At 02:34 PM 3/28/98 -0600, you wrote:
>The M15 works
>great and has a prototype sticker on it (S/N 00075) - I know this model
>made it into production, but I can't find much info on it. Does anybody
>have a production date and numbers for it? Circa 1985 is my guess.
Olivetti
M15 (donated by Monique Pellaton)
Microprocessor - Intel i80C88
Memory - 512 Kb RAM
Video (Text) - 80/25 or 40/25 chars
Video (Graphics) - 640/200 dots
Disk drives - 2 x 3 1/2" 720 Kb
Bill Yakowenko <yakowenk(a)cs.unc.edu> wrote:
>>From very nearly the first day I bumped into a computer, I've
>>been finding sporadic references to MIKBUG, an early monitor
>>ROM for 6800 machines. For instance, most of the older 6800
>>monitor ROMs (SWTBUG, SMARTBUG, others?) claim preserve MIKBUG
>>entry points. And a lot of the programs in Motorola's ancient
>>6800 freeware archive refer to it. (That archive can be found
>>at this URL: http://www.mcu.motsps.com/freeweb/pub/usergroup)
>>But I've never seen one, or any any real documentation for
>>one. Can anybody out there help me find any of this stuff?
>>Of course I'd be happiest to find a binary image, source code,
>>and whatever docs originally came with it. But I'll take
>>whatever I can get. As it is now, the best I can do is to
>>extract some of its defined entry points from definitions
>>in those freeware programs.
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Bill.
allisonp(a)world.std.com (Allison J Parent) wrote:
>Same here. I have a M6800D1 and MIKBUG but no source listing. The
>function is a very simple program loader/debugger. What was interesting
>is the code was written so that routines like TTYin, TTYout, PRINTCHR
>and PRINTnum could be called from external programs. Saving some coding
>effort.
>Allison
The first computer I built was a 6800 SS50 bus machine. Of course I wanted
to maintain compatiblity with MIKBUG. So I requested from Motorola their
Engineering Note 100 titled:
MCM6830L7 MIKBUG/MINIBUG ROM
And the good news is that I still have the Engineering Note.
The first 10 pages describes a little hardware, address decoding and address
spaces used. The next 8 pages is a full assembly source listing for MIKBUG.
The next 4 pages is the listing for MINIBUG.
MIKBUG occupied 512 bytes starting at address E000,
it used 128 bytes of ram starting at A000 for scratchpad and the stack,
and a PIA at address 8000 for serial interface to a terminal.
I rewrote the code to move the I/O bus from 8000 to F400,
and the ram from A000 to F000. With the original addressing scheme there was
only room for 32K on contigous memory, AND WHO WOULD EVER NEED MORE THAN 32K
:)
I recoded so that I could have 48K of ram and 12K of Eprom.
I also recoded it to use a parallel keyboard interface and to drive a Percom
video board. Terminals were not cheap then.
I later obtained a hex dump listing of a disassembler. Given the custom of
always using the standard MIKBUG entry points, I was able to figure enough
about the disassembler to have it disassemble itself and later to
disassemble an assembler. Given that info I rewrote both the disassembler
and the assembler and then later assembled a disk operating system from a
source listing published by some company that had one copy of the book left
when I called and ordered it. The DOS was called CP/68, not to be confused
with CPM/68, although CP/68 appears to have had its roots in CPM.
And now here it is years later and I don't even know how many computers
I've got, but I always look back at the time and effort that I put into
that first machine. I sometimes feel I put more into it than I got back
in terms of doing some productive, but then again what I learned from
that has proved worthwhile time and time again. I know that there are
those on this list that are barely out of their teens, and quite frankly
I wonder sometimes what their fascination is for these old machines. Then
again what they will learn from resurrecting some old beast will be worth
a lot more than what they learn in some course somewhere. The graduates
>from the 'school of hard knocks' always seem to be better.
