Classic Computers vs. Classic Computing

From: Bob Shannon <bshannon_at_tiac.net>
Date: Sat Sep 15 09:30:15 2001

Tony Duell wrote:

<snip>

>
> > But in time, the last examples of the hardware will cease to run, and
> > parts will
> > be long gone. As some (distant point) the torch must pass to emulation,
>
> I am not convinced. It depends on what 'parts' you mean, but if you work
> at the level of individual components, then there are probably ways to
> make alternatives and will be for many years to come. Consider the AM29xx
> bit-slice chips, now moderately hard to find. It's not beyond a seriously
> dedicated entusiast to program an FPGA to replace one of those and make a
> kludgeboard so it will plug into the original socket. Unoriginal? Sure.
> Would I rather use a real AMD chip? Sure, again. But if that's the only
> way to keep the last PERQ running, I would have a go.

In the case you mention, your replacing a TTL device with an FPGA that
currently
uses TTL level I/O.

But most of my classic hardware is pre-TTL and no such logic level compatible
programmable logic exists.

So when a CTL chips fails, I must resort to canabilisim. Eventually it will
no longer be practical to keep this ancient (HP) hardware running. I only
hope that this can be delayed 50 years or so.
Received on Sat Sep 15 2001 - 09:30:15 BST