Compurobot 2 - Page 3 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

TonyDuell · 6th Dec 2024, 2:04 pm

Finally got round to trying it on a real machine (IBM 5155 PortablePC). Made a bootable PC-DOS disk contaning BASIC, BASICA and the robot files.

Works fine. I can enter a program on the PC and download it to the Compurobot with an RS232 cable and the robot carries out the right sequence of operations.

Now, doubtless the Compurobot will go back on the shelf for the rest of time and I'll wonder why I bothered....

SiriusHardware · 6th Dec 2024, 2:29 pm

The only way to know for sure whether the software was 100% OK was to get it all up and running. You may now be the custodian of the only remaining original working copy of the software and an actual working unit to run / demo it on.

I think it has often been said here that making something work, either as a new-build or a repair, is the most entertaining part of the whole retro computer experience for many of us here since actually using the finished article for anything is usually borderline impractical, or at least much more easily done with something modern.

In the case of your 'bot, I suppose you could programme it to convey a sandwich from the kitchen to your easy chair.

I made a line follower in my early teens with a long 'track' stretching from the living room to the kitchen and it would occasionally arrive in the lounge with a biscuit balanced on top of it which was nice, but it wasn't long before my mother got tired of having long strips of electrician's tape stuck to her carpets. I think she was initially quite impressed that I had managed to make something like that (which worked) but the novelty soon wore off.

TonyDuell · 6th Dec 2024, 3:56 pm

In an sense everybody has the software now, as I've posted it to this thread. And I am pretty sure that there are other Compurobot 2's around. But I agree that the only way to be sure I'd got it all working was to try it out.

However, I disagree with 'easier == modern'. 40 years ago -- the time we are talking about -- computers were simple enough that even I could understand them. They were also well-documented. As a result I could program them. I could interface them. So my home micros, PCs, (and later minicomputers and early workstations) did what _I_ wanted.

Sure my modern-ish PC gets me on the internet. It stores digital photos (but to be honest I prefered Kodachrome). It'll store digital music (but I don't like streaming services and am happy listing to analogue sources -- LP disks and reel-to-reel tape). I can just about program it, and certainly can't interface it. It's doing what the manufacturers want, not what I want.

I am not sure this is progress!

If I want to do anything other than connect to the internet I am much more likely to use some older machine.

ScottishColin · 6th Dec 2024, 5:59 pm

I'm the same - I've fixed all these PETs, printers and disk drives and barely use them; the fun for me is in fixing them.

I suppose that harks back to my working life. I spent my time in IT infrastructure, building things for other people to use. I can talk protocols, databases, systems management software, transactional sub-systems, operating systems, storage etc etc. But I never programmed anything on them for other people to use. The fun of the job was building something, even then.

Colin.

TonyDuell · 6th Dec 2024, 6:13 pm

I've actually not bought vintage radios because they were working. What's the fun in that...

I have no use for a little toy robot that can record and replay a sequence of movements. I do have use for tracing faults (albeit trivial ones) in the robot and IBM5155. Learning how to manipulate and transfer MS-DOS disk images. How to deal with sticky-shed floppy disks. And so on.

I read the PET repair threads with great interest. I was never into PETs back in the day (TRS-80 born and bred...) but I have worked on them. I could find my way around one, but others seem a lot more knowledgable so I dont comment myself.

6th Dec 2024, 2:04 pm	#41
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 6,062	Re: Compurobot 2 Finally got round to trying it on a real machine (IBM 5155 PortablePC). Made a bootable PC-DOS disk contaning BASIC, BASICA and the robot files. Works fine. I can enter a program on the PC and download it to the Compurobot with an RS232 cable and the robot carries out the right sequence of operations. Now, doubtless the Compurobot will go back on the shelf for the rest of time and I'll wonder why I bothered....

6th Dec 2024, 2:29 pm	#42
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,783	Re: Compurobot 2 The only way to know for sure whether the software was 100% OK was to get it all up and running. You may now be the custodian of the only remaining original working copy of the software and an actual working unit to run / demo it on. I think it has often been said here that making something work, either as a new-build or a repair, is the most entertaining part of the whole retro computer experience for many of us here since actually using the finished article for anything is usually borderline impractical, or at least much more easily done with something modern. In the case of your 'bot, I suppose you could programme it to convey a sandwich from the kitchen to your easy chair. I made a line follower in my early teens with a long 'track' stretching from the living room to the kitchen and it would occasionally arrive in the lounge with a biscuit balanced on top of it which was nice, but it wasn't long before my mother got tired of having long strips of electrician's tape stuck to her carpets. I think she was initially quite impressed that I had managed to make something like that (which worked) but the novelty soon wore off.

6th Dec 2024, 3:56 pm	#43
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 6,062	Re: Compurobot 2 In an sense everybody has the software now, as I've posted it to this thread. And I am pretty sure that there are other Compurobot 2's around. But I agree that the only way to be sure I'd got it all working was to try it out. However, I disagree with 'easier == modern'. 40 years ago -- the time we are talking about -- computers were simple enough that even I could understand them. They were also well-documented. As a result I could program them. I could interface them. So my home micros, PCs, (and later minicomputers and early workstations) did what _I_ wanted. Sure my modern-ish PC gets me on the internet. It stores digital photos (but to be honest I prefered Kodachrome). It'll store digital music (but I don't like streaming services and am happy listing to analogue sources -- LP disks and reel-to-reel tape). I can just about program it, and certainly can't interface it. It's doing what the manufacturers want, not what I want. I am not sure this is progress! If I want to do anything other than connect to the internet I am much more likely to use some older machine.

6th Dec 2024, 5:59 pm	#44
ScottishColin Nonode Join Date: May 2012 Location: Perth, Scotland Posts: 2,436	Re: Compurobot 2 I'm the same - I've fixed all these PETs, printers and disk drives and barely use them; the fun for me is in fixing them. I suppose that harks back to my working life. I spent my time in IT infrastructure, building things for other people to use. I can talk protocols, databases, systems management software, transactional sub-systems, operating systems, storage etc etc. But I never programmed anything on them for other people to use. The fun of the job was building something, even then. Colin.

6th Dec 2024, 6:13 pm	#45
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 6,062	Re: Compurobot 2 I've actually not bought vintage radios because they were working. What's the fun in that... I have no use for a little toy robot that can record and replay a sequence of movements. I do have use for tracing faults (albeit trivial ones) in the robot and IBM5155. Learning how to manipulate and transfer MS-DOS disk images. How to deal with sticky-shed floppy disks. And so on. I read the PET repair threads with great interest. I was never into PETs back in the day (TRS-80 born and bred...) but I have worked on them. I could find my way around one, but others seem a lot more knowledgable so I dont comment myself.