9/15/24, 12:02 PM RCA COSMAC Microkit

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RCA COSMAC Microkit

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RCA COSMAC Microkit

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9/15/24, 12:02 PM RCA COSMAC Microkit

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_COSMAC_Microkit-1.jpg)

The 1974 RCA COSMAC Microkit. This is the first commercial microcomputer from RCA to contain the two-chip COSMAC microprocessor (TC 1084 / TC 1085 version). The processor was developed in New Jersey, bu

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_GPA-3901822_front.jpg )

Note the TC 1085 chip on the processor card, which is the earlier name for the CDP 1801 and has a silk screen date of late 1974. Click image for larger view.

Compare the above processor card with the later "1801" processor card from the RCA COSMAC MicroTutor:
http://www.decodesystems.com/cosmac/mt5.jpg (http://www.decodesystems.com/cosmac/mt5.jpg)

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_GMC-3901803_front.jpg)

Pictured is the 3901803 ROM card, which has space for two 1702R ePROMs (not A). I need to download these chips to see what they do. Click image for larger view.

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_GMB-3901801_2nd-front.jpg)

Pictured is the of of the three 3901801 RAM cards that came with this system, 8 Intel 2012's. Click image for larger view.

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_GHA-3901809_front.jpg)

Here is a photo of the TTY I/O card, part number 3901809.

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9/15/24, 12:02 PM RCA COSMAC Microkit

I am looking for a COSMAC Microkit user manual.

See also: 1975 Microcomputer Directory (/browse_thread.cfm?id=280) from the
EDN Microprocessor Design Series Volume II published in 1975. This appears to be a supplement publication to the EDN Journal.

Here is an article about the Microkit that came out later in 1975:
http://bitsavers.trailin...Digest_v02n04_Oct75.pdf (http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/microcomputerAssociates/Microcomputer_Digest_v02n04_Oc

More RCA COSMAC Microkit photos (/RCA/COSMAC/)

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
RCA COSMAC Microkit History

Here is a post from the Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists message board thread about the MicroKit from 2009. Evan K tracked down the daughte
-------------

" You're right about the Microkit 1. It was RCA's hardware development kit targeted at design engineers looking to embed a microprocessor into the
equipment. I never even saw one of them, only read the product brochure, because - Man!!! - that thing cost thousands of dollars, and RCA made it
employees buy those kits at full price! That was an RCA Somerville project, so my father had no input. My father was building the prototypes (in o
those models, so he got to bring home one of each of the final production models. (Yes, every aspect of the 1802 - microprocessor, computers, vide

You really have a collectible in that Microkit 1, Bill. It was the predecessor to the VIP. Dad pitched the VIP as a cheaper, more accessible (and
to offer a hobbyist computer since management was dead set against the idea :). Between the limited production run, the high cost, and the fact t
the rarest production model computers still around. (Even I had forgotten it existed until you mentioned it!)
Congratulations on your rare treasure!
Joyce"
--------------------------
John C. Hartmann
The original owner of this particular Microkit was John C Hartmann of Cedar Grove NJ, ham radio operator (W2PGI), who worked at RCA in Princeton a
for a bidirectional digital position encoder.
http://www.google.com/patents/US4194184 (http://www.google.com/patents/US4194184)
Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
RCA COSMAC GGB 3901804 Pic Added

(/rca/cosmac/RCA_GGB-3901804-front.jpg)

RCA GGB 3901804 Serial I/O board. Note the crystal is a 1.95000 mHz (~2 mhz?) Click for larger view.

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
COSMAC Microkit 1801 Monitor

Here is a dump of the ROM monitor from the Microkit. Note that the instruction set (should be) from the less complex 1801 instruction set, quite a
DUMP FROM 2 1702 (not 1702A) ePROMs:
------------------
1702r DUMP (NOT 1702a)

prom marked "3"

