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General Category => Other retro => Topic started by: LambdaMikel on 06:52, 09 April 19

Title: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 06:52, 09 April 19
Guess many of you guys already know about this, but I don't want anybody to miss these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSahAoOLdU&list=PL-_93BVApb59FWrLZfdlisi_x7-Ut_-w7 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSahAoOLdU&list=PL-_93BVApb59FWrLZfdlisi_x7-Ut_-w7)

By now, he got pretty far - Part 8 in the series was published a couple days ago.
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 07:19, 09 April 19
Thanks LambdaMikel,

I see its by the same team that did the excellent Xerox Alto restoration video. They have a knack of making something I know very little about (hardware) interesting.

Cheers,

Peter
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 19:21, 09 April 19
Glad you are enjoying it.
These guys are wizards...


here is a link to the Apollo simulator & Verilog code:


http://mikestewart.hcoop.net/ (http://mikestewart.hcoop.net/)


https://github.com/virtualagc (https://github.com/virtualagc)

Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 05:42, 10 April 19
And this Wikipedia page about a female software pioneer involved in the Apollo program is also worth reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Hamilton_(scientist)#NASA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Hamilton_(scientist)#NASA)

The photograph of her standing beside the printout of the software is striking.




Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: robcfg on 06:54, 10 April 19
Great videos!


I watched the videos on a row and found them fascinating.


Peter, thanks for sharing such nice stuff!
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 07:36, 10 April 19
Cheers Rob,

The thanks go to LamdaMikel for his original info/postings on the Xerox Alto restoration. The enthusiasm of the team involved in that project is a pleasure to watch. And like I said before - I'm not a hardware guy, in fact quite the opposite - the prospect of going anywhere near a soldering iron makes me break out in a cold sweat!

Peter
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 00:02, 11 April 19
Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 05:42, 10 April 19
And this Wikipedia page about a female software pioneer involved in the Apollo program is also worth reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Hamilton_(scientist)#NASA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Hamilton_(scientist)#NASA)

The photograph of her standing beside the printout of the software is striking.



Yes, M. Hamilton probably coined the term "Software Engineering" (before the NATO 1969 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Conference which popularized the term together with "Software Crisis").


She is very well-known.
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 07:14, 23 April 19
If you liked CuriousMarc's videos, then you might also like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx7Lfh5SKUQ
You will get a good understanding of the AGC and see that things like RAM / ROM Banking weren't invented for th CPC, but aready existed in the 60is  ;)

Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 17:00, 15 July 19

Not sure you followed the channel, but by now they have fully restored it!!


And the local Palo Alto newspaper has their story on the front page this morning.
Crappy picture taken with my ChromeBook, can post a scan later tonight.




Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 17:05, 15 July 19
From two days ago, interview with Margaret Hamilton:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/13/margaret-hamilton-computer-scientist-interview-software-apollo-missions-1969-moon-landing-nasa-women (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/13/margaret-hamilton-computer-scientist-interview-software-apollo-missions-1969-moon-landing-nasa-women)



Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 17:10, 15 July 19
https://padailypost.com/2019/07/15/locals-restore-apollo-11-computer-get-it-to-run-moon-landing-program/ (https://padailypost.com/2019/07/15/locals-restore-apollo-11-computer-get-it-to-run-moon-landing-program/)
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 17:34, 15 July 19
Link to the last episode

https://youtu.be/AhVKYDVZxWQ
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: ComSoft6128 on 17:51, 15 July 19
Thanks for that,
Downloaded using 4K Video Downloader and will watch it tomorrow on the big screen :)
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: LambdaMikel on 17:59, 15 July 19
Isn't it AMAZING?
That must be the only device left on earth that uses rope and core memory... and is functional.
The amount of workarounds and diagnostics and repairs (machining their own screws and connectors, drilling into the epoxy and excavating the wires, replacing diodes, putting in a transistor as a workaround hack, AND the whole FPGA simulation thing with great interfaces etc.) that these wizards had to perform leaves me speechless. Utterly ingenious.
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: Gryzor on 10:31, 19 July 19
...and of course: https://github.com/chrislgarry/Apollo-11
Title: Re: CuriousMarc - Apollo AGC - Restoring the computer that put man on the Moon
Post by: Bryce on 10:58, 19 July 19
Much like the CPC... It usually ends up being a RAM issue :D

Bryce.
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