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Information About

Cosmac Vip




The machine connected to a TV for video output (using a CDP1861/CDP1864 Video Display Chip ), and sound could be played using its integrated Speaker . It had a 100 bytes per second Cassette Tape interface as well. Programs could be loaded into RAM from tapes, and vice versa. It also had a Hex keyboard for Input , which had 16 keys spanning the hex digits 0 to F. LED indicators were used to display power status and tape input; a third LED along with an on-board beeper were activated by the CPU's 1-bit "Q" register. A run/reset switch was used to start User Programs or the Operating System , respectively.

A simple 4-kilobit (512-byte) operating system was built into its ROM . It allowed one to type in programs using its hex keyboard, show Memory contents on its Display (step through the bytes of RAM), and view the values of the Processor Register s. The ROM monitor was accessed by holding the "C" key while switching from Reset to Run. The COSMAC VIP was shipped with 20 video games, which were programmed in CHIP-8 . CHIP-8 was an early interpreted Programming Language that was used on this machine and other early microcomputers, such as the Telmac 1800 .


REFERENCES

  • The December 1978 BYTE Magazine featured an article on CHIP-8 ("An Easy Programming System") as well as an advertisement for the VIP system.

  • The May 1977 Dr. Dobb's Journal reprinted an article by Joseph Weisbecker of RCA Laboratories ("A Practical, Low-cost, Home/School Microprocessor System") describing the design philosophies and economies that went into designing the VIP -- which was at the time called FRED ("Flexible Recreational and Educational Device"). That article originally appeared in the August 1974 IEEE "Computer" magazine.



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