Elf99 - rebirth of a classic

From: Ethan Dicks <erd_at_infinet.com>
Date: Mon Nov 9 15:34:15 1998

To all 1802 enthisiasts:

I have been in discussion with some folks about 1802's and the possibility
of producing a modern PCB for the Popular Electronicss Elf design. Hans
Franke seems to think that there would be some interest in Germany for
a few units, enough to make me consider burning a board. I would be
curious to hear what other list members though about price, features, etc.
The good news is that Harris still makes the 1802 for less than $10, and
the TIL311 displays that the Elf calls for are available for less than $10
each, used.

How authentic should a modern Elf be? Try to use 1822/2101 RAM or use
cheaper 6264 SRAM chips? Add space for an optional 1861 video chip,
a-la the fourth part of the orginal Elf article? Add space for a 1854
UART? Add an I/O port? Add nothing to the Quest PCB layout? Remove
nothing? (There was a socket for a 16-pin PROM and room for onboard 7805
regulator as well as optional memory battery backup).

How much would anyone pay for such a thing? The PCB would probably come
as a double-sided, plated thru-hole fiberglass board to the same dimensions
as the Quest board (I have one to compare it to). It would be in the
neighborhood of $40-$50, depending on how many extras and the order size.
If I got lots of orders, that price would plummet. I'm looking to make
25 on the first run, which is expensive in terms of startup costs. I
have ordered boards before (I make the GG2 Bus+ for the Amiga). Jobbing
out PCBs is no strange task to me.

Another question, perhaps more on topic - would this count as a classic?
It could be authentic as far as operation is concerned (toggle switches
and 256 bytes of accessible RAM), but it would still be on a modern
board, made recently. In short, does form or function denote "classic"?

Yes, anyone who wants can still breadboard an 1802 together. It's a
pain. I never would have finished my Elf if I hadn't had the PCB
to stuff. The Elf99 would be a echo of the former classic, but a
fully working one.

Classic clones, anyone?

-ethan
Received on Mon Nov 09 1998 - 15:34:15 GMT

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