16 Apr
2005
16 Apr
'05
12:55 p.m.
-----------------Original Message:
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 01:53:07 -0400
From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Dead AIM 65??
On 4/15/05, Andy Dannelley <andyda at mac.com>
wrote:
> First, Thanks for all the helpful suggestions!
You are welcome.
> Couple of things about general AIM-lore:
>
> The original AIM 65 (not the AIM 65/40) had a 20 char alpha LED
> display. The Aim 65/40 had a 40 character vacuum fluorescent display
> and 40 character printer, much more friendly for development than the
> 20 char display and printer.
I think I have heard of the AIM 65/40... if someone
here knows such
things, was the motherboard re-engineered? Is it possible to retrofit
the 40-col display to the original AIM? Also, was the 40-col VFD run
by something like an HD44780 chipset, or was it some kind of raw
interface? These days, 40x1 or 40x2 VFDs based on the HD44780 are not
difficult to locate and are not all that expensive. They are also
trivial to send chars to.
-ethan
---------------Reply:
The /40 was considerably different; bank-switched memory, intelligent
display & printer, different keyboard etc. (Also more than twice the
price of a /20).
Both the display & the printer had their own microprocessor (6504)
and could be mounted off-board.
See Interactive Issue # 5 for a preview (on Rich's site). Also see
issue # 8 for a description of the "official" Rockwell case. There were
also larger cases to house the /20 or /40 along with its expansion
card cage.
There was an application note (R6500 N12) describing how to
build a video interface (including the software listing) and it even
references Lancaster's TVT Cookbook! Those were the heady days
of OEM support...
If you have trouble finding a display maybe that's the answer;
just stick it inside an old monitor or terminal. BASIC & the editor
are 80 (79) column capable BTW.
I did indeed find some extra display covers; I'll be in touch with you
(Ethan) & Jules off-list.
mike
17 Apr
17 Apr
7:24 p.m.
On Sat, 16 Apr 2005 15:55:57 -0400
M H Stein <dm561 at torfree.net> wrote:
-----------------Original Message:
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 01:53:07 -0400
From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Dead AIM 65??
Just to add to the AIM-65 lore on here- I am presently working contract
at a place that used to use AIM-65 hardware for industrial QA testing
purposes. I may very soon be hired there as a permanent employee. At
that time I'll probably sweep around the place and see if there is any
AIM-65 info, manuals, etc. that I can borrow or outright take, to
contribute to whatever document archive is appropriate. (It's harder to
do things like that when you're just a contractor at the place with a
tenuous relationship) I don't know for sure that there's anything
there, but one of the old timers in the test lab was reminiscing
recently about the 'old days' using AIM-65 systems with narrow printout
paper to gather data and control tests. Just thought it was interesting
enough to mention here.
This is also the place that I mentioned awhile back that still has a
Commodore SX-64 in use on a test station. The good news is that if I am
hired at the position I'm after, I'll be the person in direct use of
said system. It's a place that makes refridgeration valves and
controls, among other things. I KNOW that there are Commodore-related
materials and info in the facility, I've spied the manuals and disks for
a C-64 C compiler on a bookshelf.
Will keep the list posted on anything more that I find out.
-Scott
On 4/15/05, Andy Dannelley <andyda at
mac.com> wrote:
> First, Thanks for all the helpful suggestions!
You are welcome.
Couple of
things about general AIM-lore:
The original AIM 65 (not the AIM 65/40) had a 20 char alpha LED
display. The Aim 65/40 had a 40 character vacuum fluorescent
display> and 40
character printer, much more friendly for development
than the> 20 char display and printer. I think I have heard of the AIM 65/40... if
someone here knows such
things, was the motherboard re-engineered? Is it possible to
retrofit the 40-col display to the original AIM? Also, was the
40-col VFD run by something like an HD44780 chipset, or was it some
kind of raw interface? These days, 40x1 or 40x2 VFDs based on the
HD44780 are not difficult to locate and are not all that expensive.
They are also trivial to send chars to.
-ethan
---------------Reply:
The /40 was considerably different; bank-switched memory, intelligent
display & printer, different keyboard etc. (Also more than twice the
price of a /20).
Both the display & the printer had their own microprocessor (6504)
and could be mounted off-board.
See Interactive Issue # 5 for a preview (on Rich's site). Also see
issue # 8 for a description of the "official" Rockwell case. There
were also larger cases to house the /20 or /40 along with its
expansion card cage.
There was an application note (R6500 N12) describing how to
build a video interface (including the software listing) and it even
references Lancaster's TVT Cookbook! Those were the heady days
of OEM support...
If you have trouble finding a display maybe that's the answer;
just stick it inside an old monitor or terminal. BASIC & the editor
are 80 (79) column capable BTW.
I did indeed find some extra display covers; I'll be in touch with you
(Ethan) & Jules off-list.
7189
days inactive
7191
days old
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