test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<I think this calls for the development of a custom Pascal unit to access <foreign filesystems (ie. FAT). I don't think Pascal gives you enough lo <level control to do this right from the language itself, but I'm sure <there are ways to link in assembled code. A project to add to the <spare-time list. P-sys pascal can get to devices and disks so to write a disk with a different directory structure is doable. It's been done for P-sys to CP/M, Turbodos, apple][. You can also link in assembly code. Also I believe it may be possible to write a disk driver(for hard disk) in pascal and bind it to a free unit. For that you would UCSD pascal Docs and any implementation docs for the specific system. Some of that might be possible to infer. Though it's been 10 years since I last ran my copy of NS* UCSD P-sys but other than speed I remember it as flexible, well organized and cramped (northstar* single density drives were only 80k!). Allison

28 years, 1 month

UCSD Pascal

by jfoust＠threedee.com

UCSD Pascal for IBM PC-DOS could run on a hard disk by using .VOL files, which were floppy images of the P-System block format. For much UCSD P-System info, see my web page, including utilities that can get a directory and burst these .VOL files. - John Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>

28 years, 1 month

Mac hi-res monitor

by A_Finney＠wfi-inc.com

Are you still interested? At 10:56 AM 2/11/98 EST, you wrote: >yes! i need one! glad to pay shipping to nc. is it available? > >david > > >In a message dated 98-02-10 15:25:34 EST, you write: > ><< Does anyone need a Mac mono monitor? Model number MO400, circa 1987. Best > offer takes it, no matter how pathetic. Recipient either pays shipping or > picks it up in the LA area (it's not heavy at all, I can't imagine that ups > ground would be more than a few bucks on this thing). >> > >

28 years, 1 month

TIMSAI (was Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit)

by rcini＠email.msn.com

On Wed, 25 Feb 1998 08:28:45 -0800 (PST), Tim Shoppa <shoppa(a)alph02.triumf.ca> wrote: {snip} >>For those who really want a S-100 front panel machine, maybe they'd be >>willing to pay for me to make duplicates of my TIMSAI. Features: {snip} Tim, I heard that at one point you were making schematics and info about your TIMSAI project available to those who are interested. Is this still the case? ------------------------------------------------- Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com> (remove nospam_ to use) - ClubWin Charter Member (6) - MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking

28 years, 1 month

Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Well, I've had an idea for quite some time, and now's the best time yet to pop it up... in many developing contries, resources are streesed out, and many attempts to industrialize these contries are going underway. The thing is that in some areas, going to school's a new requirement, and that these schools arn't up to specs. The idea for them going to schools is so that they have better opertunities than their parents did (so that they could say do accounting instead of sweeping floors). Now, to me, that means having at least a little coputing experience. I want to design (with help!) a computer that gives the most power at the lowest price. The shipping computers to other contries idea is noble, but we need to go farther, and, this can be fun. We could use the same idea, etc. if anyone's interested, please contact me privately. I'm really interested in it now, but need lots of help. Thanks, Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: Charles A. Davis <cad(a)gamewood.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 5:49 PM Subject: Re: Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit >Scott Walde wrote: >> >> > >Thinking out loud: >> > >I wonder what the market would be for an Apple I replica? >> >> Also thinking out loud: >> Maybe if we as collectors flood the market with Altair and IMSAI and Apple >> I replicas it would drive the price of the real things back down. > >Yeah, but!!! > >Can you picture the problems trying to document the lenieage of a >'genuine' Altair, IMSAI, or Apple. > >Chuck > >-- >----------------------------------------------------------- >He, who will not reason, is a bigot; William Drumond, >he, who cannot, is a fool; Scottish writer >and he, who dares not, is a slave. (1585-1649) >While he that does, is a free man! Joseph P. 1955- >----------------------------------------------------------- > (be sure to correct the return address when using 'reply') >Chuck Davis / Sutherlin Industries FAX # (804) 799-0940 >1973 Reeves Mill Road E-Mail -- cad(a)gamewood.net >Sutherlin, Virginia 24594 Voice # (804) 799-5803

28 years, 1 month

[Fwd: Any info on an 8-bit Sharp computer?]

