4 ms·

Product Evaluation of the Zilog Z80-CTC (1979) [pdf]

21 points by nynyny7 8y ago

teddyh 8y ago
Note: This is not about the Z80 CPU. This is about the Z80-CTC ship: “The Z80-Counter Timer Circuit (CTC) is a programmable, four channel device that provides counting and timing functions for Ihe Z80-CPU.”
- nynyny7 8y ago
  Yes of course. It says so in the title: "Zilog Z80-CTC".
  - gjm11 8y ago
    That's "of course" if you're already familiar with the Z80 and other hardware associated with it. To a reader who doesn't already know what the Z80-CTC is, though, it's not at all obvious that "Z80-CTC" doesn't denote some variant of the Z80 processor. I think teddyh's comment was useful, and I don't think it deserves the dismissive response you gave it.
- nynyny7 8y ago
  PS: Similar product evaluations exist for a lot of components from the Z80 series, including the CPU. But only on paper, because they haven't been scanned: http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/ice/s3.htm http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/ice/s3.htm Maybe you can convince the National Museum of American History's archivists to scan more of them.
  - gp2000 8y ago
    You can request the documents and go photocopy them yourself at the museum. Or have their researchers do it for a fee. Just don't bother with these as they've already been done: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yqpc3bglatpmpvl/AACA2CXFv1XeA1ZmLqgCgyUha?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yqpc3bglatpmpvl/AACA2CXFv1XeA1ZmL...
sblank 8y ago
Brings back fond memories. My second job in Silicon Valley was manager of Zilog's training and education department (all of five of us) and taught customers how to design systems around the Z80 which included the CTC. see: https://steveblank.com/category/zilog/ https://steveblank.com/category/zilog/
- howard941 8y ago
  Good times. I enjoyed your thoughtful entry on the SCC at https://steveblank.com/2009/07/30/hes-only-in-field-service/ https://steveblank.com/2009/07/30/hes-only-in-field-service/ . When I was using it as a kid on Z80s with radios and having a Z80K was a mere aspiration, like a computing Corvette, it was usually with pleasure. I'm looking forward to reading more about the the Z80K and perhaps learning the causes of Zilog's demise. It, like Tech Design Labs TDL from New Jersey and so many others, remain in the genes however far back it was.
OliverBoettger 8y ago
Does anybody know if something similar exists for the MOS 6502?
- vardump 8y ago
  Partially MOS Technology CIA (Complex Interface Adapter) 6526. But CIA is also an I/O chip. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_CIA#Interval_timers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_CIA#Interval_ti... Same for these two, they contain not only timers, but also other peripherals: MOS Technology 6532 RIOT (RAM-I/O-Timer): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6532 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6532 MOS Technology 6522 VIA (Versatile Interface Adapter): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6522 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6522 There are more similar variants of MOS I/O chips as well.

21 points by nynyny7 8y ago

Note: This is not about the Z80 CPU. This is about the Z80-CTC ship: “The Z80-Counter Timer Circuit (CTC) is a programmable, four channel device that provides counting and timing functions for Ihe Z80-CPU.”

nynyny7 8y ago
Yes of course. It says so in the title: "Zilog Z80-CTC".
- gjm11 8y ago
  That's "of course" if you're already familiar with the Z80 and other hardware associated with it. To a reader who doesn't already know what the Z80-CTC is, though, it's not at all obvious that "Z80-CTC" doesn't denote some variant of the Z80 processor. I think teddyh's comment was useful, and I don't think it deserves the dismissive response you gave it.
nynyny7 8y ago
PS: Similar product evaluations exist for a lot of components from the Z80 series, including the CPU. But only on paper, because they haven't been scanned: http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/ice/s3.htm http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/ice/s3.htm Maybe you can convince the National Museum of American History's archivists to scan more of them.
- gp2000 8y ago
  You can request the documents and go photocopy them yourself at the museum. Or have their researchers do it for a fee. Just don't bother with these as they've already been done: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yqpc3bglatpmpvl/AACA2CXFv1XeA1ZmLqgCgyUha?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yqpc3bglatpmpvl/AACA2CXFv1XeA1ZmL...

sblank 8y ago

Brings back fond memories. My second job in Silicon Valley was manager of Zilog's training and education department (all of five of us) and taught customers how to design systems around the Z80 which included the CTC. see: https://steveblank.com/category/zilog/ https://steveblank.com/category/zilog/

howard941 8y ago
Good times. I enjoyed your thoughtful entry on the SCC at https://steveblank.com/2009/07/30/hes-only-in-field-service/ https://steveblank.com/2009/07/30/hes-only-in-field-service/ . When I was using it as a kid on Z80s with radios and having a Z80K was a mere aspiration, like a computing Corvette, it was usually with pleasure. I'm looking forward to reading more about the the Z80K and perhaps learning the causes of Zilog's demise. It, like Tech Design Labs TDL from New Jersey and so many others, remain in the genes however far back it was.

OliverBoettger 8y ago

Does anybody know if something similar exists for the MOS 6502?

vardump 8y ago
Partially MOS Technology CIA (Complex Interface Adapter) 6526. But CIA is also an I/O chip. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_CIA#Interval_timers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_CIA#Interval_ti... Same for these two, they contain not only timers, but also other peripherals: MOS Technology 6532 RIOT (RAM-I/O-Timer): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6532 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6532 MOS Technology 6522 VIA (Versatile Interface Adapter): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6522 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6522 There are more similar variants of MOS I/O chips as well.