Enough of my ramblings. I looked around the above mentioned web site and
did not find Eng Note 100. I would suspect that it may be out there
somewhere.
If not, and you're unable to get a copy from Motorola, I may be willing to
copy
the Eng Note and send it out. I just hope I am not deluged with requests.
Mike Thompson
Does anyone know where I can find a picture and/or specifications on
Ithaca Intersystems products? Specifically, a circa 1980
microcomputer? I've searched the web a lot, and have come up empty.
-Bill Richman
bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
(Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)
For them in the Bay area, I want to reiterate that HMR USA is worth a
visit. And good news -- They're going to be open on Saturdays. They're
going to be open M-Th for businesses only, and Friday and Saturday for
individuals. They've got a new web site as well: <http://www.hmrusa.com/>
(with no hyphen.)
Anyway, I was there, and picked up:
AST PenExec (aka GRiD 2260/2270) *
Zenith ZFL-181-93 *
Toshiba T1100Plus
Toshiba T3100e/40
Toshiba T5200/100 (2)
Toshiba T5200
NEC MultiSpeed
NEC MultiSpeed EL
NEC MultiSpeed HD
Tandy 1400LT *
Halikan LA5040 *
IBM PS/2 L40SX *
Epson Equity LT
Generic "Portable PCIII" Lunchbox
Generic (different) "Portable 286" Lunchbox
Those marked with a * are ones I need info on the power supply
requirements, especially the PenExec, which uses the same kind of connector
as a Mac Serial cable, the IBM L40SX, and the Halikan which has a male
5-pin DIN connector.
Also, one of the front hinges/supports on the PenExec is broken. Do y'all
think it's okay to just super-glue or epoxy it?
Thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
If anyone can help this fellow out, please reply directly. Besides
looking for a VAXStation or similar, he also has some MVII boards
available.
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
From: mrbill(a)texas.net (Bill Bradford)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: WTB: Older VAXstation or entry-level Alpha
Reply-To: mrbill(a)texas.net
Message-Id: <slrn6hn10n.78t.mrbill(a)staff2.texas.net>
X-Newsreader: slrn (0.9.4.3 UNIX)
Lines: 29
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 10:48:55 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.207.0.39
NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 04:48:55 CST
Path:
blushng.jps.net!nntp.snfc21.pbi.net!news.pbi.net!howland.erols.net!feed2.news.erols.com!erols!nntp.giganews.com!news.giganews.com.POSTED!not-for-mail
If you've got an old VAX system (VAXstation, etc) sitting around in
your closet, I'm interested - I want to get a VMS box up and running
here at home. Alternatively, I'm looking for an AXPpci33 motherboard
and CPU to run AlphaLinux on.
I was given a MicroVAX II about a year ago, but the system arrived in
beat-up-and-unusable condition without drives. I ended up giving the
chassis away, after stripping out all the cards, adapters, and various
serial ports, etc. I still have all of that stuff in a box if anyone
is interested. In fact, I'll give them free to anyone in the Austin
or San Antonio area if you want to come pick them up.
I can be reached at mrbill(a)texas.net.
Bill
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, SysOp,
The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fido 1:343/272)
kyrrin {at} j<p>s d[o]t n=e=t
"...No matter how hard we may wish otherwise, our science can only describe
an object, event, or living creature, in our own human terms. It cannot possibly
define any of them!..."
In a message dated 98-03-28 09:24:11 EST, you write:
<< > <1) Does this really work? I thought you couldn't over clock a true AT?
> < (This particular motherboard is a "256/512 K System Board" with
> < piggy-backed RAM chips. It has lots of "ECOs" on the pin side of
> < the board. I don't know if my other one does, too. Note: ECO =
> < Engineering Change Order.) >>
its my understanding that the original AT bios dated ~1984 would work ok if
the machine was overclocked. later versions of the AT bios were fixed so
overclocking will give you a post failure for your efforts. of course, my type
1 AT had an aftermarket bios so i didnt have that problem, and i could also
specify custom drive types.
david
<Obviously this is meant to over clock the 286, with the rotary switch
<allowing increasing the clock frequency until the 286 fails.