00: FF 07 7F 4F 07 7D 4E 07 E1 5E 07 5F 4B 1E 07 2F
10: AE 0C C5 D6 DE 6B 03 8F CC E3 03 DE 03 80 4B AE
20: 0C C5 D6 2E AE DE DE CF F1 6F 4A 4C 07 CF 5A 2A
30: 1A 8E AA 9F FE 07 FF 4D 5D 07 01 5C 2C 07 63 5C
40: 2C F2 2C F5 2C D5 6D 52 42 07 C4 5C 2C 04 DB CD
50: 29 04 FA 5E CD A5 04 E1 C5 B9 2C 04 B2 C5 34 2C
60: C4 A0 2C CC 9D 04 DF C5 34 62 4F 72 5F 7E CD 4A
70: 6D 52 42 2C CC 8C 04 F2 C5 34 07 63 5C 2C F5 6F
80: 40 07 51 5C 2C 7F 40 07 51 5C 2C 2C DF BF 40 07
90: 51 5C 2C D2 72 C5 65 62 CD C2 7F 05 F0 C5 5A 2C
A0: C4 2C F2 CF 82 09 CC 72 2C DF CF 72 2C C4 53 2C
B0: C4 34 72 AF EF 2C CC 50 04 F2 CD C2 04 DE CD 53
C0: 04 E8 C5 4A 2C 04 F2 C5 3B CF A0 07 63 5C 2C F2
D0: 2C F5 2C C0 CF C2 2C 04 AF C5 34 2C CC 24 04 F2
E0: C5 34 62 4F 72 5F 07 63 5C 2C F5 1A 8F FF 2C 61
F0: 09 51 D1 BC 00 FE C5 0B 71 CD 11 DC CF 0D 6C 43
prom marked "4"
00: 07 FF 51 50 07 10 53 C8 F8 C0 F6 07 FC 00 FE C5
10: F2 70 C5 E8 C8 E6 E0 C8 E1 E1 07 F8 CF F2 D1 D1
20: 71 06 FE 41 23 F3 C0 D3 61 05 01 41 23 D9 2A 03
30: F8 CC C8 03 F5 CC 88 03 FF 60 2A 07 FF C7 6C 50
40: 07 7F 40 1D C0 BB C8 B9 23 FD 07 FF AD 61 05 FE
50: 0E AD 98 DD 23 F8 07 FE AD 60 09 40 CC 9A 06 7F
60: C0 B5 40 CF B2 98 DD CD BF 70 C5 C6 60 00 BE C4
70: D0 00 F9 CC C8 03 EF 51 62 AD 0B AD 0B AD 0B AD
80: 0B AD 72 09 09 09 09 0E 42 72 AD 0B AD 0B AD 0B
90: AD 0B AD 71 05 F0 0E 52 00 FF CF C6 23 E8 C7 2A
A0: BA C7 B9 C7 60 51 04 F5 C5 3F 07 74 CF 3D 60 09
B0: 09 09 09 03 09 C4 46 03 F8 00 39 51 07 E4 CF 3D
C0: 07 F4 50 1D 07 FF AD 98 DD 71 AD 23 F8 D0 0F 51
D0: 05 FE AD 98 DD 70 05 F0 CD 1D 71 71 09 06 7F AD
E0: CF 35 70 03 04 50 C4 60 00 E4 CD 60 C4 0D 07 FF
F0: CF 02 60 05 F0 03 09 C4 04 03 F8 00 39 51 CF 3B

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
Inverted Bus ?

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9/15/24, 12:02 PM RCA COSMAC Microkit
> > Inverted BUS? I have not yet started trying to determine the purpose of the code.
>
>
Comment I got from Mid-Atlantic Retro Group:

Some early bus structures were "inverted" in that a logic 0 was represented by what you would normally consider a logic 1 voltage. For TTL, this m
Tranceivers usually exist with an inverted complement, like the 8T26/8T28.

It's usually for convenience, since a non-inverting buffer is usually two inverters in a row (one of which is tri-state). Inverting ones are faste
sense; for example, most DEC buses were inverted so that you could drive data directly to the drive transistor.

