7 Jul
2007
7 Jul
'07
3:38 p.m.
The first computer built by Computer Automation, circa 1967, was the
PDC 808. It was an 8-bit TTL-only machine with a very basic
instruction set. In "Computer Technician's Handbook" Brice Ward
describes tat machine in great detail. Should be enough to build a
replica from.
A scanned version of the relevant parts of that book is available from
http://www.sdu.se/computer-automation-museum/books_in_the_collection.html
PDC stands for Programmable Digital Controller. The word "computer"
was avoided because people were afraid of them!
The "8" means 8 uS cycle time, and "08" means 8 bits. The 208 was
three times as fast (2.66 uS cycle time, hence the "2").
/Lars
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Lars Hamr?n Tel...: +46( 46)189090
Svensk Datorutveckling Mobile: +46(705)189090
Vadm?llan 211 e-mail: hamren at sdu.se
S-225 94 Lund WWW...: www.sdu.se
Sweden
7 Jul
7 Jul
4:16 p.m.
On 7 Jul 2007 at 21:38, Lars Hamren wrote:
The first computer built by Computer Automation, circa
1967, was the
PDC 808. It was an 8-bit TTL-only machine with a very basic
instruction set. In "Computer Technician's Handbook" Brice Ward
describes tat machine in great detail. Should be enough to build a
replica from.
Wasn't there an article in one of the magazines (Byte,
Microcomputing, Kilobaud???) where a fellow gave details about
constructing his own TTL 8080 CPU?
Cheers,
Chuck
6:44 p.m.
"Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
On 7 Jul 2007 at 21:38, Lars Hamren wrote:
I remember a homebrew TTL CPU that used 7489's (16x4 SRAM. Not 16Kx4,
or 16Mx4, just 16x4!) in a dense array for main memory. Something
about baby-bottle liners filled with chilled water to keep them cool...
Would've been mid-70's or earlier. By the mid-70's 2102's were available
and nobody would've been using 7489's.
Don't remember which magazine!
Tim.
The first computer built by Computer Automation,
circa 1967, was the
PDC 808. It was an 8-bit TTL-only machine with a very basic
instruction set. In "Computer Technician's Handbook" Brice Ward
describes tat machine in great detail. Should be enough to build a
replica from.
Wasn't there an article in one of the magazines (Byte,
Microcomputing, Kilobaud???) where a fellow gave details about
constructing his own TTL 8080 CPU? 
2:58 p.m.
Microcomputing, Kilobaud???) where a fellow gave details about
constructing his own TTL 8080 CPU?
I remember a homebrew TTL CPU that used 7489's (16x4 SRAM. Not 16Kx4,
or 16Mx4, just 16x4!) in a dense array for main memory. Something
about baby-bottle liners filled with chilled water to keep them cool...
Would've been mid-70's or earlier. By the mid-70's 2102's were available
and nobody would've been using 7489's.
Don't remember which magazine!
Tim. 
6:55 p.m.
Chuck Guzis wrote:
Wasn't there an article in one of the magazines
(Byte,
Microcomputing, Kilobaud???) where a fellow gave details about
constructing his own TTL 8080 CPU?
I don't remember that. I do know there was a 32 bit cpu done
in BYTE. There was a toy computer with 4? instructions
I think with 0 (reset?) input from swr.
Cheers,
Chuck
7:18 p.m.
On Jul 7, 2007, at 6:55 PM, woodelf wrote:
Ahh, back in the days in which BYTE was a technical magazine. Do
you have any recollection of when that article was printed? I'd love
to find it.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Wasn't
there an article in one of the magazines (Byte,
Microcomputing, Kilobaud???) where a fellow gave details about
constructing his own TTL 8080 CPU?
I don't remember that. I do know there was a 32 bit cpu done
in BYTE. There was a toy computer with 4? instructions
I think with 0 (reset?) input from swr.
9:58 p.m.
Dave McGuire wrote:
Ahh, back in the days in which BYTE was a technical magazine. Do you
have any recollection of when that article was printed? I'd love to
find it.
So would I. I suspect 90% of BYTE magizines from local ( ie small)
libraries have been tossed out. It has been tossed out here.
I am not sure if the 32 bit machine
even made it microfilm copies of byte. But I do know it was some time
after BYTE became a PC mag. It was in two parts - part 1 software?
part 2 hardware.
8 Jul
8 Jul
2:46 p.m.
On Saturday 07 July 2007 21:58, woodelf wrote:
Dave McGuire wrote:
That one sounds vaguely familliar...
I can recall a couple of different articles on boards that were designed to
plug into a PC, one used a 32032, one a 68K of some sort, and one a Z8000,
I think. I didn't pay them that much attention because I didn't have a
"PC"
yet, at that point in time. :-)
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
Ahh, back in the days in which BYTE was a
technical magazine. Do you
have any recollection of when that article was printed? I'd love to
find it.
So would I. I suspect 90% of BYTE magizines from local ( ie small)
libraries have been tossed out. It has been tossed out here.
I am not sure if the 32 bit machine
even made it microfilm copies of byte. But I do know it was some time
after BYTE became a PC mag. It was in two parts - part 1 software?
part 2 hardware.
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bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca -
cclist＠sydex.com -
hamren＠sdu.se -
jpero＠sympatico.ca -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
rtellason＠verizon.net -
shoppa_classiccmp＠trailing-edge.com