mac@harris.cis.ksu.edu (Myron A. Calhoun) (02/24/89)
MANY have asked for more information on some of the boards about which I posted several days ago, so I've dug out their respective documentation folders and abstract some of it herewith: * MPA 6502-to-S100 adapter (1): No one had asked, so I didn't bring the documentation--sure enough, someone asked this morning! But last night I did glance at its document (about a 15-page packet which did NOT appear to contain a schematic); the following is from memory: Originally made to convert a PET to S-100, the board can also stand alone. It has an on-board 6502 but produces standard S-100 bus-control signals such as PSYNC, PDBIN, etc. * Solid State Music MUSIC SYNTHESIZER BOARDs (3): "The Synthesizer Board (SB1) is a waveform synthesizer board designed to interface with any computer supporting the S-100 bus. The SB1 is a memory map device that can be located at any 256 byte increment in memory from 8000 to FF00(HEX) by presetting a switch. The output from the SB1 is available at a 2-pin connector at approximately 1V rms when programmed to maximum." (Quoted from 1977 30-page manual, and a schematic is included.) It generates computer controlled waveforms (up to 2 waveforms may be stored on the board, waveforms are defined in 32 segments with 8 bits per segment; there may be 1 to 4 waveforms per envelope); attack envelopes (16 segments, 4 bits per segment); volume control (16 levels); frequency range (15 Hz to 25 KHz); and octave range (9 octaves). An auxiliary 60-page document describes MUS-X1, "A High Level Music Interpreter", and a source code listing IS included. At one time I had a paper tape version, but even if I could find it now, it would probably take me as long to re-connect a paper tape reader to my computer as it would to re-type the source code! * CT-1 (CompuTalker) board (1): contains phoneme-based synthesizer hardware (2 BIG black modules) along with regular interfacing IC's and an RCA phono jack audio output connector (1V peak-to-peak into 10K load), requires 16 I/O addresses relocatable to any hex boundary via on-board address selector switches. Lloyd Rice from CompuTalker had an article in the April, 1976, issue of Dr. Dobb's Journal of Computer Calisthenics & Orthodontia about using the board. The 50- page document contains instructions, (small-print) source code listings, examples, and DOES include a schematic. I also have issue # 1 from The Computalker Newsletter. I HAD paper-tape sources, but don't know if I can find it anymore or not. * Cromemco S-100 DAZZLER board (1): A two-slot pair of boards (mine used the alternative one-slot "piggyback" mount) which, according to an advertising blurb: "Technically, the Dazzler scans your computer memory using direct-memory access (DMA). It formats each memory bit into a point on the tv screen to give a 128 x 128-element picture. Only a 2K-byte computer memory is required... The quality of the pictures is evident in the photos." Sorry I can't reproduce the pictures here! And of course they are NOT nearly as good as today's EGA-type graphics! I have three articles torn from magazines, but in those days many magazines didn't identify themselves on the bottom of every page as most do now. Two articles MAY have been from Kilobyte (remember that?!) or Kilobaud or whatever it was called at the time (it changed names irregularly, I recall). One DEFINITELY was from the February, 1976, issue of Popular Electronics (pp. 31-40). Documen- tation consists of about 25 pages of general technical information, schematic & foil diagrams, and an assembly manual. * Incidentally, on the back page of one of the torn-out articles is an advertisement for a KIM-1 for ONLY $245! If anybody wants one (or more), I have several (both working and non-working) which I will sell considerably cheaper than that! I've been using them for years as ham repeater controllers, etc. Manuals ARE available (I've even gotten permission from Commodore/MOS Technology to reproduce them) but at five cents a page they cost almost as much as the KIM-1! * VECTOR 4 computer was pretty-well described in the original posting. * Northstar S-100 Micro Disk HARD-sectored controller board (1): ^^^^ * Northstar 16K-byte S-100 dynamic RAM boards (fully populated) (4): ^^^^^^^ * Northstar 16K-byte S-100 dynamic RAM boards (UNpopulated) (4): I have lots of documentation, including schematic, on these RAM boards. * Digital Group 16K-byte static RAM boards (2): I have lots of documentation, including schematic, on these RAM boards. Incidentally, I can NOT guarantee that all of the above are CURRENTLY working, for I have not had some of it running for MANY years! I am reasonably sure the CompuTalker and Music boards are OK. I KNOW the VECTOR is OK because I use it. I recall the Northstar RAM boards were kind of "flakey" (which is why I have the UNstuffed boards; I was going to transfer the IC's from the populated boards but never got around to it--sound familiar?) The DG static RAM boards are OK--I've used them as add-on memory for KIM-1's and for Commodore VIC-20's. --Myron -- Myron A. Calhoun, PhD EE, W0PBV, (913) 532-6350 (work), 539-4448 (home). INTERNET: mac@ksuvax1.cis.ksu.edu BITNET: mac@ksuvax1.bitnet UUCP: ...{rutgers, texbell}!ksuvax1!harry!harv