by hansp＠columbia.digiweb.com

Can anyone help with info/softwre on a Sharp MZ-700. Reply directly to Eurico and perhaps suggest that he subscribes. -- Hans B. Pufal : <mailto:hansp@digiweb.com> Comprehensive Computer Catalogue : <http://www.digiweb.com/~hansp/ccc/> _-_-__-___--_-____-_--_-_-____--_---_-_---_--__--_--_--____---_--_--__--_

28 years, 1 month

Pascal System

by mallison＠konnections.com

I have an IBM Pascal System for the PC Does anyone know if it's possible to use a hard drive with this system? There are no references and no seeming commands for manipulating storage.... Ideas?? -Mike

28 years, 1 month

Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< My recent COSMAC 1802 find had a white CPU with gold cap. I'd <never seen anything like that before. That was the ceramic package RCA used until about 1981ish. I must have two or three date coded '76-78 time frame. Actually I have tubes of LSI all from before 81 just laying around. Allison

28 years, 1 month

Pretty good week

by adam＠merlin.net.au

> Re: where to find them. You guys should be down here in Florida. I find >so many that I have to pick and choose. I left behind 4 AT&T 3B2s, a NeXt, >an AT&T 6300, 2 HP Appollos and 2 HP 9000/300s yesterday. All of that was >at a GSA auction at KSC. I did get a COMPLETE Commodeore Pet set and a Vax >Station 3100 for Zane. Do you have any idea what I would do for a NeXT Cube? :) Almost anything - it is right up the top of my wish list. I have only seen one for sale in Australia in the past 12 months, and they were asking $1200 for it. :( Mind you, it didn't sell. Adam.

28 years, 1 month

Classic Displays (was RE: Future Computing Trends)

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

From: Ward Donald Griffiths III <gram(a)cnct.com> Subject: RE: Future Computing Trends >I defy _anybody_ to say that a "better" display would improve any >Big Five Software arcade games as they ran on the 128x48 monochrome >graphics of the TRS-80 1/3. And I defy anybody to find a better >batch of arcade games, unless you really want to see the blood from >kicked-in faces, a fetish I outgrew 25 or so years ago. I know exactly what you mean, I recall my few months of playing with a TRS-80 (loaned to me from the high school) with that wobbly picture when there was too much white on some lines... Sometimes you loose the translation with the sharp graphics generated on multi-sync displays by the emulators. I recall a video flaw on the PET what would generate a hairline verticle line between two characters which I took advantage of in one program (I would not expect VICE to reproduce that)... Then on the 64 some games looked cooler on regular composite monitors than on the crisp split-composite due to the artifacting (case in point was the game Sword of Fargoal, the unicorn's horn looked more like a rainbow than a white dotted line). It was those minute blurs that made the graphics a bit more fancy. Larry Anderson -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our Commodore 64 BBS (Silicon Realms 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

Is the RL02 cable straight-through?

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Stupid question: > >You are putting the bottom cover of the disk pack >on top of the disk pack before you close the top, >aren't you? The "lid closed" microswitch won't trip otherwise. The only stupid question is the one you didn't ask. And stupidity is in the eye of the beholder. A.

28 years, 1 month

Provenance and lineage

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< I don't care for replicas. Instead of building a replica why not try < to make your own design from scratch? At least it would be original. I'm likely one of the few that could build a TRS-80/altair/? clone and use unused parts all of the correct age! My spares bin is that deep and old. To me there is no point, I can find an original and bring it back to life easier. Allison

