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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=043273415-11082020>Not so much on the technology side and not quite as
old but I found some ISA card hacking stuff in a recent
cleaning. Two are extenders- to get the card out of the box to probe
on, one 8 bit (XT) and one 16 bit (AT). I also have an ISA-8
card with a solderless breadboard on it. I will included Ed Nisley
book on hacking ISA computers (if I can find it). All to a good home if
you have a use for it. I also have some ISA card eprom programmers of
similar vintage and other miscellany. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=043273415-11082020></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=043273415-11082020>John Wettroth</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=043273415-11082020>919 349-9875</SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> TriEmbed
[mailto:triembed-bounces@triembed.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Rodney Radford via
TriEmbed<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, August 10, 2020 9:40 AM<BR><B>To:</B> Robert
Mackie<BR><B>Cc:</B> TriEmbed Discussion<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [TriEmbed] Old
computers<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>This is the first time I have seen another one - thanx for the
photo and the back story. If you find the patent number, I would be interested
in seeing it.
<DIV><BR>After watching someone interface an Arduino to core memory at the
virtual computer festival, I wondered how difficult it would be to interface an
Arduino to this delay line. Mine has 12v stamped on the board, so that gives me
some hint as to voltages, and the electronics on the board is simple, so should
be possible to sketch out a schematic of the read and write circuits.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>
<DIV class=gmail_attr dir=ltr>On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 3:10 AM Robert Mackie
<<A href="mailto:rob@mackies.org">rob@mackies.org</A>> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex">
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV>Rodney,</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Oddly enough, I see the photos attached.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>re: a mechanical delay line
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>My dad worked for IBM way back in the day, as an electrical
engineer. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>He left me copies of a few of the patents on which he was listed as an
inventor. One of them is exactly such a device, used at the edge of telephone
switching networks (I think - edge of some network anyway) to hold state. Much
cheaper than core memory for the time, and could hold 2048 bits, with a
latency of something like 50ms. Somewhere I have the paperwork for the patent
application. Now I'm curious if it was a refinement or the first of
its type. Never thought about it before. <BR><BR>But this is one where he
had kept a physical example, one they had to cut open during testing. I knew
exactly where it was so I just snapped a photo with my phone:</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://mackies.org/mechanical_delay_line_dynamic_memory_ibm.jpg"
target=_blank>http://mackies.org/mechanical_delay_line_dynamic_memory_ibm.jpg</A> <BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Figured it would be interesting to see and compare.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Rob.</DIV></DIV></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>
<DIV class=gmail_attr dir=ltr>On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 6:14 PM Rodney Radford
via TriEmbed <<A href="mailto:triembed@triembed.org"
target=_blank>triembed@triembed.org</A>> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex">
<DIV dir=ltr>Nevermind, the photos 440k were deemed too large to be sent by
the TriEmbed server.
<DIV><BR>Sorry you will not be able to see them.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>
<DIV class=gmail_attr dir=ltr>On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 5:38 PM Rodney Radford
<<A href="mailto:ncgadgetry@gmail.com"
target=_blank>ncgadgetry@gmail.com</A>> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex">
<DIV dir=ltr>I forgot to include the photos...<BR><BR></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>
<DIV class=gmail_attr dir=ltr>On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 5:37 PM Rodney
Radford <<A href="mailto:ncgadgetry@gmail.com"
target=_blank>ncgadgetry@gmail.com</A>> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex">
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr>One of the passions I have put time in the last few months
are collecting and learning about old vintage computers.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I currently have:</DIV>
<DIV>* IMSAI S-100 system</DIV>
<DIV>* Sol-20 S-100 system</DIV>
<DIV>* TRS-80 Model 1 and 4p</DIV>
<DIV>* Two Apple IIe systems</DIV>
<DIV>* Kaypro 10 luggable system</DIV>
<DIV>* TI 99/4</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I used to have a much larger collection including<BR>* Burroughs
L5000 (google about that beast)</DIV>
<DIV>* TRS-80 Model 2, 3 and 4</DIV>
<DIV>* Zerox CP/M system (I think I still have it, but can't find
it)</DIV>
<DIV>* Pet Commodore 2001 (loaned to a 'friend' - never got it
back)</DIV>
<DIV>* several Apollo systems</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>While I wish I could have kept all the old systems, it just was not
possible due to storage space constraints. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Back in highschool, a teacher gave me her old 4-function Singer
(yes, the sewing machine) calculator. I, of course, took it apart...
;-)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I did keep two parts from the calculator - the keyboard (mechanica
marvel) and the storage device (a mechanical delay line).</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(28,30,33)">When
I first looked inside, I</SPAN> saw<SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(28,30,33)">
the aluminum box with the words read amp and </SPAN>write<SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(28,30,33)"> amp
on it, and I *knew* I had found core memory. Then I opened it
a</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; COLOR: rgb(28,30,33); DISPLAY: inline">nd
was completely surprised with what I found. It is a magnetostrictive
delay line memory device - memory was stored by twisting the wire at one
end, and the twist would propogate through the long coil and out at the
other end. By varying the direction of the twist, data could be stored
temporarily, and it was then sent back in again for storage
again.</SPAN><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; COLOR: rgb(28,30,33); DISPLAY: inline"><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(28,30,33); DISPLAY: inline">
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 0px 0px 6px">The other item I
kept from the calculator was the keyboard. On each keypress, the key was
decoded with gears and levers that move magnets over reed relays - as
that was more economical than a simple electronic keyboard decoder.</P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 0px 0px 6px"><BR>Here is a link
to information about the calculator (and some info on the delay
line):</P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 0px 0px 6px"><BR></P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px"><A
style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; COLOR: rgb(56,88,152); text-decoration-line: none"
href="https://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/friden1160.html?fbclid=IwAR1jtFCm3O_oRCn_hLop43h5fNOtefDedwSv1hVtzH7vUv_TSvCC4qqGjEs"
rel=nofollow
target=_blank>https://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/friden1160.html</A><BR></P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px"><BR>Photos included of
the delay line and keyboard. If we were meeting in person Monday, I
would have brought them out for show and tell.</P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px">I also really enjoyed
the virtual vintage computer festival I mentioned earlier. Some really
good talks on that, and my first of four books I ordered arrived today -
the ENIAC Technical Reference manual, as written by one of the first
female programmers on it.</P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px"><BR></P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px">PS: If you have any old
systems that need a home let me know. I really should have grabbed the
TRS-80 Model 100 that I brought last year that was given to the club,
but I let someone else take it (any idea who grabbed it?)</P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px"><BR></P>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px">Anyway, back to current
time where I need to finish up an IoT device for work... ;-)</P>
<P
style="FONT-FAMILY: inherit; MARGIN: 6px 0px"><BR></P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>_______________________________________________<BR>Triangle,
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