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ELIZA pre-AI software from Microware

T

tgarnold

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I found this with some SWTPC 6800 software cassettes. I can't find evidence of it ever being offered for sale. Anyone ever seen it before? I contacted Ken Kaplan a founder of Microware who verified it is a version of ELIZA software written for the 6800. Did any other companies write ELIZA software for the Motorola 6800?
20240425_142038241_iOS.jpg
 
I have the BASIC version of ELIZA. First game I ever saw. It is fun to tweak the code and have it spurt out all sorts of weird responses. It was a very crude AI program for sure.
 
I have tools to pick apart tape formats and a 6800 simulator into which the code could be loaded and run at the command line. (And some actual 6800 home computers: a Hitachi Basic Master Jr. and a JR-200.)

I suspect that tape might be a BASIC tape, however. (I also have a repo with Altair 680 MS-BASIC, which is probably pretty similar to the SWTPC version.)

Note that if you dump this to a WAV file it probably wants to be at least 22 kHz, preferably 40+kHz sampling rate. I've found that lower rates don't work well. (Though maybe that's just me.) You can cut the file size by half by using 8-bit instead of 16-bit samples, however; CMT images do not need much dynamic range at all.
 
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I'll see if I can get a wav file made from it. I have a cassette player, but not sure how well it works.
 
Great, cjs can you see if you can decode it? Or anyone else obviously. I am guessing it is in basic, but do not know. It may not even be the right software since the write tab has been covered with tape.
 
I'm not able to get anything but garbage out with an SWPTC cassette interface or with an S-100 KCS cassette board (both working). How did you record the audio - it almost sounds like it's picked up with a microphone in a room.

Mike D
 
I just replaced the others with a much cleaner audio file. I switched to a computer with a dedicated sound card and better recording software. I can still improve the quality probably. See how this one works.

ELIZA.zip
 
Attached is what's in the wav file (Pretty sure-- I did some manual reconstruction for a couple iffy bits but I feel OK about it). There's a long series of s-records, it's a binary program (ie not BASIC) file that I assume loads with MIKBUG or equivalent.

Unfortunately though, the recording seems to be incomplete-- the data just stops abruptly in the middle of a well-defined S1 record, which is not valid. Is it possible the tape spool got jammed up, so that it seemed to have ended when it really hadn't?
 

Attachments

  • eliza.zip
    11.4 KB · Views: 7
I'll record it again. I believe the tape did jam toward the end it looked like some was left on the spool. I'll be careful with it. It is an old tape.
 
Here it is. The back side was a backup copy of the front side, but someone recorded over the first couple minutes with other data (not KC, dunno). The rest of the back was intact and makes a useful cross reference for issues on the front. Neat, thanks for sharing.
 

Attachments

  • microware_eliza.s19.txt
    19.9 KB · Views: 16
So is there any documentation for this? I did a quick look around and didn't see anything except a one-page Microware ad mentioning it.

Anyhow, here's a quick disassembly. It wants to put its stack at $A042 (implying SWTPC hardware), and calls out to $E1AC (INEEE in SWTBUG) and $E147 (not significant in SWTBUG, but probably OUTEEE)

(from 68 Micro Journal V1N3 May 1979 page 46)
ELIZA
6800 version of the famous MIT artificial Intelligence program. The
computer assumes the role of a psychoanalyst and you are the patient.
This unusual program is unique because the dialog with the com-
puter is in unstructured plain English. An impressive demonstration
program.
Price: $30.00
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

  • eliza.bin.lst.txt
    57.5 KB · Views: 7
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