X-Authentication-Warning: delorie.com: mail set sender to geda-user-bounces using -f X-Recipient: geda-user AT delorie DOT com X-ASG-Debug-ID: 1477346538-0978cd414fbfac0f0001-9re8WH X-Barracuda-Envelope-From: gheskett AT shentel DOT net From: "Gene Heskett (gheskett AT shentel DOT net) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]" X-Barracuda-Effective-Source-IP: n64s149.fttx.shentel.net[204.111.64.149] X-Barracuda-Apparent-Source-IP: 204.111.64.149 X-Barracuda-RBL-IP: 204.111.64.149 To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Subject: Re: [geda-user] COSMAC ELF in gEDA and the power rail problem for logic ICs Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 18:02:18 -0400 X-ASG-Orig-Subj: Re: [geda-user] COSMAC ELF in gEDA and the power rail problem for logic ICs User-Agent: KMail/1.9.10 (enterprise35 0.20100827.1168748) References: In-Reply-To: X-KMail-QuotePrefix: > MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <201610241802.18427.gheskett@shentel.net> X-Barracuda-Connect: smtp2.edbg.cloud.shentel.net[204.111.2.25] X-Barracuda-Start-Time: 1477346538 X-Barracuda-URL: https://204.111.1.145:443/cgi-mod/mark.cgi X-Barracuda-Scan-Msg-Size: 5474 X-Virus-Scanned: by bsmtpd at cloud.shentel.net X-Barracuda-BRTS-Status: 1 X-Barracuda-Spam-Score: 0.50 X-Barracuda-Spam-Status: No, SCORE=0.50 using per-user scores of TAG_LEVEL=1000.0 QUARANTINE_LEVEL=1000.0 KILL_LEVEL=6.0 tests=WEIRD_PORT X-Barracuda-Spam-Report: Code version 3.2, rules version 3.2.3.34006 Rule breakdown below pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 0.50 WEIRD_PORT URI: Uses non-standard port number for HTTP Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com On Monday 24 October 2016 17:18:24 Dave McGuire (mcguire AT neurotica DOT com) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote: > Very, very cool story! > > The 1802 is far from mainstream of course, but it's still a current > product, made by Intersil. The only ones still made are mil-spec, > which oughtta tell us something. > > -Dave Yes, its ability to work in a radiation environmemt that would cook any of us in just a few minutes is the reason. The deep space stuff we have out there is all running on 1802 family stuff. > > On 10/24/2016 04:55 PM, Bob Paddock (graceindustries AT gmail DOT com) [via > > geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote: > > On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Dave McGuire > > (mcguire AT neurotica DOT com) > > > > [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote: > >> On 10/23/2016 10:24 PM, Atommann (atommann AT gmail DOT com) [via > >> > >> geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote: > >>> Recently I redraw[1] the cosmac elf microcomputer which was from > >>> the Popular Electronics magazine 1976 August issue. And soldered > >>> one[2], it works right away! > >> > >> Hi! I don't have any suggestions for your problem, but I just > >> have to speak up about the Elf. > > > > Here is some 1802 trivia you'll not find anyplace else. > > > > The predecessor to the 1802 was a two chip set the 1800/1801 > > available only in ceramic packages. > > It was used in some early satellites. Perhaps some other Government > > projects. > > > > As this predates my involvement I don't know the details, some how > > what would become my boss in the future at Matric Limited, > > got a hold of one of these chip sets, probably still has it hidden > > away someplace to his wife's dismay; I expect I'll be the one > > cleaning out this stuff someday after Lee's passing no one else > > would know what it was or where it was stashed in the old building. > > > > Matric got a contract form the government to build a Automatic Roof > > Bolter for Coal Mines as a subcontract to Ingersoll Rand. > > So there is some government connection back to RCA, this is the part > > I'm missing, which got Lee the 1800/1801 chips. > > > > Lee designs a new Coal Mine control for a different contract about > > the time the 1802 is released. > > After the ELF came out, I was hired on to write software for the > > 1802 for the new 1802 based control. > > > > Everyone is aware of the impact of the 1802 after the Popular > > Electronics article comes out. > > What people are not aware of is how it died. I don't know what > > happened internally at RCA. > > > > RCA was bought out, Harris etc. Same people setting at the same > > desks with new name on the door of the company for a while. > > > > RCA had a product line called MicroBoards, which were a 44-pin edge > > card bus and a line of industrial membrane keyboards under the name > > Cardinal Technology. > > > > The controls that ran the sub Alvin from Woods Hole Oceanographic > > Institution that found the Titanic was using these boards, because > > the CMOS 1802 and rest of the 4000 family logic was the only thing > > they found that would work through the dew point as the sub > > descended at that time. > > > > Matric bought out the MicroBoard line from RCA (not sure who > > actually owned it at this point.) I flew to New Jersey to learn the > > testing procedures and over see the transfer for the board line. > > After awhile Matric also took over the keyboard line and Matric > > ended up with all of the remaining inventory of the 18xx chips for > > IO, Graphics, a few 1802, some 1805 (1805 had the 1802 stack code > > hard-coded and a couple of other minor changes that escape me right > > now) etc. > > > > After several years Matric retired the MicroBoard line and a few > > more years retired the keyboard line. > > > > After a few more years setting the the warehouse at Matric all of > > the related stuff including the chips were moved to a storage locker > > where accountant kept their YEARS of paper work. All just tossed > > in. It was no fun the one time I had to go find some 18xx chip to > > fix something. > > > > After I left Matric for my current gig (Resume anyone? Feel it is > > time to move on and do something different), so this part is second > > hand: > > > > Someone from the US State Department showed up at Matric with a > > Cardinal keyboard in hand saying "You *WILL* fix this" (they had be > > told on the phone that the line was no longer supported). > > > > The keyboard failed, I don't know why, and needed some of the chips > > from the storage locker as no one else in the world had them. > > > > The keyboard controlled a Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. Which one I > > do not know. No one wanted to do the paper work to use a new > > keyboard to run the plant. > > So *THAT* keyboard had to be repaired, which it was, it could not > > even be replaced with an identical (not that there were any) > > keyboard. > > > > So the last vestiges of the once proud 1802 family are decaying away > > in a storage locker to the best of my knowledge (perhaps someone has > > cleaned it out and trashed everything by now, I do not know)... Cheers, Gene Heskett -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Genes Web page