. 50-pin D-subs were common for SCSI connections
on Sun equipment until quite recently.
Tim.
Bob;
I found another lost SOL in the warehouse the other day. It is still in a box
on the bottom of the pallet. It may be a while before I can actually get at
it.
If interested in it please contact me at whoagiii(a)aol.com
Paxton
> I've always wanted to know which machines have only a single instance
> represented on this list.
Okay, here's a couple of recent acquisitions that might be unique on this
list:
Sharp PC-5000
V-Marc 88a
Datavue 25
Datavue Spark
Hopefully, I am not alone with these... The last two were actually made by
Quadram.
And of course, I just passed on to other collectors, not one, but two
Symbolics 3600's, and a Sanyo MBC-8000.
And just to make sure we all get our daily dose of off-topic-ness, I have
an *autographed* CD of Vivaldi's complete Lute concertos! (No, not
Vivaldi's autograph, Jacob Lindberg, the lutenist.)
I know where there's an IBM 5360 with all the manuals and system disks
which is probably free for the asking in Grifton, NC (about 85 miles east
of Raleigh). If anyone out this way wants it, e-mail me. I'll give you
all the details. Its in an abandoned manufacturing plant now owned by a
bank from bankruptcy. Still in fine shape as far as I can tell. You'll
probably need a big truck with a lift or 10 guys to haul it.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Always being hassled by the man.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 12/07/98]
I have a case, maybe more, of new DC300XLs for sale. $3 singles, 2 for $5, $10
for a box of 5, plus shipping.
I also have used DC600s for $1 each
The Tektronix 31 takes a custom small tape. I may have a few around. I used
too but I haven't seen any lately. I will continue to look.
Please reply to me directly at whoagiii(a)aol.com
In a message dated 12/10/98 2:42:58 PM Pacific Standard Time, donm(a)cts.com
writes:
> >
> > Anybody have experience with using normal xerographic copy paper instead
> of
> > the HP-specified Thinkjet paper? If so, how are the results?
>
Regular paper works fine except the letters are a little fuzzy. The ink bleeds
a little. Try some of the new inkjet papers. They have a harder surface.
Paxton
