Speaking of multiple processors...

[Jim Attfield]

> Message: 24
> Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:57:12 -0500
> From: Allison <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net>
> Subject: Re: Speaking of multiple processors...
> To: cctech at classiccmp.org
> Message-ID: <0JRL00BZ4QQMNPW2 at vms042.mailsrvcs.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> >Cromemco also had Z80s on their I/O processor boards, and when
> the later 680x0
> >CPU boards dropped the Z80 you could still run your Z80 programs
> on the I/O card.
> >
> >mike
>
> This is not uncommon.
>
> H89 had two, one for the terminal and the other was the processor for
> the computer.
>
> My NS*Horizon had two when I added the Teletek HDC(hard disk) as that
> has a local z80.  When I added a smart FDC of my own design and later
> smart printer spooler and other IO with local cpu the nuber fo cpus grew.
>
> The Compupro system can easily have three, ZPB, Their mux board and
> any of the hard disk controllers.  I have one that has 68000, 8085 and
> Z80 (maincpu, mux and Disk3).
>
> It's something that isn't unusual as it would seem.
>
> Allison

Absolutey. I have a couple of IOP cards here complete with Z-80, Z80-SIO and
firmware - very nice cards.

Further, way back in the early '80s the Comart Communicator had an
intelligent FDC sporting a Z-80 - formatting was just a matter of setting up
the command and executing asynchronously, the host CPU could then go off and
do something else.

This was way ahead of the common-or-garden FDC's of the time, even
Cromemco's FDC's at the time. A much under-rated system...

Jim