[HN Gopher] What the KIM-1 really needs is bubble memory
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       What the KIM-1 really needs is bubble memory
        
       Author : classichasclass
       Score  : 32 points
       Date   : 2022-09-04 16:55 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (oldvcr.blogspot.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (oldvcr.blogspot.com)
        
       | mcnamaratw wrote:
       | Aw. My KIM-1 still works.
        
         | classichasclass wrote:
         | Which revision? I'd like to do the 4K upgrade since the
         | decoding is already on the board, though I also have an AIM-65
         | configured that way and making everything fit in 1K is a fun
         | problem to figure out.
        
           | mcnamaratw wrote:
           | I'll have to check.
        
       | ncmncm wrote:
       | My only complaint is that the connector used is _not_ a DB-15
       | connector at all. It is a _DA_ -15, because it has 15 pins in two
       | rows on 1/10-inch centers in a "subminiature" D shell, or
       | "D-sub".
       | 
       | Other sizes included "DC" with room for 37 pins, "DE" with room
       | for 9, or for 15 crammed closer as for PC video, and DD with room
       | for 3 rows with 50 pins (17, 16, 17).
       | 
       | The DE shell is of course what everybody post-PC insists on also
       | calling "DB", as in "DB-9".
       | 
       | The name "subminiature" distinguishes them from "miniature", and
       | not, which as might be imagined were bigger and even bigger yet.
       | 
       | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-subminiature
        
         | classichasclass wrote:
         | I'll correct, but compliments are also appreciated. ;)
        
       | zxcvbn4038 wrote:
       | Working with a retro computer is a good exercise for everyone to
       | do at least once in their life. One of the things which gets lost
       | when your working in the cloud is an understanding of the
       | underlying architecture, and how things work at the lowest level.
        
         | abraae wrote:
         | Having used retro computers since before they were retro,
         | unless you enjoy the retro vibe you can get much the same
         | benefits - and more useful skills for future life - by just
         | using a microcontroller such as ESP32.
         | 
         | Back when retro computers were the modern hotness, it would
         | have been astonishing that you could buy a computer with a
         | display for ten bucks or so (https://www.amazon.com/LILYGO-T-
         | Display-Arduino-Development-...).
        
         | classichasclass wrote:
         | It's also useful to manually do some of those steps we take for
         | granted on modern systems. In this case it was file allocation,
         | but there are many others which are equally illustrative.
         | 
         | Plus, the feeling of control and complete understanding is
         | really addictive after awhile. 8-)
        
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       (page generated 2022-09-04 23:01 UTC)