Classic Computers vs. Classic Computing - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

15 Sep 2001

...
   For a monitor,
I followed Lancaster's instructions on how to take
 an old B&W TV set and pull the unneeded circuitry (except for the
 tubes; they stayed in, heaters wired in series). The mods all helped  
 In the UK, most series-string valve TV sets had a hot chassis (directly 
 connected to one side of the mains). Actually, a number of transistorised 
 sets did as well.  
[..snip..]

...
  Did US TVs have proper isolating mains transformers,
even though they had 
 series-string heaters? 
No; I bought an isolation transformer, a stand-alone unit.

...
   And I think I
even got to like the smell of solder.. especially
 the Ersin Multicore stuff made in the U.K... why, there's some  
 Nice, isn't it :-) 
Yup!

...
   yes, I've
used all kinds of techniques to repair such damage.  
 As have I. It gets more fun when it's an SMD-built board, with tracks 
 very close together :-) 
Haven't ever had to *fix* a multilayer board, but did hack on one
(early Mac).

...

 But you can't damage software... which is one of the things that  
 Hmmm... If you don't have backups you can :-) 
Oh, I got the backup religion long, long ago...

...
  Actually, one thing I tend to worry about it
misconfiguring a piece of 
 software and not being able to go back to the original configuration that 
 worked at least partially. Doing the same with hardware never bothers me. 
On the tricky stuff, I try to save the configurations, either in files,
or on paper.

...
  I gurss it comes down to experience. I know enough
about hardware to see 
 what I've done and put it right. The same is not true of software... 
I've also done some embedded systems hardware development. But it 
tended to be taking the evaluation design from the databooks and
massaging it into a working design, so I can't take too much credit.

...
   resisters,
capacitors, transistors, and 7400-series chips. It  
 How good will that emulation be? If I accidentally connect a pin on the 
 TTL chip to the -15V rail, what happens? Does the chip fail in the same 
 way that a real one does? Are you going to be able to emulate every 
 possible circuit (hint : No CAD system's simulator has ever maanged to 
 'pass' my tests (namely a dozen or so nasty circuits).  
Would you settle for a graphic rendering of the magic smoke escaping?

;-)

...
   could also
have an emulated soldering iron & solder. Ever wish  
 I suppose you're going to add a little heater element and some flux so as 
 to give the right smells (a bit like those smoke generators the model 
 railway crowd use). And a device that burns my fingers from time to time.  
That might have to wait for the development of tactile interfaces, 
but rest assured, that's well underway...

...
  I suppose next you'll be suggesting the floor of
the emulated machine 
 room does not magically transport small components dropped on it into 
 another room....  
So, your shop has funky space-time problems, too?

;-)

-dq