Speaking of multiple processors... - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

16 Nov 2007

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Subject: Re: Speaking of multiple processors...
   From: M H Stein <dm561 at torfree.net>
   Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:29:05 -0500
     To: "'cctalk at classiccmp.org'" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>

-----------Original Message:
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:32:02 +0000
From: Gordon JC Pearce <gordonjcp at gjcp.net>
Subject: Re: Speaking of multiple processors...

On Thu, 2007-11-15 at 00:32 -0500, Roy J. Tellason wrote:
  Didn't that "Superbrain" computer
use a couple of Z80 chips in there?  IIRC,  
 one was the "main" CPU and the other one handled I/O tasks of some sort 
 (disk?).  <snip>

It does.  I believe one handles disk accesses, while the other does the
rest.  Once I get mine working, I'll tell you more.<snip>

Gordon

----------Reply:
Cromemco also had Z80s on their I/O processor boards, and when the later 680x0
CPU boards dropped the Z80 you could still run your Z80 programs on the I/O card.

mike 
This is not uncommon.

H89 had two, one for the terminal and the other was the processor for
the computer.

My NS*Horizon had two when I added the Teletek HDC(hard disk) as that 
has a local z80.  When I added a smart FDC of my own design and later
smart printer spooler and other IO with local cpu the nuber fo cpus grew.

The Compupro system can easily have three, ZPB, Their mux board and 
any of the hard disk controllers.  I have one that has 68000, 8085 and
Z80 (maincpu, mux and Disk3).

It's something that isn't unusual as it would seem.

Allison