Diff for "FirstComputer"

Differences between revisions 7 and 9 (spanning 2 versions)

The FirstComputer that TimRiker ever worked on was at [http://www.penfield.edu/phs/ Penfield High School] in [http://www.penfield.org/web/ Penfield, New York]. It was likely an HP-2114B model.

http://d116.com/vcf/east/1.0/ - see hp2114a.jpg

The system config as best recollected:

mounted in a rack mount cabinet
32k of RAM installed split 5/5/3/3 or similar for the 2 CRTs, card reader and teletype
1 "graphics" terminal (honeywell? I remember it had a graphics character set with a toggle button)
1 text crt terminal
[http://www.pdp8.net/asr33/asr33.shtml ASR-33 teletype] with punch tape reader (writer?)
2? disk drives. (type? 8" floppy? drum?
external tape punch was not connected.
card reader
line printer

It was running a time slicing basic environment. Perhaps the "TIME-SHARING EXECUTIVE" mentioned in the [http://oscar.taurus.com/~jeff/2100/family/family.html sales brochure]?

Here are some useful links:

http://oscar.taurus.com/~jeff/2100/ <- pictures, even some software!
http://bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/21xx/ <- many of the manuals in pdf format
http://www.infionline.net/~wtnewton/oldcomp/hp2100/ <- new OS in development, if you can believe that.
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/21xx/poyner1.htm <- article about the history
http://simh.trailing-edge.com/ <- SIMH simulator
http://kmt.hku.nl/~hans/contents_pages/digital.htm - pdf bruchures, etc.

Hacking HOWTO:

install SIMH above and start "hp2100"
load the hp basic sources: "LO basic1.abs"
jump into basic "RUN 100" Note! TimRiker has no idea if this is the correct location but it seems to work.

input a simple program like this one "forever":

10 DEF FNA(X)=ATN(TAN(ATN(TAN(ATN(TAN(ATN(TAN(ATN(TAN(X))))))))))
20 DEF FNB(X)=FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(FNA(X)))))))))))
30 DEF FNC(X)=FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(FNB(X)))))))))))
40 DEF FND(X)=FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(FNC(X)))))))))))
50 DEF FNE(X)=FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(FND(X)))))))))))
60 DEF FNF(X)=FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(FNE(X)))))))))))
80 PRINT FNF(1)
90 END

list the program: "LIST"
then run it: "RUN"
note that on real hardware this silly recursive program could take a very long time to finish. On a 1G ppc debian linux box with SIMH 3.3.1-1 it takes about a half hour and then prints 1.

Here's a more useful program I whipped up that graphs trig functions

100 REM TRIG BY TIM RIKER <TIM@RIKERS.ORG>
110 LET X1=-5
120 LET X2=5
130 LET X3=.2
140 LET Y1=-1.5
150 LET Y2=1.5
160 LET Y3=(Y2-Y1)/70
170 LET X4=(-X1)/X3
200 FOR X0=0 TO (X2-X1)/X3
210 LET X=X1+(X3*X0)
220 LET S0=INT(((SIN(X)-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
230 LET C0=INT(((COS(X)-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
240 LET T0=INT(((TAN(X)-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
250 LET Y0=INT(((0-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
300 FOR Y=0 TO 70
310 IF Y=T0 THEN 520
320 IF Y=S0 THEN 540
330 IF Y=C0 THEN 560
340 IF Y=Y0 THEN 580
350 IF X0=X4 THEN 600
500 PRINT " ";
510 GOTO 700
520 PRINT "T";
530 GOTO 700
540 PRINT "S";
550 GOTO 700
560 PRINT "C";
570 GOTO 700
580 PRINT "X";
590 GOTO 700
600 PRINT "Y";
700 NEXT Y
710 PRINT ""
720 NEXT X0
999 END

-  ⇤ ← Revision 7 as of 2005-03-24 21:52:06 → 
  Size: 2500
  Editor: TimRiker
  Comment:
+   ← Revision 9 as of 2005-03-25 07:55:05 → ⇥
  Size: 3246
  Editor: TimRiker
  Comment:
-Deletions are marked like this.
+Additions are marked like this.
 Line 1:
-The FirstComputer that TimRiker ever worked on was at [http://www.penfield.edu/phs/ Penfield High School] in [http://www.penfield.org/web/ Penfield, New York]. It was likely an HP-2114A model.
+The FirstComputer that TimRiker ever worked on was at [http://www.penfield.edu/phs/ Penfield High School] in [http://www.penfield.org/web/ Penfield, New York]. It was likely an HP-2114B model.
 Line 19:
-There are multiple emulators around for this platform. TimRiker is trying to get one running for old time's sake. Here are some useful links:
+Here are some useful links:
 Line 26:
+ * http://kmt.hku.nl/~hans/contents_pages/digital.htm - pdf bruchures, etc.
-Line 44:
+Line 45:
- * note that on real hardware this silly recursive program could take a very long time to finish. On a 1G ppc debian linux box with SIMH 3.3.1-1 it takes about a half hour and then prints '''1.''' :)).
+ * note that on real hardware this silly recursive program could take a very long time to finish. On a 1G ppc debian linux box with SIMH 3.3.1-1 it takes about a half hour and then prints '''1.'''  :)
 * Here's a more useful program I whipped up that graphs trig functions {{{
100 REM TRIG BY TIM RIKER <TIM@RIKERS.ORG>
110 LET X1=-5
120 LET X2=5
130 LET X3=.2
140 LET Y1=-1.5
150 LET Y2=1.5
160 LET Y3=(Y2-Y1)/70
170 LET X4=(-X1)/X3
200 FOR X0=0 TO (X2-X1)/X3
210 LET X=X1+(X3*X0)
220 LET S0=INT(((SIN(X)-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
230 LET C0=INT(((COS(X)-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
240 LET T0=INT(((TAN(X)-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
250 LET Y0=INT(((0-Y1)/Y3)-.5)
300 FOR Y=0 TO 70
310 IF Y=T0 THEN 520
320 IF Y=S0 THEN 540
330 IF Y=C0 THEN 560
340 IF Y=Y0 THEN 580
350 IF X0=X4 THEN 600
500 PRINT " ";
510 GOTO 700
520 PRINT "T";
530 GOTO 700
540 PRINT "S";
550 GOTO 700
560 PRINT "C";
570 GOTO 700
580 PRINT "X";
590 GOTO 700
600 PRINT "Y";
700 NEXT Y
710 PRINT ""
720 NEXT X0
999 END
}}}