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Subject: Re: [geda-user] COSMAC ELF in gEDA and the power rail problem for
 logic ICs
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From: "Dave McGuire (mcguire AT neurotica DOT com) [via geda-user AT delorie DOT com]" <geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
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Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:07:04 -0500
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  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