The Videx VideoTerm: How an 80-Column Card Made the Apple II a Business Machine
By
Brent Rector
Summary
This article explores the Videx VideoTerm, the 80-column display card that transformed the Apple II from a hobbyist machine into a serious business computer. Part 1 focuses on the card's hardware architecture, particularly the MC6845 CRTC (Cathode Ray Tube Controller) chip, and explains why slot 3 in the Apple II is architecturally unique and critical for 80-column operation. The piece combines retrocomputing history with deep technical reverse-engineering, aimed at readers interested in FPGA emulation of vintage hardware.
Source
Hacker NewsThe Videx VideoTerm: How an 80-Column Card Made the Apple II a Business Machinewiseowl.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledIn 1977, the Apple II shipped with 40 columns of text. That was fine for BASIC programs and games. It was not fine for WordStar, VisiCalc, or the CP/M business software that was reshaping the industry.
A serious word processor needed 80 columns. A spreadsheet with real data needed 80 columns. Anyone who wanted to use an Apple II for actual work needed 80 columns.
Emulating it on an FPGA means reverse-engineering a 1981 MC6845 CRTC design and understanding why slot 3 is unlike every other slot in the machine.
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