Program and Electronic Projects for the SSC, Electron and Spectrum Computers

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1 Program and Electronic Projects for the SSC, Electron and Spectrum Computers

Macmillan Electronic Projects Series Audio Circuits and Projects (revised edition) Graham Bishop Program and Electronic Projects for the BBC, Electron

2 Macmillan Electronic Projects Series Audio Circuits and Projects (revised edition) Graham Bishop Program and Electronic Projects for the BBC, Electron and Spectrum Computers Graham Bishop Projects for the Car and Garage (revised edition) Graham Bishop Cost-effective Electronic Construction John Watson

3 Program and Electronic Projects for the SSC, Electron and Spectrum Computers Graham Bishop M MACMILLAN

4 Graham Bishop 1985 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damaged. First published 1985 Published by MACMILLAN EDUCATION LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Bishop, G. D. Program and electronic projects for the BBC, Electron and Spectrum computers.-(electronic projects) 1. Microcomputers I. Title II. Series '04 QA76.5 ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOl / Accompanying software cassette: ISBN

5 Contents Preface vii Part 2: Computer Programs 27 Part 1: The Micro Explained 1 7 Utility Programs Press to Continue 30 1 A Mainframe, Mini or Micro? Menus and key selection What is a Microcomputer? Large (Spectrum) Scrolling 35 2 Bits, Bytes Telling the Time Titling on the BBC/Electron Machines Graphics Building Blocks 41 3 Computer Applications How Much Memory is Left? 43 8 The Bishop Collection 46 4 Inside the Micro Talking to the Computer The Microprocessor Binary The Address Bus Mathematics Hex and Words D Graphics The Data Bus Histograms and Graphs How the Computer's Memory is Organised Mathematical Equations, Quadratics What is Meant by 32K? Piecharts Physics Topic Areas Centre of Mass 60 5 Using the Micro Series/Parallel Resistors BASIC Pictorial Demonstrations Machine Code Language Education Using Computers Assembly Language Geography Cookery and Home Economics 79 6 Extending the Micro History 82

6 vi Program and Electronic Projects for the BBC, Electron and Spectrum Computers 8.16 A School, College, Factory or Office NOTICEBOARD Testing the ADC Programs that Teach Computing Suggested layout for the ADC board ADC Applications Sorting and Data Handling Joysticks Sort Temperature Data Tabulation and Processing Light A Word Processor Voltage Resistance 136 Part 3: Computer Interfacing Projects Presence Sound The Latch Robotics Latch Addressing Recording and Playing Back Sound The Latch Circuits Other Application ideas Construction Suggested latch card construction 115 Bibliography The Latch in Operation Latch Output Circuits 121 Appendix I Z80 Instruction Set 142 Appendix II 6502 Instruction Set A Digital to Analogue Converter 124 Appendix III Decimal-Hexadecimal Conversion Table DAC Circuit and Construction 124 Appendix IV A Selection ofadditionalspectrum Physics 11.2 DAC Testing 124 Programs Suggested DAC Card Construction 126 Appendix V Integrated Circuit Pin Connections An Analogue to Digital Converter 127 Index The ADC Circuit Constructing the ADC 129 Details of cassette 161

7 Preface One house in four in the U.K. has a microcomputer, but what are they used for? Games... games... and even more games? There is far more to the micro than merely playing ready-programmed games and using commercial software packages. This book sets out to explore many other 'useful' uses of the home and business micro in the fields of program writing the use of utiiity programs writing instructional graphics programs connecting the micro to the outside world with electronics and the pure enjoyment of learning how a micro works. I had a problem with the title. The book contains over 60 programs and over 20 electronic projects and ideas, all of which are suitable for three popular computers the Sinclair Spectrum the BBC Model B, and the Acorn Electron. Titles could range from 'Extending your Micro' to 'Spectrum, BBC and Electron Projects in Programming and Electronics'. After much thought the present title was selected because, although some might consider it long-winded, it does give an accurate summary of what the book is about. The book should be of great interest to all those who own a micro, since the programs and projects can easily be adapted to suit all popular microcomputers. The programs and projects use the Z80 and 6502 processors and so enable easy conversion to be made into other dialects of BASIC. The electronic projects can be easily adapted for any micro with an edge connector to which are connected the address and data buses. Students and teachers of Computer Science, Computer Studies and Electronics should find this book invaluable, at all levels, from primary to post-graduate degree level. The programs in chapter 8 can be adapted to any subject areasfor school or college use. The electronic projects of part 3 should be within the capabilities of most readers, especially those who prefer working on practical projects; the costs of each project are low, of the order of a few pounds for each unit. My sincere thanks go to Julie, my wife, and Stella, my daughter, for typing the manuscript and for tolerating a few weeks of painstaking computing, electronics and preparation. A cassette tape is available with this book. One side of the tape contains the Spectrum programs, and the other side the BBC/Electron programs, these being playable on either machine. This saves the time-consuming job of typing the many long programs into the computer GRAHAM BISHOP

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