28 years, 1 month

Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

No, WE make the computer, specifically designed for education/appliance apps and then ship it across the pond. Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Thursday, February 26, 1998 1:29 AM Subject: Re: Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit >At 08:45 PM 2/25/98 +0300, you wrote: >>Well, I've had an idea for quite some time, and now's the best time yet to >>pop it up... in many developing contries, resources are streesed out, and >>many attempts to industrialize these contries are going underway. The thing >>is that in some areas, going to school's a new requirement, and that these >>schools arn't up to specs. The idea for them going to schools is so that >>they have better opertunities than their parents did (so that they could say >>do accounting instead of sweeping floors). Now, to me, that means having at >>least a little coputing experience. I want to design (with help!) a >>computer that gives the most power at the lowest price. The shipping >>computers to other contries idea is noble, but we need to go farther, and, > > Tim, > > It's a noble idea but before a country can manufacture their own computer >they sould be able to manufacture the majority of the components for it >otherwise they're nothing more than assembly line workers using imported >parts. When you stop and consider all the stuff that goes into even the >simplest computer (sheet metal, molded plastics, resistors, capacitors, >ICs, transformers, circuit boards, special connectors, floppy drives, hard >drives, etc etc etc) you realize the industrial scale that is needed for >this sort of effort. I used to work in aerospace engineering and some of >our foreign contracts called for a minimum percent of the components to be >built in the country that was buying our systems. We made every effort to >meet that requirement but I can tell you it's very hard to find companies >capable of this level of technology outside of the US, England, Germany and >Japan. For example, we had a contract with Canada and one of the parts we >subcontracted to Canadian manufacturers was flexible circuit boards similar >to those used in the hinge of laptops. NO Canadian manufacturer was able >to make those parts despite their best efforts. > > PS I'm Canadian by birth so I don't want any flames about what Canada >can and can't do. > > Joe > > >>this can be fun. We could use the same idea, etc. if anyone's interested, >>please contact me privately. I'm really interested in it now, but need lots >>of help. >> Thanks, >> >>Tim D. Hotze >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Charles A. Davis <cad(a)gamewood.net> >>To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers >><classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> >>Date: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 5:49 PM >>Subject: Re: Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit >> >> >>>Scott Walde wrote: >>>> >>>> > >Thinking out loud: >>>> > >I wonder what the market would be for an Apple I replica? >>>> >>>> Also thinking out loud: >>>> Maybe if we as collectors flood the market with Altair and IMSAI and >>Apple >>>> I replicas it would drive the price of the real things back down. >>> >>>Yeah, but!!! >>> >>>Can you picture the problems trying to document the lenieage of a >>>'genuine' Altair, IMSAI, or Apple. >>> >>>Chuck >>> >>>-- >>>----------------------------------------------------------- >>>He, who will not reason, is a bigot; William Drumond, >>>he, who cannot, is a fool; Scottish writer >>>and he, who dares not, is a slave. (1585-1649) >>>While he that does, is a free man! Joseph P. 1955- >>>----------------------------------------------------------- >>> (be sure to correct the return address when using 'reply') >>>Chuck Davis / Sutherlin Industries FAX # (804) 799-0940 >>>1973 Reeves Mill Road E-Mail -- cad(a)gamewood.net >>>Sutherlin, Virginia 24594 Voice # (804) 799-5803 >> >> >

28 years, 1 month

BBC troubleshooting (remote debugging)?

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

Hi all. Thanks to the BBC people who have helped me so far in my quest to restore to life my BBC-B. I have some detailed descriptions of the problem, hopefully to help you help me. Actually its kind of interesting, as I'm sure the problem can be deduced without touching the hardware at all. But first, I have fairly carefully made sure ALL socketed chips are firmly pressed down. And, to be sure, I tried the obligatory half-inch-drop test. More like a 3g WHAM actually. Nothing fixed, nothing further broken :) So, here's a sequence of events and what happens... Power on - BEEP you see just a flashing cursor about 1/3 way down the screen Interestingly, you seem to always see the cursor in the correct spot on screen - this is kind of strange as it doesn't follow the problems evident in the characters - I'd guess that the cursor is some sort of hardware cursor rather than software, and applied independantly of video memory - am I right? So, you see a flashing cursor - I also guess that the top few lines above the cursor are some sort of boot message for the machine. You don't see anything but the cursor. type (AAA, for example) and you see the cursor move horizontally. But no characters. If you power up again, and hit about 9 returns, you see a > that is, the prompt. But, you also see it all over the top half of the screen repeated every 64 character positions. I counted. The screen is currently in 40 x 25. type AAA and you see AAA beside every prompt on the screen (about 9, from memory). delete the AAA, back to the > now type 12345678901234567890123 etc you can type exactly 31 characters (32 with the prompt included) and then you can't see what you're typing anymore. Delete all that. Hit Returns to the bottom of the screen. A prompt appears, and the bottom of the screen is also filled with prompts every 64 characters. now do the 1234567890 etc. You can type 63 (64 with the prompt) and as you type, the lower screen fills (ie: beside every prompt) with what you're typing. After 64, you've filled the lower screen and can't see what you're typing anymore. Typing more characters DOES NOT erase the characters under the cursor (ie: you're seeing different video memory from where the data is being stored). When lines scroll off the top of the screen, those lines appear again at the bottom of the screen. I did see some interesting random colours and corruption on the screen, but only once. now type CLS type 40 As 40 Bs Cs, Ds, Es, Fs. you get a beep (limit is 6 lines) press return all you see is the flashing cursor (screen is empty) now Gs Hs Is Js... you type 8 Js, and suddenly you start seeing what you type another 32 Js Ks .... you type 32, and the entire top of the screen is now filled with Js and Ks. the next 8Ks are invisible. Ls... BEEP (6 line limit) Ms Ns Os Ps Qs Rs.... BEEP NONE of the above 6 lines appear onscreen RETurn > appears in bottom half of screen (7 of them, in the 64 spacing pattern) type Ss..... when you get to the last 8, they appear (with the >) beside the Ks where the last 8 were unseen. So, quite a puzzle. 64 is a magic number, implying to me that somewhere a 7th bit is misbehaving on an address. I'd appreciate any comments and insights on this pattern. Where do I go from here? Cheers Andrew

28 years, 1 month

front panels

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<>> Processor. The 8080 CPU does I/O To/From the accumulator which is <> <>I beg to differ. Last I checked, today the 8080 IO is from and to the accumulator. <>All you have to do is to put the CPU into a wait state, tri-state the <>bus buffers and directly drive the address, data and control lines from <>hardware on the frontpanel controller. You can access memory or I/O port <>that way. <> <In other words, make the front panel do a DMA access, either to memory or <I/O port? That way it doesn't affect the CPU state at all, except the CP <has to be running in order to handle the DMA grant. Show me a simple mod that would make the Altair or IMSAI or their direct decendants do it. I'd suggest looking at what they did do first as it will limit your options. As to what can be done with a clean sheet of paper I can give you the following: Good, Fast, Cheap: you may pick any two. Allison <

28 years, 1 month

Walnut Creek CP/M CDROM Discontinued

by bwit＠pobox.com

The Computer Journal used to carry this CD. Try at http://www.psyber.com/~tcj/ Bob ---------- From: Jason Brady[SMTP:jrbrady@mindspring.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 1998 5:15 PM To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: Walnut Creek CP/M CDROM Discontinued Tried to order one today - Walnut Creek discontinued this product a couple of weeks ago. Lousy timing, eh? Does anyone know of a third party vendor that might have some available? Thanks, Jason Brady jrbrady(a)mindspring.com Seattle, WA

28 years, 1 month

Northstar Horizon

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<I'm not sure if the Horizon bus is fully IEEE-696 compliant. Tim or <Allison? Close enough, it never caused me grief. Allison

28 years, 1 month

Epson Equity LT 286

by alanr＠morgan.ucs.mun.ca

I have recently come into an Epson Equity LT 286 laptop, however I didn't get an AC adapter with it. Does anyone out there have one they can part with, or better yet, have the specs handy so I can hack on together myself? Any help would be appreciated. ------------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________________Live from the GLRS The Man From D.A.D ------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

Future Computing Trends

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

Last night, I was mucking around eBay (don't ask me why, I'm so broke I can't pay attention) and spotted an AirMedia "NewsCatcher Internet Antenna!" with a starting bid of $5 and no bids. So I put in a bid of $5. I'm not worried about whether or not I'm the high bidder when all is said and done, but it did get me thinking. I've got a Ricochet modem (Yeah!), there's this thing, I know there was another PCMCIA card thing that did wireless connectivity... Probably others I'm not aware of. IIRC, one of the features of Alan Kay's (proposed) Dynabook was that whereever you went, (school, office, library, etc.) the computer would be aware of what resources were available at that facility and would be able to access them wirelessly. As I see it, we're going to get to a point somewhere down the line where Alan Kay's idea will come true -- except that instead of just being able to access local resources, you'll be able to access the 'net from just about anywhere, wirelessly. This will all be built in to laptops. So it occurs to me that these first, early attempts at wireless connectivity are important milestones, and are worth collecting now (or in the near future when they become affordable). I guess, then, my question is, does anyone have any suggestions as to what else may fall into this category? Feel free to e-mail me directly... --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/

