Philips mini computers
Nigel Johnson
nw.johnson at ieee.org
Sat Oct 26 12:59:25 CDT 2019
Are we talking about ISA-bus computers here? If so the colour graphics
card was a Persyst Bob card, and the bi-sync adapter, if equipped, was
also made by Persyst. I know because I signed them to the contract to
buy those two items. I know about their high standards of Quality
Control because they rejected about 1/3 of my initial shipments!
In 1985, every computer that included a CRT made by Philips was made at
their factory in Ste. Laurent, QC, or so their engineers told me.
cheers,
Nigel (then known as Bill) Johnson
On 26/10/2019 13:53, nico de jong via cctalk wrote:
>
> On 2019-10-26 19:44, Tony Duell via cctalk wrote:
>> On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 6:36 PM nico de jong via cctalk
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> Back in the 70's and 80's Philips had a quite popular series of mini
>>> computers called P800, which also branched out to the PTS series and
>>> possibly other.
>>>
>>> Could I be lucky to find other list members interested in these
>>> products? I know of a few, but there surely must be others. I'm trying
>>> to collect what is left of the documentation.
>> My first minicomputer (which I still have and can see from where I am
>> sitting)
>> was a Philips P850. I now also own a P851 and a P854 (both with
>> floppy drives)
>> and lots of spares.
>>
>> As for documentation I have the CPU (only) technical manual for the
>> P850,
>> the 2 volumes of schematics for the P851 and the preliminary manual
>> (alas
>> without the microcode source) for the P854. Some other schematics for
>> things like the P854's PSU, the 4 channel serial port, floppy disk
>> system, etc.
>>
>> User manuals for at least the P850 and P851. And some software-related
>> manuals, manuals on related machines, etc but I would have to check
>> exactly
>> what I have there.
>>
>> -tony'
>
> Hi Tony
>
> The manuals you mention, don't ring a bell.
>
> We have now more-or-less rejuvenated a PTS6813 aka P857, although
> without the discs.
>
> Furthermore, we have the parts to build a P852 from spare parts.
>
> In order to test things, I've developped a simulator and assembler for
> the P857, although without floating point and I/O processor, as I have
> no documentation for that, so maybe I can harvest something from the
> documents you have. Are the mailable, or do you need to scan them first?
>
> Thanks
>
> Nico
>
--
Nigel Johnson
MSc., MIEEE
VE3ID/G4AJQ/VA3MCU
Amateur Radio, the origin of the open-source concept!
You can reach me by voice on Skype: TILBURY2591
If time travel ever will be possible, it already is. Ask me again yesterday
This e-mail is not and cannot, by its nature, be confidential. En route from me to you, it will pass across the public Internet, easily readable by any number of system administrators along the way.
Nigel Johnson <nw.johnson at ieee.org>
Please consider the environment when deciding if you really need to print this message
More information about the cctech
mailing list