Mail Archives: geda-user/2016/11/18/15:09:38
Big-ass transistors and silicon-on-sapphire construction. Good stuff. :-)
-Dave
On 11/18/2016 02:16 PM, Russell Nelson (russnelson AT gmail DOT com) [via
geda-user AT delorie DOT com] wrote:
> Big-ass transistors. "Gimme all the alpha particles you want, I'm not
> flipping my bits!" The COSMAC Elf was my first computer. 1802 definitely
> a strange processor. I used one in a stereo audio controller that I used
> for many years.
>
> On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 6:02 PM, Gene Heskett (gheskett AT shentel DOT net
> <mailto:gheskett AT shentel DOT net>) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com
> <mailto:geda-user AT delorie DOT com>] <geda-user AT delorie DOT com
> <mailto:geda-user AT delorie DOT com>> wrote:
>
> On Monday 24 October 2016 17:18:24 Dave McGuire
> (mcguire AT neurotica DOT com <mailto:mcguire AT neurotica DOT com>)
> [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com <mailto: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
> <mailto:graceindustries AT gmail DOT com>) [via
> >
> > geda-user AT delorie DOT com <mailto:geda-user AT delorie DOT com>] wrote:
> > > On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Dave McGuire
> > > (mcguire AT neurotica DOT com <mailto:mcguire AT neurotica DOT com>)
> > >
> > > [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com <mailto:geda-user AT delorie DOT com>]
> <geda-user AT delorie DOT com <mailto:geda-user AT delorie DOT com>> wrote:
> > >> On 10/23/2016 10:24 PM, Atommann (atommann AT gmail DOT com
> <mailto:atommann AT gmail DOT com>) [via
> > >>
> > >> geda-user AT delorie DOT com <mailto: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 <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene
> <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>>
>
>
--
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA
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