[vcf-midatlantic] Working on a historical microprocessor exhibt

[connork at connorsdomain.com]

On 2020-02-11 10:51, Ethan Dicks via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
> 
> There's also the SC/MP a version of which appeared as the INS8073, a
> "BASIC on a chip" product (CPU, BASIC in ROM and a few I/O bits for a
> console, just add RAM) and found in the RB5X robot (among other
> places).

Ah yes, I was wondering if anyone would mention some of National Semi's 
early micros.
I have an early PACE and SC/MP myself along with some National Semi rams 
designed to be used with the SC/MP.
I was going to try and play with them at SOME point but if determined to 
be good for an exhibit I can loan them for awhile :)

<2-cents>
This entire topic is VERY open-ended. There are entire (virtual) museums 
on just keeping track of CPUs! So clearly we can't just fill the museum 
with every CPU we all own, we might have to move the Univac out to make 
room!

But to keep it mostly on topic I think it would be good to keep to 
mostly known CPUs aka probably not much need for every National Semi 
CPU.
But off-shoots from companies that did design CPUs would be interesting 
as a "this didn't catch on" addon to other stuff, like maybe the Z8000? 
I don't know the full history of that chip so sorry for ignorance if I'm 
showing any.

I also saw a lot of discussion on bitslice which is a very important 
thing to mention and show an example of, say a Nova 4 CPU board. Very 
used and very popular.

I also saw say the Jaws-11 chipset mentioned. It would be cool to show 
say a PDP 11/40 boardset, then a PDP 11/44 boardset then a Jaws-11 chip. 
Showing the progression of integration over one architecture!
</2-cents>

-Connor K