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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment. |
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10th May 2023, 5:55 pm | #61 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: North Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,115
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Re: Micro music box project.
For testing you could use what you have, a long listing, Star Trek etc, pasted into Terraterm, connect the FTDI transmit to Sense-B and SIN
I've printed everything out ready for my camping trip |
10th May 2023, 6:31 pm | #62 | ||
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
Quote:
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However, both solutions above aren't locked to the MK14 NADS the way the original circuit is. They would be OK to test that the code is functional but the final output / tunes generated wouldn't quite have the same characteristics. Last edited by SiriusHardware; 10th May 2023 at 6:40 pm. |
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10th May 2023, 9:57 pm | #63 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: North Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,115
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Re: Micro music box project.
I'm surprised there isnt a DIP14 prsg in TTL or CMOS
I've seen keyboards with a 'random' key ! |
10th May 2023, 11:10 pm | #64 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Micro music box project.
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11th May 2023, 8:28 am | #65 | ||
Octode
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK.
Posts: 1,437
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Re: Micro music box project.
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As well as some talks on ATV in the lecture theatre, there was a TV outside broadcast van to have a look inside, and a mini radio rally, where I picked up some computer parts like spectrum keyboard membranes. Unfortunately I think it was a bit of a one-off event there, as it's not too far away from me. Last edited by ortek_service; 11th May 2023 at 8:35 am. |
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11th May 2023, 9:14 am | #66 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
Actually having thought about it I realise that Phil will be going there for R/C planes, his other great nerdy love (that we know of). (I love anything which flies too, especially vintage / WWI or WW2).
I've ordered the bits to build the 'Authentic' Twonky PRBS generator. Coming second class, so they may take a few days to get here and a bit longer to put together. |
11th May 2023, 9:59 am | #67 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: North Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,115
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Re: Micro music box project.
Its an R/C Event but the great thing about OW is that regardless of the weather there is always plenty to see, they have 5 or 6 hangers crammed full of historic aircraft, from the Edwardian era, the Demoiselle (remember the French ladies-man in Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines) to SE5A, Camel, Pup, a Lysander, Spitfire, lillienthal gliders, vintage cars, engines, vintage bikes, there must be hundreds of exhibits and the Swiss Garden is beautiful in summer, its one of my favourite places on the planet
To keep this vaguely vintage-radio-related my interest in R/C is restoring and refitting really old R/C sets (1950s on) so they can fly safely amongst contemporary radios, I do replacement electronics with my own frequency-hopping spread spectrum software that quite a few of us are using now |
11th May 2023, 11:10 am | #68 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
I had actually wondered how, with a limited number of RC frequencies, you don't get utter chaos at a large RC event. If you need a random seed generator for your spread-spectrum system we've got just the thing here! (Or we will have when I've eventually built it).
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12th May 2023, 1:06 pm | #69 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
Progress... (This is my build of the ETI Twonky PRBS circuit).
As usual for any veroboard project built by me, all the inter track wiring is on the underside. It's complete and buzzed out, but the ICs aren't here yet. |
12th May 2023, 8:28 pm | #70 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Ashford, Kent, UK
Posts: 318
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Re: Micro music box project.
Looking forward to hearing this in due course. I've read the original 1979 ETI article but can't imagine what it will sound like. This is proper retro!
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12th May 2023, 9:06 pm | #71 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
If we understood the exact methodology of the algorithm we could have it running on a Spectrum - in 48K BASIC, in about 15 minutes....
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12th May 2023, 10:14 pm | #72 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Culcheth, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 653
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Re: Micro music box project.
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The random number generator was a noisy diode, and this worked OK. The code however was beyond my capabilties to debug, especially without comments. The description of the algorithm didn't make much sense to me back then, and it still doesn't now. If it did, I would have had more incentive to continue, but I didn't. I gave up and did something else !. |
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13th May 2023, 1:25 am | #73 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
ISTR Micky (your original MK14) emerged with a lot of contemporary documentation including a copy of the score for Cwm Rhonda. What were you planning to do with that, programme it into the "Music Box" program?
A while ago Silvester made a nice MIDI equivalent of the original Music Box program using software serial-out, needing only a simple buffer on the SOUT output to drive a MIDI instrument. |
13th May 2023, 12:39 pm | #74 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Micro music box project.
I've just tested the PRNG on the Ortonview test card and it is working fine. So if your circuit is the same it will work. I've got to get some kind of amplifier setup and find what I've done with my uploader and I will be able to test my version of the Twonky softwate at least. I can't find the uploader or its power supply at the moment........
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13th May 2023, 9:01 pm | #75 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
I'm away from the man cave for a few days and the ICs are still on the way so you may well be first past the post on this one. I can't remember for sure but I suspect the input on Ortonview is from CLK, where strictly speaking it should be from NADS for Twonky.
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13th May 2023, 10:08 pm | #76 | |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Micro music box project.
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I've found the uploader now I just have to find some way to hear the output... I realised I don't have any amplifier to plug into and I don't want to connect a low impedance headphone or speaker to an output of the SC/MP. If only SoC had the forethought to put Bluetooth on the MK14... Last edited by Slothie; 13th May 2023 at 10:19 pm. |
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13th May 2023, 11:20 pm | #77 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,553
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Re: Micro music box project.
I don't suppose you have a crystal earpiece of the type often supplied with 'educational' crystal radio kits? They usually look rather oversized with a flesh coloured body and a transparent ear tube. That should work OK without unduly loading the flag output.
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13th May 2023, 11:30 pm | #78 | |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Micro music box project.
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Update: I've bought a crystal earpiece as an emergency backup plan knowing my luck with breadboarding! |
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13th May 2023, 11:43 pm | #79 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,294
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Re: Micro music box project.
Do you have an audio input on your laptop or mobile for a headset? Then we can all hear how musical it isn’t.
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13th May 2023, 11:53 pm | #80 |
Octode
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Newbury, Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Micro music box project.
Thats a good point,, but my laptop has a combined headphone/mic input and so I'd need a TRRS jack connected to some working wire if I can find an old headset I can cut up. Given the number of broken earpieces I have had in my life its a shame I seem to throw them away.... But maybe one has escaped! More digging required I guess.
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