Video provisions on S-100 frames (was Re: 80 col Apple ][) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

31 Jan 2002

I soon I got my Altair 8800 working in 1975, I bought a Processor Technology VDM-1 card.
(Video Display Module)
We converted a black and white portable TV to be the monitor.

I believe that the VDM-1 provided the prototype for PC character graphics and
extended-ascii "special" characters.
I noticed that the Commodare 64, which came later, pretty much copied it, with a few
additions.

...
 From memory, I think it was only 64 columns wide (by 32
lines ? ) 
We modified our VDM-1 with a homemade light-pen attachment. (there is an article in Byte?
how to do this).

-Rob

-----Original Message-----
From:	Richard Erlacher [SMTP:edick@idcomm.com]
Sent:	Thursday, January 31, 2002 9:38 AM
To:	classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Subject:	Video provisions on S-100 frames (was Re: 80 col Apple ][)

I'd be really interested in knowing specifics about this, if you have them.
I've got several S-100 boxes, and not a one has any accomodation for video
signal from an internal source.  I did, in the rar distant past, own a couple
of systems, at least one of which was from Vector Graphics, that used an
external moitor+keyboard combination resembling a terminal, which it wasn't,
but most of the S-100 arrangements I've got, including a combination from SD
Systems, which uses a video display/keyboard port board not only has no cable
that came with it, but simply provides pads to which a video cable was to be
soldered.  Though I've got this hardware, I've never tried it out, as I've
always been satisfied with a serial terminal.

Additionally, I've actually never seen a 3rd-party S-100 box that made any
provision for video signal to an external monitor at all.  The ones I have are
all Integrand boxes, so that's not a good example, being from only one maker,
and the CompuPro boxes I've junked had no provision for video connectors
either.

I'd be interested in knowing about

----- Original Message -----
From: "M H Stein" &lt;mhstein(a)canada.com&gt;
To: "'ClassicComputers'" &lt;classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org&gt;
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 3:57 AM
Subject: 80 col Apple ][

...
  Any ideas from you Apple experts how I tell CP/M
software
 to use an 80 column card? Display is 40 col from motherboard,
 all I get from 80 col card is a blinking cursor.

 No switches or id on 80 col card; it has 3 EPROM sockets,
 but only ROM2 & ROM3 are present. No reason why ROM1 should
 have been removed, so I'm hoping it was an option.

 Both video outputs and the built-in RF out all use RCA
 connectors, BTW :)

 And in reply to the question about SO239 (AKA UHF or 83 Series)
 connectors for video, the commercial (as opposed to homebrew)
 video out adapter on my PET uses one; other than that, in my
 experience the mass-produced systems used either RCA or
 proprietary connectors, and S100 & similar multi-card chassis
 used BNCs when they had internal video.

 mike