Hey all, I came across an OS called MPX for the IBM 1800 system.
bitsavers has some documentation, but again I was hoping to get some sense
(or photo) of what it "looked like" - process control list, disk/memory
resource, or how one might interact or "run" FORTRAN on it.
My understanding is the 1800 was basically an upright (fridge-style)
version of the 1130?
MPX is described as supporting both real-time and background processing. A
main use case seems to be in factory automation (power plants, oil
refineries, steel mills).
Per this article, it looks like there was an effort to make a PC (x86) port
of this MPX around 1989.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/65294.71219
(to me, making it a comtemporary to MINIX)
Searching for IBM MPX info is confused since it looks like CDC had an MPX
OS in the 1980s, and Microsoft more recently had some components called MPX
(along with Intel once upon a time having MPX instructions). So it's a
fairly overloaded term.
Around the year 2000, there was an interview with Ray Gwinn (developer of
high performance SIO drivers for OS/2) - in there, he describes using MPX
on an 1800, as early as 1968.
bitsavers main MPX archive doc is a 5th adition from 1970.
Not urgent, was just a curiosity. I didn't see MPX mentioned in this epic
IBM OS discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip0cQiQjd18
Maybe IBM MPX got overshadowed by the RSX-11 systems - but there are claim
that IBM 1800's being in use as recently as 2010.
-Steve
Tandy Assembly is Oct 2-4. Anyone planning to attend this year? I am going
to get a hall pass from the old battleaxe. The airline prices are really
good right now, for me at least.
I am going to be a sponsor.
Daniel
sysop | Air & Wave BBS
finger | calcmandan(a)bbs.erb.pw
*Just a reminder*
The next Glen Ellyn CCC chat and repair meeting will be held on March
28th, 2026.
Anytime after 2PM until we all get to tired to solder and talk.
We will order Pizza around 5:30pm.
As usual Beer and Pop will be provided.
I look forward to seeing you all there.
385 Saint Charles Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
+1 (773) 414-1044 (Cell)
*Just a reminder*
The next Glen Ellyn CCC chat and repair meeting will be held on March
28th, 2026.
Anytime after 2PM until we all get to tired to solder and talk.
We will order Pizza around 5:30pm.
As usual Beer and Pop will be provided.
I look forward to seeing you all there.
385 Saint Charles Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
+1 (773) 414-1044 (Cell)
Hello all,
I am at a bit of a loss. Looking to repair a dos computer that runs a big
cnc machine. I need to load some kind of packet driver, so that the pc tcp
software from the company "ftp software" can be loaded. Another supporting
machine passes data to this machine to drive the machine.
Attached are some screenshots. Original card was a pci etherexpress 100.
The packet driver used is in the screenshots attached.
I no longer have a intel card, is there a way to just drop in any old pci
card and make it work with the tcp ip software?
I am trying to better understand, as i have not done much work with packet
drivers. I will post back with some more info. Any help much appriciated.
--Devin D.
