Using vintage computers in the classroom - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

29 Mar 2010

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  -----Original Message-----
 From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org
 [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Michael Black
 Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 4:28 PM
 To: cctech at classiccmp.org
 Subject: Using vintage computers in the classroom

 Hello cctech community,

 I am a computer science professor and an avid collector and restorer
 of old computers, which I routinely use in my classes.  (I am also a
 long-time lurker on cctech, but haven't posted much yet, I'm afraid.)
 I am interested in chatting with other professors and teachers who use
 working demonstrations of vintage technology in their classes.  I am
 aware of many cases where professors have taught courses on computer
 history, used pictures and simulations of vintage computers, or took
 students on field trips to computer museums.  However, I am
 particularly interested in examples where professors bring actual
 working vintage equipment into the classroom (like a pdp-11 or a
 teletype machine) and tried to teach their students to operate it.
 Has anybody on this list tried it or know of people who do it?

 Thanks,
 Michael Black [AJL>] 
Hi!  You are welcome to use the N8VEM project for educational purposes.  I
designed it with use in education as its primary purpose.  It could be
readily used to teach fundamental computer hardware and software principles
in an easily illustrated manner.  

Starting with a blank sheet of paper and building up the basic conceptual
elements in a process which results in a simple working microcomputer would
be educational and highly entertaining.  Add some devices like the ECB
backplane and the ECB bus monitor and you can show the CPU operating in
single step mode, the effects of reset, and all kinds of computer operation.

The N8VEM SBC is simple and inexpensive enough that it can be built by
beginners, as many are already, and normally works the first time.  It works
by itself interfacing to a serial port although it can be expanded to video
boards, floppy and IDE disks, and even custom peripherals.

http://n8vem-sbc.pbworks.com/ 

http://groups.google.com/group/n8vem 

I hope this helps.  Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch