HP 1000/E

From: Bob Shannon <bshannon(a)tiac.net> Reply-To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Re: HP 1000/E Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 09:56:42 -0500 Wow, you got an amazing deal! I've been looking for a spare 2113 for a while now, as I have a custom instrument that is based on a HP 2113 processor. I would have easily paid 10 times that price! As for operating systems and software, you have at least two options... First, the easy path... Simply run HP's stand-alone basic. You can download a binary image of the media, originally a paper tape, from Jeff's HP2100 Archives. Now you need a way to get that data into the machine, and a console port. You will also need a 'Buffered TTY Register' board to serve as a console serial port. Later HP machines (like the 2113) often use the BACI (Buffered Async Communications Adapter) board, which is NOT compatible with HP Basic. Depending on what interface boards you have, we may be able to work out a deal. I usually boot HP Basic from a custom tape reader emulator that holds the binary image of the paper tape in EPROM. This reader-emulator connects to a HP 'Microcircuit Interface' board, and the software is loaded using the built-in boot loader ROMs in the HP 2113. You simply power up, set a few switches on the front panel, then press IBL, Preset, then IBL once again, and the loader code is stored in memory. Pressing RUN at this point will load the tape image into memory, and away you go. Now then the hard way... HP's operating system's for these machines are pretty nasty. The 'top of the line' OS was RTE-6VM, and the more common OS was RTE-IVB (RTE 4B). These operating systems were unlike anything I've ever seen, cryptic, obtuse, and fairly painful to use. As an example, to run a compiled program, you had to link the code into the OS itself. The hardest part here, is getting a useable disk system. RTE-IVB uses what were called MAC interface disks, while RTE-6VM also supported ICD drives, using a specialized version of the IEEE-488 interface. Supporting the original operating systems is a lot of work, and I strongly reccomend you run HP Basic. Now, what exactly do you have? The HP 2113 was one of the last machines in a long series going back to 1968. Your 2113 is binary code compatible with the original HP 2116, the first HP product to use the then new-fangeled IC chips. HP2113's were still selling for $13,000+ in 1983, and are exceptionally well-built. It has no stack, but executes subroutines much like a PDP-8. In addition to the original HP 2116 instructions, the HP 2113 also adds several new registers and instructions, as well as a virtual memory scheme that can address 1 megaword of solid-state memory. Oh yes, many of the original interface boards from a 1968 HP 2116 will plug right into your 2113 and work perfectly (but not the cool oscilloscope point-plot display board...). I have a MS-DOS based version of the HP assembler, so you can assemble small programs on your PC. I am also working on a program for the PC that will send the paper tape image from the assembler into the HP via my tape reader emulator. Once this is working, it should be possible to boot the HP directly from a file on the PC's disk. Take a careful inventory of the interface boards you have, and we can see if there is something in there you can use to get your machine running HP Basic. (many generic HP interface boards can be made to serve as psudo-tape reader interfaces).