May 2025 - cctalk - classiccmp.org

by Steve Lewis

Per the link below, it mentions a reference manual to IBM's BASIC for the System/3 as part number GC34-0001-1 but that no digital copies are known to exist. https://manx-docs.org/details.php/19,11119 I know at VCF East they've been trying to restore one of these. Not sure if any functional system still exists (especially probably not the Model 6 with CRT and disk drive). Anyway, if anyone happens to have the physical manual described above, I'm just curious if in the first few pages was it publication date? (before or after 1970?) Also - since IBM went out of their way to re-use the BASIC from the System/3, does that imply there was never a variation of BASIC written for the IBM 360/370? (asking because from my understanding, the System/3 was a lot more difficult to program and operate -- and yet someone wrote a BASIC interpreter for it). -Steve

6 days, 22 hours

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Skype

by Murray McCullough

It is with some sadness to here of Skype's demise even though MS owned it. It's not necessarily on topic of 'ancient' personal computing but then again maybe it is! Happy computing, Murray 🙂

1 week

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Summer house keeping.

by Jerry Wright

I have some more thing to move out of my shop. These are in Kent Washington. most are too big to ship. Hp 1000f 2117f computer. Lots of boards. Unknown condition. looks good. 400.00Hp 2753a Paper Tape 100.00Hp 7906 drive 200.00 HP 7970e Tape HPIB interface in cabinet 100.00HP 7970B tape 50.00 HP 9000/380 in Desk side Cabinet with drives and Hi-Res graphics 250.00 Intel 310 development system 200.00 General Automation computer 100.00 HP K-210 server works with drives in a Rack Free Sun 4-260 desk side computer. No drives. missing top cover. did boot 200.00 Dec 11/44 loaded with boards in Rack, comes with 2) RA-80's, 1) TU80 in 42" rackHas 2 RA81 and 2 RA 91 drives.( loose), + a second 42" cabinet, with a 11/44 chassis, (no Boards) with a Power supply. (mint) Computer has booted in the past, but now has 12v power supply issues 600.00 Dec 11/34 Chassis and Boards 300.00 Nova 3 Chassis, Front panel and Boards 450.00 Nova 4 Chassis and boards 200.00 3 DG Desk Top computers. made out of modular units connected together like model 10/20 Style 50.00 each Altos 486, 586, 5-15AD desk tops computers 50.00 each Private Mail please with questions and or requests. most have not been turned on. Some have but years ago. All stored in a heated shop. - Jerryg-wright(a)att.net

1 week, 1 day

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VMR question for RSX11M and DECnet CEX

by Peter Ekstrom

I am putting together a PDP-11/23 and have a working RSX-11M 4.4 OS running in simh while I wait for a few parts. I want DECnet as well. I have the 4.7 kit and have done a netgen, but I can't install it because I don't have the CEXPAR partition in my system image. I have gone over the VMR command in the manual a few times and tried various things to try and create the partition in my image, but have not been successful. I assume (from looking in the manuals) that I either need to create that partition in my image, or make room for it? The netgen process has the defaults of 113500 as the base and 4300 as the size. VMR complains about 'non-existing memory' for the base and if I try the wild card I get 'alignment error'. I have 512KW of memory that I plan to use in the real machine, so simh is configured with that as well. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. -Peter

1 week, 2 days

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Uploading PDFs to Bitsavers

by Christian Liendo

I'm sorry if this has been asked before. How can I send PDFs to Bitsavers? I know I cannot just FTP and create a directory. I am looking on the website but I am probably not reading what is right in front of me. Any help would be appreciated.

1 week, 2 days

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Wang TTL BASIC

by Steve Lewis

Is anyone out there familiar with the Wang 2200 BASIC? Of about 1973/1974 C. Corti, I think you still have one of these complete and runnable? My question is, was its basically really "built" using TTL logic/chips? The system didn't really have a microprocessor (neither did the early Alto, right?) I recall that system had many boards, the whole "CPU" box was external to the monitor (and in the earliest versions, the power supply was also a large external box). I can't really fathom creating a BASIC out of raw TTL, or maybe I'm misunderstanding the approach. -Steve

2 weeks

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Wang TTL BASIC

by Bob Yates

Schematics for your viewing pleasure. More detailed information can be found in other parts of the website. https://www.wang2200.org/schematics.html

2 weeks, 2 days

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PDP-11 hardware clock

by Peter Ekstrom

Hello PDP-11 Gurus, I am looking for a better time-keeping alternative than the LTC in my PDP-11/23-PLUS. Is the KWV11-C card the best option for that or are there other options? I have looked around a bit and have seen some other RTC boards but don't know if they would work. -Peter

2 weeks, 2 days

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Re: Looking for an IF-20 interface for an Brother AX-45 typewriter

by Stefaan Ponnet

I'm attempting to interface with the 15-pin connector on the AX-45. I'm assuming it uses a similar protocol as the IF-50 / IF-30 interface which has been described in other forums https://forum.classic-computing.de/forum/index.php?thread/29023-panasonic-r… and has a working interface emulation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UJ5cyvNC_M I opened up the typewriter and traced the pins of the 15-pin centronics connector. So far I came up with this pin 1 : GND pin 2 : connected to the IC + has a pulldown resistor pin 3 : GND pin 4 : connected to the IC + has a pulldown resistor pin 5 : GND pin 6 : connected to the IC + has a pulldown resistor pin 7 : GND pin 8 : N/C pin 9 : N/C pin 10 : connected, but haven't been able to trace yet pin 11 : connected, but haven't been able to trace yet pin 12 : connected, but haven't been able to trace yet pin 13: N/C pin 14: N/C pin 15: N/C Probably these pins map to DATA CS CLK and ACK But this is still a work in progress - If we can figure out how to get the typewriter to listen to our commands we're one step closer to getting it to print.

2 weeks, 3 days

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Re: Wang TTL BASIC

by cclist＠sydex.com

The Packard-Bell PB440 (1963) was microprogrammable: https://bitsavers.org/pdf/packardBell/PB-440/SP-149A_PB-440_microprogrammin… Various earlier systems used microprogram-like techniques, but I don't know how many were earlier than PB in their use of the word. Was the PB-250's floating point microprogrammed? --Chuck

2 weeks, 3 days

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