Questions tagged [hardware]
Retro hardware generally: boards, extension cards, power supplies, peripherals. Use more specific tags as appropriate; use [case] instead for enclosures.
582 questions
10
votes
1
answer
663
views
What size belt to buy for the Atari 1010 program recorder?
I got a nice Atari 600XL with a 1010 "Program Recorder" (cassette player). Too bad the motor drive belt broke and I am now trying to find a good replacement. I already tried a square belt, ...
- 1,389
6
votes
0
answers
223
views
Did any notable 6502 systems coordinate DMA with start of instruction rather than adding delay for possible writes?
An annoying hardware quirk of the 6502 is that while the READY line can be used to extend read operations, it cannot be used likewise for writes. As a result, systems which need to accommodate DMA ...
- 41.2k
1
vote
1
answer
168
views
ROM chip width to match 18-bit CPU [closed]
Early microprocessors typically had data bus width of 8 bits. Dynamic RAM chips were typically 1 bit wide, used in rows of 8, but mask ROM chips were typically 8 bits wide. As I understand it, this ...
- 65.3k
13
votes
3
answers
947
views
How to remove end of snapped ZX Spectrum keyboard connector
I recently powered on my 48k ZX Spectrum (1983 Issue 3B), and the keys 1-5 were not working. I decided to open it up to see if reseating the keyboard connectors would solve the problem. Unfortunately ...
- 3,215
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Sequential Analog Computers?
I was wondering whether there have been any documented uses of computer systems which work with fully analog values in a discrete time space.
Classical analog computers usually operate with fully ...
- 213
11
votes
1
answer
702
views
Maximum number of sprites per scan-line on Ghosts'n Goblins Arcade Hardware?
I'm working on a project that targets the Capcom PCB for Ghosts'n Goblins. According to the information available from the schematic and MAME the hardware support a total of 128 sprites on screen and ...
- 350
5
votes
1
answer
436
views
Do you know any real world applications of the INS 8070 (SC/MP III)?
In the mid-to-late 70s, National Semiconductor produced the SC/MP ("Simple Cost-effective Micro Processor") series of 8 bit processors. The last of these was the INS8070 SC/MP III, which ...
- 11k
19
votes
1
answer
4k
views
CD with physical hole is perfectly readable - how?
I am retrieving data from some old optical discs.
I came accross a CD with physical hole about 1 mm in diameter in the data layer. The plastic carrier is fine.
The hole is actually in a place, where ...
- 299
6
votes
2
answers
640
views
Last board with Intel ICH 8/9/10 chipsets that had both, PCI and PCIe slots and allowed to use either as main GPU
On the brink of not being retro, but:
I am trying to find the latest mainboard that
has at least two PCI slots as well as PCIe slots already (at least 1 x16 PCIe 1.0)
runs with Intel ICH 8, 9 or 10 ...
- 171
2
votes
1
answer
242
views
Troubleshooting ST-238R and WD1002A controller card
Having a cryptic issue with this pair of hardware. Scenario:
Amstrad PC1640DD (manual here) with one floppy long since swapped out for an HDD. Exact controller card is WD1002A-27X (board photos ...
- 131
4
votes
1
answer
363
views
What is the advantage of 1's complement over 2's complement? [duplicate]
I understand that the clear advantage of 2's complement over 1's complement is the fact that it only has one value for zero. If that is the case, why was the 1's complement system ever used in the ...
- 143
2
votes
1
answer
254
views
How do I replace the CMOS battery in a P II Dell Inspiron 7000 A366LT laptop?
I have a 366MHz Dell Inspiron 7000 P II A366LT laptop which is in new old stock condition. I'd like to replace the CMOS battery.
What type of battery is required? (CR2032, sleeved/jumpered, etc?)
How ...
- 12.9k
5
votes
2
answers
438
views
Amiga 500 left mouse button is not working. How to diagnose and fix it?
I've recently bought a Amiga 500 (A6 board). This Amiga works perfectly and starts as it should, except for the fact that when I hover on a icon and click my left mouse button to open it, it doesn't ...
- 113
0
votes
0
answers
234
views
Which aspects of RF emission were TI unable to get under control?
The TI 99/4 (as opposed to 4A) was a computer killed by RF emission problems. From Wikipedia
Through the development period, several companies attempting to enter the home computer market were faced ...
- 65.3k
5
votes
2
answers
410
views
Are a Z80 address pins tristate?
I been looking at the Z80 CPU recently and am wondering how difficult it would be to wire one up. The thing I'm interested in is how to connect it to some RAM. In particular, I'd like to know if the ...
- 253