AIM65

From: Brett <danjo_at_xnet.com>
Date: Wed Jun 18 23:46:47 1997

On Thu, 19 Jun 1997 jpero_at_mail.cgo.wave.ca wrote:
>
> What's good to have AIM65 for? I am curious. If it is useful for
> learning how to do digital stuff, great!

No it isn't useful at all. The beastie is about 20 years old and is
so outdated even the dinosaurs got bored with it.
However, so of us dinosaurs, have fond and long memories!

> Is that best way to start from beginning with basics and work up?

Well, that way has worked before - for oh say a couple of
million years 8-)

The AIM-65 is a 6502 development system. I think it first appeared about
1978. The KIM-1 board (which was just that - a board with 6 LED displays
and a hexideciaml keyboard plus some other switches) came out about 1976
and the SYM-1 (and expanded version made by Synertek Systems Corp.) had a
speaker. 6 LED displays and 2 (YES 2) serial ports came out some where in
between. Bothe the KIM and the SYM came standard with 1K of memory.

The AIM-65 showed up with a QWERTY keyboard and a PRINTER with a 20
character display! WOW! All of them could only access 64K of memory.
The KIM and SYM came standard with 20 ma current loop drivers for
the ASR-33 and DEC LA-whatever that also used the 20 ma current loop.
The AIM didn't need anything else and was widely integrated into many
stand alone single purpose computers. Of course, since it was SO complete
it sold for twice what the others sold for.

I would believe most KIM's and SYM's where tossed around 84-86 when you
could buy REAL Intel power for you desktop 8-( and the 68000 came out -
I don't remember when. These boards have been turned into real production
type beasts by thier owners but still they just didn't have the omph to
do the more demanding tasks. The AIM continued to enjoy the dedicated
stand aone market for some time however - even tho they stopped selling
them. You could just reuse them.

The 6502 and the 6800, which it came from, along with the 8080 and it's
child the Z80 are still the most popular subfunction controllers around.
There are now being replaced with the PIC series (IMHO) and will
eventually fade into to sunset.

All I want is a ray of sunshine 8-)

BC
Received on Wed Jun 18 1997 - 23:46:47 BST