[nfbcs] BNS emulator

[Brian Buhrow]

	hello.  If memory serves correct, the original Braille 'N' Speak used
the Zylog Z80 processor.  There are a lot of references on the Net about
this processor, I'm sure, and probably even a few emulators, but I haven't
looked.  I don't know much more about the architecture of the Braille 'N'
Speak specifically, but I do know it was based on the Port-a-Braille
designed by Fred Gasoni and Tim Cranmner in the early 1980's.  I mention
this because the Port-A-Braille was an open source design freely published
at the time.  It may be in the archives on the aph.org web site.   These
design plans won't tell you everything about the BNS, but it will give you
the framework on which it as built and, based on that, you'll probably be
able to learn a lot about how later encarnations of the device worked.
Note that I'm talking about BNS revisions prior to the BNS Millennium, or
what ever the name of the BNS that came out about 2000 was.  All of those
were essentially souped up versions of the Port-A-Braille.  I believe the
Millennium marked a change to a new processor and a different software
architecture.

Hope that helps.
-Brian

On Dec 15,  8:38pm, "Littlefield, Tyler via nfbcs" wrote:
} Subject: [nfbcs] BNS emulator
} -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
} Hash: SHA1
} 
} Hello all,
} I'm curious of a few things. firstly, there used to be a ton of basic
} stuff for the braille N' Speak and family. I'd really like to track
} those down.
} Second and most important, does anyone know anything about the
} bytecode those were converted to (the .bas files)? I'd really like to
} make an emulator. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic and would like to play
} hacker again as well as other games. If not, I remember the run.bns
} being fairly small--does anyone have that and perhaps know the
} processor which the BNS notetakers were using? I could attempt to
} disassemble and figure everything out that way--there can't be that
} many instructions for that processor.
} Thanks,
} - -- 
} Take care,
} Ty
} twitter: @sorressean
} web:http://tysdomain.com
} pubkey: http://tysdomain.com/files/pubkey.asc
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>-- End of excerpt from "Littlefield, Tyler via nfbcs"