Today I came across an obituary of Lynn Conway, computer pioneer in the
field of VLSI(along with Carver Mead) and also in one called dynamic
instruction scheduling(used in supercomputing world). More to the point
Conway was transgender and suffered for this, an almost forgotten pioneer
in the microcomputing and supercomputing fields. Also, as a researcher at
IBM and Xerox Parc where she contributed to the first years of
microcomputing, the GUI and Ethernet protocol development. Eventually the
IEEE recognized her contributions as did IBM - better late than never!
Murray 🙂
Tickets for VCF West 2024 Aug 2 & 3, Mountain View, CA
The show is looking to be bigger than ever!
We will again be at The Computer History Museum.
Tickets available through this link:
https://buy.acmeticketing.com/events/499/list
Existing VCF Members were emailed the coupon code for their 20% discount.
New members can email us after creating their membership to get the code.
I case anyone is interested...
I've just passed on my "Mits Altair 8800" - this is a very historic system
from the 70s - it is:
First Personal Computer (long before IBM PC)
First S100 buss system
First system Bill Gates wrote code for (long before Microsoft)
I did write a pretty decent emulator for my exact Altair system some years
ago...
And with recent interest in the system, I've just updated it with a few
minor
improvements and a "cleaned up" edition of the software I created to
bootstrap
a hardware front-panel based system (no on-board ROM) via a serial port card
- requiring you to enter only 18 bytes through the front panel
So .. if you'd like to experience what it was like to use a system from the
70s - here's some of the things you can do:
Bootstrap it cold
Run NorthStar DOS (one of the first commercial DOSes)
Run DMF (Device Management Facility) - a DOS I created for it
- can you tell that at the time I was working on an IBM mainframe ... my
- OS name sounds a lot like various IBM mainframe packages at the time.
A few other software setups (for example there's a stand-alone bootable
FORTH)
Has Editors, Assemblers, BASIC and other tools from the era.
and a few games - some written by yours truly - some very early commercial
offerings (like "Cranston Manor Adventure", or "Valdez")
Note1: My Altair emulator was created under DOS and is a 16 bit program!
It does work very well with DosBox (I recommend the one on my site)
Note2: I've not updated the ALTAIR.ZIP on "Daves Old Computers" yet - you
can get the updated one from:
"Daves Old Computers" -> Personal -> Downloads ->
OlderDownloadsFromPrevious
- look for "ALTAIR" under: Simulators and Emulators
*** I don't follow this list nearly as much these days - if you want to
reach me, use the contact link on my site!
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Search "Dave's Old Computers" see "my personal" at bottom!
Seems this eBay seller let the magic smoke get out, then proceeded to power
it on again one hour later.
Litton Monroe OC 8820
https://www.ebay.com/itm/355793400092
See the description..
Don Resor
Hi,
Just got a real (Cipher M990 on TS05-emulating controller) tape drive
running and would like to make exact copies of some [9-track] tapes "to
guard against disaster." Probably will also do some imaging, so bonus if
the candidate program can handle that too.
This is on an 11/34; I don't have a good q-bus tape controller yet or I'd
try it on uVAX with NetBSD or something less "exciting" :)
Anyone know of good programs to do this with only one tape drive? Don't
care which operating system.
Been looking through DECUS archives but have found nothing yet (manually
reading thru - 1/3 of the way done, maybe there's a better way to scan
these?).
thx
jake
I was given a Remex RRS3300RB5/550/DRA/S358 back around 1999. This 300cps machine uses a capstan and brake instead of a sprocket. The 180ips spooler is AC motors, triacs, brakes, tension arms loaded with microswitches (including a discrete differentiator), six relays, and a soft-start ramp. In spite of the ramp, the spooler was murderous, snapping tape after tape. After some modifications and adjustments I got it working pretty well, but I don't like that I had to change it.
I never found a manual, and it has always bugged me. Does anyone here have anything?
I have a manual for the RRS3301 which has a similar reader section but the spooler (my sore spot) is completely different.
I have a manual for the RTS3300 S239 which is a custom-mod to fit in GE CNC systems of the time. It has no reader electronics, and a spooler that shows common ancestry but again it's not like mine.
Thanks,
Dave Wise in Hillsboro Oregon
To be specific, I made two changes and found a set of resistor settings that treats the tape gently.
The changes are (a) eliminate continuous takeup during the startup ramp, (b) block the transition to full speed. The soft start board simply ramps up to maximum and stays there.
I made it easy to back these changes out if I ever find out how to make the instrument behave in stock trim.
What is my 358 custom mod?
