HITS MOVING TO EXPANDED FACILITY by David Bunnell tentatively scheduled for March, Altairs to Albuquerque for demonstra- 1976. All Altair owners will be in- tion purposes. Prizes worth several By the end of January, 1976, it vited to attend this convention. thousand dollars will be awarded to is hoped that MITS will be in its the best demonstrations in each of new facility near the Albuquerque While formal plans for this an undetermined number of catagories. Airport. Internal construction has convention have not been finalized, (We will be looking for unique ap- been in progress for several weeks $ an outline of this event calls for a plications as well as well-developed and plans call for moving the pro- weekend of seminars and demonstra- traditional applications.) duction department before Christmas. tions. The seminars will be con- Administrative departments will move ducted by MITS engineers and software writers and will cover a wide range during January. Since the new MITS plant is of topics of interest to Altair users. located close to the Albuquerque In connection with this move, Airport, it will be very convenient there will be a combined open-house, Hobby clubs and individual Al- for out-of-town Altair users to at- World Altair Computer Convention, tair owners are asked to bring their tend the convention. Hotel reserva- tions can be made at the Albuquerque Airport Marina Hotel across the street from the terminal building, FF7W Sponsors ACR Standards Meeting and from there to the factory it is just a short walk. Users and manufacturers of audio The rest of the meeting was cassette data recording hardware at- spent primarily on discussion of mod- tended a symposium sponsored by BYTE ulation techniques. Of the methods Once a definite time table has magazine in Kansas City, Missouri on presented, there were three main been established for the first WACC November 7th and 8th, 1975. The pur- groups. One was pulse modulation (World Altair Computer Convention), pose of the meeting was to investigate (The Computer Hobbyist. Tarbell), all Altair owners will receive a the various methods of recording data which has the advantage of high data schedule of events and a personal on audio tape and to make a recommen- density and data rate, but the disad- invitation. Attendance to the con- dation on the method that would meet vantage of more complex hardware. A vention will be free, and in addition the requirements of a low cost, reli- second type of modulation considered to prizes for the best demonstrations able system for interchange of tapes. was the HIT system (Processor Tech- MITS will provide door prizes and at nology, Popular Electronics). It was least one free luncheon. Those in attendance included decided to be too software dependent representatives of BYTE magazine, and possibly amplitude sensitive. The People who have suggestions for Popular Electronics, MITS, Processor last group of techniques discussed this conference are asked to address Technology, SWTP, Godbout, The Com- was frequency modulation, including their letters to: WACC/MITS puter Hobbyist, Pronetics, LGC and the 103 type (MITS, LGC) and the Lan- 2450 Alamo SE Sphere. caster method (SWTP, Pronetics). Albuquerque, NM Frequency modulation has the advantage 87106 The first portion of the meeting of somewhat simpler hardware, without Attention: was concerned with the minimum re- being software dependent. The meet- David Bunnell quirements of the cassette recorder. ing concluded with an agreement to in- It was found that speed tolerance was vestigate the Lancaster method as the With the help of the thousands the biggest variable, with speed var- possible modulation standard for hob- of Altair users, it is hoped that iance as large as +10% possible. byist and user interchange. (The Lan- this convention will become one of Minimum frequency response was set at caster method uses 2400Hz = logic 1, the most exciting computer conven- 500Hz to 3KHz +3db bandwidth, which and 1200Hz = logic 0 with the advan- tions in the industry and that it is easily attained by most low cost tage of being synchronous with UART will become an annual event. cassette recorders. Other parameters clock inputs.) such as start/stop time, remote con- trol and tape characteristics were discussed. It was agreed that the standard should include provision for remote start/stop of the tape recorder, and that low noise audio tape (not bargain pack tapes) should be used. The next part of the meeting MoucmbgA/PeegmbM., ?975 concerned the bit format for record- ing data. The format decided upon was a UART style, 11-bit word to be OMITS, INC. 1975 recorded at 300 bits per second (300 ^o^omg. One. SZx baud). The 11-bit word consists of a start bit (logic 0), eight data bits, A PUBLICATION OF THE ALTAIR USERS GROUP and at least two stop bits (logic 1). PAGE TMO COMPUTER NOTES-NOVEMBER/DECEilSER. 