Date : Wed, 07 Mar 1984 06:22:04-EST
From : erh%virginia.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
Subject: Re: Octagon's 8/16 CPU board
[]
I had exactly same experience with Digital Research and Octagon.
After waiting for several weeks for Octagon's literature, I finally
managed to talk to a person in their tech department. (My questions
were: is the 8" DD disk format IBM (i.e. CompuPro) compatible? -- Yes.
Will the CPU's work with 4Mhz static memory mapped board? -- Maybe.)
Mike Lucas from Priority 1 said they had Octagon's board running in
a CompuPro system and it did fine. Priority had sold several to large
companies in LA area and had no complaints. I then ordered one from
Priority 1 (in mid February). It is supposed to be shipped around
March 10. Presumably, I am taking a risk. But I was surprised and
very disappointed by CompuPro's decision to obsolete their Z-80 CPU
by introducing a dual CPU board running 8080 only. I considered
getting their new Z80 slave CPU but was told that delivery will not
start until summer (also, the price is about $1000).
For those haven't heard about Octagon's 8/16 CPU board, here
are a few specs (as advertised):
-- dual CPU's (8088 at 8MHz and NSC-800 at 4MHz. NSC chip
is upward compatible with Z80 at the machine language level.)
-- FDC on board, up to 4 5" or 8" drives in any combination.
-- two software controlled serial ports on board <= 19000 bps
-- monitor in PROM, fixed freq timer interrupt, etc.
The current Priority 1 price is $795. For another $695 they will
sell you 128K of CompuPro's fast RAM, and that is ALL you need to
run Octagon's system (CP/M-86 will run with 64K). If it works as
advertised, it is a steal. I will likely have more to say when I
get the board.
----- Mail saved at Wed Mar 7 06:19:12 1984
To: info-cpm@BRL.ARPA
Subject: Re: Octagon 8/16 CPU for S-100
[]
I had exactly same experience with Digital Research and Octagon.
After waiting for several weeks for Octagon's literature, I finally
managed to talk to a person in their tech department. (My questions
were: is the 8" DD disk format IBM (i.e. CompuPro) compatible? -- Yes.
Will the CPU's work with 4Mhz static memory mapped board? -- Maybe.)
Mike Lucas from Priority 1 said they had Octagon's board running in
a CompuPro system and it did fine. Priority had sold several to large
companies in LA area and had no complaints. I then ordered one from
Priority 1 (in mid February). It is supposed to be shipped around
March 10. Presumably, I am taking a risk. But I was surprised and
very disappointed by CompuPro's decision to obsolete their Z-80 CPU
by introducing a dual CPU board running 8080 only. I considered
getting their new Z80 slave CPU but was told that delivery will not
start until summer (also, the price is about $1000).
For those haven't heard about Octagon's 8/16 CPU board, here
are a few specs (as advertised):
-- dual CPU's (8088 at 8MHz and NSC-800 at 4MHz. NSC chip
is upward compatible with Z80 at the machine language level.)
-- FDC on board, up to 4 5" or 8" drives in any combination.
-- two software controlled serial ports on board <= 19000 bps
-- monitor in PROM, fixed freq timer interrupt, etc.
The current Priority 1 price is $795. For another $695 they will
sell you 128K of CompuPro's fast RAM, and that is ALL you need to
run Octagon's system (CP/M-86 will run with 64K). If it works as
advertised, it is a steal. I will likely have more to say when I
get the board.