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Almost there! I just need my UART, SRAM, and trickle charge time keeping chip to come in, and I can do my first full test.
One of the most powerful machines out there in the Eighties was also deceptively crappy and most people passed it by.
AMD produced what is probably the first floating point "coprocessor" for microprocessors, the AMD 9511 "arithmetic circuit" (1979), which performed 32 bit (23 + 7 bit floating point) RPN-style operations (4 element stack) under CPU control.
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AM9511 APU (arithmetic processing unit) performs floating point calculations that would be too time-consuming or cumbersome if done on Z80 microprocessor.
In addition to the four basic operations, the 9511 can implement transcendental functions (sin, log, etc.), and it can also perform conversion from floating point to fixed point and vice versa. It can also perform operations in 16 or 32 bit fixed point two's complement integer representation.
The fastest instruction is 16 bit fixed point addition which takes 4 microsec, the slowest instruction is arc-tangent which takes almost 2 milisec; 32 bit floating point addition takes 14-87 microsec.
The 9511 is an autonomous processor: it acts like a peripheral and it in not tied to any particular microcrocessor. AM9511 is configured as a pair of I/O ports with the capability of causing the Z80 to pause for completion of the processor's operation if it has not been completed by the time the Z80 code requires the results.
The 9511 is a stack orientaded processor. Operands are first pushed onto the internal stack, and then a comand is issued to the processor to perform an operation on the stack. Results are removed from the stack.
All transfers, including operands, results, status and command information, take place over an 8-bit bidirectional data bus. The internal data paths and the internal ALU are 16 bits wide, even though some operations are on 32 bits operands (this fact indicates that extending the 9511 to handle double precision format could have been implemented internally quite easily). The transcendental functions are evaluated using Chebyshev Polynomials which provide an even distribution of errors within the selected data representation.
The 9511 was in 1980's an high cost device: the APU was far more complex than the CPU and the volume of sales was not so high. As a result this was reflected in the price: in 1983 the Am9511@2Mhz cost £90 (considering inflation it would cost £240 now in 2009), the 3Mhz £123.75, the 4Mhz £146.25 ..
The MessagePad was the first series of personal digital assistant devices developed by Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) for the Newton platform in 1993. Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was done in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The devices were based on the ARM 610 RISC processor and all featured handwriting recognition software and were developed and marketed by Apple. The devices ran the Newton OS.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MessagePad
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
The sign next to the base of the machine reads as follows (as near as I can tell, it's a bit fuzzy -- I've put guesses about the text in italics):
[quote]
CADR - The LISP Machine
(late 1970s)
The LISP machine was the first hardware implementation of the AI programming language LISP. Researchers had long been frustrated by the constraints of running LISP programs on large mainframes. They developed LISP machines as stand alone, single user, high-performance computers that could run LISP programs faster and more efficiently. The first machines were hand assembled by Richard Greenblatt at the MIT AI Lab in the mid-1970s. This CADR machine was the basis of commercial products sold by two companies, LISP Machines, Inc founded by Richard Greenblatt, and Symbolics, founded by an ex-administrator of the AI Lab Russell Noftsker. The story of these two companies is typical. While successful in the mid-1980s, the advent of powerful microcomputers that could run LISP programs at similar speeds drove both companies into bankruptcy, LISP in 1987 and Symbolics in 1995.
[/quote]
Every European home micro fan's wet dream.
Complete with Elite, a game which still makes people drool to this day.
