19 Aug
2013
19 Aug
'13
3:50 p.m.
On 18/08/13 3:28 PM, Tony Duell wrote:
Thanks very much for the information and encouragement. Dave McGuire
says I should get hold of some C011 chips too.
Or C012s, which are a later version with a differnet host interface.
Either can be used... They are very useful, in that they let you link a
noraml microprocessor bus to the Trnasputer Link. Since you can boot a
transputer over the link, all you really need is a link adapter chip
(C011 or C012) o na suitable host system, an output pot on that machine
to toggle reset, etc, a 5Mhz clock (easiest way to get that is to get a
10MHz oscilaltor and divide by 2, of course) and a transputer. You can
start with the internal RAM of the transputer only, the thing can run a
program.
It is _possible_ to manage without the C011 or C012. Inmos made/sold
transputer chips befroe they made/sold the link adapters. One of the
first trasnpter systems -- the ITEM (Inmos Transputer Evaluation Machine)
used trasnputers booting from external EPROMs. Said EPROMs included the
code to boot the machien viar an RS232 port (!).
Hang on, jsut pulled a processor board from my ITEM. It contains a T414,
a bit of TTL, 4 EPROMs (presuambly to get a 32 bit data word), a soignle
PAL (labeleed RESANAL 0 (Reset/Analyse, I guess), 2681 serial chaip, a
copuple of RS232 buffers, a DC-DC converter and 32 RAM chips. There are 2
DB25s on the front edge of the board, and a DIP swithc that lets you
select booting from ROM (RS232 port, I guess) or a link, disabling the
transputer itnernal RAM, setting link speeds, etc.
[T2/T4/T8]
On 17/08/13 3:02 PM, Tony Duell wrote:
It is veyry easy.. The T4 and T8 (at least) have a configurable memoery
controller on-chip. For most applciations you just tie one of the pins on
the Trnasputer ot one of the address/data lines to set it up.
... > The Transputer was actually a very simple and
elegant design -- and very
Yes. I used a couple for my Ph.D. work and I've yet to see a processor
that is easier to interface or program.
I still want to build a homebrew SBC based on one or two. Also, very cleverly, binary compatible (if you stick
to common
capabilities).
Yes, althogu hthere are ways to tell them apart if you have to. The
transputer is probably also the only microprocessor where you don't read
an instruciutonm all in oen go. You build it up in an intenral register
then exeute it. Common instructions are 1 byte long a sa result, others
take rather more.
-tony