A chess computer from 1988 as a winter project
Summary
Johannes puts a Fidelity Designer 2000 Display that had been unused for decades back into operation and sets himself the goal of beating it. The processor runs at three megahertz. The device dates from around 1988.
Ideas
- The chess computer works with a 6502 CPU.
- Eight kilobytes of RAM are enough for the game state and search.
- The chess program sits in 32 kilobytes of ROM.
Insights
- Limited hardware can solve surprisingly demanding tasks with specialised software.
- Long-lived devices preserve technology history better than emulation alone.
Facts
- After about 25 years of disuse, it still worked.
Recommendations
- Document the ROM version and hardware before repairs.
- Check old power supplies and capacitors before extended continuous operation.
References
Read the original article on hanez.org
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