Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Cleaning my shop is like an archaeological dig. — Parallax Forums

Cleaning my shop is like an archaeological dig.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
edited 2010-06-09 01:37 in General Discussion
I'm in the late pre-Windows layer now. Anybody need this?

attachment.php?attachmentid=70641

I think I'm done with it.

-Phil

Addendum: BTW, here is what Parallax's website looked like back then. (Be patient: it takes awhile to load. It's not easy dragging up a fifteen-year-old webpage!)

Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 5/26/2010 8:06:43 AM GMT
PICTools.jpg
449 x 450 - 47K
«1

Comments

  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-05-26 13:31
    Does this make you the Indiana Jones of nerds?

    lol.gif
  • mctriviamctrivia Posts: 3,772
    edited 2010-05-26 14:39
    Do you even have a working disk drive still? I killed my last one years ago.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Lots of propeller based products in stock at affordable prices.
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2010-05-26 14:46
    I have several disk drives.... I wonder what the "PIC tools" are......

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Check out my new website!!

    Use the Propeller icon!! Propeller.gif

    Follow me on Twitter! Search "Microcontrolled"
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2010-05-26 14:50
    Phil,
    Sorry I haven't upgraded to DOS 2.0 yet... [noparse];)[/noparse]

    Bean

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Use BASIC on the Propeller with the speed of assembly language.
    PropBASIC thread http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=867134

    March 2010 Nuts and Volts article·http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/cols/nv/prop/col/nvp5.pdf
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    There are two rules in life:
    · 1) Never divulge all information
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. [noparse][[/noparse]RUSH - Freewill]
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-05-26 15:38
    I have the original Stamp 1 editor on floppy, and I'm keeping it! All knowledge will revert to the floppy/DOS era after the great Atomic Flame Deluge happens...

    (obscure "Canticle for Liebowitz" reference)

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    edited 2010-05-26 17:45
    My USB floppy disk gets used almost every day to transfer files to a piece of industrial equipment that is running DOS.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Andrew Williams
    WBA Consulting
    WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
    My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger
  • John R.John R. Posts: 1,376
    edited 2010-05-26 18:24
    WBA Consulting said...
    My USB floppy disk gets used almost every day to transfer files to a piece of industrial equipment that is running DOS.
    Our condolances to you.· I have a similar situation here.· We weren't even aware of what was being done until we replaced one of the engineer's PCs.· It came sans floppy (as most everything does), and we had to scramble for a few days.

    For grins:· I was doing consulting at a place in the days of 5-1/4 floppies.· There was a marketing person that took files home every night, worked very hard on them, put them back on the floppy, and every day would come in and the floppy was toast.· She'd run home at lunch with another floppy, get the files, and all was well, until the next morning.· It took a wile, but we finally found the problem.· At night, when she was done working, she faithfully put the floppy on the fridge door.· With a magnet.


    I just LOVE floppies!

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    John R.
    Click here to see my Nomad Build Log
  • bambinobambino Posts: 789
    edited 2010-05-26 22:56
    Maybe this will make you feel better Phil.

    I part time at a local computer shop and one of my customers is Motorola. They service the radio equipment for our local 911 service, and surrounding counties. They get me to dig up and refurbish < 300mhz machines and load them with dos from floppies. They sometimes need windows 98 as well.
    It seems that when the state came up with money to upgrade our 911 service last time, some genius suggested new computers for everyone. Well they blew the budget getting everyone just that. XP and vista for all. They over looked the fact that the towers needed dos and something about new machines in the Gigahertz range not matching up with there modems. I don't buy into that, but fact is we still use dos for our 911 service because they didn't upgrade the towers and the modems first.

    It's getting harder and harder to find these old machines when there's bites the dust!
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-05-26 23:17
    My Tek o'scope prints to a floppy drive, so I have to have a drive on my PC to transfer the TIF screen images it produces. (I should've sprung for the ethernet interface when I had the chance!)

    -Phil
  • logan996logan996 Posts: 281
    edited 2010-05-26 23:37
    wow do you still· have this? lol can this be used for programing PICs??? if so could you make a image of the floppy and maybe post it???

