Practical uses of the ZX80 and ZX81

[RWAP]

I have been approached by a journalist writing an article for Computer Shopper.

He was particularly interested to know if anyone is still using their ZX80/ZX81 for a practical role, rather than just as a hobby/collecting.

I do of course still have the ZX80 which was being used by Severn Trent to perform fluid calculations until about 5 years ago.

I also have a customer who has been using his ZX81 and type-in listings to teach his children about programming and how computers work (they keep asking for more listings to use if anyone has anything !!)

What about anyone else?

[1024MAK]

Well, on my list of projects, I keep meaning to use a ZX81 with a Kempston joystick interface (the type that has the ZX81 size edge connector) to monitor a tipping bucket.

The hardware side of the problem is not a problem. But although I have dabbled with various flavours of machine code for various MPU's (including PIC micro-controllers) over the years, I have not yet got around to developing a working M/C program.

Now, you're all going to ask what a tipping bucket is...

Ah! The young. Those who use modern PC's but do not have a clue about the equipment of the past and how far technology has moved in the last 30 years...

I work for a national company that takes on "modern" apprentices each year. <Warning, blowing my own trumpet ahead> As I am rather good at my job, I often get to care take some of these young "modern" apprentices (I should point out that most of the work is related to a form of electrical and mechanical engineering).
It is rather fun taking a working ZX81 in to work and educating them, explaining that it all started with only 1k of RAM...

Makes them think

The other thing is, for those that are interested, they are fascinated with programming in BASIC.

Hope this helps

Mark

[sirmorris]

You still didn't explain what a tipping bucket is

[dr beep]

Well it is sure easier to control a modeltrain by a ZX Spectrum or ZX81 than by a modern PC, especially when you only have USB.

I did use a ZX BASIC coding trick a while ago in a program at work.
The program couldn't use IF ... THEN ...ELSE and yet I needed a conditional display so I used a print that ressembled
PRINT "HELLO" AND var<1;"GOODBYE" and var >=1

[1024MAK]

You still didn't explain what a tipping bucket is

See here
And here
And some nice pics:


Mark

[RetroTechie]

Sure leave it on 24/7, and connected to equipment outside your house with thunderstorms passing by now and then. I hope you have that ZX81 fitted with one of Andy's ULA replacements, otherwise it'll likely be "bye bye ULA" in short order. Better bite the bullet and hook up a PIC, Arduino or something to it (and perhaps use a ZX81 to read out results from time to time). Or even a plain counter + manual reset.

@Mark: excellent use of a ZX81! Compared with today's tech, it's like a microcontroller with TV out and built-in BASIC, that comes with a keyboard for instant programming.

As for original question: I doubt that people using a ZX81 for serious work today, would be visiting forums like this. Or even that a ZX81 would survive 25+ years of '9-to-5', unless they had a stack of replacements waiting in line. So that journalist may do better by putting an ad in the paper or a relevant magazine. If that comes up with anything: worthy of a story in its own right.

[1024MAK]

Sure leave it on 24/7, and connected to equipment outside your house with thunderstorms passing by now and then.

Who said it would be directly connected to equipment outside? That's what opto-isolators are for And there are plenty of other items for the lightening to hit, like the telephone line with all those networked modern PC's connected via the network... or the TV aerial with 42 inch LCD TV, 32 inch CRT TV, Sky Plus set top boxes, DVD players etc all connected.

... even that a ZX81 would survive 25+ years of '9-to-5', unless they had a stack of replacements waiting in line.

And you think modern PC's would last long then? At work, the PC's are often left on for 24/7, and as a result, they die (about every 2 to 4 years for each desktop I estimate).
Yes, with the right micro-controller, I could use that, but the interfacing to mass storage is already done (ZXpand) and my modern Windows laptop died earlier this year (which I used to use for developing the micro-controller code), and I have not yet bothered to replace it (I'm currently using a Linux tower).
The same rule goes for any electronic item left on 24/7. Sort out the power supply system and the cooling system and as long as there are no moving parts, you should get a reasonable life out of it.
And the final point: the intended Zeddy was bought as "spares or repairs"...

Mark

[yerzmyey]

I have been approached by a journalist writing an article for Computer Shopper.
He was particularly interested to know if anyone is still using their ZX80/ZX81 for a practical role, rather than just as a hobby/collecting.

I could say I use it for music making but still can't because I didn't make any professional electronic music song on it. Yet.
However You probably remember the songs made on ZX Spectrum (with recording studio effects added and with Spectrum treated as the only sound-source/instrument and a sequencer). So maybe in some time I would be able to confirm, who knows.