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Author Topic: Q&A with Werner Lindner (technical director of the ENTERPRISE Computers GmbH) (Read 80784 times)

Offline Zozosoft

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From an imperfectly remembered article in Popular Computing Weekly. As already shown earlier in this thread!
It is not write the name, and also not the Z80B!

I think the Enterprise Computers GmbH created the PW320 name. The original printed lines (these from UK) in the Code Book always talking about Model 911.

Probably you read about it in some German magazine? And this magazine write the wrong PW360 name?

Offline CiH

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Quote
Probably you read about it in some German magazine? And this magazine write the wrong PW360 name?

Quite possibly. I do remember the PCW article and picture from 'back in the day'. Where the 'PW360 came from, recollection fails me. At least we know now what went down here.

I have idly pondered what a next-gen Enterprise designed to compete with ST/Amiga would have looked like?

Offline Zozosoft

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Some help for the diagnostic ROMs:
Quote from: WernerLindner
I have made a design for a Test-Unit-II, that is completely compatible to the Hypertone-Test-Gear, as far as the pcb-tests in the cartridges are concerned. Attached you'll receive the circuit diagrams and my board-design of 1992. You need cables to connect the test-unit to an ENTERPRISE, but apart from that it should work like the original I/O-Unit of the Hypertone.

Offline Zozosoft

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Little more about the Enterprise 320 (Modell 911):
Quote from: WernerLindner
I really cannot remember who used PW320 for the machine for the first time, but the handwriting in the code-book is mine :-)

EC320 memory/rom-mapping
Apart from the internal 64k from segments FF-FC there is the 256k memory expansion on segments EF-E0. On the full prototype (incl. housing) EXOS is on segment 00/01, BASIC is on segment 04 and EXDOS on segment 05. Attached the ROM-Files from the prototype.
My notes for the ROMs: in the EXOS just the DAVE initializaton (BFh port) changed to 6MHz, and also the ROM CRC corrected. Not changed the timing constants in the TAPE: and NET: drivers, then it is probably not compatible with the original 4MHz machines. I think these functions not tested before the company crashed.
The BASIC 2.1 and EXDOS 2.0 same with we already have. In the EXDOS 2.0 some timings modified for 6MHz machine, other parts same with the 1.2 version.


Offline Zozosoft

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Quote from: WernerLindner
As promised I have scanned the ISSUE 6 films (component/solder/placeplan) as 400dpi TIF-Files


Offline pear

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This version of the Expansion Unit requires the proper operation of the connected card signal /EXP.
EXDOS supports this signal, but, for example, ZX Spectrum Emulator is not.
The Emulator design need to improve.

Offline Zozosoft

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This version of the Expansion Unit requires the proper operation of the connected card signal /EXP.
EXDOS supports this signal, but, for example, ZX Spectrum Emulator is not.
Yes. Because this Unit not released, and also the documents not published, just the original EXDOS card follow this system. The emulator card also have a big bug for this system: the Slot Address lines used as extra GND and +5V wires on the Emulator...

All other expansion which produced for the Enterprise using only the normal 2x33 pin bus of the machine.
The hungarian Bus Expansion card the most popular used:
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Hardware/PCB/Picture/bus-1.gif
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/buszbovito.jpg
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/BuszBovito~3.jpg

Some cards:
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/SRAM-EPROM~3.jpg
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/RS232~3.jpg
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/Clock_and_Calendar~1.jpg
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/1MB_RAM~1.jpg
http://gafz.enterpriseforever.com/Galery/Bovitmenyek/Picture/IDE~1.jpg

Offline gflorez

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Zozo, could the Microteam work "as is" with that official Expansion Unit if the connector is unwelded?

Hypothetically, of course... but it seems that impossible things are happening lately...

Offline Zozosoft

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Zozo, could the Microteam work "as is" with that official Expansion Unit if the connector is unwelded?
Not. With the official Expansion only the original Exdos and this RAM expansion working.

MICROTEAM can work with the Hungarian Bus Expansion card.
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Offline Zozosoft

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Little interesting thing: the "EXOS Card" :-D
It is a internal EPROM card with 4x8K or 2x16K EPROMs, placed to the internal expansion connector (where normaly the second 64K placed in EP128).
The ROM signal come from onboard ROM socket CE pin.

It is little strange to me, why did this :oops: I think 4x8K EPROMs and PCB will more expensive than one 32K EPROM :shock:

Bruce! Do you have any memories about this? The schematic are from the IS.

http://enterprise.iko.hu/schematics/Flan-Enterprise-Eprom-Sub-Board~0.jpg
http://enterprise.iko.hu/schematics/Flan-Enterprise-Eprom-Sub-Board~1.jpg
http://enterprise.iko.hu/schematics/Flan-Enterprise-Eprom-Sub-Board~2.jpg
http://enterprise.iko.hu/schematics/Flan-Enterprise-Eprom-Sub-Board~3.jpg
http://enterprise.iko.hu/schematics/Flan-Enterprise-Eprom-Sub-Board~4.jpg

Offline Zozosoft

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Quote from: WernerLindner
An original 64k-internal-memory expansion ex works Elec&Eltek. There is a missing IC (U111). At that time, some components were not obtainable in far east and the memory expansions have been produced without them. The missing components had to be soldered to the pcb's during the assembly process at GRI later.
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Offline Zozosoft

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Quote from: WernerLindner
And there is an early version of the MIDI-cartridge together with an original disk from Vilmos, carrying the Scoretrack ROM-File and some demonstration songs. The cartridge pcb is the same as in my complete cartridge. But instead of the eprom there is a static 62256 ram, an additional TTL chip and a switch. The switch is for the /WE-pin of the ram (you can "write-protect" the ram) and the red wire to pin 1 is for A14. I have not tested this cartridge (I do not have the software for moving a rom-file to this ram), but I think it should be fine. At least we know now, that the one circuit is a 74S133.
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Offline Zozosoft

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Quote from: WernerLindner
Enterprise Fischertechnik
One of our guys from the office was very fond of Fischertechnik at that time and he had this very expensive robotic interface and the 3-axis robot-arm. He had written some very interesting software for this device in Turbo Pascal and asked me, whether he should try porting it to the Enterprise (that was in 1993). The robotic interface had a centronics parallel interface and therefore connecting it to the Enterprise was very easy. However the existing pascal programs had to be reduced to very elementary functionality due to the limited processing power of the EC under IS-DOS/Turbo Pascal. But at least the TEACH.COM-program has a teach-in mode with way-points for all motors of the robot, a facility to save and load the trained programs and a "player" for running the programs once/continuously. You can see the robot in action on the attached photos. The source-codes of TEACH.COM are not existing anymore (at least I coudn't find them in my backups yet).
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Offline gflorez

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I've found this description of that robot arm.