Tv's digital incantation

[tvtech]

^^^^

Hi Matt

I have run out of ideas as far as how to bring fun and enjoyment and knowledge back to ETO.
As the people in the knowledge say Forums run in cycles....

Does not mean I will stop trying though.

Now picture this:
I have zero knowledge as far Digital goes. However, I have two of the best as in Digital with Nigel and Ian as coaches.
And I need to get away from CRT...and I am not crazy or neither want LCD or Plasma or any other TV crap....

But I have two people here that that can teach me Digital...as a beginner that has zero knowledge.

With a difference though...here is a Student sent from Heaven....he listens, he learns. He writes things down. He asks sensible questions.
He is teachable. Even though he is 51 Years old. I am willing to do this. It suits both me and this wonderful forum.

Somebody here has to prove that people are teachable...no matter the age.

Could be a eye opener for all the chance takers out there. I know my HV suff....Digital has eluded me though.

Nigel and Ian, you think you guys could do this.?

I am totally willing to try. It's up to you Guys. Nothing to loose on your part. And all my Reputation and all on my part. I am good for it

Regards,
tvtech

 

[DerStrom8]

Hi tvtech,

You're more than welcome to ask questions in the forum and the chat. I have done a bit with digital recently and would be happy to help you out if you have any specific questions. There are lots of people who would be happy to do the same!

Regards,
Matt

 

[cowboybob]

Hey, tvtech,

I'm with Matt (by the way Matt, I still owe you a pic of me in my Tesla T and hat...).

I got myself an Arduino Uno (about a month ago) to play with and it starts out with VERY simple programming and hardware configurations (a blinking LED). And it's cheap. And the compiler is also VERY thorough in its error checking. Now, I had a BASIC programming backgtound (and some ladder logic) but that was only marginally helpful for the "C" like language used.

I got the book, "Getting started with Arduino" by Massimo Banzi, co-founder of Arduino. Very basic and 80% of the cost of the UNO, but it is a starting point.

Like a beginners start to a lot of things, it seems like you spend a LOT of time and effort to get a stupid LED to blink, but you can build on each program you build, often with a previous, simpler program. Not unlike analog circuits.

And there are beaucoup sources for help here on ETO and elsewhere as well.

It suited my entry level needs.

 

[Mickster]

Hi tvtech,
I'm with Matt & cowboybob on this..... definitely have a go if it interests you. Also with Bob on the Arduino, I got myself an Uno around the same time he got his and although I haven't yet got around to playing with it much due to other stuff, except doing the LED blinky stuff and a simple clock generator output, there's more examples out there than you can shake a stick at.

Regards,
Mick.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I have all the basics from LONG AGO. Lots of different assembly languages and high level languages that you never here of anymore. I wrote in COBOL, ALGOL, APL, C, FORTRAN, BASIC , LISP, BASIC, PASCAL, G or LabView and probably more.

[Edit] - Add PostScript to the list.

I've written in PDP-8 assembly, PDP-11 assembly, Motorola 6800 assembly, 1802 assembly and regrettably Z-80 assembly like under CP/M.

I've written an operating system as part of a two member team and Real time processor control system (PID and recipes) in the 80's s a member of a two member team. I've done embedded stuff.
Just nothing really current.

I also as a member of a three man team built a simple processor that could sort numbers out of SSI circuits back in the late 70's. About the time the 4004 and 8008 were out.

I have a few processors that I can play with. They include a ARM LPC processor from MBED (www.mbed.org). There, everything is web-based. Web-based compilers etc. Multiple platforms are supported. I have a couple of Coridium products - The Super Pro is one (which is ARM based). I also have a PICAXE.

Life has gotten in the way of playtime.

 

[DerStrom8]

I was given an arduino once. It's great for absolute entry-level work, but I highly recommend also getting a TI Launchpad or a PICkit3 and a few PICs. The latter are far better for learning how digital computing and processing works, whereas an arduino is really only good for specific projects and maybe just an introduction to microcontrollers. It's really no good for anything else though, and I would suggest getting other uCs too so that you can actually learn how they work.

Regards,
Matt

 

[Mickster]

FWIW, I see the Arduino as one of those booths at a mall or supermarket, where they give you a 'taster' of something, without going into whole the background of what went into producing the 'taste'. If you are interested, you will do a little research for yourself and find what ingredients contributed to the experience. If not, it's not a huge loss....

 

[DerStrom8]

FWIW, I see the Arduino as one of those booths at a mall or supermarket, where they give you a 'taster' of something, without going into whole the background of what went into producing the 'taste'. If you are interested, you will do a little research for yourself and find what ingredients contributed to the experience. If not, it's not a huge loss....

Excellent point, but if you're interested in learning more you'll definitely want something more complex to graduate into, if you know what I mean. You're 100% right, I just think it goes further than just book learning and testing on an Arduino.

 

[cowboybob]

... and regrettably Z-80 assembly like under CP/M.

...

KISS,

Remember this?:

Sold the boo-daddy out of these, that is until they announced the "Executive" and sales of the Osborne 1 tanked, very quickly.

Anyway, it had a Z80 and used CP/M which I told potential customers (who could have cared less) that the OS stood for "Cheese, Pepperoni and Mushrooms"...

Our main brand was Apple.

