speaker@umcp-cs.UUCP (12/04/83)
Is there such a thing on the market as a terminal on a board? I have a video monitor (sanyo) and can easily pick up a keyboard. What I really could use is a combination modem/terminal that can read a keyboard and drive a video monitor (not a television set) and plug into my phone jack. -- - Bessie the Hellcow speaker@umcp-cs speaker.umcp-cs@CSnet-Relay
BILLW%sri-kl@sri-unix.UUCP (12/06/83)
Well, Digital Research Computers (PO Box 461565, Garland, TX 75046 (214)271-3538) has something they call the ZRT-80 CRT terminal board, selling for 129.95. It uses a Z80A, 6845 crt contoller, has rs232 speeds to 19.2K baud, formats from 24x80 to 64x96, emulates adm3a, heath-19, and beehive terminals, and comes with source code on an 8" floppy disk. I have dealt with digital research on small parts orders, and have found them very reliable. Other people who have ordered their "Big Board" CPM computer have also had ggod things to say about them. They advertize in byte and Microcomputing. BillW
MCMANIS%USC-ECLC%minet-cpo-em@sri-unix.UUCP (12/06/83)
From: Chuck McManis <MCMANIS%USC-ECLC@minet-cpo-em>
Look in this months (DEC) or the October Byte Magazine. Both John Bell
Engineering and Digital Reasearch Computers (of Texas) sell all off the
electronics for a terminal, you add parallel keyboard and monitor and voila!
JB Engr goes for $200 and DR of Texas goes for $130 additionally the DR one
emulates an H19 (VT52 with enhancements) and others, also the terminal software
comes in EPROMS and source is available so you can customize it. DR's is based
on the Z80 and JB's is based on the 6502. We ordered a couple from DR but have
yet to recieve them, I suspect they were confused by the purchase order, (eg
they don't know how to cash it) Both boards generate separate sync and video
or composite video, available as switch options on the boards, DR also lets
you invert any of the three signals (H sync, V sync, Video) we plan on
replacing the innards of some old beehives to make them viable terminals once
again. If you need more info let me know.
--Chuck
P.S. we got the assembly manual for the DR ahead of time to verify the
features we needed so specifics are available on request.
-------David.Anderson@CMU-CS-G.ARPA (12/06/83)
Next month's Circuit Cellar project in BYTE will be building a terminal with 21 chips, based around a new chip from National Semiconductor.
seaburg@uiucdcs.UUCP (seaburg ) (12/08/83)
#R:umcp-cs:-421600:uiucdcs:10400093:000:426 uiucdcs!seaburg Dec 7 21:49:00 1983 Yes, these beasts do exist. I have an old Xitex (?) terminal board that plugs into an S-100 bus. It needs an ASCII keyboard and a monitor. I have since bought lots more computer stuff, so I don't need or use it. I'll give it to you for postage and handling costs if you're interested in it. Otherwise, there's usually a couple of ads for such boards in the back of BYTE magazine. Gunnar Seaburg ...pur-ee!uiucdcs!seaburg
speaker@umcp-cs.UUCP (12/09/83)
Thanks to those that replied to my question about terminals on a board. I was unable to thank you in person (such that it is) becuase your ARPA headers turned into something unparsable by any mailer. Advertisments may be found in Byte magazine... look for John Bell engineering and Digital Research. -- - Bessie the Hellcow speaker@umcp-cs speaker.umcp-cs@CSnet-Relay
andree@uokvax.UUCP (12/11/83)
#R:umcp-cs:-421600:uokvax:3400021:000:322 uokvax!andree Dec 9 10:23:00 1983 Then there's the heath/zenith zt11. This is a keyboard/modem combination, designed to talk to a video monitor and the phone company. Lots of nice software already built in (menu of systems, auto login, etc). The only major problem is that it doesn't come in a 1200 baud flavor. You get either 300 baud or no modem. <mike
djb@cbosgd.UUCP (David J. Bryant) (12/11/83)
According th the "Next Month" blurb at the end of Steve Ciarcia's December BYTE column, his January column will center on a "new integrated circuit from National Semiconductor [that] permits an intelligent video-terminal to be built from only 21 chips." Sounds like it might be just what you are looking for (I'm real interested myself, and am looking forward to the arrival of my January BYTE.) David Bryant AT&T Bell Laboratories Columbus, OH (614) 860-4516 (cbosgd!djb)
kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) (12/13/83)
I don't know what kind of terminal is going to be shown in the Ciarcia
article, but I have seen a National Semiconductor terminal-on-a-chip which
is just entering production. It is a processor (8051-oid), and video logic
on a single chip. You add static RAM, external ROM if you want to change
the built in program, and RS-232 line driver chips if you want more than the
5V output. The device scans a keyboard matrix with an 8-bit parallel port.
I think you should be able to make a complete system with about 6 (that's
six) chips.
I want to emphasize that this unit is entering production right now and is
supposed to cost <$20 when it has been around for awhile. So don't be
surprised when you see a bunch of terminals that all look alike and are
about $200 less than current models.
Oh, by the way, I'm not associated with National in any way. I'm sure there
are other manufacturers just about to announce this same kind of part. I've
just seen more detail on the NSC part.
--
Kurt Guntheroth
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
{uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurtseaburg@uiucdcs.UUCP (12/15/83)
#R:umcp-cs:-421600:uiucdcs:10400095:000:118 uiucdcs!seaburg Dec 14 12:17:00 1983 The board offered by Seaburg in the first response to this note has been allocated. Thanks anyway for the interest.
ABN.ISCAMS%usc-isid@sri-unix.UUCP (12/16/83)
Bessie the Hellcow...? No, I don't want to ask... David Kirschbaum Toad Hall (I should throw stones?)