3 Oct
1998
3 Oct
'98
5:20 p.m.
Hi Tim and all,
At 04:51 PM 10/3/98 -0400, you wrote:
Do you recommend any texts that did a neat state machine computer with a EPROM?
This sounds like fun, but would like to see some examples of what people
actually did first to help start a design.
-Dave
Why not go for a bit-serial (aka 1-bit) CPU? It's
an extremely classic
design, and is certainly the way to go to minimize total transistor
count.
Didn't Motorola make a 1-bit cmos microcomputer? Cannot remember it's part
number. I remember Turning machine articles in various places. One is "The
Armchair Universe" by A.K. Dewdney. It is a collection of "Computer
Recreations from the pages of Scientific American Magazine".
I've got some plans of designing a computer
this year. I'll probably
get my feet wet with a simple 4-bit design, but I'd like to do a 12-bit
computer (since my "inspiration" is a PDP-8).
The PDP-8/S is a -8 done in a bit-serial implementation. 78 microseconds
for some instructions!
If you don't mind making about a 15-year advance in the electronics
you'll be using, you might also seriously consider making a CPU via the
state machine route, using an EPROM and some counters. All math and logic
operations can very easily be done via table look-up in the EPROM. This
is a rather common assignment in lower-level computer engineering courses,
as it's something that can be easily wire-wrapped in an afternoon or two,
and it is extremely easy to try new microcode revisions.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology Voice: 301-767-5917
7328 Bradley Blvd Fax: 301-767-5927
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
3 Oct
3 Oct
7:25 p.m.
dave dameron <ddameron(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
Didn't Motorola make a 1-bit cmos microcomputer?
Cannot remember it's part
number.
Yes, the MC14500B CMOS Industrial Control Unit. (not to be confused with the
MC145000, which is an LCD controller). It was intended for simple
relay-logic replacement and the like. You can get a PDF data sheet from
http://mot2.mot-sps.com/books/html/dl131_index.html
Someone had a homebrew machine based on this chip in their display at
VCF; they even had the manuals on hand. I didn't get the name though :-(
7:52 p.m.
New subject: Convergent Technologies workSlate
Does anybody happen to have docs, peripherals, software, or a spare
battery cover for a workSlate? I can offer a brand-spanky-new leatherette
workSlate pouch in trade (and cash if needed). Copies are fine.
-- Doug
8:59 p.m.
New subject: Convergent Technologies workSlate
Does anybody happen to have docs, peripherals,
software, or a spare
battery cover for a workSlate? I can offer a brand-spanky-new leatherette
workSlate pouch in trade (and cash if needed). Copies are fine.
No, but I'm curious what is a workSlate?
--
_______ KB7PWD @ KC7Y.AZ.US.NOAM ecloud(a)goodnet.com
(_ | |_) Shawn T. Rutledge on the web: http://www.goodnet.com/~ecloud
__) | | \__________________________________________________________________
* electronics * packet radio * Gravis Ultrasound * quantize the universe *
9:15 p.m.
New subject: Convergent Technologies workSlate
On Sun, 4 Oct 1998, Shawn Rutledge wrote:
No, but I'm curious what is a workSlate?
You're familiar with the TRS-80 Model 100? Imagine something with about
the same form-factor, built the same year, but with built-in spreadsheet,
microcassette tape drive, speaker phone, and voice annotation! It was
also colored black and looked much cooler than the TRS-80 thing.
Unfortunately, it was priced at $2K (I've seen somebody list a price of
$1195, and I'm really not sure which is correct), so it didn't sell well.
CT had originally planned to produce 100,000 of them in the first year. I
think they ended up selling about 5000, and auctioning about 7000 of them
after they killed the product.
Some of the brains behind CT and GRiD later formed a new start-up (and I
can't remember the name) which prototyped a very sophisticated modular
portable that was never produced. CT also designed machines such as the
AT&T 7300 and those cute modular CTOS boxes for Unisys/Burroughs/Bull.
-- Doug
10:13 p.m.
New subject: Convergent Technologies workSlate
You're familiar with the TRS-80 Model 100?
Imagine something with about
the same form-factor, built the same year, but with built-in spreadsheet,
microcassette tape drive, speaker phone, and voice annotation! It was
also colored black and looked much cooler than the TRS-80 thing.
Didn't it use the spreadsheet as the metaphor for the entire system and
interface? Sorry, but I think that's not always an appropriate metaphor.
The Model 100 OTOH is more structured around word processing, I'd say.
This could be another reason for the 100's popularity and the workSlate's
lack of popularity.
-- Derek
4 Oct
4 Oct
4:14 p.m.
New subject: Convergent Technologies workSlate
On Sun, 4 Oct 1998, Doug Yowza wrote:
You're familiar with the TRS-80 Model 100?
Imagine something with about
the same form-factor, built the same year, but with built-in spreadsheet,
microcassette tape drive, speaker phone, and voice annotation! It was
also colored black and looked much cooler than the TRS-80 thing.
And half the thickness.
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 09/21/98]
3 Oct
3 Oct
8:20 p.m.
On 4 Oct 1998, Eric Smith wrote:
Someone had a homebrew machine based on this chip in
their display at
VCF; they even had the manuals on hand. I didn't get the name though :-(
Who's display? What section of the exhibition?
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 09/21/98]
9:13 p.m.
Someone had a
homebrew machine based on this chip in their display at
VCF; they even had the manuals on hand. I didn't get the name though :-(
Who's display? What section of the exhibition?
9:22 p.m.
On Sun, 4 Oct 1998, D. Peschel wrote:
I think it was on the right-hand side of the
"flea market" half of the room,
possibly on the same table with the Digtal Group machine? The computer was
just a little box, maybe about the size of a plastic box I have (which holds
4x6" index cards) or a little bigger. The manuals I saw were copies of the
data sheets.
If it was on the same table as the Digital Group Z80, then that was Hal
Layer's table (although it was Chuck McManis' Z80).
-- Doug
4 Oct
4 Oct
4:15 p.m.
On Sun, 4 Oct 1998, Doug Yowza wrote:
If it was on the same table as the Digital Group Z80,
then that was Hal
Layer's table (although it was Chuck McManis' Z80).
I still don't know what computer we are talking about.
Did anyone actual check out Hal's Z-Byte cards? I think they are
incredibly clever.
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 09/21/98]
9576
days inactive
9576
days old
10 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
dastar＠ncal.verio.com -
ddameron＠earthlink.net -
dpeschel＠u.washington.edu -
ecloud＠goodnet.com -
eric＠brouhaha.com -
yowza＠yowza.com