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Dick Smith Super 80 computer kit


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Robert,

Thanks for that info. So I wont panic about the 1 hz difference. I've got an old microbee amberscreen monitor I've been meaning to hookup and I might try that today. I'm assuming they're ] chars but they are a little blurry, could be ?'s . The original RF Modulator is dodgy so i've hooked a new one up and this produces a very black screen with little noise. The orignal is a snowstorm.

 

How do you turn on test mode? I don't know about that. I'm curious. Is it a dip swtich thing? Mine has 48K RAM and I just took delivery of an entirely new batch of 4116's to replace them if they are faulty. Chances are they may have been zapped over the last 20 years. I wonder if the Char Gen chip is OK.

 

It's been a while since I looked at the dip switches, Can you remember what the correct settings are? I have 48K RAM with BASIC in ROM.

 

By the way, can you see the yahoo group?

 

Cheers,

Peter.

 

 

 

The screen wiggling is normal because the vertical frequency is about 49 hz and it beats with the 50 hz of your tv, creating a 1 hz disturbance. The only way to get rid of it is to use a good quality green-screen monitor.

 

I'm not sure about the ] characters, never seen that before. What happens if you turn on the test mode?

 

I am near Campbelltown.

 

How much RAM do you have? Are the dipswitches set properly?

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I can see it.

 

You have 48k ram with 12k of roms, that is good.

 

I would say that the characters probably are "?", that makes more sense.

 

OK, now for the dipswitches. (0 = closed, 1=open, X=don't care)

 

A B C D

1 0 X X TEST PAGE 3E

1 1 X X TEST PAGE C0

0 0 X X START IN BASIC

0 1 X X START IN MONITOR

X X 1 1 16K RAM

X X 0 1 32K RAM

X X X 0 48K RAM

 

You can set the RAM switches to any position if you think there might be some faulty ram.

 

The test mode does not use any RAM, it only uses the monitor rom.

What happens is that the screen, the relay and the LED will turn on and off at a slow rate (4 secs and 8 secs).

 

When you installed the 2532 eproms, did you cut the track as needed?

 

There is a recomended modification involving a couple of extra ICs.

Once you get the machine to boot up, you should add the modification.

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OK, now for the dipswitches. (0 = closed, 1=open, X=don't care)

 

A B C D

1 0 X X TEST PAGE 3E

1 1 X X TEST PAGE C0

0 0 X X START IN BASIC

0 1 X X START IN MONITOR

X X 1 1 16K RAM

X X 0 1 32K RAM

X X X 0 48K RAM

 

You can set the RAM switches to any position if you think there might be some faulty ram.

 

OK, I've set it for 16K RAM 1 0 1 1

 

The test mode does not use any RAM, it only uses the monitor rom.

 

What happens is that the screen, the relay and the LED will turn on and off at a slow rate (4 secs and 8 secs).

 

My technical manual makes no mention of the test mode. This is amazing. My LED needs work, the tracks have lifted from the board. I'll use a Logic Probe to see whats happening there.

 

When you installed the 2532 eproms, did you cut the track as needed?

 

There is a recomended modification involving a couple of extra ICs.

Once you get the machine to boot up, you should add the modification.

 

Actually I didn't build the Super-80 I got it from a friend who lived in Eagle Vale back in 1991 or so. I dont know about cutting the tracks for using the 2532 EPROMS. Can you elaborate on that? I'd really like to know about the other mods that are required.

 

My Z80 CPU is quite warm to the touch, not scorching though but I wonder if that's normal?

 

Cheers,

Peter.

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Warm is norm, hot is not.

 

If the test mode fails to work, you will have to check the voltages and waveforms on the Z80 and the eproms.

 

The test mode is described in the Technical Manual on pages 31 and 32, although it's not referred to as the test mode.

 

I don't know if you have the Assembly Manual, if you do, read page 19.

 

The required modification for 2532 eproms is listed on page 2 of Appendix F of the Technical Manual, and page 16 of the Assembly Manual. Look at the bottom of the board, under U26 (monitor rom), and if you can see a cut track then it's already done.

 

The other mod, involving some extra ICs, is detailed on page 14 of the Assembly Manual.

 

 

edit: oops, i forgot to welcome you to 1emulation!! :thumbsup1:

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Warm is norm, hot is not.

 

If the test mode fails to work, you will have to check the voltages and waveforms on the Z80 and the eproms.