 

[heydonms]

FWIW, I see the Arduino as one of those booths at a mall or supermarket, where they give you a 'taster' of something, without going into whole the background of what went into producing the 'taste'. If you are interested, you will do a little research for yourself and find what ingredients contributed to the experience. If not, it's not a huge loss....

And they are absolutely brilliant in that role. The problem is when someone tries the taster and realises it is good and then starts trying to convince everyone else that they should stop cooking or going out to restaurants and eat only free tasters from the supermarket.

As a result of arduinos and raspberry pis there are more people playing with embedded electronics, which is cool, but there is a whole heap of noise out there from people who seem to think that these are the *only* embedded electronics. So while it is probably easier for someone just starting out to do some research, it is also a lot easier for them to be pulled off course by the numerous people telling them that arduino is perfect for every situation and all they will ever need.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

CBB:

Yep remember those. The thing I remember most from eary computing was a "laptop" where all of the programs were in ROM. This thing was an IBM PC. Not upgradeable at all. someone asked me to put a new version of Word on it. That was fun.

The HP 85/HP86 series of computers were just totally wierd. IEEE-488 disk drive or data cartridges. Things were definately simple. The ThinkJet printer was really cool too.

I still have the Genicom 1025 printer. https://books.google.com/books?id=g... personality modules color dot matrix&f=false

That thing I just fell in love with for a color dot matrix printer. I did get a service manual too, but not much of one. The "clambshell" construction was really wierd. Paper fed from the bottom and opening the printer exposed the tractors. It was a 132 Column Color Epson compatable printer. It could also be converted into a black and white printer too. Fonts were in the personality modules. Well made, for sure. Bought for an Amiga 1000. The IBM's 5.25 Floppies and the inability to do anything useful. That machine would blow the socks off an IBM at the time except for crisp characters. That machine is a carcus somehwere.

I read the byte article about the MAC Lisa which was way before it's time.

I also have a Diablo daisy wheel printer. some of the best mechanics I have ever seen.

For while I had a Hazeltine band printer and CRT terminal with schematics. Mostly all 7400 IC's. It could send lower case, but could not print lower case. I did the dead bug thing and changed the character generator and some logic so it would display lower case. What a project.

Do you know anybody who would write PostScript programs in Microsoft word and send them to a MAC Laserwriter NTX and just play? It did come I handy when I modified the Postscript code of a DOS program (EasyTrax) that did PCB layouts to do a ground plane.

Well, PostScript is a language I forgot that I programmed in.

I picked up the wierdest 300 baud modems that you every seen. All discrete stuff inside. You had to open the top and insert the phone into the cradle and then close the lid on the phone to keep out the ambient noise. I don;t think it's around anymore.

 

[Ian Rogers]

I moved these posts here as they had nothing to do with funny images....

For want of another name.... If you don't like the title TvTech... I'll change it!!!

 

[Inquisitive]

First modem I had was a Commodore 150 baud. Whoohoo! 15 characters per second. It was smokin'

 

[cowboybob]

... I read the byte article about the MAC Lisa which was way before it's time. ...

Indeed!

When we got the first Lisa's (Mac precursors) in, we were in total awe. Radical departure from the norm.

Made an iso of a cube on our first one that you could "lift" the top (lid) "up" and see a "ball" inside. Remove the ball and set it aside. Close the lid. Place the ball over the cube and it disappeared. (Us, then customers' responses).

Pure, unadulterated magic. Beyond .

Sold 30 of those puppies (at $12,000 a pop) in the first month to the Savannah River Site (nuke weapons plant in NW SC).

The Motorola 86000 RULED (I think some form of it is still being used).

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Motorola 68000 or 86000?

 

[tvtech]

LOL

Thanks Ian. I saw you moved it and had to Google "incantation". Well one never stops learning new words....

I plan on using this word as much as possible now that I know what it means

And the thread title is great

Regards,
tvtech

 

[tvtech]

I had a Sinclair Spectrum in the early Eighties. My first computer.

I think the one I bought had 16K of RAM. All kinds of lovely Basic games you could play on it. Problem was I had to use my folks TV as a monitor..

And that did not always sit well with my Dad who started missing his News and programs he wanted to watch while I was playing games. Many discussions were held between the two of us deciding who gets to use the TV/Monitor at which times....

Amazing memories

 

[nsaspook]

LOL

Thanks Ian. I saw you moved it and had to Google "incantation". Well one never stops learning new words....

I plan on using this word as much as possible now that I know what it means

And the thread title is great

Regards,
tvtech

Incantations are what we use to put the magic smoke in chips. We have the latest in electromechanical shaman.
Magic Smoke machine:

Mix in a little magic music, magic chemicals and boom we move into the crystal lattice.

Maybe NSFW....

 

[tvtech]

^^^^
Now I feel a little dumb...

Does not matter, I will recover nsaspook. And I thought I knew stuff

Those are big cannon's in photo above. Why are they firing at each other and a Guy is standing so close???

I am lost.

I.Must.Remember.Incantations. Nice word for use at Parties

LOL
tvtech

 

[nsaspook]

^^^^
Now I feel a little dumb...

Does not matter, I will recover nsaspook. And I thought I knew stuff

Those are big cannon's in photo above. Why are they firing at each other and a Guy is standing so close???

That's a section of a industrial RF Linac that's not running. (It's shielded by heavy lead doors when it is)
Each can is a resonator section (80kv 3kw 13.58mhz) that is phase synchronized to bunch and add energy to the beam.