Epson PF10 problems

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Friday 23 December 2005 05:48 pm, Tony Duell wrote:
> [PX8, etc ROM carriers]
>
> > Interesting tidbit that they were used in those other machines,  I didn't
> > know that.
>
> About 20 years ago, back when Maplin (UK Electronic shop) actually sold
> enough components to design something with, and when ZX81s were still in
> use, I designed an interface for the school's 81 (8 bit ADC, digital I/O
> lines). I used some connectors that Maplin called 'Multicon', but which
> were actually Molex 0.062" things.
>
> Anyway, Maplin were out of stock, and didn't know when they'd get any
> more. I actually called Molex to ask if there were any other distributors
> for said connectors, and they gave me some names and sent me their
> catalog. I am sure those carriers (and the sockets they fit into) were in
> there. In fact I think I asked many of the distributors if they carried
> them. None did from what I remember.
>
> I wonder if they were almost a standard at one time.

Hmm.  Maybe some NOS exists someplace...

> > > 2) Is the PX4 technical manual on the net anywhere (I've found the PX8
> > > one already).
> >
> > Do you have a link handy?
>
> It's on Bitsavers (http://www.bitsavers.org/, but use one of the listed
> mirror sites if you can). Go to the document archive, it's in the 'epson'
> directory. Warning: It's big!

Fetching the first chapter as I type this.

> > > The thing I need most at the moment is the pinout of the cartridge
> > > connector. I have a 3rd party 512K (!) RAMdisk module there which
> > > doesn't seem to work.
> >
> > First I've heard of any third-party stuff for that machine as well.
>
> I don't know the origins. It was in the machine when I bought it at a
> radio rally (hamfest) about 15 years ago. From what I rmember, the seller
> had a pile of them, I think all the same spec.
>
> In my PX4 are 2 EPROMs. One is the standard utilities ROM (PIP, STAT,
> CONFIG, etc). The other seems to be the drivers for this RAMdisk. It is
> in one of the carriers, but it's a hand-labelled ROM and looks to have
> been crimped into the carrier by hand, not with one of the press tools.
> Maybe a prototype or a low-volume product.

The roms in mine seem to be hand-labeled too,  I think there are three 
altogether. There's a "wedge" on the machine,  which I think has its own 
battery besides the main one and I think there's also one other one inside 
there someplace,  it's been a *long* time since i peeked in there.  I'd 
collected a bit of info on those machines,  but not nearly enough,  and that 
was before I had 'net access.  I should probably do something with it one of 
these days,  get it going again.  It was a fun little machine,  and a nice 
keyboard,  that PX8...

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin