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From: dana@lando.la.locus.com (Dana H. Myers)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: RCA MicroSystem CDP 1802 uP
Message-ID: <16080@oolong.la.locus.com>
Date: 24 Aug 90 17:01:26 GMT
References: <series> <32839@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> <32970@cup.portal.com> <1990Aug23.205312.10965@cbnewsm.att.com>
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In article <1990Aug23.205312.10965@cbnewsm.att.com> jeffj@cbnewsm.att.com (jeffrey.n.jones) writes:
>In article <32970@cup.portal.com> Chuck_M_Grandgent@cup.portal.com writes:
>>Do you realize the vintage of the CDP 1802 ?
>>I was doing 1802 stuff back in 1978 or 1979.
>>Also, the recent Jupiter lander from Voyager was 1802-based !
>
>Wasn't there a micro computer kit called the ELF that used the 1802 that
>you could mail order back around 1979,80? 

  Yes indeed. There were several varieties. The ELF was originally
published in Popular Electronics, in 1976 I think. The project was
a barebones 1802 with a 'front panel' made of two hex digits and
toggle switches.

  The ELF II was a kit from 'Netronics', a nice PCB based thing with a
hex keypad and a two digit hex display. The ELF II also included the
RCA video chip. The ELF II was essentially the distillation of the ELF
series of articles in Popular Electronics. Once again, memory was
limited to 256 bytes, but the Elf II had an expansion bus. I think some
interface cards were available. This kit was about $100 in 1977 when I
built one.

   Quest Electronics, I think, had a Super Elf, which had all sorts of
advanced features including a BASIC interpreter. I never actually saw
on of them...

  I built the Elf II and taught myself machine language. I was 14 at the
time; with only 256 bytes, there wasn't much one could do, but I wrote a
Morse code sender (sent CQ on my ham radio with it), and a monitor of
sorts (left about 80 free bytes), and a bunch of other little goodies.
I still have that machine.... actually, I don't own it, but have
lost touch with the owner... maybe he's reading this and will send
me e-mail :-)


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* Dana H. Myers KK6JQ 		| Views expressed here are	*
* (213) 337-5136 (ex WA6ZGB)	| mine and do not necessarily	*
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