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What can a 1980's 8 bit computer do?

unixbob

Ben's done stuff recreating 1980's computers like the ZX Spectrum with 8 bit processors available today.  I wonder if he could do it the other way around.  There's been a rise in the popularity of 8 bit processors, mainly due to Arduino's.  So could Ben repurpose an old commodore 64, ZX Specturm or an old Apple computer and wire it up to do similar projects that we see arduino's used for.  Perhaps something GPIO related with blinky lights, motors, etc.

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  • Back in the 1980's I started using the BBC Micro for driving motors, blinking lights, reading switches and some basic robotics type stuff with Fischertechnik construction sets. Richard Pawson had a fantastic book out at the time 'The Robot Book' which had examples of robots you could build using Fischertechnik or Lego Technic controlled by either the BBC Micro, Commodore 64 etc.

     

    I then got a job where the CUBE EuroBeeb was being used which was basically a BBC micro on a Eurocard format PCB which slotted into a 3U backplane and had real time extensions ROM (SpiderBASIC I think it was) for more industrial type control applications. We were using them to drive 6' - 12' diameter antennas for tracking polar orbiting weather satellites (NOAA 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11 whilst I was still there).

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  • Back in the 1980's I started using the BBC Micro for driving motors, blinking lights, reading switches and some basic robotics type stuff with Fischertechnik construction sets. Richard Pawson had a fantastic book out at the time 'The Robot Book' which had examples of robots you could build using Fischertechnik or Lego Technic controlled by either the BBC Micro, Commodore 64 etc.

     

    I then got a job where the CUBE EuroBeeb was being used which was basically a BBC micro on a Eurocard format PCB which slotted into a 3U backplane and had real time extensions ROM (SpiderBASIC I think it was) for more industrial type control applications. We were using them to drive 6' - 12' diameter antennas for tracking polar orbiting weather satellites (NOAA 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11 whilst I was still there).

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