DATAPOINT 2200. Ever heard of it? TTL precursor of the 8008.  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: wilfred
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2018, 06:09:04 am
content: I have never heard of it. We all know that Intel made the 4004 micrprocessor under contract for a calculator company. Well apparently they were contracted to make the 8008 for Computer Terminal Corp (CTC). The delivery was too slow and performance not good enough so CTC made a TTL compatible version and called it the DATAPOINT 2200.They made and sold it right throughout the 1970's. According to the link I read they also invented a LAN for it.http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=596https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datapoint_2200Who knew?I'd love to read more about the TTL processor design and construction. Anyone know more?Edit:I continued searching and found a few more links that people interested in the history of the Datapoint 2200, the Intel 8008 and microprocessors in general should find of some worth.A copy of Robert R Schaller's PhD thesis.TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY:A CASE STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP FORSEMICONDUCTORS (ITRS)http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/documents/doc-487ecec0af0da.pdfYeah. Did anyone read it with a title like that?Chapter 7 looks interesting and the Datapoint 2200 starts on pp319Worth a look.I found the above link through this page on the Wayback machine of a proper greybeard who developed the LAN used with the Datapoint 2200.https://web.archive.org/web/20120722020549/http://home.roadrunner.com/~gep2/

author: Silveruser
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2018, 06:23:30 am
content: The story is certainly part of computer history. In Canada one of the railways used them complete with card punches and daisy wheel printers. I didn't have the pleasure of working on them, I basically remember them as needing a lot of service. In a nice data center they would likely be ok, but most of these were used in buildings next to rail lines that were built in the days of coal. Not the best environment and the operators were long time rail workers.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2018, 06:50:21 am
content: Multiple-IC TTL processors were the industry standard from the mid-1960s until 1980 or later; microprocessors were niche during that period. The machine you cite was definitelynotan outlier in its technology. Commonly, bit-slice ALUs and sequencers like the AMD2900 series were used as building blocks for those processors.A few important microprocessors were made in bipolar logic, too.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 27, 2018, 12:11:30 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on March 27, 2018, 06:09:04 amthere is a bit more info here:http://www.righto.com/2017/03/analyzing-vintage-8008-processor-from.html

author: Chris-IP5
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2018, 04:41:32 pm
content: I've found an interesting technical documenthttp://history-computer.com/Library/2200_Reference_Manual.pdfTo give you an idea of the level of detail in the PDF...Overview, list of peripheralsDifferences between 2200 version 1 and versionProcessor arrangement, ALU, memory with block diagrams. And details of the instruction format (which binary digit does what) and the whole instruction set.Once you get to the IO part there are device address assignments and circuit diagrams.CRT format is 80chars by 12 line, P31 green phosphor.I'm resisting the temptation to try making one!http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=596has background info.It says there Computer Terminal Corporation (CTC) launched the Datapoint 2200 product, which became so popular CTC changed their name to Datapoint Corporation.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2018, 07:42:08 pm
content: Quote from: Chris-IP5 on March 28, 2018, 04:41:32 pmThat project might teach you why a single-chip microprocessor was already considered desirable at the time!