20 Oct
2010
20 Oct
'10
2:11 p.m.
From: "Ethan Dicks": Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:49 AM
Considering how much of the -8/i backplane it takes up (about 1/2 as
much as the EAE), it's a noticable chunk.
I did once design an extended memory controller (with time-share)
that was only a few inches on a side. But that was for the 6100, and
it also used a GAL or two, IIRC. Proper homage to the historical
8/I design would definitely be larger.
:-).
There are still plenty of RX01 and RX02 drives around, though they are
big, and are starting to get more expensive. (There's also the concern
that most of them are coming at the expense of PDP-11 systems.)
Vince
The memory extension hardware to take it over 4K is
obviously
non-trivial in size (especially considering it doesn't fit in an -8/L
CPU enclosure).
Good point. You would definitely need some board area for that.
Or one could
go with an RX08 interface for extra clanking ambiance :-).
While amusing and handy for some (I would use it), unless someone
whips up a cable-compatible RX01/RX02 emulator (could be to floppy or
removable FLASH), there are only so many original drive sets running
around. Of course, one could build that RX01 emulator and include an
optional Arduino-based MP3 player to emit the whirring and clanking.
Frivolous but entertaining.