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Re: 70x1 Memory Access Timing: Internal -versus- External Access [message #10663 is a reply to message #10660] Fri, 05 April 2024 06:07 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
lynchaj is currently offline  lynchaj
Messages: 1080
Registered: June 2016
Senior Member
Hi
Today I learned something about TMS7000 series that I did not know. Apparently, the TMS7000 allows for custom microcode and CPU instructions for application specific processing.

I wonder if Radio Shack used this capability in the CTS256? If they did, it is part of the mask of the CPU itself and an external EPROM will not be able to duplicate it.

https://www.cpushack.com/2015/05/20/ti-tms7000-the-scat-micr ocontroller/

It is entirely possible that my experiment of using the TMS7001 in microprocessor mode plus external EPROM to duplicate will not work. They may have been aware of this possibility and implemented a custom CPU instruction as a form of copy protection. I sure hope not but we are about to find out.

Thanks, Andrew Lynch

PS, this is the first I've I heard of something like it on 8-bit CPUs. I know modern processors can get microcode "patches" to update them and at least modify existing CPU instructions. Not so much add entirely new ones but I suppose that is possible too. Mainframes have been able to do this for quite a while but I can't imagine adding new instructions to a Z80 or 6502 as typical 8-bit microprocessor. Wow! The TMS7000 really *is* different that the rest.

 
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