Tektronix

8550

Research Quality: 20% complete

The Tektronix 8550 is a microprocessor development system. The 8550, along with the 8540 and 8560, supported many 8-bit and 16-bit microprocessor types, with a change of emulator cards and probes. The 8550 did not require any particular code to be linked in to the user's code to facilitate register tracing at breakpoints.^[1]

Fig. — Manufacturer logo, not a photo of this toolWikimedia Commons (see file page for license)

What is it?

The Tektronix 8550 is part of the 8540/8550/8560 family of microprocessor development systems. The 8550 supported many 8-bit and 16-bit microprocessor types, with a change of emulator cards and probes, and installation of assembler and possibly compiler software. A notable feature was that a special instruction sequence could generate a 'Service Call' to take whatever action the user required, allowing for advanced debugging.

What do the numbers mean?

Control & software1

Software: assembler and possibly compiler software^[1]

Configuration & options4

Microprocessor support: many 8-bit and 16-bit microprocessor types^[1]
Emulator hardware: emulator cards and probes^[1]
Register tracing: did not require particular code linked in to facilitate register tracing at breakpoints^[1]
Special instruction: special instruction sequence, typically a double NOP followed by a call to a specific address, generated a Service Call^[1]

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What replaced it?

siblingTektronix 8560— Part of the same microprocessor development system familysource^[1]

Where are the manuals?

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Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Not publicly documented

The following facts about the 8550 are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement
No publicly documented variants, configuration options, or revision breakpoints of the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM product catalog or an engineer who ordered or specified the tool
The control-system platform and OS era of the 8550 are not on record.
Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records
No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician
No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the 8550 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer