Motorola Stand Alone Computer - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

wave solder · 8th Feb 2007, 1:02 pm

I wonder if anyone has come across one of these machines before ? The boards are dated as 1978 and the CPU is a 6800.

Here is a link to look at picture of the machine and its PCB's:-

http://www.garronn-electronics.co.uk/4616/index.html

The monitor is 6" diagonal, and I am wondering whether it was designed as a terminal. I have found that it has a version of Basic in the Roms, When first powered up the screen says ADS 1.0. There is possibly more in the ROM's waiting to be discovered.

I will try and get some better images posted on my page with more information on the circuit boards as time permits.

Biggles · 8th Feb 2007, 1:55 pm

Isn't familiar to me. It could be some kind of industrial control computer. What kind of input/output has it got? Presumeably it doesn't have any external floppy drives so it has to be pretty simple. i.e. the operating system is held on ROM.

Biggles.

wave solder · 8th Feb 2007, 4:11 pm

Hello Biggles,

The I/O sockets on the back consist of:- 1 parallel printer port, 1 keyboard connector and a 5 pin DIN connector, I have yet to work out what this is for. I thought originally that it would be a port to use the machine as a terminal. There is no activity when the machine is being used. Maybe there are other routines in the Roms to access this interface yet to be found. All of the PCB's including the little one this DIN connector is mounted on have Motorola part No's. I will get them noted down.

wave solder · 9th Feb 2007, 11:54 am

The only obvious thing that the 5 pin DIN may be for is possibly a connector for a tape recorder. It has been a few years since this machine has been fired up for any length of time and it looks like the machines RAM is not in the best of health (MC6810)

paulsherwin · 9th Feb 2007, 12:05 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by wave solder

The only obvious thing that the 5 pin DIN may be for is possibly a connector for a tape recorder.

That's certainly what I'd expect it to be for. This is obviously an expensive piece of professional kit though (look at the PSU!) and I'm very surprised it doesn't have a floppy disk interface. 8 inch floppies were standard microcomputer peripherals at this time, even at the hobbyist end of the market.

Paul

wave solder · 9th Feb 2007, 12:50 pm

There is space on the backplane pcb for other boards to be inserted, but there is no evidence on the back panel of the machine where any other interface connector has ever been fitted. It would be nice to find out more about these boards and whether there were other boards made like disk controllers for it. The contents of the ROMs may reveal a few clues.

jim_beacon · 9th Feb 2007, 12:59 pm

I seem to remember that most of the 70's era micro's came with a tape interface of some sort. My KIM1 has one, as did the early PET machines (even one with a built in cassette), and I think the Motorola D2 development kits we had at college had a tape interface as well.

Jim.

PS I think your system my be a Motorola EXORcisor, see here:
http://five.pairlist.net/pipermail/c...er/025288.html

jim_beacon · 9th Feb 2007, 1:07 pm

It seems there is some variation in the spelling! Google for "exorciser" and "exorcisor" with Motorola

Jim.

Biggles · 9th Feb 2007, 4:20 pm

You could try looking on the boards for something like a PIA chip, to indicate whether any peripherals were catered for. Motorola are well known for their generic product names, and a few I've met end in "or".

Biggles.

wave solder · 9th Feb 2007, 5:57 pm

Thanks for your comment on the Motorola Exorciser Jim, a search round on that lead has really helped.

I will have a good look at the machine tonight Biggles and see what else I can find out.

I have just found a snippet of information on a French website, The machine is called a Polyvalent development system. The machine pictured looks the same :-

http://www.silicium.org/us/motorola_pds.htm

It looks like this machine has got more I/O ports.

I have also found after finding a picture, that the Exorciser Ram board is identical so obviously this machine uses the same backplane connections.

I have been looking for years for info. on this machine but never found so much in such a short time.

ppppenguin · 9th Feb 2007, 6:16 pm

Quote:

Mémoire de Masse: connecteur pour un magnétocassette (en option)

Looks like everyone's right about the tape interface. A floppy was fairly exotic in 1976, the date quoted on the French web site. I remember looking at microprocessor development systems in 1979 and 8" floppies seemed common while 5.25" seemed rather new and risky. This was on expensive systems. The PETs, Nascoms etc etc that lurked around the labs all used cassette tape.

wave solder · 10th Feb 2007, 7:20 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

You could try looking on the boards for something like a PIA chip, to indicate whether any peripherals were catered for. Motorola are well known for their generic product names, and a few I've met end in "or".

Biggles.

Hello Biggles, the CPU board has all of the usual suspects fitted to it, mc1488,mc1489, 2x 6821, 2x 6850 3x 6810.

what are interesting are the Roms, one is obviously a debugger SCM39301L MIN/BUG and the other is labelled SCM44615L.

