HP 82164A HPIL/RS232 interface

[KeithB]

Does anybody have any details about this?
Just for curiosity, I was wondering which UART it used. (But I am not curious enough to rip off the crystal to find out!)

Also, any details about the NS INS8050 processor?

(Did any come without a mask programmable rom? I find it interesting that you can buy them on Alibaba. Seems useless to just buy one if it is programmed.)

Tomorrow I am going to try to hook it up to a computer and use Display IS and Keyboard is to use my PC keyboard.

[Paul Berger (Canada)]

The UART in the one I just opened up is a Synertek SY6551 which is the ACIA that was designed as part of the MOS Technology 6502 family, which Synertek was a second source.

The INS8050 is part of the 8048 family of microcontroller with more RAM (256 bytes) and ROM (4K) there is a ROMless version of it, the INS8040 that may have been used with external ROM for development. To accommodate this in a 82164A would have required a different board design. Unlike other members of the 8048 family there does not appear there was an EPROM version of the chip.

Paul.

[KeithB]

Thanks!

[KeithB]

FYI.
I was able to get it all working. (40 year old hardware not being used for 20 years or so!) And it all worked fine. I managed to use the FORTH Module to create a binary subprogram with the editor. The only catches was the mapping of some keys on the PC to the HP71, like the fact that the down arrow key on the PC did not correspond to the down key on the HP71B.

HP hardware amazes me.