ScuzzBlog: Diaries May 2020
Entry 8th May 2020: Post 01: Jupiter Ace - Forth built in.
Jupiter Ace - Forth built in.
My plans for a ' May the Forth ' theme this year were all kinda
scuppered by the PlayStation 3 popping her cloggs. Couldn't really
concentrate until I had a replacement. Anyway I have a PS3 now
working and have received the 125GB laptop hard drive to get her
fully back on her feet. I'm in no rush now as I have a working
PS3 and that is all that matters.
Back to the Jupiter Ace which is stored in a special box all on
its lonesome. The very box that she came in all those years ago.
Not the original box, though this bit of kit I know is all the
original bits and has never been used. Mint out of box.
The computer cost me [ wait for it ] £450 back in 2005 I guess.
I wanted a good one and I wanted the book, tape and the 16K RAM.
This was expensive cus it was an over hyped auction that probably
was jacked. But hey.
That's that then ... A Jupiter Ace. Kinda a ZX81 in reverse though
never climbs out of Forth. I always meant to learn a bit of Forth,
but seriously, who has the time.
....... Getting warmer. Bugga. I hate this time of year.
Jupiter Ace by Cantab and made in the UK in 1983.
The language used for the computer is Forth.
It has a Spectrum style keyboard and uses the Zilog Z80A.
RAM is just 3KB and can be expanded I am told to 51KB.
Colour is black and white and sound is a beeper.
Cost £90 new and twice the cost of my ZX81 in the day.
There are two Jupiter Ace machines on Ebay and are £800 and £1295.
Seriously not worth the money. You are better off buying a Raspberry Pi
[ quote ]
Raspberry Pi Forth Operating System is available on GitHub:
https://github.com/aviatorRHK/rpiForth
The rpiForth will grow to include:
1. A file system on the SD card.
2. A text editor to write stored programs to load.
( no more host assembler ).
3. A forth ARM assembler, to write high performance forth words.
4. An Interactive multi-tasking operating system, you can fire up
a task and let it run while doing other things or run two or more
task at the same time.
5. A Floating point package per ANSI.
6. A I2C driver off board chips. Like the MSP430 micro.
[ and quote ]
Jupiter Ace - Forth built in.
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