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From: gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: 5620 (blit) cartridge for the ST ?
Message-ID: <721@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Mon, 21-Apr-86 21:18:08 EST
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.721
Posted: Mon Apr 21 21:18:08 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Apr-86 22:30:14 EST
References: <787@ihlpm.UUCP>
Organization: Nebula Consultants in San Francisco
Lines: 22

In article <787@ihlpm.UUCP>, rtb@ihlpm.UUCP (Todd) writes:
> I just read on att.blit that the University of Toronto has developed
> and is currently using a 5620(blit) terminal emulator in a ROM
> cartridge for the 520ST (mono).  Does anyone know if this is true?

Unfortunately AT&T does not sell the BLIT.  They sell the 5620.
The BLIT had a 68000, the 5620 for political reasons has an AT&T custom
processor chip.  (It's probably more expensive for them to build it
than to buy the 68000 from Motorola for $10.)

The ST cartridge in question makes the ST emulate a BLIT.  In fact,
once a few changes have been made to the BLIT sources, it can run
the same binaries that a BLIT runs.  (The changes make things like
the screen size a parameter rather than hardwired in.)  All the BLITs
in the world are inside Bell Labs and a few universities.

I guess this might benefit people inside Bell but it's useless to the
rest of us, unless AT&T releases BLIT (not 5620) software to everybody.
Hmm, AT&T could probably sell the 520ST cartridge and the BLIT source code
as a package deal...
-- 
John Gilmore  {sun,ptsfa,lll-crg,ihnp4}!hoptoad!gnu   jgilmore@lll-crg.arpa