[Coco] Fujistu FM-7

[Zippster]

Unfortunately, there are some difficulties in cloning the system.

Though consisting mostly of standard ICs and TTL logic, there is a large
custom ASIC involved in the video system, and a somewhat unusual
4-bit Fujitsu MCU with internal mask ROM providing the keyboard interface.

The keyboard interface can probably be replaced with a modern AVR or
similar without too much difficulty, but the video ASIC would need to be
studied to ascertain all of it’s functionality (I haven’t had time to study it yet).

Then there’s a suitable case and keyboard to work out.

Not as straightforward as I had hoped, but maybe something could
be done.

- Ed


> On Aug 6, 2018, at 11:55 AM, Michael Brant <brant.michael.l at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> How hard would a clone be?
> 
> On Mon, Aug 6, 2018, 12:38 PM Zippster <zippster278 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I recently acquired two FM-7’s.  Very interesting 6809 based machines.
>> 
>> I’m in the process of developing an SD card based floppy drive emulator
>> (at the board layout stage now) which should make them a lot easier to work
>> with.
>> 
>> Fascinating computers.  :)
>> 
>> - Ed
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Aug 6, 2018, at 11:28 AM, tim lindner <tlindner at macmess.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> At the VCFWest this weekend I got to use an FM-7 for the first time.
>>> 
>>> I got a chance to play with BASIC for a bit, here are my notes:
>>> 
>>> 1. The print statement does automatic word wrap. Crazy.
>>> 
>>> 2. The RND function seems to only return numbers from zero to one. It
>>> even accepted a parameter that seemed to be ignored. Same random
>>> sequence on every run of a program. I could not figure out how to set
>>> the seed.
>>> 
>>> 3. The EDIT command clears the screen and prints the BASIC line on
>>> top. You use the arrow keys to move the cursor, and there are INSERT
>>> and OVERWRITE keys on the keyboard to set the mode.
>>> 
>>> 4. The TIMER variable returned two number like this: "7636 0". The
>>> first number kept incrementing, but the second stayed at zero. I could
>>> not figure how to set a TIMER value. Both numbers and strings gave
>>> "?Type Mismatch" errors.
>>> 
>>> 5. Oh yeah, and also long error names.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> --
>>> tim lindner
>>> 
>>> "Proper User Policy apparently means Simon Says."
>>> 
>>> --
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>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
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>> 
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