November 2002 - TechToolsList - listserv.classicarcade.com

9100a on ebay
by Amplifone＠aol.com 24 Nov '02

24 Nov '02

I noticed john's 9100A/AF on ebay.. The auction shows the edit station (keyboard & monitor) , is it included? Also does the 9100a unit itself have a video card? If this is like the military surplus systems I've seen it won't have an edit station or video card installed, so they cannot run editor and create guided test programs. If it does have these items $1500 is an excellent price (even though the 6800, 6802 & z-80 pods have been pulled), if not than it seems its not much more usable than a 9010a... I don't mean to bust john, but if my assumptions are correct the auction doesn't point this out. if anybody on the TTL were to buy that system I'd hate for them to be dissappointed that the full functionality of a 9100a isn't available to them... AFAIK all consumer 9100 series units had video cards. Did that system come with the 68000 riser card for the 9100a? Jeff

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Re: 9100a on ebay
by Amplifone＠aol.com 24 Nov '02

24 Nov '02

Thats kinda what I figured.. These were the systems that were availalbe on a lot of test equipment sites a couple years ago (like testequity.com) They all came from a large test equipment wholesaler in baltimore that bought about 200 of them from an air force base in TX a long while ago from a DRMO sale, back when they weren't public. They were selling them to a lot of large companies like IBM and most of the toy manufacturers all bought some as well.. After that some went to other test equipment dealers and when they were down to 10 or so left they were selling them for around $2k for a complete set in 1999. I assume they are out of them now.. I saw a pile of them in thier warehoue and the owner gave me the full story on them... they didn't have any keyboards, monitors, or I/O pods sitting around :( The systems did come with 2 complete sets of manuals though.. no TL/1 manuals of course.. Jeff

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Re: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange
by Marc Alexander 20 Nov '02

20 Nov '02

I had the same problem, a bad cable on a Z80 pod, and a good cable from an 8080 pod, and the good 8080 cable would not work on the Z80 pod! I ended up doing a tricky repair job on the original Z80 cable. The both looked the same (wires, twisted pair, etc) though the 8080 cable had a more modern looking angled corner DIP40 head, and the Z80 had a square black blocky head. I suspect that the DIP40 head has something in it, maybe pullup or pulldown resistors? I have no idea. I did do a continuity check on every wire from the IDC to DIP40 and both cables matched.... weird. Anyway just some info, hope it helps :) Cheers, Marc ----- Original Message ----- From: <steve(a)coule.freeserve.co.uk> To: <techtoolslist(a)flippers.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 10:40 AM Subject: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange > > > I have a good z80 pod with trashed 40 pin header and thought I'd swap a the ribbon cable and header from a 6802 pod, but it fails self test, I tried the cable and header from a good 6502 pod, it also fails self test, I tried a cable from a good z80 pod, it passed self test! Why? > > The manuals state that the 6502 and z80 should have the same part number but they don't. The 6802 and 6502 do have the same part number taken from real pods, neither work with the z80 which has a different part number. > > Does anyone have any idea what's in these headers? > > Does anyone have a spare cable and header for a z80 or 8085 pod for sale? A dead pod would do if the cable &header look good! > > Thanks, > > Steve > > _______________________________________________________________________ > Freeserve AnyTime, only £13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! > For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890 > > >

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Re: Re: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange
by Marc Alexander 20 Nov '02

20 Nov '02

> From: <steve(a)coule.freeserve.co.uk> > I'll dig out my precision grinder and take a look inside the header. The lead is not salvageable so I'll see if I can find out what's going on inside! > Does that black potting compound stuff melt with heat? If it really is potting compound stuff, it doesn't melt with heat, but heat greatly weakens it, and you can then pick it apart with a little screwdriver. A heat gun works very well to slowly heat up the entire thing quite hot for the picking (but before it bubbles or smokes) Also, normal enamel paint thinners works well on most potting compounds and leaves most parts intact and readable, leave it submerged a day, pick the swollen layer off carefully, leave it another day and so on... Good luck! Marc

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Re: Re: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange
by steve＠coule.freeserve.co.uk 20 Nov '02

