A BBC B is coming, but it has a tinge of sadness

[JezC]

@JezC give me a should if you run into any issues when you set up yours.

Will do - and thanks for the offer.

I've contacted Mark (Retroclinic) via email to see what best options are...but I need to find out what brands of PSU are in the various Beebs before I can place the order.

I also need to work out which Pi adapters to go for...I'm tempted to get an internal one for the Master but then I need to research a bit more (or ask) what power can safely be drawn direct from the Beeb as I've a few 'full-fat' Pi boards but would need to order another zero 2W and/or Model A...

I guess I also need to prioritise some of my projects & actually finish a few off before starting too many new ones.

[rubber_jonnie]

@JezC give me a should if you run into any issues when you set up yours.

Will do - and thanks for the offer.

I've contacted Mark (Retroclinic) via email to see what best options are...but I need to find out what brands of PSU are in the various Beebs before I can place the order.

I also need to work out which Pi adapters to go for...I'm tempted to get an internal one for the Master but then I need to research a bit more (or ask) what power can safely be drawn direct from the Beeb as I've a few 'full-fat' Pi boards but would need to order another zero 2W and/or Model A...

I guess I also need to prioritise some of my projects & actually finish a few off before starting too many new ones.

I tried a 3, 4 and ended up using the zero 2w in the end as it's the cheaper option if you include the adapter board as well, and there seems to be limited use for the CoPros from what I'm finding out. Elite Tube is a treat though.

I'd like to try CP/M on the Beeb too.

I had no power issues at all, and all the adapter board is is a pair of 5v-3.3v level shifters. If the Beeb supplied 3.3v on the tube you could pretty much plug the Pi in directly.

[JezC]

Will do - and thanks for the offer.

I've contacted Mark (Retroclinic) via email to see what best options are...but I need to find out what brands of PSU are in the various Beebs before I can place the order.

I also need to work out which Pi adapters to go for...I'm tempted to get an internal one for the Master but then I need to research a bit more (or ask) what power can safely be drawn direct from the Beeb as I've a few 'full-fat' Pi boards but would need to order another zero 2W and/or Model A...

I guess I also need to prioritise some of my projects & actually finish a few off before starting too many new ones.

I tried a 3, 4 and ended up using the zero 2w in the end as it's the cheaper option if you include the adapter board as well, and there seems to be limited use for the CoPros from what I'm finding out. Elite Tube is a treat though.

I'd like to try CP/M on the Beeb too.

I had no power issues at all, and all the adapter board is is a pair of 5v-3.3v level shifters. If the Beeb supplied 3.3v on the tube you could pretty much plug the Pi in directly.

Interesting...though I wonder about using the Pi in 'native' mode for true high performance applications (having been working on Arm & Cortex cores for the last 20+ years) - but other than that maybe the Zero 2W or some flavour of A are the sensible choices.

Certainly more food for thought.

[rubber_jonnie]

Certainly more food for thought.

Well it never hurts to have as much info as possible when choosing.

[stephen_usher]

I've contacted Mark (Retroclinic) via email to see what best options are...but I need to find out what brands of PSU are in the various Beebs before I can place the order.

There are only two types of PSU used in the BBC Micro, an early linear supply, which is very rare, and the RIFA filled Astec unit.

The BBC Master and Master Compact are totally different.

The Astec PSU in the Beeb and the one in the Master would easily power a Pi4 on the 5V rail!

[stephen_usher]

I tried a 3, 4 and ended up using the zero 2w in the end as it's the cheaper option if you include the adapter board as well, and there seems to be limited use for the CoPros from what I'm finding out. Elite Tube is a treat though.

Indeed, the CoPros were only really used for special stuff. As they were so expensive few were sold so little software was written to use them. Elite was ported mostly as a demonstration of the 6502 CoPro.

I have a Z80 CoPro I saved from work in the late 90s. Got it working a few years ago (bad Z80) but haven't found a use for it. You need, as usual, a special version of CP/M.

[rubber_jonnie]

I tried a 3, 4 and ended up using the zero 2w in the end as it's the cheaper option if you include the adapter board as well, and there seems to be limited use for the CoPros from what I'm finding out. Elite Tube is a treat though.

Indeed, the CoPros were only really used for special stuff. As they were so expensive few were sold so little software was written to use them. Elite was ported mostly as a demonstration of the 6502 CoPro.

I have a Z80 CoPro I saved from work in the late 90s. Got it working a few years ago (bad Z80) but haven't found a use for it. You need, as usual, a special version of CP/M.

Nice save :)

Yeah, and finding stuff like that is not easy.

I'd like to try the 32016 and Panos but I expect finding it would be a trial. That was apparently a scientifically oriented OS and that with the CoPro was rather expensive.

[JezC]

Good to know re the PSU rating!

I do have a couple of Z80 CoProcessors, one an Acorn wedge, the other the Torch version but not sure about the s/w for either at the moment.

I do/did have at least some of the manuals for the Acorn one _somewhere_

[stephen_usher]

I have all the manuals and the function key strip as well, just no software.
Apparently the CO/M floppy images are available on-line as BBC floppy image files, which would need to be translated to work on a Gotek. It requires at least two floppy drives.

[JezC]

I have all the manuals and the function key strip as well, just no software.
Apparently the CO/M floppy images are available on-line as BBC floppy image files, which would need to be translated to work on a Gotek. It requires at least two floppy drives.

I have a couple of 5.25" BBC drives so if I can swap one of them for a Gotek I might be able to transfer them at some point.
The other BBC has a Challenger (RAM disc + single floppy) so I don't think that will be any help.
If I had any larger storage option on the BBC it would give me more options I guess.