21 Aug
2004
21 Aug
'04
2:20 a.m.
On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 22:41:57 +0100 (BST)
ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
(*trimmed*)
(PC hardware
is notoriosuly badly docuemnted and therefore
OK, trivial...
If you want both hardware and software documentation (i.e. schematics
_and ROM source code_) then the obvious ones are :
Apple : Apple ][ and Apple //e (and maybe other machines in that
family). I am told the IBM PC Techref was modelled on the Apple
manuals.
HP : HP71B. I am sure you've read the complete IDS (I certainly have,
it's excellent). Incidentally, do you have the HP71 Forth IMS
(Internal Maintenance Specification)? It's very interesting.
Research Machines : RML380Z. It's a separate hardware 'Information
File' giving schematics, etc and a COS (Cassette Operating System)
Source listing. Admittedly I've never seen the latter (it was an
optional purchase), but it existed.
DEC : PDP11. The PDP11/45 CPU technical manual and printset
(schematics) are much better than the IBM Techref. You could get a
source license for the OS if you could afford it, too.
DEC : PDP8. I am not sure about the OS sources, but the hardware
manuals, at least for the 8/e are again excellent.
HEath/Zentih : H89/Z90. The manuals I got with my Z90 had schematics
and ROM source listings in them.
If you just want hardware docs (i.e. full schematics) and the
programming interface (i.e. not full ROM sources) then also :
HP : Portable+ , HP150, etc (and I assume the HP110). There are
excellent technical manuals for these machines
Acorn : BBC Micro, Archimedes, etc. Again, schematics are easy to
obtain either in 'Advanced User Guides' or service manuals
Raido Shack : All TRS-80s had service manuals available to anyone who
wanted to order them. And many had technical reference manuals
available as well.
Need I go on?
difficult to maintain
Bah! The PC is probably THE best documented computer out there.
Name
another company that produced as thorough a Tech Ref as IBM. Name
another comany that has produced and PUBLICLY sold as
many service and parts
manuals as IBM has for the PC AND ALL OF IT'S ACCESSORIES AND
PERIPHERALS.
IBM service manuals (at least the Hardware Maintenance
and Service
manual i have for my PC/AT) are boardswapper guides. They're pretty
useless now, they are totally useless when there are no more boards to
swap.
The IBM PC/XT and PC/AT Technical Reference manuals include complete
schematics, and they include complete, commented source code listings
for the BIOS. Similar documents exist for some of the 'clone' machines,
i.e. the Compaq Deskpro and the AT&T 6300.
This is sadly not the case for most of the modern (modern meaning
anything newer than the XT/AT generations) 'PeeCee' hardware, but it is
the case with the earlier systems. It's definitely the case with the
machines from the era of most of the other hardware you listed, i.e. the
Apple II, HP71B.
Times have changed, but times have changed all over.