Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B Micro-Computer - CR4 Discussion Thread

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yannissou Active Contributor Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 11	Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B Micro-Computer 05/15/2011 4:59 AM
	Hi all, Anyone got across a FM1600B Ferranti computer? First of the kind 8-16bit machine. Pure knit-work, wardrobe size system. The question : i want to replace the tape streamers to something more modern. Ideas?
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JohnDG Guru Join Date: May 2006 Location: Reading, Berkshire, UK. Going under cover. Posts: 9684 Good Answers: 468	#1 Re: Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B micro-computer 05/15/2011 6:50 AM
	If you can work out suitable interfaces - maybe using a digital I/O card - a PC could emulate a bank of tape streamers. __________________ "Love justice, you who rule the world" - Dante Alighieri
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Andy Germany Guru Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 50.390866N, 8.884827E Posts: 17996 Good Answers: 200	#2 Re: Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B Micro-Computer 05/16/2011 4:38 AM
	Paper or magnetic? __________________ "What others say about you reveals more about them, than it does you." Anon.
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yannissou Active Contributor Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 11	#3 In reply to #2 Re: Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B Micro-Computer 05/16/2011 2:02 PM
	At the beginning magnetic cassettes (45MB), the type 18X10X2 cm approx. At a later stage the paper too. Thanks, Yannissou, 16-5-2011
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Andy Germany Guru Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 50.390866N, 8.884827E Posts: 17996 Good Answers: 200	#4 In reply to #3 Re: Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B Micro-Computer 05/16/2011 4:19 PM
	What interface? __________________ "What others say about you reveals more about them, than it does you." Anon.
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JohnDG Guru Join Date: May 2006 Location: Reading, Berkshire, UK. Going under cover. Posts: 9684 Good Answers: 468	#5 In reply to #3 Re: Good Old UK-tek, Ferranti FM1600B Micro-Computer 05/16/2011 5:52 PM
	You may think my idea of using a PC to emulate the tape drives is retrograde (sullying the "purity" of refurbishing the original system), but unless you use the original (or very similar replacement) drives, you'll almost certainly find that any storage medium has in-built processing which is more powerful (in terms of computing power) than the entire original Ferranti machine. A punched tape reader would be easy to refurbish (even, if necessary, ripping out all the original electronics and replacing it with new stuff). A tape punch - if you can find one - would be quite easy too. Mag tape drives are rather more difficult - and then you have to find the tape! What is your goal? __________________ "Love justice, you who rule the world" - Dante Alighieri
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Users who posted comments:

Andy Germany (2); JohnDG (2); yannissou (1)

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