Optron #06 09 января 1998

История

So who's first? - When and how did the first Domestic Spectrum? ..

           So, who's first?



(C) Vladimir Klimus,

    Sergey Filimonov question for a long time
tormented me. One day in conversation
Sergei casually mentioned that the first
Spectrum in the Soviet Union was, it turns out, was developed 
in Lvov, he knows people who participated directly in its

creation, and that would be nice to meet
these people.

  All work was done in the bureau of the Lviv Polytechnic 
Institute - a secret, modal enterprise at the time, now called 
the IECI ELVIT (Research Design Institute of computer 
measurement technology) State University Lviv Polytechnic. In 
organizing the meeting helped us department head Metrology 
Marchenko, Edward A. - Witness corporate reincarnation

Spectrum in the home, the designer look of your computer case, 
a person have activated the first time to the TV Spectrum

through the antenna input.

  And through nekotrye time we have
meet and interview one of the
authors of the first domestic Spectrum.
Even on the road, when we went to a meeting with
this developer, Edward A. uttered an original sentence: "If I 
saw Then, in the 85-m, that they "invent"

Spectrum, I knew that somewhere in the 88-89-m with
all enterprises of the Union completely lost
RU5 memory chips, so much so
that some government orders nearly
it was impossible to perform, I would, of course,
they do not give to do that! ".

  We are talking with Yuri Dmitrievich Dobush
- A man who was the first in the Soviet
Union produced more corporate Spektum: completely "shattered" 
and reworked to discrete elements of the domestic industry a 
top-secret chip ULA, in which, in fact, contained the entire

computer, not counting the memory, processor and
a pair of multiplexers. Also in development
participated Evgeny Natopta and Oleg Starostenko. The work was 
done in 84-85 years. In the conversation also participates 
Edward A. Marchenko - witness the wonderful event. 


  > Yuri Dmitrievich, first tell us what you do at the moment.

UD> Today I arrive, we can say in
two roles, firstly, I remain Scientist, Head of Laboratory
IECI ELVIT State University "Lviv Polytechnic". The laboratory 
is engaged in computer technology, development electrical 
measuring instruments, as well as communication systems. 
Laboratory work continues, in my opinion, not bad. We have 
orders from Canada, from India: are instruments of power. Have 
a specific design: a devices for communication channels seal 
modems. Secondly, I am a member of the regional council, was 
the head of the Commission on to supporting the rule of law and 
war problems. June 23 led by the regional organization of 
Republican-Hrestianskoy party. Now I am a candidate for deputy 
Supreme Council, the tenth in the party list.



  > Let's actually go back in history. Let's talk about why we 
are here gathered. How did the idea to copy

Spectrum, Spectrum and why?

UD> The fact is that even then was in the
air demand in the computer such
class, especially, was the need to
develop something with the graphics.


  > Home computer.

UD> None. There were no such thing
as a home computer. Just a computer,
who would have had a good schedule. It is time.
Incidentally, I have to date
surprise and delight at how originally coined the screen (the 
screen memory / Auth. /) In the Spectrum! It was necessary to 
make this a computer with enough

software, particularly games, and
that they are available. This two. What was
third? I guess that if IBM'koy
began to engage in Kiev. And she was
very cumbersome and expensive. Therefore, there was
the question of how to do something compact,
convenient, cheap and reliable at the same time.
Then the drive was not normal.
The only thing that has appeared - the machine SM
1800 with an 8-inch floppy drive, they
constantly had to klatsat, and it was
a pandora ... Using the same in the recorder was quite 
comfortable. Spectrum is not created as a home computer or a 
computer for gaming. It was created as a system design for 
development and debugging programs on the 580-m processor.



  > So you have a firm
Spectrum ...

UD> There was a Eugene, somewhere, he had contact. Someone from 
the foreign students brought Spectrum brand here in the bureau. 
This Eugene contact with Natoptoy Evgeny, who, seeing this 
computer asked Eugene to take him home to play ... We undertake 
to work 99-st oscilloscope, drag it back and just go through on 
all legs, sketching waveforms This ULA'shki. In addition, we 
had information on the structure of the software: just one leaf 
has been used up. We also considered information from the ROM 
of your computer. And start working. Eugene E. Natopta engaged 
in software, and I am still young, then a specialist - 
specifically iron. Own development. By ostsilogrammam restored 
scheme. 


  > How? How long do you take? It is also difficult!

UD> It was not long. Month maximum.


  > Right, all possible inputs and their corresponding options 
on the output and just over a month!? 

UD> Yes, yes, yes, a month! But we worked! We
worked well: in the morning you come at nine, and
to eleven, yet drove the guard
and Saturday and Sunday. That was
Work! Incidentally, an interesting if we had
approach to the synthesis scheme: we did not draw
scheme - we payali. And the whole scheme is always
was in my head. Already, she has earned,
so you are to her and did not return, most importantly,
to work. It was hard this routine
do - draw a diagram.