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "WOAH! that wasn't supposed to happen!"
  • logan996logan996 Posts: 281
    edited 2010-05-26 23:39
    hahaha! if you look at the main page of their old site it says it was updated October 21, 1996! haha that is almost exactly (plus and minus a couple days [noparse];)[/noparse] ) a month after i was born lol!

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "WOAH! that wasn't supposed to happen!"
  • logan996logan996 Posts: 281
    edited 2010-05-26 23:41
    hey Phil do you think you could maybe mail this too me if you can't make a image (if it costs a just a stamp of course! PUN! lol [noparse]:D[/noparse] )

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "WOAH! that wasn't supposed to happen!"
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2010-05-27 00:22
    @logan: Good one!

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Check out my new website!!

    Use the Propeller icon!! Propeller.gif

    Follow me on Twitter! Search "Microcontrolled"
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2010-05-27 01:41
    Well now I feel old.

    I remember when you'd get Hollerith cards in the mail with careful instructions as to how to send them on their way. And I have actually written programs (albeit only as a student exercise) on card punch machines and submitted my program with a rubber band around it to be fed in the Great Maw Of Computing in order to get a printout of the results, and my cards, 30 minutes later (if the comp sci center wasn't too busy).

    I wonder what will emerge in the future to make USB thumb drives look to our kids the way floppy disks and Hollerith cards look to us now.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-05-27 03:43
    Logan,

    Email me with your mailing address, and I'll send it to you. (I can't very well post a disk image, since Parallax sold the IP to another company, who now owns the rights.)

    -Phil
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2010-05-27 17:53
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi),

    Nice!, but I think I can out-do you, or at least complement your disk.

    I have the original Parallax hardware, and a few ZIF adapters to go with it for surface mount PIC chips. There is a slight modification to the programmer itself, just a power indicator LED, but other than that it is in original form with the latest firmware upgrade directly from Parallax. As far as I know it still works just fine. Also, the programming cable is one that I made, but it looks to be in excellent condition.

    There are thirteen PIC16C73A/JW that I think I payed close to $14 a pop for them at the time.

    Logan,

    If you promise to provide us with detailed updates with getting this equipment up and running again, I will send the hardware that I have to you as well FREE of charge.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Beau Schwabe

    IC Layout Engineer
    Parallax, Inc.
    PIC Tools.JPG
    1728 x 2304 - 535K
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-05-27 19:30
    Beau,

    I had the programmer, but not the SMD adapters. Awhile back, someone on the forum was looking for these programmers to support some old equipment in the field, and I sent him mine.

    -Phil

    Addendum: BTW, I think my most prized APT (Ancient Parallax Technology) possession is the "skinny cable" version of the SX-Key:

    attachment.php?attachmentid=70679

    When Parallax switched to the newer style, I bought one of the last remaining older versions, just so I'd have a spare. I've still got some 18-pin DIP SXes, too. I have to keep them around in case an old customer who used them needs a replacement.

    _

    Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 5/27/2010 7:46:16 PM GMT
    SX-Key.jpg
    855 x 642 - 110K
  • logan996logan996 Posts: 281
    edited 2010-05-27 20:06
    Thanks for the offer Beau, but i really have no idea how those work or how to set them up? I'd take them and tell you how it goes, but i want to know: can they be programmed in pbasic? and are they as powerful as the bs2 or bs1? and lastly how would i be able to set them up, because i'm not sure i can use a larger port than the DB9 i think i can though. Also even if i can't use these thanks for the offer anyway! lol now that's parallax support! [noparse]:D[/noparse] lol

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "WOAH! that wasn't supposed to happen!"
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2010-05-27 22:22
    logan996,

    Honestly it's been so long since I messed with it, I'm not sure if you can directly program it in pbasic. I know that there are 3rd party tools that will let you program in a pseudo pbasic and allow you to compile it for your particular flavor of PIC, but when I was doing it I programmed directly in PIC assembly.

    As far as powerful, I would say yes, since you don't use an EEPROM interpreter your programs will run much faster, but at a cost of writing the program in assembly verses pbasic.

    The 'larger' port is a D25 parallel port. I ran into a similar problem with my father-in-laws' 'new' computer and his beloved old printer. I found and ordered a USB to D25 Parallel adapter for about $10 and it worked like a champ.

    Are you planning on making the EXPO at Parallax in a month? I could just bring it with me there. If not we can work something else out.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Beau Schwabe

    IC Layout Engineer
    Parallax, Inc.
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2010-05-27 22:39
    Phil,
    · I knew I had an old Parallax disk too. But you beat me by 1 year. Mine is 1996 (14 years old).


    ·attachment.php?attachmentid=70685


    Bean
    ·

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Use BASIC on the Propeller with the speed of assembly language.
    PropBASIC thread http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=867134

    March 2010 Nuts and Volts article·http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/cols/nv/prop/col/nvp5.pdf
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    There are two rules in life:
    · 1) Never divulge all information
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. [noparse][[/noparse]RUSH - Freewill]
    Parallax Disk.JPG
    959 x 987 - 164K
  • hover1hover1 Posts: 1,929
    edited 2010-05-27 23:18
    I had a copy of Windows-286 (1989-sealed) that I threw out 10 years ago before I knew about ebay.

    But I still have my DOS 3.0, 3.3, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 floppies. All of my Programers still run on DOS.

    Jim

    Anyone want to buy a brand new 8" floppy drive? tongue.gif
  • David BDavid B Posts: 592
    edited 2010-05-27 23:31
    Anyone want to buy a brand new 8" floppy drive?

    Seriously? What kind? How much do you want for it?
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2010-05-28 00:37
    And I thought my 2004 Parallax CD was ancient! Some of these where made a little too close to when I was born. tongue.gif

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Check out my new website!!

    Use the Propeller icon!! Propeller.gif

    Follow me on Twitter! Search "Microcontrolled"
  • hover1hover1 Posts: 1,929
    edited 2010-05-28 01:57
    I believe it's a Shugart half height. It was a backup drive for a Gerber PCB design station, demo machine.. Never used. I have to locate it when I am back in Connecticuit in about a week.

    Jim


    David B said...
    Anyone want to buy a brand new 8" floppy drive?

    Seriously? What kind? How much do you want for it?
  • logan996logan996 Posts: 281
    edited 2010-05-30 18:02
    Hey Beau, Where is the expo again? i might be able to go.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "WOAH! that wasn't supposed to happen!"
  • hover1hover1 Posts: 1,929
    edited 2010-05-30 19:12
    A simple google for "Parallax Expo 2010" brought this up:

    ·http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=877612
  • zoopydogsitzoopydogsit Posts: 174
    edited 2010-06-02 02:20
    I still have my original Parallax PIC programmer with 51/4" floppy from 1992. Saw them advertise in Circuit Cellar and bought it. I was very impressed (reason why I came back for BS2's, and now the Prop :-)

    If anyone wants it I'm happy to trade for more QFP props :-))))))))

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    It's all a function of time.
    PICT1507.JPG
    2048 x 1536 - 606K
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-06-02 03:07
    Y'know? I completely forgot about my 5 1/4" collection (probably since it was filed away and not part of the historical strata). Attached is probably my earliest product from Parallax (sans hardware). So the question is: which was earlier? Desimone Lane or Auburn Blvd? (Maybe Ken can shed some light here.)

    -Phil
    PIC_tools_disk.jpg
    1296 x 972 - 197K
  • zoopydogsitzoopydogsit Posts: 174
    edited 2010-06-02 11:06
    In the same box I found the following Parallax glossies :-)

    One of them is a copy of a Circuit Cellar article written by Tom Cantrell from Issue#25 Feb/March 1992. Giving a good description of the Parallax products for PICs at the time....

    Great looking glossies! Well done on the marketting.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    It's all a function of time.
    PICT1597.JPG
    1536 x 2048 - 642K
    PICT1600.JPG
    1536 x 2048 - 668K
    PICT1598.JPG
    1536 x 2048 - 621K
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-06-02 15:38
    I've got that CCINK issue, too! Gasp! I'm such a pack rat! I guess the office is going to be next for a cleanup (before the TV producers of Pack Rats show up at my door). BTW, if you've also got the March '93 issue, take a look on page 14. ('Had to check first to make sure I'd mentioned Parallax in the article. smile.gif )

    -Phil
Sign In or Register to comment.