Search found 21 matches

by toddvernon
Tue Jun 02, 2020 1:42 pm
Forum: Other Items of Interest
Topic: HOT SHOT II Board 1986
Replies: 3
Views: 3433

Re: HOT SHOT II Board 1986

Cool story, I did not know any of that! I need to design a SUPER simple circuit board but have no idea where to start. It literally has a particle photon processors one resistor and a header to solder two leads to. Any suggestions?
by toddvernon
Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:23 pm
Forum: Monitor
Topic: Just hooked up a Compaq Amber Monitor!
Replies: 4
Views: 3660

Re: Just hooked up a Compaq Amber Monitor!

Got the mini-me power brick to put inside the monitor case today. If I get to it tomorrow, I'll shot some video and post.
by toddvernon
Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:08 pm
Forum: Power Supply
Topic: 5V Level at the Side Car
Replies: 2
Views: 2923

Re: 5V Level at the Side Car

Personally, I think you are good at the current levels. TTL logic is pretty forgiving. If you are above 4V everything is going to work IMHO.
by toddvernon
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:28 pm
Forum: Monitor
Topic: Just hooked up a Compaq Amber Monitor!
Replies: 4
Views: 3660

Just hooked up a Compaq Amber Monitor!

So long story, but when I got my New Old-stock PCjr color display the eBay transaction was a little messed up and a first I got a Compaq Deskpro Amber screen monitor (CGI adaptor) 18VDC input. The sell never asked for it back. After a few weeks with the Color monitor and being deep deep into Turbo P...
by toddvernon
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:19 pm
Forum: Jr Cables and Connectors
Topic: Sidecar Connectors. Yes TYCO, but there was another?
Replies: 3
Views: 3028

Re: Sidecar Connectors. Yes TYCO, but there was another?

Thats where I got mine, let me look at them. thx
by toddvernon
Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:04 pm
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

Re: Parallel Port Side Car items

My final config with the 3.3V LED and two chips turned out to be only about 6ma so I'm sure about any combination that works would be great. I would suggest using the 3.3V LED's they are super bright at 5V :-)
by toddvernon
Thu Apr 02, 2020 7:52 pm
Forum: Design Ideas 💡
Topic: USB drive would be the holy grail
Replies: 5
Views: 4510

Re: USB drive would be the holy grail

Maybe, not sure.

The key design feature would be a sidecar with a USB port. That would be THE BOMB.
by toddvernon
Thu Apr 02, 2020 7:48 pm
Forum: Jr Cables and Connectors
Topic: Sidecar Connectors. Yes TYCO, but there was another?
Replies: 3
Views: 3028

Sidecar Connectors. Yes TYCO, but there was another?

Having just completed the PCjr parallel sidecar mode for an activity LED I noticed that there is (was?) more than one company or at versions of the sidecar connectors. I personally bought the TYCO connectors for other projects that are the same ones used on the jrIDE. The problem with those are the ...
by toddvernon
Thu Apr 02, 2020 7:40 pm
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

ZipDrive sidecar access light! It's DOPE :-)

Finished the parallel port sidecar LED. Made a short video to show it in action. https://www.dropbox.com/s/1o9te1zh3apx0si/IMG_0269.MOV?dl=0 I ended up going with the plan of drilling holes in the forward part of the parallel port card and mounting two sockets for the chips. Then wiring all the conn...
by toddvernon
Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:40 pm
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

Re: Parallel Port Side Car items

Changed it up a little from the last version. Now using STROBE and ACK as the inputs. I had the circuit wrong yesterday doing the OR before inverting the active low signals. This version works perfectly. Going to make a little test board that will attach to the parallel port card. https://www.dropbo...
by toddvernon
Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:10 pm
Forum: Design Ideas 💡
Topic: USB drive would be the holy grail
Replies: 5
Views: 4510

Re: USB drive would be the holy grail

Interested. As a primary Mac user with no other PC devices, this sounds interesting, Zip is great and works but its ultimately a retrograde platform serving a retrograde platform! Thanks for the post, haven't run across this yet!
by toddvernon
Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:18 pm
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

Re: Parallel Port Side Car items

Emailed you as its a "sketch", I'll post a pretty version in a day or so.
by toddvernon
Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:59 pm
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

Parallel Ports Activity LED lives

Threw together a quick breadboard of the parallel port activity LED. Looks like reasonable and easy logic. Test video below! https://youtu.be/omlV6ZCJmf0 I'll post my design in a day or so. It's pretty easy. Two IC's an LED and a few resistors. Im sure someone better at this me could probably get it...
by toddvernon
Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:07 pm
Forum: Design Ideas 💡
Topic: USB drive would be the holy grail
Replies: 5
Views: 4510

USB drive would be the holy grail

As primarily a MAC user the entire "getting the JR going" thing has been an experience. Got the jrIDE working, got the zip drive working, all is good. But I can't help but wonder how much better this journey would have been if I could have booted, or at least transferred, using USB sticks....
by toddvernon
Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:02 pm
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

Re: Parallel Port Side Car items

Just made the mod this afternoon. Works great. My board was super dirty so I threw it in the Dishwasher after the mod and retrobrited the case all day. The board works great just giving the sidecar case more time to cook in the sun. As I only use the parallel sidecar for a ZipDrive, I think I might ...
by toddvernon
Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:56 pm
Forum: Keyboards
Topic: Just bought a NOS IBM clicky keyboard
Replies: 1
Views: 2378

Just bought a NOS IBM clicky keyboard

Man.... Does that bring back the old memories? I was a EE in 1983 and a self-taught programmer. I used to go to the computer lab, all full of IBM PC 5150-5160's with that clicky keyboard and help CS students with their homework. I loved the sound and feel of that keyboard, and now many years later, ...
by toddvernon
Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:28 am
Forum: Parallel Side Car
Topic: Parallel Port Side Car items
Replies: 17
Views: 11721

Re: Parallel Port Side Car items

Thanks for posting. I'm going to take a run at this mod today!
by toddvernon
Sun Mar 22, 2020 7:06 pm
Forum: PASCAL
Topic: Turbo Pascal 7 installed
Replies: 3
Views: 3021

Re: Turbo Pascal 7 installed

That site is wealth of stuff! Thanks for the tip
by toddvernon
Sat Mar 21, 2020 10:32 pm
Forum: Gallery 📸
Topic: MY working system
Replies: 4
Views: 6920

Re: MY working system

I like that keyboard! Not available anymore... damn!
by toddvernon
Sat Mar 21, 2020 11:36 am
Forum: PASCAL
Topic: Turbo Pascal 7 installed
Replies: 3
Views: 3021

Re: Turbo Pascal 7 installed

I'm heading for Turbo Pascal myself. I just need a few more things in place. TP was a great environment and made learning fast easy. 255-byte strings were its downfall ;-)