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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment. |
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30th Jan 2021, 5:41 pm | #1 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Culcheth, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 637
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Vicky, looking good !.
Here is Vicky looking very smart.
( Micky is still sulking in the attic ) Cheers, Buzby |
30th Jan 2021, 5:44 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,362
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Nice - that key overlay does give it the MK14 look.
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30th Jan 2021, 7:00 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
More surprisingly... still working! Lightning hasn't struck yet?
I must be the only issue VI driver who doesn't have one of those keypad overlays now. |
1st Feb 2021, 6:17 pm | #4 | |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Quote:
I like the overlay, but still dithering between it and using the clear keycaps with better switches than the cheapo ones they came with. I'm putting off making the decision while I work on other things like getting my loader working. |
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1st Feb 2021, 6:18 pm | #5 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
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1st Feb 2021, 6:53 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
I'm actually going to stick with the slightly taller switches and clear keycaps, they work really well for me and the ones I have don't seem to have the swivel-head syndrome which the rest of you have experienced with your switches so they all stay pretty geometrically aligned.
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1st Feb 2021, 7:22 pm | #7 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Culcheth, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 637
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Quote:
One thing I did have to do was put an extra washer between the two halves, as when I tightened the bolts the corner keys got pressed. I really bought this frame just to make it look a bit better than sticky labels. If I get round to using Vicky in earnest I'll build whatever the latest download circuit is. Cheers, Buzby |
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1st Feb 2021, 7:35 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
One which still hasn't been done is Slothie's suggestion from a long time ago - use the NENIN input to kick the SC/MP off the bus and transfer the code directly into the RAM via the bus connections on the rear edge. As he said at the time, you could also read the code OUT of the machine near-instantaneously in the same way.
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1st Feb 2021, 8:08 pm | #9 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Another option for fast download is to use an FT245, but needs some way to disable prom read while the FT245 is active. I’ve used this on z80 and it should work on the 8060. While bootstrap mode is active, all reads are taken from the FT245 including instructions, while writes are still written to ram. The ready from the FT245 is used to drive the nReady of the 8060 only for read cycles. Then you feed instructions to the 8060 via the FT245 to write a bootloader to ram, jump to the correct ram address and then switch out of bootstrap mode to run the bootloader. One of the flag outputs could be used to disable bootstrap mode.
I was thinking of trying to do this with a 6402 uart, to be a bit more retro. Ideally with a cassette interface feeding the 6402. I think I found a problem with getting a ready signal from the 6402 though, and it all got out of control looking at a hardware interface from cassette to parallel input to the 8060. |
1st Feb 2021, 8:44 pm | #10 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Quote:
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1st Feb 2021, 10:34 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Those of you who have those overlays, what is the material the key legend layer is made from and how thick / flexible is it? Are the characters printed onto the overlay or 'manufactured in' somehow?
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1st Feb 2021, 10:40 pm | #12 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Culcheth, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 637
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
It feels like Fablon or a similar product.
The text doesn't scrape off, so it's either very good printing or below a clear film. I'm pleased with it. Cheers, Buzby |
1st Feb 2021, 10:57 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
They look very good, we're very fortunate that someone with the know-how and resources has just independently turned up and decided to do this, and done such a nice job as well.
It's just the finishing touch that the project needed, and it may well encourage more people to build them if they see that it can be brought up to such a professional looking finish at very reasonable cost. |
1st Feb 2021, 11:11 pm | #14 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Hmm... mines just laminated paper, quite stiff... I was concerned it might not flex enough...
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1st Feb 2021, 11:18 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,485
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
Maybe try it before you form a final opinion?
Buzby has his fitted and he obviously likes it. If it was too soft it would tend to fold down around the outer rims of the button tops and then crack around the line of the rim edges. This is beginning to sound like the ideal excuse to build up your spare black board, that way you can try both types of keypad. |
1st Feb 2021, 11:30 pm | #16 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
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1st Feb 2021, 11:30 pm | #17 | |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
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1st Feb 2021, 11:34 pm | #18 | |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
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2nd Feb 2021, 12:11 am | #19 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Culcheth, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 637
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
The seller does say in his listing that the film is laminated, but the back is not shiny, it's slightly tacky.
It reminds me of those labels made by printers that use a twin-spool system, where a clear layer is put on after the thermal printing is done. They make very robust labels, but I can't remember the maker. ( It's not Dymo, which is the one I've got. ) Cheers, Buzby |
2nd Feb 2021, 12:35 am | #20 | |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Vicky, looking good !.
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