A label found under the tape interface shows that the machine was supplied by a German company Feltron Elektronik Gmbh & co. Vertriebs KG.

P.S. I have improved the images of the PCB's on my webpage:- http://www.garronn-electronics.co.uk/4616/index.html

llama · 11th Feb 2007, 9:13 pm

I've just pulled down off the shelf an old book called "Personal Computing" published in the USA in 1979. It's a compendium of contemporary magazine articles, including one with a reference to the Motorola EXORciser. It's by Carol A Ogdin, reprinted from "Mini-Micro Systems Nov/Dec 1977, called Microcomputer overview.

The mention, such as it is, is part of a list.

Number 2: Development systems, converted to end-application use, like Motorola's EXORciser, or Intel's MDS800.

I remember development systems. They'd typically employ the same processor as the target system, as that's the one the maker would have handy, and you'd develop your code on it in machine code, assembler or possibly a higher level language. You'd end up with a PROM that you'd pop into your end-application microcontroller which for a 6800 would have about 5 chips and only enough RAM to run the washing machine or whatever.

Like the note says, the development system was a good enough computer to use as general purpose and would run tiny-BASIC etc.

That's about all I've got.
Graham

GMB · 11th Feb 2007, 11:49 pm

I recognise the little monitor. We used some of those on a trade show stand many years ago. I think it was just a general purpose monitor and fairly cheap too.

Biggles · 13th Feb 2007, 1:39 pm

During the eighties some of our Motorola RMT machines used a combination of Eurobus and VME bus, rack mounted, and had the same sort of look as this machine, but I suspect they were possibly of the next generation.

Biggles.

ppppenguin · 13th Feb 2007, 2:09 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMB

I recognise the little monitor. We used some of those on a trade show stand many years ago. I think it was just a general purpose monitor and fairly cheap too.

I certainly remember using some small, open frame monitors in about 1979. I'm pretty sure they were made by Motorola, or at least badged Motorola. They needed a 12VDC supply and worked pretty well. It's hard to tell from the photos but the ones I used were pretty similar if not identical.

wave solder · 13th Feb 2007, 8:44 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppppenguin

I certainly remember using some small, open frame monitors in about 1979. I'm pretty sure they were made by Motorola, or at least badged Motorola. They needed a 12VDC supply and worked pretty well. It's hard to tell from the photos but the ones I used were pretty similar if not identical.

The little monitor in this machine is made by Motorola, it's Model No. is M1000-155. The tube is a 5" NEC 140ANB4. It is a 12v DC Input I have had a good look at it and can see no other reference to any other manufacturer apart from Motorola.

PJL · 21st Feb 2007, 1:09 am

As llama says. I used to do development on a Motorola Exorciser probably in the late 70's?

These bits of kit were designed strictly as development systems. Text editor, compiler, debugger etc. and then you attached to an EPROM programmer to blow the program into a chip to install on your custom developed 6800 system. In my case it was an industrial system that used a cambridge ring. It may have had an umbilicle cord that allowed you to plug into your custom board.

These were the days when Motorola were leading the way and Apple had yet to build a computer. The CP/M O/S was emerging based on the 6800. Later, when IBM signed the deal with Bill Gates, concurrent CP/M was being launched which was true multi-tasking similar to DEC VMS. MSDOS set us back into the dark ages...

It's worth adding that they made standard system boards that you plugged into card racks with a wired bus on the back...VT terminals over RS232 was the user I/F.

8th Feb 2007, 1:02 pm	#1
wave solder Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 482	Motorola Stand Alone Computer I wonder if anyone has come across one of these machines before ? The boards are dated as 1978 and the CPU is a 6800. Here is a link to look at picture of the machine and its PCB's:- http://www.garronn-electronics.co.uk/4616/index.html The monitor is 6" diagonal, and I am wondering whether it was designed as a terminal. I have found that it has a version of Basic in the Roms, When first powered up the screen says ADS 1.0. There is possibly more in the ROM's waiting to be discovered. I will try and get some better images posted on my page with more information on the circuit boards as time permits. Last edited by wave solder; 8th Feb 2007 at 1:26 pm.

8th Feb 2007, 1:55 pm	#2
Biggles Rest in Peace Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK. Posts: 2,234	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer Isn't familiar to me. It could be some kind of industrial control computer. What kind of input/output has it got? Presumeably it doesn't have any external floppy drives so it has to be pretty simple. i.e. the operating system is held on ROM. Biggles.

8th Feb 2007, 4:11 pm	#3
wave solder Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 482	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer Hello Biggles, The I/O sockets on the back consist of:- 1 parallel printer port, 1 keyboard connector and a 5 pin DIN connector, I have yet to work out what this is for. I thought originally that it would be a port to use the machine as a terminal. There is no activity when the machine is being used. Maybe there are other routines in the Roms to access this interface yet to be found. All of the PCB's including the little one this DIN connector is mounted on have Motorola part No's. I will get them noted down.

