Understanding the Altair 8800 Front Panel

Introduction to the MITS Altair 8800 Front Panel The Altair 8800 Front Panel is one of the most iconic interfaces in early personal computing. Long before graphical operating systems, keyboards, and monitors became standard, computers were often operated directly through rows of switches and blinking lights. Understanding the Altair front Read More »

Altair 8800 Front Panel

XMODEM Gateway: File Transfers and SSH for Retro Hardware

Introduction to XMODEM Gateway If you have a Commodore 64, an AltairDuino running CP/M, or any terminal that speaks telnet, XMODEM Gateway gives you file transfers, SSH access to remote servers, and AI chat — all from a single telnet connection. I’ve tested this with IMP8 on the Altairduino. IMP8 Read More »

XMODEM Gateway opening screen

Training for Allen Bradley PLC-5

Introduction to Training for Allen Bradley PLC-5 with RSLogix It’s getting more difficult to find Training for Allen Bradley PLC-5. Anyone who has worked in industry over the past 30 years has probably worked with this processor. The PLC-5 was a very reliable, durable workhorse that is now obsolete. Even Read More »

Training for Allen Bradley PLC-5

Serial Write on the Southern Cross

Introduction to Serial Write on the Southern Cross This post is for absolute beginners who which to perform a Serial Write on the Southern Cross Z80 Computer. Craig Jones develops and maintains the Southern Cross Z80 Computer. In this section, I’ll be using the ACIA Serial Monitor, and the SCNEO Read More »

Serial Write on the Southern Cross

I/O Module for the Southern Cross

Building an I/O Module for the Southern Cross In this section, we’ll be Building an I/O Module for the Southern Cross Computer. The Southern Cross Computer is a Z80 system designed and maintained by Craig Jones. This system is useful for recreational and educational purposes. With this machine, you will Read More »

I/O Module for the Southern Cross

PIC Buttons in Assembly

How to add PIC Buttons in Assembly When adding PIC Buttons in Assembly, we need to be sure to have a port setup for inputs. In this case, I’m using the 16F877A. Usually, the best port to add the buttons are to port B. This is because Port B has Read More »

PIC Buttons in Assembly

Programming the PIC Microcontroller in Assembly

Introduction to Programming the PIC Microcontroller in Assembly The most difficult part about Programming the PIC Microcontroller in Assembly is just getting started. In this post, we’ll just make a light flash. After that, you can research how to read discrete and analog inputs. Eventually, with some practice, you’ll be Read More »

Programming the PIC Microcontroller in Assembly

Stopwatch Program for the Southern Cross

Introduction to my Stopwatch Program for the Southern Cross (Z80) My Stopwatch Program for the Southern Cross is a very simple program. In reality, it’s just one step above a “Hello World” program. Once you get your Southern Cross Computer up and running, you will want to continue learning. For Read More »

Stopwatch Program for the Southern Cross

Using Sensor Switches on the IMSAI

Introduction to Using Sensor Switches on the IMSAI 8080 Using Sensor Switches on the IMSAI 8080 allows you to give the operator a way to input data to your program. You can use these switches to trigger events, set a program operating mode, or to select different options. I’m running Read More »

Using Sensor Switches on the IMSAI

IMSAI 8080 Binary Counter

Introduction to the IMSAI 8080 Binary Counter In this section, we’ll display the IMSAI 8080 Binary Counter onto the programmed outputs. Keep in mind the programmed outputs are in the upper left corner of the IMSAI front panel. Although there are several ways to do this, we’re going to concentrate Read More »

IMSAI 8080 Binary Counter