  > Actually the idea originated with Spectrum
just because you had a Spectrum? Was
to Atari, it would work on it? Or not?

UD> We must remember, was it then Atari.
Most likely not happen, or was unavailable
in Lviv. Sinclair is also interesting that
He was very compact and powerful enough for the time. By the 
way, rather amusing that the saddle program that earned on the 
Spectrum, was Jumping Jack (all laugh).



  > Classical program ...

UD> It's so funny! Everything came
looked, it was something! We watched it
on such a small TV (shows
size of the TV - a little more hands)
which was on the computer, the computer -
it was a board with soldered wires.
Somewhere because she was gone. By the way, I did
Spectrum did not have at home (laughs).

EA> More interestingly, the history of the firm
Sinclair did not begin with the computer. Sinclair
became known that created the first pocket TV. Moreover, using
tube with electrostatic deflection
Beam company Telefunken, a special custom-made pipe. It was the 
77 th year. Sinclair, as they say, to keep abreast of, and 
having accumulated a certain capital, turned to the development 
of computers. Developed the first its kopyutera - ZX80 (black 
and white version Spectrum 16K / auth. /), And he had the 
know-how due to the fact that the chip ULA, standing

in it, never sold, it is nowhere
was. And the problem was precisely to create
analogue of this chip, and engaged in what Mr. Dobush.

UD> It's only then you can have different
excel, but we repeated the waveform
one to one - they were afraid that the program can
did not earn. We have had specific
tie-in RAS'y and CAS'y. There was a whole system
tricks that will allow all to do
optimally. And we tried to withstand the maximum as it was in 
the original. It is only then people started to think: yes

scheme and tried to do differently. In addition, we used the 
basic elements that we had in stock. For example, only six 
months on sale there were eight-registers IR22, IR23. Then they 
did not exist. Therefore, there are so many IR16. And that is 
typical, I tried to make a computer with the same consumption 
that and original. And it worked!



  > That's why the first Lviv
Spectrum is like most, most close to the corporate 48-th 
Spectrum. 

UD> Yes. I remember there was a 176 series, for
Dumb schema fragments task was to
not only to implement but also to optimize. Nekotrye were with 
twisted! I remember doing a counter on 176IR2, so there

it was so twisted that I sometimes wonder how I came up with 
the way everything done. 


  > Another such question, Yuri D..
Still, the first real domestic
Spectrum - Lviv option? This is definitely?

UD> Sure. Together with us was only
Kaunas. But Kaunas late with the development,
although the first version had started to work. Natopta in 
contact with them and koekakie sketches were of them, there 
were also their achievements. It was a Parallel work, but they 
could not synthesize the whole scheme. We gave them our 
circuitry and then they were able to finish the job.



  > They later synthesized, but earlier
ready-made car?

UD> Yes. They were elaboration, somewhere pulled some pieces on 
the program structure, where some memory is available. I 
remember memory cards were imported from Kaunas.

This enabled us to work faster.
And then we brought them to their circuitry.
Then came the Leningrad, Novosibirsk ...


  > Yes, you may be aware, as appeared in Leningrad option? Now 
a lot of talk about it.


EA> Oleg had brought in Peter.


  > Too evil (laugh).

UD> I remember that he was on
PAL'ah for pT1-x.


  > This is the "Baltic."

EA> on firmware.

UD> on firmware. I was surprised, I thought, what a fool did. 
Raise this PAL, which is heated, it is not known

that when there was no need for this:
PAL though repeating the same thing, but cheaper does not 
succeed. 


  > And if you take the "Leningrad" option
it is, in principle, does not repeat the Lions.
There is a combined field of memory, and in
"Lviv" version RU5, RU6 - separate
memory field, they work at different speeds, and there - just 
stand RU5. 

UD> Just when it became clear that their
can be combined. We do not yet know whether
do it.


  > That is, they have improved the scheme?

EA> Yes, but already having a working computer on the local 
elements ... 


  In addition, they also simplified and therefore reduced the 
price chart (Avt.) 

UD> Yes, because the former was only
RU6-mi, and a place where you can deliver
additionally RU5.


  > 16 kb?

EA> Yes, 16 kilobytes.


  > And yet it is interesting that the Moscow version of the 
48K, about which too much is mentioned in different literature, 
from the "Lviv option" _nu, no otlichaetsya_! 

UD> He went through for our customers.

EA> It's taken away our customers' komandirovschiki.


  > The most annoying that the "Lviv variant" _nigde not 
upominaetsya_! Do not people know about it outside of Lviv! 

UD> Maybe it specific to our organization. Because we have done 
and gone further.


EA> crossed and walked away. In addition, we have a secret 
enterprise, which in While it was impossible to "shine".