1^75 ALTA^ MPT, by David Bunnell As I recall, the last issue of Creative Computing is published Computer Notes was the October issue by David H. Ahl, who in my opinion, and you got it around November 11. is the best writer in the "popular" Right? computing field. It is aimed pri- This issue of Computer Notes marily at the educational market. should logically be the November issue, however, if you get it before 19769 the December issue won't ar- Byte Magazine, which I reviewed rive until February. in September's C/N, is aimed at the hobby market. There have been re- Therefore, this issue of Compu- cent changes at Byte and I see these ter Notes is the Holiday Issue. changes as resulting in better edi- torial content. New Coding Form Nows that should make a lot of The Users Group Library has a sense. Both publications are excellent and since they have completely dif- new Coding Form for program submis- ferent editorial slants, I would sion that is much more efficient than However, doesn't that mean that our old form. A sample copy of the people who paid $30 to be members of recommend that the serious "computer freak" subscribe to both. new form is enclosed — it consists the Altair Users Group will get one of a cover sheet (to give pertinent less issue of Computer Notes before information about the program) plus their subscription runs out? No. Another magazine trying to make it on a national scale is Interface, an additional sheet of program list- ing space. Coding Forms are pur- Effective upon the arrival of which is published by the Southern California Computer Society. They chased from MITS in batches of 50. this issue, you automatically have a When you order the new Coding Forms, one-year subscription. Even if you have a long way to go if they want to compete effectively with Byte and please specify how many cover sheets subscribed back in July, your sub- you want included in that batch. scription now begins with the coming Creative Computing, but I understand their first issue is going like hot- (One cover sheet for each program to January issue (we've got our fingers be submitted.) If you still have crossed). cakes. This issue features the two Altair computers on the cover in a copies of the old form, feel free to stunning painting by Kim Behm (the use them up before ordering the new Hopefully, we will learn to be one. more punctual with this publication. artist who drew the "Created by Man" illustration). A list of articles Programs submitted to the Users I think you'll find our Holiday includes: "Toward the design of a Group Library become available to Issue well worth the wait. Included Micro-operating System," "Teleprinter other members much sooner when our are two four-page inserts from Byte Maintenance/Repair/Preventat ive coding form is used. The entry rules Magazine and Creative Computing. Maintenance," "Altair Switch Memory," for the Software Library are as fol- These inserts were prepared entirely "1+1=10?" and "Soup Up Your T.V. lows; your cooperation in following by the respective staffs, as was the Typewriter." these rules will be greatly appre- PCC insert in October's C/N, and I ciated. hope they give you an idea about what Enjoy this issue of Computer these two publications are about. Notes, and have a happy holiday. In order that programs can be reproduced for distribution to other Altair owners, they should The Amateur Computer Group be typewritten using a ribbon that of New Jersey produces fairly dark type. It is Sol Libes desirable that assembly language (201) 889-2000 (day) and machine language programs be 277-2063 (eve) submitted on official Coding Forms K^S George Fischer or copies of such forms. Coding (212) 351-1751 Forms are available from MITS at $2.00 per 50 to cover printing, 29 Palms California Area Group postage and handling. has changed the contact phone All entries should be on number and address to: 8 1/2" x 11" white paper. Tele- Sgt. Wesley Isgrigg type printouts and Xerox copies 74055 Casita Dr. are not acceptable. Atlanta Area Microcomputer 29 Palms, CA 92277 Hobbyist Club (714) 367-6996 C/N DeMvety Dates Jim Dunion, President I've had quite a few letters 421 Ridgecrest Rd. Homebrew Computer Club and calls regarding the delivery of Atlanta, GA 30307 Robert Reilling, Editor Computer Notes. Perhaps it will help (404) 373-8990 193 Thompson Square if I outline exactly how we mail Meetings are held the last Wed. Mountain View, CA 94043 Computer Notes to different areas: of each month, 7:30 p.m., at HP-65 Users Club I.