Overclocking another retrorevionistpc idea.
No most likely it allowed you to buy the fastest 286 and clock it at it's
native speed.
<1) Does this really work? I thought you couldn't over clock a true AT?
< (This particular motherboard is a "256/512 K System Board" with
< piggy-backed RAM chips. It has lots of "ECOs" on the pin side of
< the board. I don't know if my other one does, too. Note: ECO =
< Engineering Change Order.)
The AT might go a little faster, at some point the DRAM timing goes flakey
and otehr things start to get cranky.
That's especially true of the ISA cards!
<2) Would increasing the 286-6 to a 286-8,10,12 increase the frequency
< at which it could reliably run? I have a PGA 286-8, but I'm not
< sure there are faster PGA 286s?
There are it went all the way to 12 or 16mhz. I have a LCC version thats
12 and the PS/2m50s I have are 10mhz.
<3) Any software needed? (The ROMs appear to be the same as on my other
< machine.)
None but the rams may get unhappy of pushed to fast (data takes time to
get out).
Allison
> I received today a Diamond Computer Systems Trackstar e
>Apple ][ emulator board for my PC. Does anyone have any instructions for
this
>thing??
>
Yes. I email them to you separately.
-- Kirk
I found an IBM PC/AT (for spare parts for another recently acquired one)
with a small card placed in between one power supply lead to the
motherboard. It also has a lead clipped to the motherboard, presumably
to insert modified clock frequency to the 286.
On the board it says "Megahertz Corp (c) 1986 286-2 REV 4". The board
bolts to the back of the chassis and has one button (reset) and two
switches (6MHz-Turbo and rotary 8-9-10-11-12).
Obviously this is meant to over clock the 286, with the rotary switch
allowing increasing the clock frequency until the 286 fails.
So, this suggests these questions:
1) Does this really work? I thought you couldn't over clock a true AT?
(This particular motherboard is a "256/512 K System Board" with
piggy-backed RAM chips. It has lots of "ECOs" on the pin side of
the board. I don't know if my other one does, too. Note: ECO =
Engineering Change Order.)
2) Would increasing the 286-6 to a 286-8,10,12 increase the frequency
at which it could reliably run? I have a PGA 286-8, but I'm not
sure there are faster PGA 286s?
3) Any software needed? (The ROMs appear to be the same as on my other
machine.)
Thanks for any information anyone can shed on this.
Dave
Thought someone in the group might be interested. As usual, if you
are discovered, I will deny any knowledge of your existence.
>We have an OLD Data General One Laptop from 1983!!!!
>
>We would like to sell it!
>It works well, has a modem, and an HP Think Jet Printer!
>
>No reasonable offer will be refused!
>
>-------
>PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS:
>Send all inquires to: mldat(a)the-pentagon.com
>
>Thank you!
>
-Bill Richman
bill_r(a)inetnebr.com
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
(Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)
Although directed at Tim or Allison (as the two other DEC-savvy folk on
here), this one's wide open. I got the attached E-mail from a visitor to my
web site. Unfortunately, I'm not that familiar with the hardware he's
gotten hold of.
Can someone else get in touch with him and give him a nudge in the right
direction? Thanks!
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
>From: MHarvey863 <MHarvey863(a)aol.com>
>Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 22:32:25 EST
>To: kyrrin(a)jps.net
>Subject: Please help me
>X-Mailer: AOL 3.0.i for Windows sub 161
>X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by dry.jps.net id
TAA11206
>
>Hi there.
>
>I need to beg for help. My department at university has just offloaded its
>junk on me & I've got half a dozen VAXstation 2000's, a VAXServer 3550 and a
>MicroVAX 3500. Your's is the only site that gives refernce to any of these
and
>Digital wanted to charge me ?100 before they'ed even give me the time of
day.
