22 Mar
2007
22 Mar
'07
7:23 a.m.
On 21/03/07, Dave Dunfield <dave06a at dunfield.com> wrote:
> I know there was a FORTRAN compiler for the
SuperPET, but having not
> used it, I have to ask what the available target CPUs were - 6809,
> 6502, or both?
> PETs were popular in some lab settings, so I
would think that if
> FORTRAN would have been available for it, there would have been a
> niche market. Perhaps that's why the SuperPET had FORTRAN as an
> option.
My SuperPET once served as a controller for Lab equipment in the
Physics dept. at McGill, but I'm fairly certain it was in the 6502
mode (likely BASIC, even). Basic acquisition using the IEEE-488 port,
actual processing was probably done on bigger irons.
The Waterloo software (including all the compiled
languages) runs pretty
much independant of the 6502, using the original PET hardware just for I/O.
(In fact, the MicroWAT, a small stand-alone 6809 computer ram the Waterloo
languages without a 6502/PET board at all). There are no options to compile
code for the 6502.
IIRC, (and I do intend to check soon - cleaning and powering up my
SP9000 is a task for this spring :-) the languages are not actually
compiled - it's interpreted.
It is very slow to use - but I suppose that wasn't
a major problem for the
learning environment it was intended for - Most of the programs compiled
would be small, and it sure beat having to relocate to a mainframe shop.
I have two working SuperPETs, and I love them - not only do they have my
favorite 8-bit processor (6809), but also APL which I was fanatical about
when I first started "discovered computers" playing with the university
mainframe. Very cool machines!
Yes, it's the APL which really makes the machines special. We don't
need no stinkin' bit-mapped display! We have custom character sets!
(I think I still have the sheet with the sticky APL keycaps - though
they are actually in the front of the key - invaluable unless you can
touch type funky greek characters!)
BTW Dave, I also have a second copy of WordPro (or whatever it's
called?) with full manual, if you're interested. With ROM, even... I
guess some grad students even used it to write their theses! No I
don't know why two copies came with one PET, I guess a second PET
burnt out at some point.
Joe.