31 Oct
2005
31 Oct
'05
4:07 p.m.
Actually
I am trying to think of anything I own and depend on (or
even use actively) that I am not capable of repairing....
Your PC's harddisk,
have managed to remeber it - even if I've
misremembered, I'm quite sure
he does not "depend on" one) and quite likely does not have, and surely
does not depend on, a modern "harddisk" - by which I mean one with
I do not depend on a PC, I do not depend on the hard disk.
effectively unrepairable electronics (by heavy
dependence on
undocumented ASICs) and a sealed and approximately unrepairable
head/platter assembly.
Alas many of my machines do have microprocessors in them. I even have a
few machines with custom ASICs or bybrid modules for the processor. In
another thread I've been discussing the HP9845. My HP9845B with
high-speed language processor and enhanced mono monitor contains 3
procesors :
The Peripheral Procesor Unit. A custom HP hybrid module
The Language Processor Unit. 3 PCBs full of AMD 29xx bit-slice, PROMs, TTL
The graphics processor. An HP ASIC
But I don't depend on that machine, and can repair it to component (i.e.
IC or hybrid module) level, even though there is no official
documentation on doing this.
-tony
Also the same is true for the computer CPU's.
Not for most (all, probably, given his statement) of Tony's machines.