>
>Can you help me with any VAX info or machine info. I believe they all work,
>but the only compatible monitor I had blew up just before I aquired them.
I've
>got the odd three-way cable to connect the mouse, keyboard & monitor and I
>would ideally like to restore the client/server setup that they were in
before
>they were junked.
>
>Thanks very much
>
>Matt Harvey
>
>
>
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272)
(Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net)
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own
human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
> > Your guesses seem correct about the function of the
> connectors, but I'm
> > not so sure about the mapping of the 26-pin connector --
> they seem like
> > they might be reversed from what I would expect. Here are
> a few I buzzed:
The 1488 and 1489 are level shifters (+/-12Vdc to/from +5Vdc) for an
RS-232 interface. This is consistent with an RS-232 port. Remember,
the 26 pin connector will be wired to match whatever serial cable came
with the board, they aren't all the same.
Jack
The other day I picked up a Commodore 128D. [Along with a Timex
Sinclaire 1000 with some sort of module hanging off of it that I'm not
sure about, Also a Commodore 1541 Floppy all for $25 at a Pawn Shop)
Anyhow, I plugged in the C128 and I get only a black screen. I checked
the fuses and notice one had been blown. I replaced it and still only
had a black screen and a newly blown fuse. I'm going to do some checks
on the power supply to see if I can fix the fuse blowing and hopefully
the black screen.
I also have picked up an Atari 520ST with the external floppy drive - no
power supplies or cables. My thinking is that I can always build those
if I need to. What all of this is leading to is - Does anyone know of
any good resources for pinouts, schematics, etc on the old PC's? Also,
does the black screen on the C128D ring any bells for anyone?
Thanks!
Mike
So what's new?
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel A. Seagraves <DSEAGRAV(a)toad.xkl.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, March 27, 1998 2:25 PM
Subject: More Proof that Intel is Backwards.
>God, I hate Intel...
>Playing with PDP-11 assembly. Did x86 assemble before.
>
>X86 move: MOV Destination,Soure
>Everything else move: MOV Source, Destination
>
>Just spent 20 minutes trying to find out why "MOV SP,#1600"
>caused a stackfault every time... (SP goes negative on a push, as 1600/ 0)
>
>Intel is Backwards...
>-------
God, I hate Intel...
Playing with PDP-11 assembly. Did x86 assemble before.
X86 move: MOV Destination,Soure
Everything else move: MOV Source, Destination
Just spent 20 minutes trying to find out why "MOV SP,#1600"
caused a stackfault every time... (SP goes negative on a push, as 1600/ 0)
Intel is Backwards...
-------
Ithica Audio, some pretty neat systems. I used to call on them as an
apps engineer back in 1980. I wouldn't mind finding one or at least the
floppy controller as I had some influence in the design.
<> I also found a National Semiconductor Board Level Computer (BLC). It's
<> 8080A single-board computer from 1977. There's also an unpopulated RO
<> board in the small card cage. I know zilch about this one. There are
<> plenty of unconnected edge-connectors on the CPU board and an on-board
<> 8251, so I assume I can make this one fly if I simply figure out the I/
<> connections and power requirements.
IF it has two edge connectors it's multibus and it was made a few years
later as National was not in the multibus market till 79-81ish.
Allison
Hello,
I'm enjoying the demographics thread for Mar '98. Followed for some
time.
None of the collections seem to mention a Sinclair ZX-80. I had/have
the 4k ROM version, then upgraded to the 8k ROM. "The Monitor Exposed"
(I forget the excellent author's name) was and is my kernel in computer
science, which is how I now make a modest living.
Timex came out with a Sinclair-based machine, too. The Timex 1000, I
think. It had more RAM. Both had an expansion port for RAM They ran
on a Z80 MPU (Thanks to Rodney Zak! I know my Z80 stuff).
There was a magazine called Sync. It had a "alternative" look to the
cover.
