Date : Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:58:43 +0000
From : peteveg@... (Pete G.)
Subject: making replica acorn cards
I'd better add my thoughs being the one who kicked off the System debate!
- and it's great to see that it has generated such a good discussion. My
personal attachment to the System stuff basically comes from looking through
the Control Universal catalogue back in the early 80's when I was at school,
and marvelling at all of these great little cards that you could build into
a very flexible system, by the standards of the day. I would also say that
the acorn cards had a very appealing "artistic" style to them also - nice
layout of parts and even the text and fonts etc appered well though out.
I actually think that making some replica cards isn't a bad idea, although
outside of the very small group of people wanting to keep the system stuff
going, I'm not sure that there is much demand, and you certainly wouldn't
make a lot of money for doing it, although you might be able to cover your
costs. I do think however that a copy of the 32k DRAM card could be a nice
thing to have for Acorn Atom owners wanting to add a bit of memory to the
old Atom, but having said that, I can't really see anybody wanting to write
more than a few k of Atom Basic let alone fill 32k ?!! Anyway, as the Dram
chips are the same as in the Beeb, all the parts are easily salvaged from
an old one....
One thing that had crossed my mind for the Systyem computers is building
a custom card with a 6847 graphics controller and some video ram, that would
enable an Atom-style VDU display to be added, for the benefit of running
Atom software. I have lots of Atom software on disc, so it would be quite
nice to be able to run up some of it on the System box.
I also had thoughs about whether it would be poss to use the roms from the
BBC basic card for the Atom to run BBC basic on the System, but the huge
flaw in the Atom-BBC Basic conversion card, namely that it doesn't support
Atom DOS (!!!) makes this a non starter!
Pete
> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:47:53 -0500
> From: jules.richardson99@...
> To: bbc-micro@...
> Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] making replica acorn cards
>
> stuart wrote:
> >> For me it's "because that's how the original manufacturer intended
> >> it" - when using it or working on it, I want it to appear as close to
> >> the original experience as possible, warts and all. (the
> >> "untrained/unknowing eye it would seem still in mint condition" bit
> >> bugs me a little I suppose, because someone could sell a machine and
> >> use that to their advantage, and at the very least it suggests
> >> pulling the wool over others' eyes!)
> >
> > How about adding a small symbol to the PCB, hiding it under a socketed
> > chip; pull the chip out the socket to determine if the card is a
> > replica.
>
> I suppose I'm just not seeing a good scenario (amongst the general
> public[1]) for having boards / machines that look exactly like the original
> to the untrained/unknowing eye; it just seems like a good way to pass off
> an item as something that it is not. I'm all for using original parts and
> look-a-like boards, so long as it's obvious even to the unwary that it's a
> replica rather than an original.
>
> Having said that, I know that I wouldn't buy a machine without knowing what
> boards were in it and being able to see the condition of each one - but
> maybe there are people out there who'd buy a System machine based on the
> case appearance alone, so even with 'branded' replica boards there's still
> scope for deception?
>
> [1] less of an issue with museums, I think, because they'd make the replica
> status obvious amongst the surrounding display material (well, I hope
> anyway. I'd be upset if they didn't :-)
>
> >> Hmm, I have a few Eurocard backplanes - but not enough to justify a
> >> run of boards for them, I'd think. Are the cases still available
> >> even? I hung on to a couple of 'empties', but that was it.
> >
> > Yes, Vero/Schroff chassis are still available and still far too much
> > money for what they are!
>
> :-) They certainly were expensive 'back in the day'; I was rather glad when
> I acquired a couple (but I think one is sans-PSU and doesn't necessarily
> have all its card runners).
>
> >> The eventual plan is to build my own TTL machine into them - *if* I
> >> can find a box 'o connectors at a sensible price!
> >
> > What kind of connectors are you looking for?
>
> Same as on the System boards - the DIN-type ones with 2x32 rows of pins. I
> think my cases will each take 2x16w backplanes (or 1x16w + 1x10w with PSU),
> which makes a good basis for a microcoded TTL CPU :-)
>
> cheers
>
> Jules
>
>
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