Strangely high serial number for Fidelity SC9

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yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

Hi BillT

as you have two SC9 from 1982,
22605960
22956936

could you give the serial number of the one on the photos

regards.
yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

Tibono2 wrote:Hi,

As far as the b6 reply to 1.h4 is reliable, my SC9 is a 'b' one
Tibono2 wrote:Hi,

just received a new toy - nice Sensory 9 which reveals to be a "B" one (serial 32xxxx, reply to 1.h4 is b6) and 2Mhz clock.
...
Sensory Chess Challenger 9 SC9B 32381304 Friday, August 26, 1983

Maybe the production started a few months before the 9B officially reached the shops... or maybe my board label is one not be considered (model number SU9 being wrong, the whole data printed on this label is doubtful).

This does not help regards :?
Tibono

Hi Tibono2

it would be interesting if you could make some measures to confirm that it is a SC9B.

it looks like that you probably have the first SC9B (26 august 1983) that is among us, in this forum.
and that i have the last SC9A (05 august 1983) :cry: :cry:
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Tibono2
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Post by Tibono2 »

Hi Yoyo,

Larry's mate in 3: 63,5 seconds
Colditz 7: 143,2 seconds
Colditz 11: 254,7 seconds

according to your figures in your .xps file, it seems to be a SC9b with 1,8Mhz clock.

best regards,
Tibono
yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

Hi Tibono2

thanks for your results.
the results are too far from the SC9A's results in colditz's tests
so it is really a SC9B as all results matches (response to 1 H2-H4,...)

but you SC9B is just a bit slower than those of blitzchess, mike watters, BillT, peter63...
it is probably at about 1.85 Mhz and not at 1.9 Mhz as others.

conclusion, as mike said a very long time ago:
you are never sure of what is in a fidelity board till you open it.

look at the surprise in BillT old SC9A. (today's post)

regards.
BillT
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Post by BillT »

Hi YoYo_chessboard
That is a good spot.I see what you mean.

I have one other SC9 A with a defective sensor board,but the electronics work fine.
What do you make of the ROM chips on this one............!

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... lBXM1NpQ3M

regards
Bill
BillT
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Post by BillT »

Hi Yo-Yo

The serial numberl for the "mixed" SC9A is the 22605960.

I have uploaded a pic to that folder to show it.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id= ... DNPcmozSDg

Fidelity Lottery regards

Bill
yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

Thanks Tibono2 and BillT

i have updated the SC9 roadmap :

http://www18.zippyshare.com/v/JtViZYUA/file.html

so there were finally 3 sets of ROMs
two for the SC9A
and one for the SC9B which is clearly faster than SC9A on the tests at equal clockrate.

so a simple way to identify 'almost for sure' a SC9B is :

time of larry's mate in three : if time is rather 61/63 seconds
and first move (B6) after 1 h2-H4

for mike_watters:
there is a strange result on your SC9A serial 23301339.
you find 85 seconds for" larry's mate in three".
and that seems too much for me.
i expected rather 75/78 seconds maxi.
could you verify that point , please ?:oops: :oops:

regards
yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

one small update :

http://www70.zippyshare.com/v/VlglJlLG/file.html

what we consider as SC9A software was introduced between 17/09/1982 (2260xxxx) and 22/10/1982 (2276xxxx).

and SC9B was introduced at en of august 1983, probably the 26/08/1983 (3238xxxx)

just a trick for those who have a kille sensory board (like BillT) :
the sensory surface , in fact the all top of the board is electrically compatible between SC9A, SC9B, SCC, challenger8 and reversi board.
so you can use any of one on all of others. of course the display will not be very glamour but at least the board will playable.

i have that way sacrified a SCC, challenger 8 to upset a testboard without having to wear and tear the connectors of the SC9 i test.

regards.
yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

hi
i have updated the measures with latest tests.

i also added some 'non-standard' boards as :
a SC9B at 4 Mhz and 5 MHz
a designer 2100 display at 10 Mhz (instead of 6 Mhz)

i know that most of members disagree with that type of upgrade.
but those upgrades are clean (even trilobyte also called master modder) and respect in all parts the original behavior, just running faster and respect the clock settings in order to have a correct behavior in timed levels (x moves in y minutes).

http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/9cJVl9Q4/file.html

so SC9 family really had 3 board revisions and 3 software revisions:

the two first SC9A versions are software and hardware compatibles. (boards revision B and C)

the SC9B is software and hardware different. (board revision D)
you cannot put a SC9B software on a SC9A board.
and you cannot put a SC9A software on a SC9B board (not very interesting downgrade anyway).

i think we probably could put the SC9B software on a SC9A hardware but previously we would have to rewrite, at least , the IRQ routine that handles the I/O and probably also a small part of the code that is run just after the Reset.
in other words : not a beginner's 6502 assembly project !

regards.
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spacious_mind
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Post by spacious_mind »

Hi Yoyo,

You have lost me on the hardware stuff. I have two left thumbs, therefore a terrible handyman :)

But I did buy a 4 serial number SC9 so it will be interesting for me to see if it plays better than the early versions of the SC9.

Best regards
Nick
yoyo_chessboard
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Post by yoyo_chessboard »

Hi Nick

one of my main goal beginning that quest was to make a map of what is in SC9 boards, and buy a SC9B

many sellers claims that they have a SC9B just because the serial begins with 32xx
i bought 3 SC9 on Ebay and all where SC9A.

- > with the help of blitzchess's big and various collection, i have demonstrated that it is not enough to be a SC9B, and we have now a complete map.

but till now i haven't been able to buy a SC9B!

one day, some monthes ago, on the french 'leboncoin' website there was a SC9 with a very strange serial, but at that time i hadn't enough info.
and tibono2 bought it. :cry: :cry:
(we discovered that point later, when he posted its strange serial in this topic).

at least now we can figure 'almost for sure' what we will really receive when we see an auction on Ebay or elsewhere.

you can verify that you have the same results for your 4069xxxx SC9B

regards.
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