Hi Noel. FYI, you can write PROMs, which need higher voltage, than 18V using the TL866II+ with an external power supply. I made a video about it a longer time ago.

The legend of the KERNAL will never die.

The CRC is changing between the two read. That means the data is also changing. I don't think it's supposed to happen when reading a ROM :-)

Totally agree on using KERNAL in that context. Great video.

Quoting from Brian Bagnall's book "Commodore - A Company On The Edge", Robert Russell is one of MOS/Commodore's early engineers: Technical information for the reference manual came directly from the VIC-20 engineers. “We did all the documentation that ended up in the programmer’s reference manual,” says Russell. “Andy Finkel and those guys pretty much took all our charts, diagrams, memory maps, and all my folders and notebooks, and that’s what became the reference guide.” The writers inadvertently created a special variation of the word kernel because of a misspelling in Russell’s documentation. “The Commodore version of it was because I misspelled it on my big banner heading on the top page,” says Russell. “So that’s how it became known as the ‘kernal.’”

'Kernal' as it was written in the c64 manual was my first introduction to the word.. i need to force myself to spell it correctly!

Its funny I had always assumed it was some USA English v British English difference (like colour and color) and never gave it further thought.....

Kernal spelling explanation (From Wikipedia article here) According to early Commodore myth, and reported by writer/programmer Jim Butterfield among others, the "word" KERNAL is an acronym (or, more likely, a backronym) standing for Keyboard Entry Read, Network, And Link, which in fact makes good sense considering its role. Berkeley Softworks later used it when naming the core routines of its GUI OS for 8-bit home computers: the GEOS KERNAL.

Thanks for the video Noel! It inspired me checking for the latest version of the EPROM programmers software which really had an updated version that supports even more chips and it also had a firmware update for the programmer itself, very cool! And btw I also call it Kernal with an A :-) Best wishes, Michael

They even made a backronym later for KERNAL, claiming it stands for "Keyboard Entry Read, Network, And Link". It comes from the PET era, not the VIC-20 IIRC. GEOS later also picked up this naming and carried it to other micros. Anyway, it got so stuck with us Commodore 8 bit kids of the time, that when many moons later I got to learn about the Linux kernel, I guessed it was spelled wrong for whatever reason. :)

TY NOAL

I wish we could download all you know of retro computers into my head, you are so knowledgeable. Thank you Noel for everything you teach me.

Thanks for explaining the topic with the pins and the sockets :-) Good Video!

As always nice video Noel!... thanks for the introduction of the ROM adapter board.. and yes... I agreed the Amstrad CPC and Spectrum example..

very good as always!!!!!!!!!!

I've always wondered why kernAl - thanks for the explanation!

"Kern" in german means "Core" in english (or "seed" if it comes to fruit). With the "AL" attached, it *could* have ment "Assembly Library".. Well "Core Assembly Library" sounds at least nice, so I guess calling this most important thing on the VIC/C64 simply "KERNAL" was intentional.

Awesome work, never really noticed the spelling of kernal until I saw it spelt the proper way on the unix platform, I've always spelt it with AL (probably because of where I saw it as well) so I'm not changing it now. Love the history!

Short but sweet! Nice start into a Friday evening. :-)

Sometimes a small change is adopted by everyone (kernal vs kernel), and sometimes a small change is NOT adopted by everyone (gigawatts vs "jiggawatts").

Awesome video Noel !

Just a random note: gate array is actually a far more common term for ICs of that type than ULA.

Another interesting video

Thank you for such a nice video Noel. With all the new replacements for the dying NOS, this idea is great.

Hello Noel, another great video. Have you tested the ROM with your Backbit tester?

Of course, the Amstrad Gate Array isn't actually a ULA, because ULA was a trademarked term belonging to Ferranti, and the CPC didn't use a Ferranti part.

Seriously, are you watching my pending to release videos? 🤪I literally made a video last week where I tried dumping a 2364 with the TL866 and indeed no luck. I ended up making a reader with an Arduino mega. That vide will be released on 14-01-2022

I enjoyed video, as always! It's great to see update for interesting questions.. 👍 Now I know, that ROM died completely and in VIC it's called KERNAL with intention. 😉

The only certainties in life are death, taxes... and having to explain to people that Commodore really did spell it "KERNAL." ;-)

The LCD of the Retro Chip Tester wasn't visible well and I automatically tried to tilt my phone to get a better view. (Didn't work of course 😂) I hope not I'm the only one!

Noel, I found that you have one t-shirt for each microcomputer model. So how many different computer t-shirts do you have?

You can also write it down as "colonel". The pronunciation is the same with both of the other ones, either way: Be it "kernel", "Kernal or even "Kermit the frog"...

I bet they spelled it that way because they liked having their own version of it to differentiate.

how about to program the rom itself again?

Noel... I have an Early VIC-20 (PET Keyboard) that has me stumped.. I've swapped all of the swap-able chips...and it still is not working correctly.. I have absolutely no idea what is causing its issue! I do get a screen in Black and White somewhat...and I can barely see that the computer is working and the 6502 is working...because I do get a Ready prompt....but the screen has a "run away" vertical hold... which also has me stumped.. I swapped out the VIC 6560 chip with a working one and it still does the same thing... If you want to use it for a repair video, I can send it to you... It's repair would make for an excellent video. Just message me. I would pay you for any repair parts and the repair of course. This one has me beat! I can't figure this one out... Tony K., Melbourne, Florida (U.S.A.)..... Love your channel... ;)

It's spelled, "Colonel".

Hah, that paint chip on the radiator is probably caused by falling tools

Wow, that Kernal failed really bad - like many bits at once.

Anybody who objects to the spelling of Kernal with "A" hasn't been working on Commodores for very long.

Those engineers had a dream of running a space program some day on vic20 :)

The KERNAL is a kernel but to be polite you should call things by their proper given name doing otherwise would be rude

Keyboard Entry Read, Network, And Link ---> KERNAL

Kernal is a name, not a description, and those not in the know will always make the mistake and attempt to correct. Kernal is the name of the Commodore OS and nothing more. There are rumors about typos etc, but that's all they are, just rumors. Technically though, it's not even close to what a kernel is anyway. It is more of a BIOS than a kernel. So the name Kernal is ambiguous and wishful thinking.