The Apple IIc, the fourth model in the Apple II series of personal computers, was Apple Computer’s first endeavor to produce a portable computer. The end result was a luggable 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) notebook-sized version of the Apple II that could easily be transported from place to place.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIc
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
The MessagePad was the first series of personal digital assistant devices developed by Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) for the Newton platform in 1993. Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was done in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The devices were based on the ARM 610 RISC processor and all featured handwriting recognition software and were developed and marketed by Apple. The devices ran the Newton OS.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MessagePad
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
The MessagePad was the first series of personal digital assistant devices developed by Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) for the Newton platform in 1993. Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was done in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The devices were based on the ARM 610 RISC processor and all featured handwriting recognition software and were developed and marketed by Apple. The devices ran the Newton OS.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MessagePad
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
The MessagePad was the first series of personal digital assistant devices developed by Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) for the Newton platform in 1993. Some electronic engineering and the manufacture of Apple's MessagePad devices was done in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The devices were based on the ARM 610 RISC processor and all featured handwriting recognition software and were developed and marketed by Apple. The devices ran the Newton OS.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MessagePad
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
The HP Integral PC (or HP 9807A) was a portable UNIX workstation computer system produced by Hewlett-Packard, launched in 1985. It was based on the Motorola 68000 microprocessor (running at 8 MHz) and ran early version of the HP-UX operating system.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Integral_PC
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
The HP Integral PC (or HP 9807A) was a portable UNIX workstation computer system produced by Hewlett-Packard, launched in 1985. It was based on the Motorola 68000 microprocessor (running at 8 MHz) and ran early version of the HP-UX operating system.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Integral_PC
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
This one was 16 bits before home users had any clue what that meant. By the time they realised, it no longer mattered, and no-one cared.
Complete with the famous TI Extended BASIC module (cartridge), and the equally famous TI Speech Synthesizer as featured in ‘Speak and Spell’ (and by extension, the movie E.T.)
This machine had pretty decent hardware, but nowhere near enough memory to speak of: 256 bytes of RAM (part of the CPU) and 16k of video RAM. Everything was stored on the video RAM when the graphics chip wasn't looking, something that made it seriously slow until you gave up and got a memory expansion box.
The Cambridge Computer Z88 is an A4-size, lightweight, portable Z80-based computer with a built-in combined word processing/spreadsheet/database application called PipeDream, along with several other applications and utilities, such as a Z80-version of the BBC BASIC programming language.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Z88
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
Arduino UNO provides 6 bit data and the necessary handshaking logic for a vintage Burroughs SSD0132-0040 Self-Scan gas plasma display c.1976. The row of LED blinky lights, aside from being mesmerizing, shows the state of the interface logic with delays built into the sketch to help diagnostics (on my first attempt I had the 6 data bits in reverse order).
STG COSMAC ELF 2000 with 256MB on compact flash, on a Wyse WY-120 display - so much better than a Windows PC terminal program!
The Macintosh Plus computer was the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of US$2599.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Plus
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.
This is an MSX2 machine (MSX was a Microsoft compatibility standard followed by many Japanese manufacturers who made various mutually compatible home micros in the EIghties — MSX2 offered better hardware). Somewhat unusually, it offers A/V out and in, and this made it pretty popular as a cheap special effects, marquee etc console for small TV stations (it could feed A/V in to A/V out, superimposing its own image wherever needed).
Questo divisorio è interamente costituito da involucri originali di cassette di giochi anni '80. Almeno tre quarti di questi nomi mi sono noti...
This screen is entirely composed with original cases of '80s video game cassettes. At least three quarters of these names are known to me...
The Cambridge Computer Z88 is an A4-size, lightweight, portable Z80-based computer with a built-in combined word processing/spreadsheet/database application called PipeDream, along with several other applications and utilities, such as a Z80-version of the BBC BASIC programming language.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Z88
Retrocomputing (a portmanteau of retro and computing) is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons. However some do make use of it.[1] Retrocomputing often gets its start when a computer user realizes that expensive fantasy systems like IBM Mainframes, DEC Superminis, SGI workstations and Cray Supercomputers have become affordable on the used computer market, usually in a relatively short time after the computers' era of use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrocomputing
Con il termine retrocomputing si indica una attività di "archeologia informatica" che consiste nel reperire, specialmente a costi minimi, computer di vecchie generazioni, che hanno rappresentato fasi importanti dell'evoluzione tecnologica, ripararli se sono danneggiati, metterli nuovamente in funzione e preservarli.