HP Forum Archive 14

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Series 80 Programmable ROM module clone - update Message #1 Posted by John on 29 Nov 2004, 7:59 p.m. Hi, As announced earlier I have been in contact with a fellow HP-85 fan who has made a working prototype clone of the HP-85/87 Programmable ROM Module. Here is a photo of the prototype board, note this has to be connected to a standard ROM Module, the final version will plug directly into the Series 80 expansion port: http://www.vintagecomputers.freeserve.co.uk/hp80/pics/prmclone.jpg For comparison, here is the inside of the original HP module: http://www.vintagecomputers.freeserve.co.uk/hp80/pics/progrom1.jpg More details to follow! Regards, John

Re: Series 80 Programmable ROM module clone - update Message #2 Posted by Olivier De Smet on 30 Nov 2004, 11:50 a.m., in response to message #1 by John Hi, Very good news. Sound very nice. But I have some questions. Is this ROM module the same for an HP85 and HP86/87 ? Is the limit of 6 roms still here ? (for an HP86, the software allows up to 15 ROMs, counting the included ones, see the HP86 emulator I send to some people) Olivier

Re: Series 80 Programmable ROM module clone - update Message #3 Posted by john on 30 Nov 2004, 4:39 p.m., in response to message #2 by Olivier De Smet Hi Olivier, I don't think there is a limit of 6 ROMs, for example I can run a ROM Module with 6 ROMs plus a Prog ROM Module with 2 more ROMs. I havn't tried running two ROM modules on one machine - is this dangerous? The designer of the clone module is thinking of extending it to use larger EPROMs (say 27256) with multiple ROM images loaded (eg 4) concurrently. This would require only a bit of extra logic (he is planning on using PLAs or similar) plus an extra 8-way DIL switch per 'ROM'. BTW your emulator is now on the web at Andre Kopel's site: http://www2.akso.de/files/series_80/ Not pretty but functional (his web site not your emulator!) Regards, John

Re: Series 80 Programmable ROM module clone - update Message #4 Posted by Olivier De Smet on 1 Dec 2004, 5:05 a.m., in response to message #3 by john I think the limit is that you can only use 1 ROM module (written somewhere in the manual I think) due to electrical decoding of lines over the bus. You can then add 2 roms with a Programmable rom module. You can have 5 included roms in an HP86B. So a max of 13 roms and a software limit of 15 or 16 (have to look at the system sources). In fact the REAL HARD part is the connection of this module to the specific HP8x bus. Then you need to decode the IO adress to select the current rom. After that, the number of rom allowed is just a eeprom capacity limit (and a software one). Perhaps creating a new ROM expansion module could be easier that mapping the rom module pins. André Koppel has some nice pdf for a 'system' view of the HP 8x series. Olivier

Re: Series 80 Programmable ROM module clone - update Message #5 Posted by John on 30 Nov 2004, 4:48 p.m., in response to message #2 by Olivier De Smet and yes the module is the same for the HP-85 and HP-87 families, as are the Prog ROM Module, the ROM Drawer and every other module I know of except memory modules and the CP/M / Aux Processor module. If this module becomes common then it will open up the Series 80 quite a bit, the main benefits being support for a wide range of HP floppy drives and the Assembler. There is another project I have seen mention of, which is to clone a disk drive eg use a PC as a mass sotrage device, but I think this is in the concept phase. My thoughts would be to run an HP-IB card on a PC, and then emulate an Amigo drive in software but then this would cost as much as a SS-80 drive would anyway. Perhaps some bright person can work out a way to go straight from the Series 80 bus to USB! Regards, John

Data translation 80 Emulators to... Message #6 Posted by chris on 2 Dec 2004, 6:48 p.m., in response to message #5 by John And what happen if you use a unix computer with the C like a assembler or emulated it like 80 series?????? to make what ? data translation. . I would like to speak with for example very super guys who concept a computer... by HP only HP The names are Thomas A Pearo the man who make a click with his eye on a HP review speeking about the clever team who has create a computer which could do the job. It s because they are all five or six the hp 80 s + DOS or OS and WINDOWS specialists and multitasking !!!! on a portable HP yes HP computer and in the year.... 1985 .yes sirs a large time before the all all other like big ...hum i don t say more about the OTHER..... It s my opinion I d ont like the OTHERS So the last thing I know is there were selled 17 computers in France.I know were there are 2 of them.And another one is in germany. Finally if Thomas a Pearo from HP in the past or the beared man who has managed the project or the other like the specialist from polarized screens for this computer could give information thru it could be cool....they have the Knowledge!!!for this inthe past big today future machine.yes Sirs on one screen two programms running simultaneously .the one plots the curves the other displays the computing datas relating the plotting!!!at the same time.Time sharing on a portable in the year 1985!!!! Incredible but it do the job.with.....Windows Question when the Other bring the Window concept?? Many years AFTER.....HP HP FIRST ! Chris Europe Swiss

Re: Data translation 80 Emulators to... Message #7 Posted by Vassilis Prevelakis on 3 Dec 2004, 1:09 a.m., in response to message #6 by chris Hi Chris, Did you use a markov chain algorithm to generate this? :-) **vp

Re: Data translation 80 Emulators to... Message #8 Posted by Chris europe on 6 Dec 2004, 6:27 p.m., in response to message #7 by Vassilis Prevelakis Dear vassili I red many of your forum and investments in helping other 80 s users..your have big knowledge. Now for the double screen time sharing with the 68000 you load two time the system and you run with the screen adjustment like a splitting in 123 lotus.if you run both you have the result the hp IPC yes that s the before talken system.. do the job.the only one condition . load two time the programming language and run one text and data two the plotting and start both. Do you have one form 80 s machines or IPC I m looking for the M68000 assembler i lost the book and i can t remenber a 220 page book all over!!!!!plus other books on IPC or a serial card for IPC!!!Thank for help Chris Europe

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