My collection is based on computers with which I've had person
experiences. So far, I'm missing some Apples (which shouldn't be hard
to find if I get to cities) and a PDP-11/70, which I probably couldn't
get to work if I had one.
--J. Lynn Hogg
jhogg(a)bigfoot.com
To implement the "slow" mode, the ZX81 has the NMI line connected to
something or other. I have one Timex 1000 and a ZX81, the difference
being 1k (1k in the ZX81, 2k in the Timex) but of course, everyone "has"
to have one of the wobbly 16k packs!
For those interested, you can roll your own ZX80, thanks to the lack of
custom chips! (That's right - Z80, RAM, ROM, and a handfull of TTL
chips...) Schematics and ROM images (also for ZX81) are at
http://www.babytalk.demon.co.uk/zx80/zx80.html
--------------------------------------------
Joachim Thiemann
DSP Coder, Castleton Network Systems
I doubt therefore I might be.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Ruschmeyer [SMTP:jruschme@exit109.com]
> Sent: March 26, 1998 22:52 PM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Re: ZX-81 Re: Sinclair ZX-80
>
> > Hi Lynn,
> >
> > Timex 1000s are EASY to find! I've passed up dozens of them at
> yard
> > sales. I have four that I ended up with for one reason or another.
> BTW
> > I found a ZX-81 the other day. Is anyone familar with it? What's
> the
> > difference between it and a ZX-80?
>
> The ZX-81 is basically a ZX-80 with an enhanced ROM and some extra
> circuitry
> which let it display while computing (SLOW mode).
>
> The TS-1000 is a ZX-81 with 2K of RAM instead of 1K.
>
> <<<John>>>
SyQuest?
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe [SMTP:rigdonj@intellistar.net]
> Sent: Thursday, March 26, 1998 10:28 AM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: What is this? AST 88 Mb drive
>
> I picked up an external drive in a bunch of computer parts. Can anyone
> identify it? It looks like a Bernoulli or Syquest drive but is marked "AST
> Technologies" and "88 MB C". It's the same size as a Bernoulli
> Transportable drive and the cartridge looks like it is *almost* the same
> size as a Bernoulli 90 Mb (but it's not!) It has two 50 pin SCSI
> connectors
> on the back along with a socket for a power cord and two AC outlets. It
> included a SCSI cable that has a male DB-25 connctor on the other end.
> What kind of cartridge does this take? Is it worth bothering with?
>
> Joe
I picked up an external drive in a bunch of computer parts. Can anyone
identify it? It looks like a Bernoulli or Syquest drive but is marked "AST
Technologies" and "88 MB C". It's the same size as a Bernoulli
Transportable drive and the cartridge looks like it is *almost* the same
size as a Bernoulli 90 Mb (but it's not!) It has two 50 pin SCSI connectors
on the back along with a socket for a power cord and two AC outlets. It
included a SCSI cable that has a male DB-25 connctor on the other end.
What kind of cartridge does this take? Is it worth bothering with?
Joe
Received this message... Hope someone can help him out...
>From: "Joe's Second e-mail" <kainjb(a)mysolution.com>
>Subject: For Sale
>
>While cleaning up my basement I found my Atari 800 with three memory
cards, Bit 3 80 column card, original documentation, a game cartridge,
BASIC cartridge, several joysticks, and a new floppy drive that was never
plugged in (Bought a MAC). I did notice that the space bar was cracked, but
it does work :-)
>
>I would like to sell it all off. Please pass this message to any
interested party.
>
>Thank you in advance.
>
>Joe Kain
>219-436-9966
>219-459-1120 Fax
>kainjb(a)mysolution.com
>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
I bought this thing with all packaging and manuals. It's called the
AccuCard, and is made by Emerson UPS. It fits into an 8-bit ISA slot,
and goes between the power supply and motherboard in terms of power.
If the power supply should turn off, the thing will keep the mother
board on. It claims to save something to disk, but I don't know how
it keeps the drives on. I don't think my power cable will reach, but
I will try to install it, and report back.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
