9 Nov
1998
9 Nov
'98
10:24 a.m.
I have been in discussion with some folks about
1802's and the possibility
of producing a modern PCB for the Popular Electronicss Elf design. Hans
Franke seems to think that there would be some interest in Germany for
a few units, enough to make me consider burning a board.
I realy would like to play with such a beast :)
I would be
curious to hear what other list members though about price, features, etc.
The good news is that Harris still makes the 1802 for less than $10, and
the TIL311 displays that the Elf calls for are available for less than $10
each, used.
How authentic should a modern Elf be? Try to use
1822/2101 RAM or use
cheaper 6264 SRAM chips? Add space for an optional 1861 video chip,
a-la the fourth part of the orginal Elf article? Add space for a 1854
UART? Add an I/O port? Add nothing to the Quest PCB layout? Remove
nothing? (There was a socket for a 16-pin PROM and room for onboard 7805
regulator as well as optional memory battery backup).
To add my opinion, I would just go for the minimal design, with
spare for all parts, maybe with a spare for the video, althroug
I think this one is no longer available, and we would need more
than just the chip. Futher I would add a two sockets for two to
32 K RAM/EPROM and some logic to mirror the EPROM to address 0
after reset (selectable per switch). Eventualy also spares for
additional 1852s.
Another question, perhaps more on topic - would this
count as a classic?
It could be authentic as far as operation is concerned (toggle switches
and 256 bytes of accessible RAM), but it would still be on a modern
board, made recently. In short, does form or function denote "classic"?
It's not a classic, but rather a replica. And in difference
of Mercedes SSK look alikes on FORD or GM chasis the main
parts (CPU, RAM, Display) would be genuine.
Servus
hans
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK