Ferguson BigBoard revived!

From: Curt vendel <curt_at_atarimuseum.com>
Date: Tue Jan 27 12:15:13 2004

I've got a spare Big Board II if anyone is interested in buying it or
trading, I will post it up on to VCM with some pics



Curt

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Uban" <uban_at_ubanproductions.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 10:16 AM
Subject: Ferguson BigBoard revived!


> I owned a BigBoard in college, but gave it away when I moved from
Champaign
> to Boston. It is a pretty cool SBC with integrated single density floppy
> controller and video. A friend (thanks Bob) gave me an old BigBoard which
> he had laying around a while back and I started making it work again last
> night. So far, the crystal circuit was dead (temporarily replaced with an
> oscillator until new parts arrive), an address buffer was dead (purchased
> a NOS 74LS241 off the shelf at the local electronics store, mounted on a
> piece of cardboard which is all faded from age), the video drive XOR was
> dead (replaced with new 74LS86 from my stock bins), and all the ICs needed
> to be re-seated in their sockets.
>
> So far, I have the video section working and the board boots the system
> monitor, displaying the output on the overly tiny 3" diagonal CRT, which
> is the only monitor that survived my numerous moves over the years. I've
> purchased a new-to-me monitor for use on this board, but this tiny one
> will have to due until it arrives.
>
> The next step will be to attach a SSSD 8" floppy and if that works with
> some scratch floppies, I will try to boot the CP/M system floppies that
> I got from Don Maslin oh so long ago.
>
> I still have a couple of articles about modifying the BigBoard to use a
> double density floppy drive. I may have to try that at some point in the
> future.
>
> --tom
>
Received on Tue Jan 27 2004 - 12:15:13 GMT