30 Aug
2006
30 Aug
'06
5:37 p.m.
woodelf wrote:
Chuck Guzis wrote:
It's very useful for counting whilst hanging by
your thumbs.
Cheers,
Chuck
I need my thumbs to grab bannanas, I hang by my toes. :)
Did any of the classic computers display in octal 0-7
rather than 3 lights per digit? Also what was the display
device?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, virtually all the Control Data systems displayed octal. The devices
were varied, from projection displays (1604) to CRT vector drawn (6600).
Some, such as the 8090 and 8092 had optional front panels to display either
binary or octal.
Octal use continued at CDC up through the 1700 machine, which was hex.
Seymour finally went to hex on the Cray series.
Here's a question for the list - how many still have and use the TI
calculator that could be used in octal or hex?
Billy
30 Aug
30 Aug
5:46 p.m.
Here's a question for the list - how many still
have and use the TI
calculator that could be used in octal or hex?
It's sitting on a shelf by my PDP-11 :^) I used to have one (Casio I think)
that was solar powered and had an LCD rather than the LED display of the TI.
I think I still have the non-solar powered one that replaced it, but it
needs a new battery.
Zane
6:22 p.m.
Here's a question for the list - how many still
have and use the TI
calculator that could be used in octal or hex?
TI Programmer first model had an LED display, and went through batteries
rather quickly. There is an enormous range of what life people would get
from the batteries in it, ranging from hours to weeks.
TI Programmer Second model had an LCD display, and the batteries
outlasted the keyboard (NOT a clean room situation)
Casio CFX40 and CFX400 wrist watch scientific calculator that had
decimal, hex, and octal modes. They are starting to become hard to find.
6:41 p.m.
"Zane H. Healy" wrote:
> Here's a question for the list - how many
still have and use the TI
> calculator that could be used in octal or hex?
hp16c? I use it hourly - in all 3 modes - hex, octal & binary. can't live
with out it. best device I ever owned, next to my 4 channel ti scope :-)
i also have an hp11c which I use for floating point...
if the 16c ever dies i'll be lost. and looking on ebay :-)
-brad
7:19 p.m.
On 8/30/2006 at 9:41 PM Brad Parker wrote:
hp16c? I use it hourly - in all 3 modes - hex, octal
& binary. can't
live
with out it. best device I ever owned, next to my 4
channel ti scope :-)
I don't think I could afford to buy my 16C again, based on eBay prices.
Heck, I saw the manual going for $50 not that long ago...
Cheers,
Chuck
31 Aug
31 Aug
4:39 p.m.
if the 16c ever dies i'll be lost. and looking on
ebay :-)
Well, it's sort-of a computer, and I think it's a classic, so here goes...
I've had a lot of trouble in Voyager series calculators (HP10C, 11C, 12C,
15C, 16C) with dry joint,s particularly on the second version with
everything on one PCB (as opposed to a logic/display module with the ICs
on a flexible PCB which connects to the keyboard via a zebrastrip). I've
brought a number back to life by resoldering the ICs.
The 2 ICs are the NUT (processor and keyboard interface) which is a
modified version of the CPU in an HP41 (the same datasheet seems to cover
both). That's the smalelr of the 2 chips. The larger one is called R2D2,
stabding for ROM/RAM/Display Driver. The Nut is the same in all Voyagers
(apart from very late 12Cs, which are very different inside), the R2D2 is
specific to the model (it contains the ROM code that implements the
functions of that model).
I assume you know the case screws are under the stick-on feet.
Let me know if you ever need to repair it. I've got more information that
I can't easily post to the list.
-tony
6:21 p.m.
On 9/1/2006 at 12:39 AM ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk wrote:
Let me know if you ever need to repair it. I've got
more information that
I can't easily post to the list.
About the only thing I'd like to repair on it are a couple of dents in the
aluminum display bezel. It must be glued on, because I can see that one
corner of mine is starting to lift away. If I could get the bezel off
without destroying it, I could at least burnish the dents out and re-attach
it.
Otherwise, my 16C has been "old reliable"--and one of the few calculators
that has no problem handing the full product of 2 64-bit numbers. Try that
on your TI Programmer.
Cheers,
Chuck
1 Sep
1 Sep
4:20 p.m.
On 9/1/2006 at 12:39 AM ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk wrote:
[HP16C, presumably]
Let me know if you ever need to repair it.
I've got more information that
I can't easily post to the list.
About the only thing I'd like to repair on it are a couple of dents in the
aluminum display bezel. It must be glued on, because I can see that one corner of mine is starting to lift away. If I could
get the bezel off
without destroying it, I could at least burnish the dents out and re-attach
it.
To be honest, while I love my old HP calculators (including the 16C), I
also use them. I don't keep them in a glass case, I keep them on the
bench, on my desk, and so on. Most of my machines have little 'dings' in
them, and it doesn't worry me a bit.
Otherwise, my 16C has been "old
reliable"--and one of the few calculators
that has no problem handing the full product of 2 64-bit numbers. Try that
on your TI Programmer.
There's another good reason for using an HP over just about anything
else... It's called RPN (although not all HPs were RPN, an example of
their first infix-notation calculators is going on my bench in the next
few months)..
-tony
30 Aug
30 Aug
5:58 p.m.
On 8/30/2006 at 5:37 PM Billy Pettit wrote:
Here's a question for the list - how many still
have and use the TI
calculator that could be used in octal or hex?
Which one? The desktop SR-22 or the "Programmer"? I used a company-owned
SR-22, but owned a Programmer. It drank batteries and the keyboard was
wonky. I ditched it and got an HP11C as soon as they came out (and still
have it). Quaility will tell in the end.
Cheers,
Chuck
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days inactive
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