7 Dec
2007
7 Dec
'07
6:25 p.m.
one terminal that has no microprocessor (a Basic/4
terminal). I have
a graphics generator that has no microprocessor, but that's just a
display device not a terminal.
The classic example of that is the HP1350 'Grpahics Translator' This is a
2U-high rack case that connects to an HPIB bus (I believe there was also
an RS232 version, but I've never seen one), and to an HP vector display.
You send it commands in cut-down HPGL (ASCII command codes and decimal
numbers) and it displays the resulting vectors on the monitor.
What makes it odd is that not only is there no microprocessor inside, but
the circuitry doesn't ahve a parocessor-like architectore. It's just
random logic. BCD-binary converters, state machines, 4K DRAMs, etc.
-tony