EBTKS PossibilitiesΒΆ

These are services that we believe the hardware is capable of providing, but require programming effort to implement. There is no commitment to do this work, but we are open to volunteers who would like to contribute to this project.

Items shown in green have been implemented

Items shown in orange have had some proof of concept work done

  • FAT32 file system including directory paths, and sub-directories

  • Support for a USB keyboard to replace the normal keyboard, many of which now have keys that stick, or have broken contacts that are difficult to replace

  • Support up to 1 MB of Extended Memory

  • WiFi access via the ESP32 optional module. Could provide a web page interface for changing the ROM configuration and other options. Could also provide a way to import/export files over WiFi in a host independent way. Just need a computer with a browser

  • Emulation of other contemporary computers of the HP-85

    • PDP-8/E with OS/8 - This could provide the following languages

      • OS/8 BASIC

      • OS/8 FORTRAN II

      • OS/8 FORTRAN IV

      • OS/8 FOCAL 1969 with UW extensions

      • OS/8 TECO

      • Plus get to play with the operating system that was the basis for CP/M, MSDOS, and even the command box on current MS Windows

    • CP/M with Z80 emulation - This could provide all of the vast software available for CP/M including compilers for BASIC, C, FORTRAN, PASCAL.

  • Lisp support as a scripting system for the background operations of EBTKS

  • Support ADC/DAC via the QWIIC connector or the 40 pin header.

  • Provide accelerated Floating Point, Matrix operations, Vector Floating point

  • Implement the System Monitor board that supports breakpoints and co-operates with the Assembler ROM.

  • Custom Logic Analyzer for tracing all 1MB5 traffic.

  • Realtime, non-invasive code traces at the machine-code level.

  • Improvements to the Logic Analyzer using the system Symbol table

  • Improved diagnostics vs Service ROM for some functions. No reliance on any specific hardware functioning.

  • HP-85 ODT (ODT is a low level debugger for PDP-15, PDP-8 and PDP-11 minicomputers. It is an acronym for Octal Debugging Technique)

  • MicroPython/CircuitPython

  • Graphics Acceleration

  • Configuration menu system

  • Screen capture to external printer or to PDF file

  • External screen support, or mirrored on a host computer

  • Support a wider screen buffer, adding horizontal scroll to existing vertical scroll

MORE Hardware and Software info needed here