--- Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> > > >of games like Dark Tower function. I've never seen inside one but I
> > > >presume there's a custom chip that's a microprocessor, RAM and ROM
> > > >all rolled into one, for cost reasons.
>
> In my (limited) experience, most electronic toy/games from that time
> frame contain a mask-programmed microcontroller. Normally a
> TMS1000-series device.
That's a good lead right there. How did they do development for a
mask-programmed chip? Desk check it, burn a run and hope for the
best? Simulators? Prototype with identical architecture but external
program storage?
Any good pages on the TMS1000? With an understanding of the capbabilities
of the chip, it's easier to guess how a designer might have implemented
certain functions.
-ethan
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Received on Tue Oct 16 2001 - 11:23:46 BST