In this case, if you had an inverted bus, it would make sense to store the ROM as inverted so you didn't have to put another buffer chip on the b

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
COSMAC Processor Dates Timeline

Herb Johnson writes:

http://www.retrotechnolo...memship/1802_dates.html (http://www.retrotechnology.com/memship/1802_dates.html)

Bill, this document now points to your Web page on your pre-1801 COSMAC processor kit. I called out dates for your two processors. Note that my pa
documents about developments for large-scale integration in SOS and CMOS, and about reducing a computer architecture to a "micro-processor". I may

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
RCA Microprocessor Hardware Support Kit

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_1801_Brochure_1975.pdf)

Page 21 of the 1975 RCA Microproducts catalog includes a description of the RCA Microprocessor Hardware Support Kit (COSMAC Microkit) on page 21. The above image is a snapshot. Look familiar? The date on pa

Thank you Bill Dromgoole for emailing me a copy of the document, which he downloaded from bitsavers.trailing-edge.com
There is a book:
Microcomputers/Microprocessors:
Hardware,
Software,
and Applications
John L. Hilburn
Paul M. Julich:

Which describes the Microkit. I made a copy of a dead web site page that describes the book here (/RCA/COSMAC/MoreInfo/).

I have ordered the book for 44 cents!

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
RCA 1975 Research Report

Check pages 14-15 of the RCA 1975 Research Report (/rca/RCA_1975%20Research%20Report.pdf). These pages describe the timeline of the COSMAC Microk

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
RCA Microkit ROM Code Analysis

H. Johnson's page that provides an RCA Microkit ROM Code Analysis

http://www.retrotechnolo...mship/microkit_ROM.html (http://www.retrotechnology.com/memship/microkit_ROM.html)

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
Operator Manual Clues

The MPM-216 Operator Manual for the RCA. COSMAC Development System II (1977) offers clues about card placement and operation of the COASMAC Micro
the same. I should be able to get more clues at least, I don't want to power on the Microkit with cards installed until I have confidence there i
http://www.cosmacelf.com...-216-dev-sys-op-man.pdf (http://www.cosmacelf.com/publications/books/mpm-216-dev-sys-op-man.pdf)

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
Preliminary MPM-103 Found!

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9/15/24, 12:02 PM RCA COSMAC Microkit

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_COSMAC_Microkit-module-assign.jpg)

Five years searching and finally I found a copy of the Operator's Manual for the Microkit. Pictured is the module assignment chart, vital for operation of the Microkit. I don't believe the person who sold this to me had an
original owner used it. Glad I was patient to verify their correct locations. Click image for larger view.

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_COSMAC_Microkit-modules1.jpg)

The complete set of Microkit modules, installed. Finally. Click image for larger view.

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_COSMAC_Microkit-modules2.jpg)

Here is a view from the top, note the card guide numbers. The card guides are completely intact, they have not become brittle like those of the Microkit's contemporary the MITS Altair 8800. The Microkit was an expens

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_COSMAC_Microkit-modules3.jpg)

Here is a close up of the modules. The far left module (Terminal Interface GHA01) cable attaches to a Teletype and the other cabled module (Clock Control GGB) connects to the front panel. The 5V signal is pulled thro

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9/15/24, 12:02 PM RCA COSMAC Microkit

(/RCA/COSMAC/RCA_COSMAC_Microkit-TTY-wiring.jpg)

Another key page from the manual, the TTY pin assignments. Click image for larger view.

A more detailed checkout to follow...

Card by card I applied power and was able to make it through the general troubleshooting steps without issues. When I apply power to the unit the
indicator to light momentarily. If the system is attached to a terminal (in my case a Teletype), depressing the RUN UTILITY button would also cau
system to send an asterisk character to the printer. From the asterisk prompt one can enter U2 monitor commands.
NEXT - Attach to a Teletype
On the Microkit the pins are:
4 (grey) keyboard in (TTY TS 7)
8 (black) keyboard out (TTY TS 6)
3 (orange) printer in (TTY TS 4)
7 (white) printer out. (TTY TS 3)
RESULTS - Current loop is established and the system resets properly. When I run the RUN UTILITY and strike LF or CR on the Teletype nothing happe
being sent.
NEXT: Put an oscilloscope on the Terminal module, see what's happening.

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)
RCA 1800 Family Oral History Panel

Here's an interesting video that helps explain what was going on at the time the COSMAC Microkit was being developed, in particular what role the
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmGkgoH3kO0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmGkgoH3kO0)

Reply (discuss_reply.cfm?id=511)

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