Mastodawn

Nbreeden2 Apr 19, 2025

New IMSAI 8080 reproduction CP-A (Control Panel Kit). This kit is highly accurate to the original kit from IMSAI back in the mid 1970s. You can use the original IMSAI manual to assemble it.

If you are doing a CP-A restoration we also offer switch, LEDs, hardware and components to aid in your restoration.

These are actively shipping!

https://www.parastream.com/imsai/boards/cp-a-ims.aspx

Find my unboxing and assembly video series at
https://youtu.be/pIyHY3ukS3E

You can join our discord at
https://discord.gg/d5sEZaqE

#Imsai8080

IMSAI CP-A Rev-4

IMSAI CP-A IMS

Nbreeden2 Apr 19, 2025

New IMSAI 8080 reproduction cabinet, serial number 30001. This is a full size backwards compatible cabinet with the original IMSAI 8080 from the mid 1970s. Sales should open in a couple of weeks.

https://www.parastream.com/imsai/systems/i-cabinets.aspx

You can join our discord at
https://discord.gg/d5sEZaqE

#Imsai8080

IMSAI I-series (IMSAI 8080) Cabinets

IMSAI I-series (IMSAI 8080) Cabinets.

Nbreeden2 May 26, 2023

A new video in my Lawrence Livermore Labs MST-80 i8080 based trainer series has dropped.
https://youtu.be/-h_9z1w0bgs

STB1157 - Lawrence Livermore Labs - MST-80 - Part 8 - Finally Fixed

YouTube

Nbreeden2 May 24, 2023

8Bit-Relics May 24, 2023

Not sure how many people here can relate to this. I can for sure since I used Visual Basic since version 1.0!

Funny to see the need for such tool goes a few years back, to 1988.

This site is a mandatory read for anyone interested in computer languages. https://retool.com/visual-basic/

Something Pretty Right: A History of Visual Basic | Retool

How Visual Basic became the world’s most dominant programming environment, its sudden fall from grace, and why its influence is still shaping the future of software development.

Nbreeden2 May 15, 2023

Ian Rose May 15, 2023

People in security and computing have been saying for years - there's no cloud. There's just someone else's computer.

Right now, there's no AI. There's just someone else's work.

Stop calling generative text and image programs AI. It's inaccurate and insulting. They are just the evolution of corporate creative theft that's been going on as long as media corporations have existed.

Nbreeden2 May 14, 2023

Ken Shirriff May 14, 2023

The Intel 8086 processor (1978) started the PC era and most desktop computers still use the x86 architecture. Its instruction set is complicated with a variety of formats. This made decoding each instruction a challenge. The Group Decode ROM was a key part. 🧵

Nbreeden2 May 10, 2023

Devilish Design May 10, 2023

Thanks Postie! Some new paper for the Teletype. Fresh from 1976 😀

Show thread

Nbreeden2 May 10, 2023

@BigBadBiologist Sorry, no I don't have a cache of BIOSs. A note for others. EPROMs are from that era when putting an IC in backwards and powering it up is pretty often death. The EPROM/IC may act like an SCR, turn on and short Vcc to Vss. Often if you can look in the quartz window of an EPROM you will see a blown bond wire which acted like a little fuse, typically centered on the wire. On the ends of the bond wire will be little balls of wire from the part that went molten.

Nbreeden2 May 10, 2023

BigBadBiologist May 10, 2023

I think screwed up the EPROM of the motherboard in the attached image. (I put it in backwards) The model is QDI PX386Q aka I3P495LQ V3.0. The Retro Web doesn't have the BIOS file:
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/qdi-px386q
Does anyone have a hidden stash of BIOSes?

QDI PX386Q

QDI PX386Q is a motherboard based on the OPTi 82C495SLC (DXSLC 386/486 Low Cost Write Back) chipset. Get specs, BIOS, documentation and more!

The Retro Web

Nbreeden2 May 10, 2023

Back when Radio Shack was going under I bought out the component and hardware inventory of one store. These are the receipts. I'm 6"8' for scale.