28 Feb
2013
28 Feb
'13
6:56 p.m.
On 02/28/2013 03:06 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:
That is with STOCK hardware.
Fischer's diagnostic ROM was usable with a non-standard serial card
with hardwired configuration, that did not require software initialization.
A friend and I marketed a replacement for the MDA card on a 5150/5160
that used a Z80 and a bunch of parts to allow the PC user to replace
their display card and hook up a VT-100/220 style terminal--and switch
or split-screen the PC data with other serial data (say, from a
minicomputer) on the terminal. It also took the terminal keyboard codes
and translated them to 5150 scan codes. It had a certain appeal, but
wasn't fast enough to work effectively with a 5170 and would not do
graphics.
I still have the board (and a few abandoned prototypes).
--Chuck