9th Feb 2007, 11:54 am	#4
wave solder Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 482	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer The only obvious thing that the 5 pin DIN may be for is possibly a connector for a tape recorder. It has been a few years since this machine has been fired up for any length of time and it looks like the machines RAM is not in the best of health (MC6810)

9th Feb 2007, 12:50 pm	#6
wave solder Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 482	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer There is space on the backplane pcb for other boards to be inserted, but there is no evidence on the back panel of the machine where any other interface connector has ever been fitted. It would be nice to find out more about these boards and whether there were other boards made like disk controllers for it. The contents of the ROMs may reveal a few clues.

9th Feb 2007, 12:59 pm	#7
jim_beacon Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bishop's Waltham, Hants, UK. Posts: 939	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer I seem to remember that most of the 70's era micro's came with a tape interface of some sort. My KIM1 has one, as did the early PET machines (even one with a built in cassette), and I think the Motorola D2 development kits we had at college had a tape interface as well. Jim. PS I think your system my be a Motorola EXORcisor, see here: http://five.pairlist.net/pipermail/c...er/025288.html

9th Feb 2007, 1:07 pm	#8
jim_beacon Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bishop's Waltham, Hants, UK. Posts: 939	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer It seems there is some variation in the spelling! Google for "exorciser" and "exorcisor" with Motorola Jim.

9th Feb 2007, 4:20 pm	#9
Biggles Rest in Peace Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK. Posts: 2,234	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer You could try looking on the boards for something like a PIA chip, to indicate whether any peripherals were catered for. Motorola are well known for their generic product names, and a few I've met end in "or". Biggles.

9th Feb 2007, 5:57 pm	#10
wave solder Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 482	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer Thanks for your comment on the Motorola Exorciser Jim, a search round on that lead has really helped. I will have a good look at the machine tonight Biggles and see what else I can find out. I have just found a snippet of information on a French website, The machine is called a Polyvalent development system. The machine pictured looks the same :- http://www.silicium.org/us/motorola_pds.htm It looks like this machine has got more I/O ports. I have also found after finding a picture, that the Exorciser Ram board is identical so obviously this machine uses the same backplane connections. I have been looking for years for info. on this machine but never found so much in such a short time.

11th Feb 2007, 9:13 pm	#13
llama Octode Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Osyth, Nr Clacton, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,482	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer I've just pulled down off the shelf an old book called "Personal Computing" published in the USA in 1979. It's a compendium of contemporary magazine articles, including one with a reference to the Motorola EXORciser. It's by Carol A Ogdin, reprinted from "Mini-Micro Systems Nov/Dec 1977, called Microcomputer overview. The mention, such as it is, is part of a list. Number 2: Development systems, converted to end-application use, like Motorola's EXORciser, or Intel's MDS800. I remember development systems. They'd typically employ the same processor as the target system, as that's the one the maker would have handy, and you'd develop your code on it in machine code, assembler or possibly a higher level language. You'd end up with a PROM that you'd pop into your end-application microcontroller which for a 6800 would have about 5 chips and only enough RAM to run the washing machine or whatever. Like the note says, the development system was a good enough computer to use as general purpose and would run tiny-BASIC etc. That's about all I've got. Graham

11th Feb 2007, 11:49 pm	#14
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,093	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer I recognise the little monitor. We used some of those on a trade show stand many years ago. I think it was just a general purpose monitor and fairly cheap too.

13th Feb 2007, 1:39 pm	#15
Biggles Rest in Peace Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK. Posts: 2,234	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer During the eighties some of our Motorola RMT machines used a combination of Eurobus and VME bus, rack mounted, and had the same sort of look as this machine, but I suspect they were possibly of the next generation. Biggles.

21st Feb 2007, 1:09 am	#18
PJL Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seaford, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 5,997	Re: Motorola Stand Alone Computer As llama says. I used to do development on a Motorola Exorciser probably in the late 70's? These bits of kit were designed strictly as development systems. Text editor, compiler, debugger etc. and then you attached to an EPROM programmer to blow the program into a chip to install on your custom developed 6800 system. In my case it was an industrial system that used a cambridge ring. It may have had an umbilicle cord that allowed you to plug into your custom board. These were the days when Motorola were leading the way and Apple had yet to build a computer. The CP/M O/S was emerging based on the 6800. Later, when IBM signed the deal with Bill Gates, concurrent CP/M was being launched which was true multi-tasking similar to DEC VMS. MSDOS set us back into the dark ages... It's worth adding that they made standard system boards that you plugged into card racks with a wired bus on the back...VT terminals over RS232 was the user I/F.