TenTec
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TenTec] Omni 6 Logic Board Failure

To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Omni 6 Logic Board Failure
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson" <geraldj@weather.net>
Reply-to: geraldj@weather.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:15:31 -0600
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
With the EPROM programmer card attached to my old DOS computer (third to 
the right of this computer on my desk) it would take longer to boot the 
computer and set the EPROM parameters than to read it to a binary file. 
I would presume changing the code in that EPROM were part of the changes 
from 1,2, 3 and + along with changing the code for the DSP, if NOT 
changing the whole control board.

Programming a copy takes longer because each byte has to be written many 
times to set the storage. Probably ten seconds for the 27C276 though the 
software writing writes a few times, then reads, then loops until the 
data reads right, then writes ten more times than it has to that point 
to be sure.

That code would only be meaningful to some one conversant in the binary 
code of the 8051 family which the 80C30 is a part. It would mean little 
to me without attacking it with a disassembler for that family which I 
don't have and I don't where to look for one and I haven't tried.

Making that binary file public would be a violation of Tentec's 
copyright if they have labeled the EPROM inside or outside. Intel lost 
that argument for the microcode in the 8088 because the binary didn't 
include a copyright notice and the package also didn't. That gave AMD a 
toe hold in making a fully compatible competitive version.

73, Jerry, K0CQ

On 1/17/2011 7:11 PM, Ken Brown wrote:
>
>> Point is, the ONLY custom chip is the EPROM, I have a shoe box full, but
>> don't have the TenTec Omni VI code.
>>
>>
> How hard is it to remove that chip from a working rig, plug it into some
> sort of board with power and interface electronics, and read the code
> out of it, into a PC? Having done that would it be a copyright violation
> or some other sort of sin to post the code to the internet? Would the
> code differ from one Omni VI to another? Perhaps some details to do with
> the N1/N2 versus NAR filter switching differences between version 1,2
> and 3 or +. Other fine tuning with different production runs perhaps?
>
> DE N6KB
>
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>