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AIM 65 restarted after 40 years in the attic - works great!!!

M

Mikenj

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Feb 4, 2025
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Hello. I just joined the group. I have an AIM 65 that I used 40 years ago for many projects, mostly control and data logging of instruments and machinery. I have started it up and it runs great!! (they don't make'em like this anymore...) I replaced one bad LED module of 4 characters but aside from that everything works great. I am trying to remember how I ran the text editor and assembler. I have no record and cannot remember using the two cassette tape recorders to store the text and do 2 passes through the ROM assembler. I do have the printouts of many assembly language routines I wrote to control the I/O coming into the AIM from the rear 44 pin connector, but no record of the text entry anywhere. It looks like these printouts show the final pass through the assembler since the subroutines that the JMP instructions go to are listed at the very top of the printout with the address to go to on there. The only other way to get the text stored in the editor is to write directly into RAM, but of course once you turn off the machine you lose it. I still have the eprom burner and remember that I did burn the assembled routines right into the ROM for program execution in the target 6502 machines. Is anyone familiar with the AIM 65? Any comments are welcome. (I still have all the original books and documents that came with it including the Assembler instruction book!)
 
Welcome to VCFED...

A person who likes to tempt the vintage computer curse eh!

There are some 'add on' bits that have been designed for the AIM-65 on VCFED if you have a look around.

Dave
 
I also have a Teletype model ASR-33 that I will try to connect to the AIM's TTY interface. I wish I had THAT 40 years ago!!!!! (I am part of the iTelex system....teletype users around the world connected by internet now, instead of dedicated telex lines like 40 years ago.) I have a model 32 teletype, originally part of the Western Union system, which is a 5 bit Baudot machine, in addition to the 8 bit Model 33. Both are connected to the iTelex internet interface boards. I talk by TTY to friends all over the world! I know I can write and read to the TTY punched paper tape..just like in the old days!!!!
 
All the instructions are in the various AIM-65 manuals.

What (exactly) do you want to know about running the editor and assembler and tape?

A lot of the input and output actions were performed using the input and output 'redirection' feature.

There is some good information regarding the text editor operation here to refresh your memory: http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Rockwell/r65_ug04.pdf.

Dave
 
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I would like to write some assembly code for the AIM. Even though I have many AIM 65 printouts (from the onboard printer) of Assembly programs I wrote 40 years ago, with all the subroutines listed, addresses, etc., I have no printouts of any text files that I would have used to send to be assembled. I cannot remember at all what I used to store these text files. It appears you HAD to have 2 cassette recorders connected to to the assembly, with control lines to start and stop the recorders. (Unless you typed the entire program into RAM and then ran through the assembler. Then you would have to retype the entire text program again if you wanted to make any changes.) Am I missing something or do you agree? (I do have few cassette recorders from that era, but no edge connector remains with the control lines and input lines needed to interface with the recorders, and unfortunately no electrical diagram or photos from that time...) Now that I have a Teletype that I should be able to connect to the TTY port on the AIM, I think I can type, using the AIM text editor, and write to the TTY punched tape instead of the cassette. Then I can run the paper tape as the source for the assembler. Then I can get the final code sent to the TTY tape that I can read into RAM and run. Your thoughts? (I will take a photo later of some of my AIM printouts and post them here so you can see. Maybe there is some info on there I am missing. They appear to be printed from the second pass through the assembler, but I'm not sure....it's been 40 years!!!) I just ordered some new thermal cash register paper that hopefully the AIM printer will like...I only have the remainder of one roll left...
 
Assembler manual: http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Rockwell/r65_ug05.pdf.

You may need two (2) cassette player/recorders if you need to load the source from one and write the object to the other.

See: http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Rockwell/r65_ug09.pdf for options and wiring.

For 'playing' you should be able to load your program from tape into the editor. Edit your source (if necessary) and save the source back to tape.

You should then be able to invoke the assembler (using the source that is in the editor buffer) and assemble to object code (memory to memory).

Dave
 
daver2 said:
Assembler manual: http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Rockwell/r65_ug05.pdf.

You may need two (2) cassette player/recorders if you need to load the source from one and write the object to the other.

See: http://cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Rockwell/r65_ug09.pdf for options and wiring.

For 'playing' you should be able to load your program from tape into the editor. Edit your source (if necessary) and save the source back to tape.

You should then be able to invoke the assembler (using the source that is in the editor buffer) and assemble to object code (memory to memory).

Dave
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Mike
 
Welcome to the VCF Forum @Mikenj . I had to look up what an AIM-65 was. Now I know what it is. That was a little before my time as the first computer I ever got my hands on was an original PET with the chicklet keyboard and tape recorder. The AIM-65 looks pretty neat.

I'm smiling as I also experience the "I can't remember what the hell I did to get this working" syndrome after 40 years. Last year I got my old NorthStar Advantage working but I could not remember how I managed to install an MFM hard drive and controller. I even have some notes and software in binders. But I couldn't figure it out. I vaguely remember doing the upgrade from the dual floppy to the 20MB hard drive system. But I could not get the hard drive to come back to life. So I removed it and went back to the dual floppy setup.

I also couldn't remember how I got IMP set up to make direct connections through a serial cable instead of calling a phone number. But I found the software copies and it works. So I just made more copies and I won't worry about not remembering how to set it up. It's working now to connect to my 486DX100 PC using Norton Commander Terminal Emulator.

I'll be interested to follow along as you figure this out. There are lots of smart people on this forum so I'm sure you'll get the help you need.

Seaken
 
I can't remember what I did last week, unless I write it down in my notebook!

I keep a notebook for each project I am working on, so I can re-read what I did and where I was up to.

Dave
 
Yep, I started doing that few years ago also. But I switched form notebooks and pads to using Google Drive documents. Sometimes I would spend hours trying to find my write up in a stack of pads. Now I just do a search on Google Drive.
 
I keep a small notebook for every project I work on, and notebooks for all my hobby information. I also email, to myself, screenshots, links, and pasted text for information I find on the internet so I can always look back to a certain date range and find what I was looking for (and also search by keyword). I never needed to do any of that...40 years ago!!!!!!!!!! But I probably should have!
 
Hi & welcome.

I have an AIM-65. I went a little nutty over it , I think it is a wonderful SBC. The main thing I wanted for it was a Video display (being obsessed with CRT's etc) so I did a project around that after seeing a magazine photo. In the end I replaced some RAM In high memory to hold the start up sequence in ROM for the RM-65 video card. I also tracked down some of the now rare printer modules that were made by the interesting Japanese company, Shimadzu and I fitted my computer with the original power supply unit, and also got rid of the flying line cord and fitted an IEC panel connector.

I also got it working with the 1541 disk drive , using the AH-5050 filer system too and with the help of @daver2 the missing INIBAS program was recreated.

www.worldphaco.com/uploads/THE%20RM65%20CRTC%20MODULE%20AND%20THE%20AIM.pdf
 
I just bought some 2-1/4" wide thermal cash register paper rolls from Ebay (85 foot long rolls). Tried them out on the AIM 65 and they print great!!! I only had one roll of original paper left, and after 40 years it still worked, but was a little discolored. These new rolls print great, but black on white background as opposed to the blue on white that came with the original AIM 65. Also, the inner part of the plastic drive clutch on the rubber printer drive roller had split apart and broken, but I was able to carefully glue it back together using 5 minute epoxy and it works great!!!
 
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