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im6100

Roland Huisman

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Mar 24, 2011
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The Netherlands
I've saved four brand new im6100 from the waste bin. Also three im6101aidl white ceramics.
There is more im stuff which I can save as well... I wonder in which machines they were used?
There is a sbc6120 project but the 6100 doesn't have the memory controller on board if I'm correct.
So they are not suitable for such a project. Is there any use for these im6100 chips?

Regards, Roland
 
See: http://www.glitchwrks.com/2017/02/26/osi-560z-build

Great stuff (at least if you're into OSI equipment, and maybe even if you're not)!

I'd be happy to take those chips off your hands and put them to good use. I acquired and studied all of the sales and technical literature when Intersil introduced the IM6100 family, but their cost significantly exceeded by student-level paltry hobby budget. Of course, the 6120 came along and "beat the pants off them" with a higher level of integration and the 32K-word "panel memory" designed to compete with the 8/e design, whereas the 6100 was a first-foray based on the 8/I and an (alas) nonstandard I/O solution.
 
I remember the 6100 as being notable for being a low-power CMOS design and being deployed in instrumentation applications where batteries were the sole source of power, such as the ocean bed.
 
Did anyone ever build their own Intercept Jr clone? Might be an interesting project for someone with spare IM6100 chips.

Those seem to be rare for single board development / demonstration computers compared to something like a KIM-1 and its successors.

intersil-intercept-ad-pe76sep.gif
 
Nice that Intercept jr. board. But I'm afraid that it is the same level of fun as a z80 microprofessor.
Fun to have and to play with for a while. And then it disappears into the closet...

But that OSI 560Z looks more usable. You can even run pdp8 programs on it.

btw, I found 5 more of these 6100 chips only these are H m3-6100c-5 datecode 7739.
I think these are Harris versions.
 
Yes, it would be I think four D cells in a plastic sleeve. We had a Sony shortwave radio back in the 70s using the same idea that required two of these tubes (total of eight) D cells.
 
See: http://www.glitchwrks.com/2017/02/26/osi-560z-build

Great stuff (at least if you're into OSI equipment, and maybe even if you're not)!

I'd be happy to take those chips off your hands and put them to good use. I acquired and studied all of the sales and technical literature when Intersil introduced the IM6100 family, but their cost significantly exceeded by student-level paltry hobby budget. Of course, the 6120 came along and "beat the pants off them" with a higher level of integration and the 32K-word "panel memory" designed to compete with the 8/e design, whereas the 6100 was a first-foray based on the 8/I and an (alas) nonstandard I/O solution.

Yep, the reproduction 560Z board is probably the cheapest way to have something to do with an IM6100! Thanks for rescuing them from the trash -- they're not unobtanium but they are far from common.

The good thing about the 560Z design is the I/O and memory management is all microcoded on the 6502 host system. You can make it do whatever you wish -- microcode it for standard PDP-8/e I/O, emulate the 6120, or do your own thing!

The 12-bit RAM board I've been designing is nearly done, so that will make for a cheap/easy RAM solution on either side of the bus, much nicer than trying to find OSI 420 boards and enough good 2102 SRAMs to get going. We're not quite at the "you can order a full OSI worth of new-made boards," but that is the eventual goal.
 
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