test-drb December 1998

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

168 participants
844 discussions

by erd＠infinet.com

> > have a pile of mac IIci cache cards, if interested email. have no use > for them. > > -Eric I might be interested. How much for one? How much for three? Thanks, -ethan

25 years, 7 months

A few notes

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

Just a couple of things, first I got a great book for collectors by Stan Veit called Stan Veit's History of The Personal Computer full of stories and lots of pictures. I got it off eBay for $3 and it's brand new, the guy had 1000 of them and only asked for $3 his email is ralph(a)abooks.com I highly recommend this book for your collections'. Second I got over 160 new items in the last few weeks for my collection and one of the more interesting items was a Sony SMC-70 that is silver in color and has a black metal monitor stand mounted to it that is adjustable, has ver 10 ports on it for hooking all sorts of items like light pen and key pads. It has a RS232 Interface unit mounted on the rear of it. This unit and a CPT6100 complete with all manuals and software and a printer were given to me for free. People have started telling others about me collecting and get 1 or 2 calls every two weeks for these to pickup for free and very little cost. I know I said 2 comments but it's been awhile since I have shared my finds with everyone so here is one more, a Tektronix unit taken from a rack system with a type RM564 Storage Oscilloscope a type 2B67 Time Base and type 2A60 Amplifier all in one unit for $5. Once I finish my web page you will be able to see a complete list of my collection. Keep Computing John

25 years, 7 months

Help needed with a PDP-11

by geoffrob＠stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au

I found this plea in comp.sys.dec, he seems to have had no response, so I thought I'd throw it in for the experts here. If anyone can help him, please contact this guy direct. Quote: I acquired a PDP11/04 last week. It's my first UNIBUS -11, so I don't really know how to get it working again... The machine is in a BA-11KA drawer (rev m, eco 0015; the whole machine was labeled "LANDIS & GYR VISIONIX 4000). It has two DD-11DK system units (only the first is used), with the following cards in it: M7263, 2 x M7856, 32K core, M9312, M7262, M9302, G727A. I know what these cards are, my problem is that I don't know this backplane enough, and I don't know what to expect from the system. After I got the machine, I cleaned it, examined the cards for anything strange - haven't found anything. Then I put back the cards, in the order they were originally (there were stickers on the side of the chassis showing the modules' places). One of the DL11W's is configured as the console (at the proper address; also at 110 baud, 5 data bits, odd parity, 2 stop bits, active current lopp Rx, passive Tx), it has a BC05C-25 cable leading out of the chassis. I checked with a multimeter (I haven't got a scope, and even if I'd have, I'm not familiar with it), there's _something_ on the DB25F connector. Right now I have two choices: to get the DL11W working with an EIA-interfaced CRT terminal) to see if the CPU is working, or check this some different way (without a scope that is; am I beeing impatient?:) The machine has the simple "frontpanel": OFF/ON/STDBY, RUN/HALT, BOOT/INIT switches, RUN and DCOK LED. So my questions: 1. what are the settings for a EIA console on a DL11W? I've tried to set 9600, 8N1 according the manuals, but I don't know what to do next, about the current loop interface, about the cable (nullmodem? straight? with modem control?), as I still have nothing on the VT (and I know that this could be my fault...) 2. How do I know if the CPU is really running? (the DCOK LED is on, and if I switch "RUN", the RUN LED lights up, but does this really reflects the state of the CPU and the bus? There's the RL controller on the bus, when the drives are connected to it, and are switched on, the RL01's "FAULT" light turn off (I was told the drives need timing signals from the controller; they get it as I interpret this behaviour), but that's about everything I know from the cards in the chassis. Is there a safe method to see if the bus is okay, like pulling out cards and/or moving them around? I don't want to mess something up with all these modified/SPC slots... Thanks for your time! / ___ _ _ ___ ____ ___ ___ /__//__///_///__ / /_ / ) Varga Akos Endre hamster(a)telnet.hu / // // /___/ / /__ / ( www.telnet.hu/hamster/english.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Museum" http://www.internetto.hu/muzeum/e_kiallitas.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- End Quote. Geoff Roberts Computer Systems Manager Saint Marks College Port Pirie South Australia. My ICQ# is 1970476 Ph. 61-411-623-978 (Mobile) 61-8-8633-0619 (Home) 61-8-8633-8834 (Work-Direct) 61-8-8633-0104 (Fax)

