Strange 6502 trainer

Topics related to older 6502-based hardware and systems including (but not limited to) the MOS Technology KIM-1, Synertek SYM-1, and Rockwell AIM-65.
mba
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Joined: 30 Jul 2014

Strange 6502 trainer

Post by mba »

Does anyone know what it could be? It uses two Rockwell chips: 6502 and 6522. On the board are labels: "MPS 65-2", "THALER" and "85-1-1". The board was probably made in mid-eighties.
Attachments
mps2.jpg
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barrym95838
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Location: Sacramento, CA, USA

Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by barrym95838 »

Here's an awkward translation from this page:

http://allegro.pl/mps65-6502-microproce ... 26352.html
Quote:
Tile MPS65 to learn programming of the microprocessor 6502. Did not find anything about it on the web.

On the board is written MPS 65-2. At the bottom of the inscription Thaler THALER (the same inscription is in ROM, in addition to the date 84). Systems dating back to the years 1983-1987.

Tile is efficient. It has a 6-digit LED display, a keyboard 24, a push, a microprocessor 6502 (execution Rockwell) VIA 6522 to support the display, keyboard and timers, 2KB ROM monitor program, 2KB RAM 6116 of which the user is available 1.5kB (unless, that do not use the monitor program).

For tiles do not have documentation but no problem I figured how to use it: you can write a new program instructions, view the program forward / reverse, jump into memory at any given address, inserting NOP instructions in the indication of the place of the code (it can be later converted into BRK what will stop program and displaying the contents of registers X, Y and A by monitor - such a simple debugger. program has also monitor watch. buttons S and L are presumably Save and Load. Save probably works because you can see on the serial communication port PB7 the VIA (so that the pin is nowhere connected). Interested remain zdeassemblować program monitor.

I enclose a handwritten fragment pattern of connecting a keyboard and display (and a brief description of how the program the user can take advantage of them, a simple matter). A brief but adequate descriptions of monitor functions.

A piece of history for the collector.

Tile requires a stabilized power supply 5V 0.5A - wire is complete.
Mike
mba
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Joined: 30 Jul 2014

Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by mba »

I've just bought it here. I'm looking for more detailed information about the board.
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HansO
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by HansO »

mba wrote:
I've just bought it here. I'm looking for more detailed information about the board.
Never seen this one. It looks like one of the many KIM-1 type of machines. I see a 6502, a 6522, an EPROM type 2716, SRAM 6116.And a big DIN connector at the back. The usual keyboard/led display scanning hardware like the KIM-1, the Elektor Junior, MCS Alpha 1 etc have.

What i do not see is any kind of I/O like cassette.
The advertisement talsk about PB7 as serial port, which may mean another pin of the 6522 is also part of a serial port. No connector visible though.

Can you dump the EPROM?
mba
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Joined: 30 Jul 2014

Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by mba »

EPROM dump is in the attachment. It starts in address space at 0xF800.
Attachments
rom1.bin.zip
(2.43 KiB) Downloaded 192 times
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Michael
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Location: Michigan, USA

Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by Michael »

I wonder if anyone has found any additional information on this particular SBC? I haven't found anything, so far.
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BigEd
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by BigEd »

Thanks for the ROM dump, mba. I see a very similar board is now being discussed over here:
https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic ... 55&t=16253
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GaBuZoMeu
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by GaBuZoMeu »

My brain isn't that bad .. :wink:

I remember some advertisement in the german monthly "mc Die Mikrocomputer-Zeitschrift" (Franzis-Verlag).

This board is a reduced version of the CT-65 from Thaler (Thaler & Co. Mikroprozessor Technik GmbH, Krefeld, Germany) called "MPS-65".
mc-1984-09-58.pdf
brief review of MPS-65
(806.88 KiB) Downloaded 181 times
mc-1984-09-29.pdf
advertisement MPS-65
(1.17 MiB) Downloaded 173 times
mc-1983-04-56.pdf
review of CT-65
(973.94 KiB) Downloaded 155 times
mc-1983-04-28.pdf
advertisement of CT-65
(1.07 MiB) Downloaded 173 times
Sorry guys (and gals) - german only. If required I can translate it.


Regards
Arne
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BigEd
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by BigEd »

Nice findings - thanks for sharing!
bprosman
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by bprosman »

Thanks , indeed a nice finding. Translation is not required even though my German might be rusty.
I read that the connector was according to the "Siemens SMP norm", anything known about that ?
Last edited by bprosman on Sun Dec 30, 2018 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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GaBuZoMeu
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by GaBuZoMeu »

Welcome, bprosman!
bprosman
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by bprosman »

I read that the connector was according to the "Siemens SMP norm", anything known about that ?
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GaBuZoMeu
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by GaBuZoMeu »

Sorry, no suitable findings for that "Siemens SMP norm".

It is most likely just one out of a million possible pin assignments for these DIN 41612 (now IEC 60603-2) connectors that were used frequently those days (especially in industrial solutions, Eurocard size boards).

Regards,
Arne
tanteju
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by tanteju »

GaBuZoMeu wrote:
Sorry, no suitable findings for that "Siemens SMP norm".

It is most likely just one out of a million possible pin assignments for these DIN 41612 (now IEC 60603-2) connectors that were used frequently those days (especially in industrial solutions, Eurocard size boards).
If my memory is not completely wrong, the SMP Bus was a predecessor of the SMP 16 Bus, without b row. See https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/f ... u066_e.pdf section 5.1.3

There are other signals on a and c, which are not used and if I remember correctly, there had been an article in c't (a German magazine from that time) about that bus.
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HansO
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Re: Strange 6502 trainer

Post by HansO »

A summary page on the findings on the Thaler MPS-65 and CT-6502 SBC's here: http://retro.hansotten.nl/6502-sbc/msp-65-2-thaler/
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