28 years, 1 month

Future Computing Trends

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 12:41 AM 2/22/98 -0500, you wrote: >I defy _anybody_ to say that a "better" display would improve any >Big Five Software arcade games as they ran on the 128x48 monochrome >graphics of the TRS-80 1/3. And I defy anybody to find a better I dunno if "eliminat" (Eliminator) was a Big Five game, but it was great. I too, have yet to see much on anything newer that can beat it. (Okay, well, maybe BallBlazer on the Atari.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/

28 years, 1 month

Photo of Smithsonian microcomputer exhibit

by higginbo＠netpath.net

At 08:42 PM 2/25/98 +0000, you wrote: >Yuck!!! Why on earth would anybody want to do that? If you want a machine >that's not available, then recreate it using parts as close to the >originals in function as possible, sure (as an example, say you couldn't >get any 2102 1K*1 RAMs. Use 2114 1K*4 RAMs instead - just a quarter of >the number). But to use the logic board out of some other machine >attempting to emulate a classic is plain stupid. Look, opinions differ. No need to get ugly about it. Different aspects are more important to different people. I won't try to defend my position here, you win, I'm stupid. There. Now isn't that better than a flood of messages back and fourth?

28 years, 1 month

BBC troubleshooting (remote debugging)?

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>> Power on - BEEP >That should be a two-tone beep. It's the standard BBC power-up sequence. Ok... bEEP...BEEP! >In mode 7, 1 byte of video memory corresponds to 1 character on the >screen. So it looks like you have a problem with address line MA6 from >the 6845. If you can borrow a logic probe, look at pin 10 of the 6845 >(look at 8, 9, 11 as well, in case I've miscounted) - there should be a >square wave (pulsing) there, and then trace it through IC36c (again, >there should be pulsing at pin 8 of this chip). Will be a while before I can borrow a logic probe. However, removing and reseating the 6845 has had no effect on the problem. To be continued... A

28 years, 1 month

Re.: PDP Diagnostic card

by rcini＠email.msn.com

On 2/24/98, Tony Duell wrote: {snip, snip about the DEC KM11 maintenance card} Tony: I took a look at the KM11 diagnostics card and compared the pinout to the Unibus pinout that was posted on the list in the last week. First off, do you think that the KM11 will work on an 11/34?? Anyway, I'm not clear as to whether the function descriptions that I have match what the KD11 is supposed to use: 1. bus pin B1 (I'm assuming that that's really pin AB1) is BIRQ6 (according to the post last week), but is shown supplying 8v to the display drivers. 2. The switch S1 is shown providing a ground path on closure to pin AB2. According to the previous post, AB2 is a -12v supply rail. 3. Switch S2 is feeding pin AV2, which is BDAL01. 4. Switch S3 is debouncing pin AA1, BIRQ5. 5. Switch S4 is debouncing pin AU1, PSpare1. Hopefully I'm looking at the right diagram! Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com> (remove nospam_ to use) ClubWin! Charter Member (6) MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking ============================================

28 years, 1 month

Motorola MEK6802D5

by ian＠okjunc.junction.net

Hello all, I just aquired a "Motorola Memory Systems MEK6802D5" single board computer. It appears to be a 6802 evaluation or prototyping unit. It has a hex keypad and a 6-digit HEX display. In my old Motorola literature, I can find a reference for a MEK6802D3 from 1979, which appears to be an older version of this. The date code on the chips places it at circa 1980. Does anyone have any information on this unit? Any idea where I can get any documentation or programming info? It appears to be fully functional (at least, I get a display, and I can page up and down through memory examining and changing contents, etc). Any info would be appreciated. ___ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ |_ _|__ _ _ _ | \/ / _| | __ _ _ _ __ _| |_ | (_)_ _ Okanagan | |/ _` | ' \ | |\/| \__| |_/ _` | | / _` | ' \| | | ' \ Internet |___\__,_|_||_| |_| |_| |___\__,_|___\__, |_||_|_|_|_||_| Junction Network Operations Centre |___/ Phone +1 (888) 944-INET

28 years, 1 month

Walnut Creek CP/M CDROM Discontinued

by jrbrady＠mindspring.com

Tried to order one today - Walnut Creek discontinued this product a couple of weeks ago. Lousy timing, eh? Does anyone know of a third party vendor that might have some available? Thanks, Jason Brady jrbrady(a)mindspring.com Seattle, WA

28 years, 1 month

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