20 Nov '02

I did the same thing, buzzed through all the cables just fine! Like you say, the next step is a resistance check between pins but there are a lot of combinations! I also wonder if there may be a diode or something like that in there for protection purposes! Or perhaps they just link some pins together like Kev mentioned. All in all, it's a right pain! The price of a new cable from fluke in the UK was around $150 when I checked! Fluke wouldn't release any diagrams when I asked about 6 months ago ... anyone got a friend at fluke? I'll dig out my precision grinder and take a look inside the header. The lead is not salvageable so I'll see if I can find out what's going on inside! Does that black potting compound stuff melt with heat? Thanks for your help, Steve > > From: "Marc Alexander" <marcwolf123(a)yahoo.com> > Date: Wed 20/Nov/2002 10:12 GMT > To: <TechToolsList(a)flippers.com> > Subject: Re: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange > > > > I had the same problem, a bad cable on a Z80 pod, and a good cable > from an 8080 pod, and the good 8080 cable would not work on the > Z80 pod! > > I ended up doing a tricky repair job on the original Z80 cable. > > The both looked the same (wires, twisted pair, etc) though the > 8080 cable had a more modern looking angled corner DIP40 head, and the > Z80 had a square black blocky head. > > I suspect that the DIP40 head has something in it, maybe pullup > or pulldown resistors? I have no idea. > I did do a continuity check on every wire from the IDC to DIP40 > and both cables matched.... weird. > > Anyway just some info, hope it helps :) > > Cheers, > > Marc > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <steve(a)coule.freeserve.co.uk> > To: <techtoolslist(a)flippers.com> > Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 10:40 AM > Subject: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange > > > > > > > > I have a good z80 pod with trashed 40 pin header and thought I'd swap a the ribbon cable and header from a 6802 pod, but it fails > self test, I tried the cable and header from a good 6502 pod, it also fails self test, I tried a cable from a good z80 pod, it > passed self test! Why? > > > > The manuals state that the 6502 and z80 should have the same part number but they don't. The 6802 and 6502 do have the same part > number taken from real pods, neither work with the z80 which has a different part number. > > > > Does anyone have any idea what's in these headers? > > > > Does anyone have a spare cable and header for a z80 or 8085 pod for sale? A dead pod would do if the cable &header look good! > > > > Thanks, > > > > Steve > > > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > Freeserve AnyTime, only £13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! > > For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890 > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________________________________ Freeserve AnyTime, only £13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890

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Re: Fluke pod ribbon cables - Another query...
by Phillip Eaton 20 Nov '02

20 Nov '02

Talking of ribbon cables, I had two 8080 Pods for a while. One of them had a ribbon cable that plugged straight into the uP socket, and the other had an additional plastic 'chunk' that needed to be inserted between the uP socket and ribbon cable. The 'chunk' isn't homemade, it's a proper Fluke part, in the correct colour etc. If I removed the 'chunk' on the pod that needed it, it failed self-test. Can anyone give me any more information on the 'chunk'? Cheers, Phillip Eaton

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Re: Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange
by steve＠coule.freeserve.co.uk 20 Nov '02

20 Nov '02

>>I think you might be mixing up twisted pair header cables and ribbon style headers. I recall seeing something about the difference, but I don't think it is significant. Something about the shield ground jumper.... I don't think that is really the issue, I have twisted pair cables and non-twisted pair cables for the 8080 pod and they are interchageable, but neither of these work with the z80 pod! As far as I can tell from a particaly ripped open header, all the grounds on the twisted pairs are commoned together. If it wasn't all encased in hard back goo, I could work out what else is in there but it's going to take ages to get at it! Out of the z80, 6502, 8080 6802 6809 and 8085, the only matching header part numbers I can find are the 6502+6802. The header from the 8085 passes self test on the z80 pod too and the manuals indicate the same part number. >>I have no spares, but you can buy a cable (ribbon) that should work fine from Digi-Key.com or the equivalent in the UK. I was planning on making some up with ribbon cable and a 40 pin header but a straight through cable I made in the past refused to work on either the 8080 or z80 - I remember trying it on one of them but can't remember which! I'm sure there's something in there ... but there are a lot of combinations to check on a 40 pin header! Steve _______________________________________________________________________ Freeserve AnyTime, only £13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890

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Fluke pod ribbon cables .. strange
by steve＠coule.freeserve.co.uk 20 Nov '02

20 Nov '02

I have a good z80 pod with trashed 40 pin header and thought I'd swap a the ribbon cable and header from a 6802 pod, but it fails self test, I tried the cable and header from a good 6502 pod, it also fails self test, I tried a cable from a good z80 pod, it passed self test! Why? The manuals state that the 6502 and z80 should have the same part number but they don't. The 6802 and 6502 do have the same part number taken from real pods, neither work with the z80 which has a different part number. Does anyone have any idea what's in these headers? Does anyone have a spare cable and header for a z80 or 8085 pod for sale? A dead pod would do if the cable &header look good! Thanks, Steve _______________________________________________________________________ Freeserve AnyTime, only £13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890

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Re: Dig Dug & 9010
by Kev 18 Nov '02

18 Nov '02

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Compressing the PDFs in TTL....help wanted!
by John Robertson 17 Nov '02

17 Nov '02

I am slowly working through the PDFs compressing (using Adobe 4.0 Capture), and if anyone wants to help that would be great. Takes about 1 hour per manual or less...one can get a 10 fold (+) reduction in size! Volunteers line forms on the right... John :-#)# How to subscribe or unsubscribe from TTL To do either you send email to "MajorDomo(a)flippers.com" and in the body you state either "Subscribe techtoolslist" or "Unsubscribe techtoolslist", note that the Subject is "" (Blank)... FTP site is: ftp://ftp.flippers.com/TTL/

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