5 ms·

I also wrote a lot of 6809 assembly in the 80s- for broadcast character generators. I wrote a multi-tasking operating system for it at one point- I used the DP

I also wrote a lot of 6809 assembly in the 80s- for broadcast character generators. I wrote a multi-tasking operating system for it at one point- I used the DP register to point to per-task local storage (exactly like errno in multi-tasking UNIX). My co-workers went nuts with the PC-relative capabilities, but I didn't bother- those addressing modes were pretty slow. We had a cool piece of hardware: an in-circuit emulator. The 6809 version of this one: http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/articleview.php?item=1064 http://www.decadecounter.com/vta/articleview.php?item=1064 That thing was the bomb, because it had trace memory so you could watch what led up to an interrupt causing your system to crash. Non-symbolic though, you needed the linker map and assembly listings by your side to do anything.

anonymousiam 6y ago
There were some great tools for that platform. I used a different brand ICE, but also an HP1630D logic analyzer with a processor chip-clip and a built-in disassembler so you could see where your code failed. (Worked great for finding hardware problems too.)
- jhallenworld 6y ago
  So if all you have is a Tek 465 scope, you can make a poor-man's logic analyzer by connecting an oscillator to the reset pin, and trigger off of this pin on the scope. Then use the delayed sweep knob to scan through the bus, one or two bits at a time.
  - ddingus 6y ago
    This is a cool trick! I plan to try it next chance I have my Tek 4 channel out for a play.
buescher 6y ago
That emulator looks amazing. It must have cost a fortune at the time!
- jhallenworld 6y ago
  Here is another site with links to a price list: http://www.iobium.com/applied_microsystems_em189_e.htm http://www.iobium.com/applied_microsystems_em189_e.htm $3750 in 1983.. $10,106 in today's money..
AnimalMuppet 6y ago
> I also wrote a lot of 6809 assembly in the 80s- for broadcast character generators. I got into broadcast character generators in 1989. Mind telling me who you worked for, and what you worked on?
- jhallenworld 6y ago
  Video Data Systems- a small company in Hauppauge, NY. They made titlers "Chyrons", ad machines and community bulletin board things, oh and the NY Off Track Betting video stuff. Oh, I bet you had this experience: 100s of monitors whining at near 15734 Hz, damaging your young ears..
  - AnimalMuppet 6y ago
    I worked for Quanta in Salt Lake. They made the Delta character generator, and the Orion, and some others before my time. Yeah, I've heard that whine. Haven't heard it in years, though. Both monitors and my ears have changed... Did you ever go to the National Association of Broadcasters trade show? That was loud. Hundreds of monitors, but dozens of booths, each trying to play catchy audio loud to attract attention.
    - LocalH 6y ago
      I used to work with a QCG-500 at a local TV station about twenty years ago. I can still pick out the way certain fonts looked at certain sizes on that thing. It eventually got replaced by a Chyron Maxine. Prosumer and professional character generators are woefully underdocumented. Anyone wanna donate any old functional ones to me? I'll set up and make a Youtube series about them lol. I'd love to see them eventually be emulated in the way that classic game consoles and home computers have been. I'm 40 years old and I can still hear flyback. I actually have a Roku Express+ hooked up to a 27" Trinitron. I miss the days of CRTs, except for their weight.
      - ddingus 6y ago
        I am 52, and it's getting tough to hear flyback. I miss CRT's too, and I have a couple. One, near my work desk, is a lightly used SONY PVM, high pitch Trinitron. I love to have movies playing on it when working. Above it, on a shelf, are a reasonable VHS that I use for capturing tapes and watching movies on as well as some not so special DVD/Blu-Ray player I should hook up via RGB, but is running S-video. Rambling aside, I would enjoy a video series on character generators. Lots of us geeked out on broadcast details. Personally, I would enjoy any tech info on how the characters were done and what trade-offs got made any why. Some of what was out there looked very good. Other gear, not so much. Bet it's a few minor details that differentiate those outcomes too.

anonymousiam 6y ago

There were some great tools for that platform. I used a different brand ICE, but also an HP1630D logic analyzer with a processor chip-clip and a built-in disassembler so you could see where your code failed. (Worked great for finding hardware problems too.)

jhallenworld 6y ago
So if all you have is a Tek 465 scope, you can make a poor-man's logic analyzer by connecting an oscillator to the reset pin, and trigger off of this pin on the scope. Then use the delayed sweep knob to scan through the bus, one or two bits at a time.
- ddingus 6y ago
  This is a cool trick! I plan to try it next chance I have my Tek 4 channel out for a play.

buescher 6y ago

That emulator looks amazing. It must have cost a fortune at the time!

jhallenworld 6y ago
Here is another site with links to a price list: http://www.iobium.com/applied_microsystems_em189_e.htm http://www.iobium.com/applied_microsystems_em189_e.htm $3750 in 1983.. $10,106 in today's money..

AnimalMuppet 6y ago

> I also wrote a lot of 6809 assembly in the 80s- for broadcast character generators. I got into broadcast character generators in 1989. Mind telling me who you worked for, and what you worked on?

jhallenworld 6y ago
Video Data Systems- a small company in Hauppauge, NY. They made titlers "Chyrons", ad machines and community bulletin board things, oh and the NY Off Track Betting video stuff. Oh, I bet you had this experience: 100s of monitors whining at near 15734 Hz, damaging your young ears..
- AnimalMuppet 6y ago
  I worked for Quanta in Salt Lake. They made the Delta character generator, and the Orion, and some others before my time. Yeah, I've heard that whine. Haven't heard it in years, though. Both monitors and my ears have changed... Did you ever go to the National Association of Broadcasters trade show? That was loud. Hundreds of monitors, but dozens of booths, each trying to play catchy audio loud to attract attention.
  - LocalH 6y ago
    I used to work with a QCG-500 at a local TV station about twenty years ago. I can still pick out the way certain fonts looked at certain sizes on that thing. It eventually got replaced by a Chyron Maxine. Prosumer and professional character generators are woefully underdocumented. Anyone wanna donate any old functional ones to me? I'll set up and make a Youtube series about them lol. I'd love to see them eventually be emulated in the way that classic game consoles and home computers have been. I'm 40 years old and I can still hear flyback. I actually have a Roku Express+ hooked up to a 27" Trinitron. I miss the days of CRTs, except for their weight.
    - ddingus 6y ago
      I am 52, and it's getting tough to hear flyback. I miss CRT's too, and I have a couple. One, near my work desk, is a lightly used SONY PVM, high pitch Trinitron. I love to have movies playing on it when working. Above it, on a shelf, are a reasonable VHS that I use for capturing tapes and watching movies on as well as some not so special DVD/Blu-Ray player I should hook up via RGB, but is running S-video. Rambling aside, I would enjoy a video series on character generators. Lots of us geeked out on broadcast details. Personally, I would enjoy any tech info on how the characters were done and what trade-offs got made any why. Some of what was out there looked very good. Other gear, not so much. Bet it's a few minor details that differentiate those outcomes too.