UD> The next thing we did, and what nobody knows, too: we first 
made a "full" IBM'ku. I then immediately spread to her. 
Developers were the first people of Kiev. But, 
characteristically, we then completely proemulirovali hard 
drive on the SM-3. 


  > Can you imagine what the speed was there.

UD> It was not too fast. On all IBM
also started with 16 kilobytes. She was
More on CP / M 80, it is not even IBM'ka was.


  > Return all the same to the Spectrum. And how
then was the case with software? Whence it was taken? How do I 
copy? 


                                        >>

<

EA> copy directly from the tape-recorded.

UD> Then copy the program have already appeared, in two years, 
someone started to write these programs. I personally this is 
not engaged. We then raised the question as

make a device for copying. But there
already was a question of belt speed. First
copy of normal, then the second, third: all
worse and worse. We are literally half a year this
pampered and forget altogether, as it
always the case. In addition, there were problems
to work - we are for it, to put it mildly, not
praised.


  > And, of course - the bosses!

UD> Not directly to our bosses and
bodies.


  > Even so? (Laughing) That can not be
Then copy?

UD> No, actually it was impossible then something
do.

EA> The main thing we were of regime organization. So, maybe, 
for us nothing never heard of.



  "A general program were taken from? Probably, they were very 
little? 

EA> mainly from Poland.

UD> Very few programs have been. I remember them
could still collect - two,
three, four ... I remember, was about five or ten cartridges in 
two years. Ktati, as well as and IBM'ke once collected all

applets, which only have been - all housed in one box, 
pyatidyuymovki, 360 kilobyte (laughs).


EA> What's interesting, when they created this
layout, immediately found enthusiastic, such
Starostenko as Oleg, who
worked in the same group. He took it
all embody the "metal" - printed circuit boards
and other, other.

UD> First of all, his task was on these hanging and protruding 
from maketnitsy postings to reproduce the concept, divorce 
fees, etc. He has six months working on it (laughs). 

EA> When Oleg has made printed circuit board, it appeared to 
her appearance and the first computer.



  > In what year was it?

EA> It was the 84-85 year. And the first version of this and he 
also has taken to Moscow for its customers. 


  > He was then taken to Moscow and the scheme?

EA> He had friends in Moscow and Leningrad, it is likely that 
he got there and pulled it. 


  > I understand that Moscow is stupid
"Sderli" scheme ...

UD> Yes.


  > And in Leningrad is not stripped, and took
just an idea?

EA> It is important that already had a working computer, and it 
inspires confidence that all go. But when the chips were placed 
first, then they do not pass specifications. It was also a kind 
of risk. 


  > Yes! They said that domestic RU5-e
should not have been there to work.

EA> Absolutely!

UD> So they never worked. Well
RU6-e then started to work, and RU5-e I
remember that they work.


  > And what was the problem?

UD> Well, seems to work, but fails. Fails. For the reason, Ms. 
SM1800-e poyastoyanno sboili constantly broke. Our chips can 
not do anything normal was, especially memory. It was a 
disaster. I still remember, we have such a thick power bus 
capacitors and put on top to hang - it's terrible. I'm 
somewhere else these boards are. What is characteristic of our 
"memory" of what was inside capacitors are, and during 
regeneration, while the fronts, due to their charge, it is very 
strongly consuming, and there are "ringing" were ...

What we just did not: and multilayered, and
interchange as soon as any set, even firms
then recommend how to plant matrix, as conduits to let. The 
worst that our capacitors have a large inductance of the 
findings and they are not filtering were good. With this we 
have encountered already in IBM'ke when RU3-made to their 
memory. 


  > Well, thank you for this interesting
interview.

UD> Thank you.


  Well, well, the interview really got a very interesting and 
informative. Now I think no one should have no doubt that the 
first domestic Spectrum was specifically "Lviv" option, rather 
than, say, "Moscow 1948" or any other machine

separate field of memory, which "... the most complete copy of 
the original architecture and the ideology of the Spectrum ..." 
(ZX-Review, N1 for the year 1991, p. 15). Actually

they are the most complete, and the same "Moscow 1948"
just one to one, copy the "Lviv"
option. Yes, what about machines with two
rulers of memory, even if on the concept of "Pentagon" many 
chips have the same serial number as in

similar chains "Lviv" option!
It can not be mere coincidence.
I believe that the key role the city of Lviv and
"Lviv" option in the development of
Spectrum movement in the Soviet Union
proved once and for all.

  This material, we wanted to restore the
historical justice with respect to
"Lviv" variant of the elementary existence of which so long 
kept silent the whole Spectrum Press, and wanted to tell the 
true story of birth sinklerizma in the Soviet Union. 

  Reprints of this material in other publications is welcome - 
ZX-country should know their history, as well as the names of 
people who did this story. 

  In conclusion, we want to once again thank Edward A. for 
organizing this important meeting and also thank Andrew 
Stegnitskogo for providing technical support.