@peteronion.bsky.social
Retired (early) Software Eng. G0DZB occasionally /P on HF. Discoverer of the PI 2 Xenon Death Flash. Looks after the Elliott 803 at TNMOC
A bit of fault finding on a RC2014 system for another local builder who couldn't get it to work. It turned out to be a couple of dry joints on the SIO board. It was running BASIC by the time I was finished :-)
November 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
A bit of fault finding on a RC2014 system for another local builder who couldn't get it to work. It turned out to be a couple of dry joints on the SIO board. It was running BASIC by the time I was finished :-)
Now I have to learn Forth :-)
November 6, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Now I have to learn Forth :-)
I've modified my Orton 3C to move the ROM up to 8000h thus allowing all 32Kbytes of the RAM to be accessed.
November 5, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I've modified my Orton 3C to move the ROM up to 8000h thus allowing all 32Kbytes of the RAM to be accessed.
Look between the backplane and the front panel, there's a 3C-PO. Spencer calls it a "Port-Output" shim, but I call it a "Peter-Onion" as I pointed out it was needed and what it had to do. I even had a working version before Spencer produced the shim. Also there's a 3C Rom programmer on the desk !
November 4, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Look between the backplane and the front panel, there's a 3C-PO. Spencer calls it a "Port-Output" shim, but I call it a "Peter-Onion" as I pointed out it was needed and what it had to do. I even had a working version before Spencer produced the shim. Also there's a 3C Rom programmer on the desk !
I've been helping a RM380Z owner to try and get the RM CP/M Algol-60 compiler/runtime working. And we've done it! Seems it only likes to run from drives A: to D: as that's all the 380Z supported.
October 31, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I've been helping a RM380Z owner to try and get the RM CP/M Algol-60 compiler/runtime working. And we've done it! Seems it only likes to run from drives A: to D: as that's all the 380Z supported.
It's been a while since I've written a makefile :-)
October 30, 2025 at 9:31 PM
It's been a while since I've written a makefile :-)
I though I would check if my Elliott 803 "prime factors" programme is working correctly. It is
October 29, 2025 at 10:54 PM
I though I would check if my Elliott 803 "prime factors" programme is working correctly. It is
Some reverse engineering at TNMOC today !
October 28, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Some reverse engineering at TNMOC today !
My current Orton 3CX setup :-) I've added an inline switch to the 5V supply so I don't have to keep unplugging it every time I want to update the Flash ROM.
October 24, 2025 at 11:42 AM
My current Orton 3CX setup :-) I've added an inline switch to the 5V supply so I don't have to keep unplugging it every time I want to update the Flash ROM.
Definitely "Dumbed Down" :-(
October 24, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Definitely "Dumbed Down" :-(
I've written a small GTK+ application on my PI for capturing the SRecords send on my Orton 3C's bit-banged serial port. It can also send them back while waiting for an "OK" from the 3C after each SRecord. Next step is to handle "SC" which is sent back if the Sum Check byte is incorrect. #RC2014
October 8, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I've written a small GTK+ application on my PI for capturing the SRecords send on my Orton 3C's bit-banged serial port. It can also send them back while waiting for an "OK" from the 3C after each SRecord. Next step is to handle "SC" which is sent back if the Sum Check byte is incorrect. #RC2014
My #RC2104 Orton 3C has produced its first Motorola SRecord :-) Next to dump a block of RAM, then to write a parser so it can receive SRecords and load the data into RAM .
October 6, 2025 at 9:49 AM
My #RC2104 Orton 3C has produced its first Motorola SRecord :-) Next to dump a block of RAM, then to write a parser so it can receive SRecords and load the data into RAM .
More code, more switches, more LEDs. The monitor code is now in the EPROM. It copies itself down to 0000h so it runs directly from a reset. I've also found a rather nifty Linux hex-editor called hexcurse. #RC2014
September 30, 2025 at 11:23 AM
More code, more switches, more LEDs. The monitor code is now in the EPROM. It copies itself down to 0000h so it runs directly from a reset. I've also found a rather nifty Linux hex-editor called hexcurse. #RC2014
I'm writing coding like it's 1980 again !
September 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I'm writing coding like it's 1980 again !
My Orton 3C has gained its first new peripherals !
September 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
My Orton 3C has gained its first new peripherals !
This is my Orton 3CX (3C eXpander) board. It's a i/o port expander for the Orton 3C I bought at the #RC2014 Assembly last weekend. It has a buffered data bus and port decoding for eight input and output ports, and lots of space for devices and connectors.
September 26, 2025 at 10:37 AM
This is my Orton 3CX (3C eXpander) board. It's a i/o port expander for the Orton 3C I bought at the #RC2014 Assembly last weekend. It has a buffered data bus and port decoding for eight input and output ports, and lots of space for devices and connectors.
Time to get the soldering iron out.
September 25, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Time to get the soldering iron out.
A bit of graphics programming on my Z80 today.
September 23, 2025 at 1:59 PM
A bit of graphics programming on my Z80 today.