VT78 - lots of questions - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

30 Dec 2000

From: Tony Duell &lt;ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk&gt;

...
   I'm not
sure about the DECmate III, but I know the II shares
 a few parts with the VT220 terminals.  It also shares it's case with 
Apart from the LK201 keyboard, and obviously standard electronic parts,
what other items are common between the DECmate II and the VT220? 

CRT {assuming VR201}, and not much else.  Though DecmateII/III does
VT100/VT220 emulation.

...
 I know the 'bow rather better than the DECmate, and
I'd consider that
that machine has rather more in common with the VT100 than the VT220. For
...
 example, the only 2 custom chips in a 'bow are the
video timing chip and
video path chip on the motherboard, and those are identical to the chips
in a VT100. 

Sorta.  sorta like saying all Z80 machines run CPM, not much commonality
in a real sense.  The chips are low level video timing and interface and
do
not really define VT100 or VT220 directly.

The point being is VT100 uses 8080 or 8085 for smarts, VT220 uses 8051
and DECmate uses the COMS PDP-8 chip for the smarts.

Allison