Digiac 2000 MAC-III 6502 trainer

[gw0udm]

Hi all

I've just got hold of one of these from a flea market. It's quite a nice thing, part of a larger set of boards used for training. I've been able to get a bit of information about it (manuals etc) from the manufacturer who are still going. However the main problem is that the monitor EPROM has been removed and so the board doesn't do much on its own.

So... I was wondering firstly if anyone else knows anything about them and if by some chance someone might have one with an EPROM in it.

At the moment I've hung it on the wall and it makes a nice ornament but I would like to be able to use it too!

James

[BigEd]

Welcome!

That's a nice find! And surely a good idea to try to get hold of a ROM image.

Edit: found a pdf but I'm not sure it helps much. Looks like the module was used in a microprocessor training course, branded LJCreate. As it happens, that company previously made Emma, another small 6502 board for teaching.

[BillO]

Did you ask the company if they have an assembly listing for the monitor or even a binary or hex file?

You could always reverse engineer it to find out the memory map and how the peripherals are being access, then port over a simple monitor. A lot of folks around here have written their own and might be willing to share the source code.

[gw0udm]

BillO wrote:

Did you ask the company if they have an assembly listing for the monitor or even a binary or hex file?

You could always reverse engineer it to find out the memory map and how the peripherals are being access, then port over a simple monitor. A lot of folks around here have written their own and might be willing to share the source code.

Yes I did ask them, but it was fairly clear that they didn't remember a whole lot about it other than some marketing materials. It's beyond me to do this level of coding myself but I'm keeping my eyes open. The chap who sold it to me said that he did have some more of their stuff and was going to send me some pictures but I've not heard from him lately.

I'll report back!

James

[GrubZero]

Hi All.

I came across gw0udm’s message whilst searching for some other 6502 info.

I have the exact same 6502 trainer with the monitor ROM installed, so I thought I’d join 6502.org & attempt to get the ROM or its contents to him some how.

I’ve had my trainer for a good number of years but I’ve never done anything with it, not even applied power!

It’s another one of those interesting eBay finds that was too cheap to ignore!

Cheers

[BigEd]

Welcome! It would be great to get that ROM dumped and uploaded somewhere safe!

Do you have any way to read a ROM?

[Dr Jefyll]

GrubZero wrote:

I came across gw0udm’s message whilst searching for some other 6502 info.

Welcome, GrubZero, and thanks for offering to assist.

BTW, were you able to find the "other 6502 info"? Perhaps we can also assist you!

-- Jeff

[GrubZero]

Hi & Thanks!

I have a number of old & obsolete programmers that I’ve accumulated over the years, mainly from EBay.

Most of which are of little practical use these days. I’ve got an old Stag P301 which I used in conjunction with a PC running Hyper Terminal to look for Easter Eggs in EPROMs pulled from bits of old industrial control systems, mainly PLCs & old process controllers etc.

Don’t know what prompted me to do that but it’s surprising what you’ll find as an ASCII string in an unused area of memory, haha.

Unfortunately, the old PC ( and it’s RS232 port ) are long gone, so this route may not be practical.

Through my work I may have access to a modern Dataman programmer so I’ll let you know if I have any success with that.

RE my search for other 6502 info, I’m interested in new SBC designs for old 8 & 16 processors, I’m not really bothered about which processors, as long as they’re still available & there’s software out there to run on them.

I have built a 6502 SBC based on a design by Grant Searle, but this has been sat for at least 3 years waiting for its own EPROM, haha!

If I have success with works Dataman programmer, hopefully I’ll be able to blow an EPROM for that too.

Thanks again & I’ll keep you posted.

Cheers.
Pete.

[gw0udm]

Hi guys

Thanks so much Pete / GrubZero for the post and the offer of help

If you can dump the EPROM I'd be dead keen to try it in the board I have. I have powered it up and got a red light but nothing else.

I have got some documentation from the original supplier including manuals, and so far as I can find out it should come up and say 'Ready' on the display. I've got it mounted on the wall as an ornament / conversation piece, but the plan would be to have a battery pack in the frame so it would actually work in situ.

I was hoping to get some more bits off the chap who sold it to me but he's gone quiet unfortunately.

Thanks again!

James

[GrubZero]

Hi

No problem at all, more than happy to help if I can & hopefully learn something new myself while I’m at it.

I’d be interested in a copy of any manuals / data sheets you have for the board if you’d be willing to let me have a copy? Like yourself, I’d like to see the system working.

My system also came with another board called an ‘Applications Module’ that connects to the training system which has various LEDs, a small motor, ultrasonic transducers, ADC’s & DACs etc on board. I can send a photo of it if your interested.

Cheers
Pete

[gw0udm]

GrubZero wrote:

Hi

No problem at all, more than happy to help if I can & hopefully learn something new myself while I’m at it.

Here is a link to what I got hold of. Unfortunately is a bit sparse although the brochure is quite cool:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!As5Cnv80l9bphsR-sX2 ... A?e=s6OHpa

The most useful bit is probably the user manual, you have got in effect the complete system with the applications module too which is very nice. The monitor includes some routines which run on the applications module, and the details for that are in the manual.

James

[BigEd]

Very nice - we get a memory map! (And, surprisingly, a 2005 date)

[GrubZero]

Hi All.

That all looks very interesting, I’ll have to sit & have a read of it when I get the time.

I too was surprised it was dated 2005, I suspected late 80’s to early 90’s?!

Got some news on the programmer front, my work has kindly given it too me as they no longer have use for it!

I think it’s a relatively current model, a Dataman-48PRO2C.

Has anyone had experience with this model?

I think the software is free to download, just need to sort a PC or Laptop as I don’t have one at the moment.

Cheers
Pete

[gw0udm]

GrubZero wrote:

Hi All.

That all looks very interesting, I’ll have to sit & have a read of it when I get the time.

I too was surprised it was dated 2005, I suspected late 80’s to early 90’s?!

Got some news on the programmer front, my work has kindly given it too me as they no longer have use for it!

I think it’s a relatively current model, a Dataman-48PRO2C.

Wow, that's a great result, it looks like they are a current product and they still sell them at a fair price too:

https://uk.farnell.com/dataman/dataman- ... DC-Test787

As everyone else has said I was also surprised by the date, although I that was the latest point at which they were selling them and they must have been designed somewhat earlier. In the brochure they show the three, MAC (6502), TIM (68000) and SAM (Z80). Would be very cool to have the full set... will need to keep an eye open.

Given that it was as late at 2005 it's a bit disappointing the company couldn't give me anything else and there is surprisingly little out on the web about them.

James

[BigEd]

There are a few other mentions on this forum, of their earlier(?) products EMMA and TINA.