Driver:Gridcomp

GRiD Compass

The driver is incomplete -- only bubble memory is supported (no external floppy or hard disks). Also, all known CCOS floppy disks were built for model 1101 and do not run on model 1129 (no other ROM is available yet). The driver applies ROM patches to work around both issues, allowing CCOS 3.0.1 to boot and run some software -- see notes at the start of driver file.

Technical information is scarce (nothing on bitsavers; some info in the patent and in the "pioneering the laptop" talk &c). Model 1101 hardware description from the US patent 4,571,456:

    - 15 MHz XTAL, produces
        - 5 MHz system clock for CPU, FPU, OSP
        - 7.5 MHz pixel clock
    - Intel 8086 - CPU
    - Intel 8087 - FPU
    - Intel 80130 - Operating System Processor, equivalent of:
        - 8259 PIC
        - 8254 PIT
    - Texas Instruments TMS9914 GPIB controller
    - Intel 7220 Bubble Memory Controller
        - 7110 Magnetic Bubble Memory modules and support chips
    - (unknown) - EAROM for machine ID
    - (unknown) - Real-Time Clock
    - (custom DMA logic)
    - Intel 8741 - keyboard MCU
    - Intel 8274 - UART
    - Intel 8255 - modem interface
        - 2x DAC0832LCN - DAC
        - MK5089N - DTMF generator

Research notes

Wikipedia article -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_Compass

User websites

• https://web.archive.org/web/19980424023743/http://limbo.netpath.net:80/hw/GRiD/
  • ex- http://limbo.netpath.net/hw/GRiD/compass_manual.html
  • ex- http://limbo.netpath.net/hw/GRiD/compass_peripheral_manual.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/19990221195647/http://www.ideasign.com:80/bobz/gridspec.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20060213091159/http://www.pd.com:80/GRiDpage.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20070624032011/http://www.pd.com/gbold/wwwboard.html -- GRiDboard forum

Collections

• http://oldcomputers.net/grid1101.html
• http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/grid-all/index.html

Mailing lists

• https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/rugrid-laptop/info
• "there used to be a mailing list: GRiD@staller.spt.tek.com"

Ads

• http://www.rugged-portable.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/grid-more-than-a-personal-computer.pdf
• http://www.1000bit.it/ad/bro/grid/GRID-1984-PriceList.pdf

Patents

• https://patents.google.com/patent/US4571456A/en -- Compass 1101

Software

• CCOS disk images
  • http://yahozna.dyndns.org/computers/GRiD/
  • http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/img/index.htm -> gridcomp.zip "These disks are for: Grid Compass 1100/1101"
• http://www.ari-service.com/support/file/dir.asp?VirtPath=/ftp/grid/
• http://vintagecomputer.net/GRid/griddos.zip -- dos 3.3 images from rom ??

Peripherals

• 2101 External Floppy Disk Drive -- single 5.25" drive
• 2102 External Floppy Disk Drive -- single 5.25" drive + 10 MB hard disk
• GRiD Compass Central: Intel 80186, up to 32 clients

Aliens

• http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11011
• http://www.ripstick.com/USCM/images/

Military

• http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a181907.pdf
• http://www.w7tsc.org/index.php/an-tsc-60-v/tsc-60-v-2-4/15-grid

Videos

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQgoAQq7bP4 "Pioneering the laptop" -- http://www.sigcis.org/?q=node/45
  • at 57:00 -- CCOS uses Intel UDI: http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/intel/iRMX/iRMX_I/462919-001_iRMX_UDI_System_Calls_Mar89.pdf
  • at ?? -- GRiD Central was run on a IBM Series/1 + IBM 3330 storage, under "Realtime Programming System"
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBbmjMWkEzc "InteGRiD - GRiD's Compass Virtual Machine for MS-DOS"
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0NSSwhwnR4 "NASA SPOC software"