25 years, 7 months

FW: Problems with a PDP-11/04

by kyrrin＠my-dejanews.com

Could someone a little smarter on 11/04's than I am please give this fellow a hand? Thanks in advance. -=-=- <snip> -=-=- On Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:22:51 GMT, in alt.sys.pdp11 you wrote: >>From: hamster(a)telnet.hu >>Newsgroups: alt.sys.pdp11 >>Subject: Problems with a PDP-11/04 >>Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:22:51 GMT >>Organization: Deja News - The Leader in Internet Discussion >>Lines: 54 >>Message-ID: <74qh8b$vl3$1(a)nnrp1.dejanews.com> >>NNTP-Posting-Host: 194.149.0.154 >>X-Article-Creation-Date: Fri Dec 11 07:22:51 1998 GMT >>X-Http-User-Agent: Mozilla/3.04Gold (X11; I; Linux 2.0.34 i586) >>X-Http-Proxy: 1.0 proxy.datanet.hu:3128 (Squid/1.1.22), 1.0 x14.dejanews.com:80 (Squid/1.1.22) for client 195.56.133.225, 194.149.0.154 >>Path: blushng.jps.net!news.pbi.net!151.142.220.3!WCG!feed1.news.rcn.net!rcn!news.maxwell.syr.edu!nntp2.dejanews.com!nnrp1.dejanews.com!not-for-mail >> >>I post this message for the second time, as I haven't seen the first try >>in any of the groups I posted it to... :-( >> >>I acquired a PDP11/04 last week. It's my first UNIBUS -11, so I don't >>really know how to get it working again... >>The machine is in a BA-11KA drawer (rev m, eco 0015; the whole machine >>was labeled "LANDIS & GYR VISIONIX 4000). It has two DD-11DK system >>units (only the first is used), with the following cards in it: >>M7263, 2 x M7856, 32K core, M9312, M7262, M9302, G727A. I know what these >>cards are, my problem is that I don't know this backplane enough, and I >>don't know what to expect from the system. After I >>got the machine, I cleaned it, examined the cards for anything strange - >>haven't found anything. Then I put back the cards, in the order they were >>originally (there were stickers on the side of the chassis showing the >>modules' places). One of the DL11W's is configured as the console (at the >>proper address; also at 110 baud, 5 data bits, odd parity, 2 stop bits, >>active current lopp Rx, passive Tx), it has a BC05C-25 cable leading >>out of the chassis. I checked with a multimeter (I haven't got a scope, >>and even if I'd have, I'm not familiar with it), there's _something_ >>on the DB25F connector. Right now I have two choices: to get the DL11W >>working with an EIA-interfaced CRT terminal) to see if the CPU is working, >>or check this some different way (without a scope that is; am I beeing >>impatient?:) The machine has the simple "frontpanel": OFF/ON/STDBY, >>RUN/HALT, BOOT/INIT switches, RUN and DCOK LED. >>So my questions: >> >>1. what are the settings for a EIA console on a DL11W? I've tried to set >>9600, 8N1 according the manuals, but I don't know what to do next, about >>the current loop interface, about the cable (nullmodem? straight? with >>modem control?), as I still have nothing on the VT (and I know that this >>could be my fault...) >> >>2. How do I know if the CPU is really running? (the DCOK LED is on, and if >>I switch "RUN", the RUN LED lights up, but does this really reflects the >>state of the CPU and the bus? There's the RL controller on the bus, when >>the drives are connected to it, and are switched on, the RL01's "FAULT" >>light turn off (I was told the drives need timing signals from the >>controller; they get it as I interpret this behaviour), but that's about >>everything I know from the cards in the chassis. Is there a safe method to >>see if the bus is okay, like pulling out cards and/or moving them around? >>I don't want to mess something up with all these modified/SPC slots... >> >>Thanks for your time! >> >> / ___ _ _ ___ ____ ___ ___ >> /__//__///_///__ / /_ / ) Varga Akos Endre hamster(a)telnet.hu >>/ // // /___/ / /__ / ( www.telnet.hu/hamster/english.html >>----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> "Museum" http://www.internetto.hu/muzeum/e_kiallitas.html >>----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >>-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- >>http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies -- kyrrin (at) bluefeathertech [dot] com Web: http://www.bluefeathertech.com "...No matter how we may wish otherwise, our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own human terms. It cannot possibly define any of them..."