 

The test mode is described in the Technical Manual on pages 31 and 32, although it's not referred to as the test mode.

 

OK. I found that, I had read it before but forgot about it. It's a bit vague but it does make sense now.

 

I don't know if you have the Assembly Manual, if you do, read page 19.

 

No, I have the Technical Manual (B 3600) and BASIC Handbook (B 3602] I'd like to see the assembly manual I'm assuming its cat# B 3601. Strangely though the tech manual has "assembly manual" at the top of each page. I think the original owner may have misplaced the Assembly Manual.

 

The required modification for 2532 eproms is listed on page 2 of Appendix F of the Technical Manual, and page 16 of the Assembly Manual. Look at the bottom of the board, under U26 (monitor rom), and if you can see a cut track then it's already done.

 

The other mod, involving some extra ICs, is detailed on page 14 of the Assembly Manual.

 

OK. I found that too but the work looks dodgy, a couple of traces have been ripped off (fried perhaps) and replaced with point to point wiring, the track in question has been cut. I put the logic probe on the CE pin for U26 and it's never in the lo state (selected) same pin on U33 oscillates. Looks like I need to do some intensive work with logic probe and tracing with continuity tester.

edit: oops, i forgot to welcome you to 1emulation!! :)

 

Cool, I'm impressed with the presentation, I'll have a snoop around when I get time. Anyway I really appreciate your help with this, to me it's invaluable! I've always held a fascination for the Super-80 and I'm determined to see it working.

 

Cheers,

Peter.

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The Assembly Manual comes with the kit, and therefore has no part number of its own. It has the kit's part number, K-3600.

 

The other books I have are:

* Monitor Handbook

* B-3606 Dick Smith's First Book of Super 80 Programs

* Software for the Super-80 Computer

* The assembly manual for the Printer Interface

 

Here's my complete list of Dick Smith part numbers:

K3600 SUPER 80 COMPUTER KIT

K3601 COMPUTER KEYBOARD

K3602 TAPE BASIC

K3603 OPTIONAL IC SOCKET PACK

K3604 ROM BASIC

K3606 S100 EXPANSION KIT

K3607 SUPER 80 DELUXE CHARACTER GENERATOR

K3610 PRINTER INTERFACE FOR THE SUPER 80

B3600 SUPER 80 TECHNICAL MANUAL

B3602 SUPER 80 BASIC HANDBOOK

B3606 FIRST BOOK OF SUPER 80 PROGRAMS

H2515 MOULDED PLASTIC CASE FOR THE TRANSFORMER

H3200 SUPER 80 CASE

H8402 SUPER 80 CIRCUIT BOARD

M2325 TRANSFORMER

A2461 MOLEX CONNECTOR FOR TRANSFORMER SECONDARY

P4160 16-PIN SOCKET FOR RAM

X1186 16K EXPANSION RAM

X3607 HORSE RACE GAME

X3790 DEBUG-80 SUPER-80 DEBUGGER DISASSEMBLER

X3791 EDIT-80 SUPER-80 EDITOR ASSEMBLER

X3792 DUNGEON DILEMMA GAME

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Robert,

 

I've made a bit of progress with the Super-80. After swapping out the 1 of 8 decoder IC 74LS138 I get a random jumble of characters on the screen but there are white solid verticle bars superimpossed on top of the characters at each and every character position. It looks like the Char Generator is outputting 1's for the MSBs (bits 5 and 6). I might have to make one from an EPROM or locate one on the net somewhere. I was hoping this chip would be OK.

 

Cheers,

Peter.

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If you're using IC sockets they will very likely be causing problems.

Check the voltages both at the pin and on the board to be sure.

 

I have the EA article but it's exactly the same as the Assembly Manual.

 

Perhaps we need to organise a visit sometime, I have a spare Assembly Manual.

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If you're using IC sockets they will very likely be causing problems.

Check the voltages both at the pin and on the board to be sure.

 

Ok. The output pins (bit 5 and 6) on the 2513 are constantly hi (pin level) this carries on over to the 74LS165 shift register. At this stage I think the 2513 is cactus. I'm missing an 81LS95 chip too. The 74LS795 is a substitute but that looks scarse too.

 

I have the EA article but it's exactly the same as the Assembly Manual.

 

Perhaps we need to organise a visit sometime, I have a spare Assembly Manual.

 

Yes, I'm not sure I can get to Campbeltown any time soon, I'm in the middle of house renovations. That's consuming a lot of my time lately.

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