31 May
2001
31 May
'01
10 a.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
<snip>
I'm suprised it took a microprocessor to do this. I don't know the
details of the HP tape reader interface, but the HP optical tape reader I
have (rescued with the 2100A) looks pretty simple inside, so I have to
conclude the interface is going to be much the same as on other optical
tape readers.
And for those, I could design the interface between the computer's paper
tape port and a counter/EPROM array using a few TTL chips, probably as a
state machine in most cases.
-tony
2 one-shots could do the job, but the Z8 also drove a Decitek tape reader
to capture original paper tape images for transfer to the ROM burner.
Not having good documentation on the Decitek, programmability was a big
help.
I think that an improved version of the reader-emulator would make better use
of the micro by switching into the console serial line and prompting to select
a tape image, and then returning the console to the system during the boot cycle.