25 years, 7 months

Dr. Dobbs..

by ddameron＠earthlink.net

At 10:22 PM 12/9/98 -0800, Sam wrote: >Never heard of either "Computer Hobbyist" or "Amateur Computer Society" >but I'd love to trade copies of those for copies of what I have. > >Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Always being hassled by the man. > > Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0 > See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! > [Last web site update: 12/07/98] > The "Amateur Computer Society" was started in 1966 and ran to the early/mid 1970's? It was done in Conn. by a Stephen Gray. Here is a summary of the 10 "Computer Hobbyist" issues. It was started in Nov. 1974 by Hal Chamberlin and others in Cary, NC. Issue 1, Nov 1974: A graphics display for the 8008. (Vector graphics, overview) A modified version was printed later in BYTE by Steve Ciarcia, still using a 8008 system as a refresh controller for his main system, Digital Group? Issue 2, Dec. 1974 Graphics display, part 2: hardware. The 8080 is here. (The issue was written on an 8008 system with a floppy disk) Issue 3, Jan 1975 Graphics display, part 3: deflection hardware, CRT's. Displays include musical notes, schematics, a chess board + sw routine. No. 4, Feb 1975 Subscriber's survey (hardware) Human interface for graphics display. 8008 vs 8080 vs IMP-16. No. 5, March/April 1975 Audio cassette data recording, part 1, description, schematic. Computer snowflake display (Uses 32 bit shift register random number gen). No. 6, May, 1975 Audio cassette standard, part 2, parts, pc board. Add a data stack to your 8008 (Also in BYTE Mag.) No. 7 Audio cassette software, CRC routines , etc. Computer ping-pong. No. 8 Interfacing the Altair 8800 bus. No. 9, Feb. 1976 Simple floppy disk interface, formats, description. IMP-16 microcomputer system. Interfacing the Altair, part 2. No. 10, August, 1976 Floppy disk interface, part 2. Pictures from first Trenton Computerfest (Part 3 of the floppy interface = software was going to be next...) -Dave

25 years, 7 months

Oral History Questions

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< I can't imagine any sensible reason for making them default to edge-sens < the 8259 is very flexible and can be configured either way. I can only < surmise that they had no clue and decided by flipping coins or throwing < darts. Sounds about right. Sharing can be done but the drivers have to have a local pull down and be logically open collector(or emitter). Of course you can reprogram the 8259a too. Allison

25 years, 7 months

Oral History Questions

by dcoward＠pressstart.com

Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)ricochet.net> said: >I have a chance to speak with the designers of some of the machines in my >collection. But other than the basic "when was it intro'd, what are the >specs, what did it cost" stuff, what should I ask? My two favorite questions would be: Do you know who currently owns the rights to the software and documentation for XYZ computer? And to the owner of those rights: Have you ever considered releasing the rights to the public domain? ========================================= Doug Coward Press Start Inc. Sunnyvale,CA =========================================

25 years, 7 months

Looking for group archive

by DaveyGF＠aol.com

Kevin's archive is nice, but it is very difficult to search for what you want (by keyword for instance) on a web based threaded archive as he has set it up. I just grabbed the archived files from classiccmp's file area. try sending a message to: listproc(a)u.washington.edu the body should read: info classiccmp

25 years, 7 months

Digital Group photo from VCF

by mark_metzler＠xoommail.com

Eric Smith: >The machine I purchased should be here next week. I've >started a web page >at > >http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/retrocomputing/the_digital_gr >oup/ Great! I have a photo of some Digital group memory boards on my webpage.(Its a lousy photo, that I'm about to take again.) I'll add a link to your page :) --- Mark Metzler VON NEUMANN MACHINES Online Computer History Bookstore/Museum http://home.pacbell.net/mmetzler/vnm.html ______________________________________________________ Get your free web-based email at http://www.xoom.com Special clipart offer: http://orders.xoom.com/email

25 years, 7 months

Top 10 Holy Grails of Classic Microcomputer Collecting

by fmc＠reanimators.org

Doug Yowza <yowza(a)yowza.com> wrote: > I've always wanted to know which machines have only a single instance > represented on this list. Hmm, any other HP9000 series 500 owners out there? (I have a 520, but would like to hear from anyone who has any FOCUS-architecture 9000s.) -Frank McConnell

25 years, 7 months

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test-drb December 1998