Z80 Testing the 80s Way
According to [MTSI], if you used a Z80 chip back in the 1980s, it almost certainly passed through the sole Fairchild Sentry 610 system that gave it the seal of …read more Continue reading Z80 Testing the 80s Way
Category Archives: Mostek
A 1970s Mask ROM Microcontroller Spills Its Secrets
If you buy any kind of electronic gadget today, chances are it’s powered by a microcontroller with a program stored in its internal flash ROM. That program’s code is often …read more Continue reading A 1970s Mask ROM Microcontroller Spills Its Secrets
Up Close and Personal With Some Busted Avionics
When he found this broken Narco DME 890 that was headed for the trash, [Yeo Kheng Meng] did what any self-respecting hardware hacker would do: he took it back to …read more Continue reading Up Close and Personal With Some Busted Avionics
Tricking A Vintage Clock Chip Into Working On 50-Hz Power
Thanks to microcontrollers, RTC modules, and a plethora of cheap and interesting display options, digital clock projects have become pretty easy. Choose to base a clock build around a chip sporting a date code from the late 70s, though, and your build is bound to be more than run-of-the-mill.
This is the boat that [Fran Blanche] finds herself in with one of her ongoing projects. The chip in question is a Mostek MK50250 digital alarm clock chip, and her first hurdle was find a way to run the clock on 50 Hertz with North American 60-Hertz power. The reason for …read more
Continue reading Tricking A Vintage Clock Chip Into Working On 50-Hz Power