I wonder if FreePCB was what I used in the early '90s to layout some boards I had done for work. I remember it was shareware (or maybe free) and I got it off a BBS in 1991-92.
Scott
It probably was. I'm pretty sure this was an old DOS program that was later modified to take advantage of Windows.
I didn't mean to imply that it came with DOS. I just meant that I think it was originally written to run under DOS before Windows came out. But I just looked it up on Wikipedia, and it actually does say that it was originally written to run under Windows. It says the initial release was 2003. So there may have been something early that looked very much like it. Maybe an earlier version of the Windows version? I do recall using something like it before Windows came out. I have an old box of 3.5 inch floppys that have a lot of my old DOS programs on them. And I'm sure there's PCB software in that box. What I'm not sure about is whether those old floppys would still be readable.
I'm starting to realize that this new DroneBot Workshop forum is going to bring back a lot of ancient memories. I'm both surprised, and happy to see that so many members who are joining are close to my age. That's cool. I was afraid that members might be all younger people that I might not even be able to identify with. If this keeps up I'll be going out in the garage and unboxing my old TRS-80's to see if I can get them back up and running again. ?
There are floppy drives in with my TRS-80. I think mine is the Model 1. I'd be shocked if the floppy drives still work. I think I'll be lucky if they just turn on and come up with the BASIC prompt. They have BASIC in ROM. It would be fun to mess around writing a small machine language program on it just for kicks. I don't even remember how I did that. I know I didn't use an assembler. In fact, now that I think about it I think I did most of my programing using something called DEBUG? I really can't remember, that was many decades ago. But I'll bet if I get these out and they fire up things will start to come back to me. If the floppy drives still work that would be awesome.
What do you think? That's probably too much to hope for. These have been sitting inboxes in the garage on the floor. I don't think they ever got wet, but they might have suffered humidity damage. I'll have to dig them out and see if there is anything there worth salvaging.
By the way, there's Radio Shack Voice Synthesizer in those boxes too. It worked when it was packed away. I wonder if it still works today? I'm sure I'll get around to digging them out before the summer's over.
There are floppy drives in with my TRS-80. I think mine is the Model 1. I'd be shocked if the floppy drives still work. I think I'll be lucky if they just turn on and come up with the BASIC prompt. They have BASIC in ROM. It would be fun to mess around writing a small machine language program on it just for kicks. I don't even remember how I did that. I know I didn't use an assembler. In fact, now that I think about it I think I did most of my programing using something called DEBUG? I really can't remember, that was many decades ago. But I'll bet if I get these out and they fire up things will start to come back to me. If the floppy drives still work that would be awesome.
What do you think? That's probably too much to hope for. These have been sitting inboxes in the garage on the floor. I don't think they ever got wet, but they might have suffered humidity damage. I'll have to dig them out and see if there is anything there worth salvaging.
By the way, there's Radio Shack Voice Synthesizer in those boxes too. It worked when it was packed away. I wonder if it still works today? I'm sure I'll get around to digging them out before the summer's over.
It's always a chance they will not work. My Sinclair is fine, but my Aquarius and Micro professor have not fared well from the years.
The TRS-80 was my first computer on which I learned BASIC, Assembler and interfacing hardware. Many fun computers later I am happy with the latest computers since hardware became available for a hobby hardware hobbyist to tinker with. I never look back as I don't have time to rehash the old stuff while learning new stuff. At the moment I am trying to get some Arduino controlled iRobot motors to turn a fixed number of steps using their encoders but for some reason the code isn't working although the Serial Monitor shows the encoders are reading the encoders.
I never look back as I don't have time to rehash the old stuff while learning new stuff.
Smart man! I'm so easily distracted that I never get anything done. It's a bad attribute to have.
Should I get out my old TRS-8o's and reminisce about times gone by? Or just stick to the task at hand of building a modern day robot? I'm sure the latter would be far more productive. I probably should have tossed the old computers out back when I had the chance to it. ?
Best of luck getting your encoder program working well.
well this Isn't from today but it was my 1st project
i love videos games i grew up with the Atari 2600 till Christmas '87 and we got a NES from then on games were a huge part of my life. once i found out about the raspberry pi i had no choice
enough back story
this is my attempt at making my own retro-cade
i know its messy but it works great
then i started building Ben Eaters 8 bit computer til i got to the programming of the EEPROM and found out i needed an arduino and once i got started with arduino i couldn't stop and i had to put the 8-bit computer on hold
well this Isn't from today but it was my 1st project
i love videos games i grew up with the Atari 2600 till Christmas '87 and we got a NES from then on games were a huge part of my life. once i found out about the raspberry pi i had no choice
enough back story
this is my attempt at making my own retro-cade
i know its messy but it works great
then i started building Ben Eaters 8 bit computer til i got to the programming of the EEPROM and found out i needed an arduino and once i got started with arduino i couldn't stop and i had to put the 8-bit computer on hold
Great work! Pakabol (not in a very long time;)) Are you running Retro-Pi on it or just the emulators?
That's the way it works for me, one project leads to another, then another with loose ends here and there.
well this Isn't from today but it was my 1st project
i love videos games i grew up with the Atari 2600 till Christmas '87 and we got a NES from then on games were a huge part of my life. once i found out about the raspberry pi i had no choice
enough back story
this is my attempt at making my own retro-cade
i know its messy but it works great
then i started building Ben Eaters 8 bit computer til i got to the programming of the EEPROM and found out i needed an arduino and once i got started with arduino i couldn't stop and i had to put the 8-bit computer on hold
Great work! Pakabol (not in a very long time;)) Are you running Retro-Pi on it or just the emulators?
That's the way it works for me, one project leads to another, then another with loose ends here and there.
Scott
im running it with a raspberry pi 3 B+ with retro-pi (256 gig) and used a keyboard encoder so i could make it a plug and play device (i have seen to many standies) but i hardly use the joy stick and more offen then not i just use my ps4 controller
im running it with a raspberry pi 3 B+ with retro-pi (256 gig) and used a keyboard encoder so i could make it a plug and play device (i have seen to many standies) but i hardly use the joy stick and more offen then not i just use my ps4 controller
Yeah, I'm more of a sitter playing games myself. Nice work again.
now im waiting on a relay from china for my next project (hoping it comes today)
im going to use it with the arduino so i can turn off and on my room lights with my phone. getting up in middle of the night trying to turn on the lights can be a pain in more then one way. im going to practice on a lamp first and get my coding worked out before i hook it up to the wall socket. and yes ill be safe killing breakers and having an electrician with me guiding me. i have the knowledge just not the practice
now im waiting on a relay from china for my next project (hoping it comes today)
im going to use it with the arduino so i can turn off and on my room lights with my phone. getting up in middle of the night trying to turn on the lights can be a pain in more then one way. im going to practice on a lamp first and get my coding worked out before i hook it up to the wall socket. and yes ill be safe killing breakers and having an electrician with me guiding me. i have the knowledge just not the practice
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