powering up older machines - is it safe?

[Allison]

subject needs to reflect corvis + Vt180


Steven Hirsch wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Jun 2008, Allison wrote:
>
>>> Do you recall anything about the semi-mythical Corvus interface for the
>>> VT180?  It's mentioned in the Corvus technical literature, but I've 
>>> never
>>> talked to anyone that's actually seen it in the wild.  I'm curious 
>>> if it
>>> ever actually existed.
>>>
>> Nothing mythical.  There was a version of the corvus interface that
>> was a board that went under the Z80 and therefor allowed most any
>> Z80 system to accept the corvus hardware.  It wasn't however sold as
>> a uniquely Robin thing.
>
> Hmm.  Definitely referred to as the VT180 interface in the Corvus 
> book, but perhaps that was more of a statement about the software?
>

likely the disk and driver code (bios overlay).

> If anyone has one of these, I am very interested in owning it.
>
>> FYI the Robin does not have any for of external bus.  If you want
>> access to the bus you have to jack up the Z80 and grab it there.
>
> Corvus took other routes as well.  The interface for Xerox 820 
> connects to a pair of what appear to be parallel IO ports on the 
> motherboard.  Given the limited transfer rate, it certainly did not 
> need to be sitting on the processor bus.
>
> Steve

don't confuse speed with means of attachment.  for example VT180 has no
parallel ports accessible.  other machines may have.

Allison