Ok, how do you open the top of a RL01 drive? someone mentioned removing that
little plate on the right side, but when I do that i dont see anything
resembling an unlocking mechanism. The latch on top appears to be locked
somehow, since i cant seem to move it.
-Lawrence LeMay
I had a bigger problem... A drive lid that always opened! One day (you know
where I am going...) I OPENED the lid and tried to remove a pack while it
was spinning... Not happy.. Lost that RSTS/E pack.
I really like running RK05s..
john
-----Original Message-----
From: CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com <CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, October 22, 1999 8:37 PM
Subject: Re: opening a Rl01 drive
>>Thanks, now I know how it works ;)
>
>Yeah, well, leave it to me to overlook the actual question and make
>it much harder than it really is :-).
>
>I have come across *several* RL01/2 drives through the years where the
>latch mechanism didn't work properly because someone had tried to
>pry the lid open (usually by wedging something in the crack in the
>front.) This isn't kind to the little latch mechanism, and my worst-case
>fear is that it's damaged beyond recognition.
>
>Tim.
>
>Thanks, now I know how it works ;)
Yeah, well, leave it to me to overlook the actual question and make
it much harder than it really is :-).
I have come across *several* RL01/2 drives through the years where the
latch mechanism didn't work properly because someone had tried to
pry the lid open (usually by wedging something in the crack in the
front.) This isn't kind to the little latch mechanism, and my worst-case
fear is that it's damaged beyond recognition.
Tim.
>>> I choose to power it up, and I was able to open the top door. However,
>>> the FAULT light stays on, i cant lock the cover down anymore, and
>>> I can remove the disk pack (just lift the handle?). I'm chosing to leave
>>> the RL01 powered up for a little while, in case the electronics havent
>>> been powered on for a while, but I doubt that wil fix this problem.
>>I meant to say i CANT remove the disk pack.
>*Oh*.
Double-Oh: now I realize where you're at. You see the pack, you lift
the handle, but it doesn't come out. Well, this one's easy:
Start with the handle in the *down* position, against the pack.
You see the little semi-circular notch on the right-hand side of the
middle of the handle? Put your right thumb there. It's a little
slide mechanism, you push it to the left. Now, keeping the slide
slid to the left, you lift the handle.
It should "feel" different than before you slid the slide, and you'll
hear a ker-klunk as a lever mechanism disengages the magnetic hold-down
on the pack. Lift, and put the pack in its lid!.
Do the same to remove the lid from a pack.
Occasionally, you'll run across packs where the little slide mechanism
that operates the lever action is damaged, and there you've just got to
pull hard to get the pack out!
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
>> I choose to power it up, and I was able to open the top door. However,
>> the FAULT light stays on, i cant lock the cover down anymore, and
>> I can remove the disk pack (just lift the handle?). I'm chosing to leave
>> the RL01 powered up for a little while, in case the electronics havent
>> been powered on for a while, but I doubt that wil fix this problem.
>I meant to say i CANT remove the disk pack.
*Oh*. Do you hear a "click" roughly 20 seconds after applying power
to the drive? That's the lid latch solenoid. The "click" means that
you can open it now.
If you hear the "click" but still can't operate the open-cover latch,
this is likely because the long piece of nylon line that connects the
button to the latch is out of whack. (Or just plain broken!)
Can you slide the button back and forth? If you feel *no* resistance,
then the nylon line is probably broken. If you still can't move the sliding
button at all, then the latch mechanism is screwed up. Some previous
fellow may have tried too enthusiastically to move the slide when he
shouldn't have, and bent or notched something out of whack. It's also
possible for the latch mechanism itself, the other end of the nylon string,
is broken/bent.
If you don't hear the click, there may be a power supply or logic
board problem.
In *any* event, if you loosen the four screws holding the plastic
panel on top at the rear of the drive, you can lift up the *entire*
top cover quite handily and see what's going on.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
I think you did not slide the thumb release on the handle before you lifted the
handle to remove the pack.
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com <CLASSICCMP(a)trailing-edge.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, October 22, 1999 8:13 PM
Subject: Re: opening a Rl01 drive
>>> I choose to power it up, and I was able to open the top door. However,
>>> the FAULT light stays on, i cant lock the cover down anymore, and
>>> I can remove the disk pack (just lift the handle?). I'm chosing to leave
>>> the RL01 powered up for a little while, in case the electronics havent
>>> been powered on for a while, but I doubt that wil fix this problem.
>
>>I meant to say i CANT remove the disk pack.
>
>*Oh*. Do you hear a "click" roughly 20 seconds after applying power
>to the drive? That's the lid latch solenoid. The "click" means that
>you can open it now.
>
>If you hear the "click" but still can't operate the open-cover latch,
>this is likely because the long piece of nylon line that connects the
>button to the latch is out of whack. (Or just plain broken!)
>Can you slide the button back and forth? If you feel *no* resistance,
>then the nylon line is probably broken. If you still can't move the sliding
>button at all, then the latch mechanism is screwed up. Some previous
>fellow may have tried too enthusiastically to move the slide when he
>shouldn't have, and bent or notched something out of whack. It's also
>possible for the latch mechanism itself, the other end of the nylon string,
>is broken/bent.
>
>If you don't hear the click, there may be a power supply or logic
>board problem.
>
>In *any* event, if you loosen the four screws holding the plastic
>panel on top at the rear of the drive, you can lift up the *entire*
>top cover quite handily and see what's going on.
>
>--
> Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
> Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
> 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
> Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
>I choose to power it up, and I was able to open the top door. However,
>the FAULT light stays on, i cant lock the cover down anymore, and
>I can remove the disk pack (just lift the handle?). I'm chosing to leave
>the RL01 powered up for a little while, in case the electronics havent
>been powered on for a while, but I doubt that wil fix this problem.
>
>Note, the drive isnt conected to any computer at this time, its just
>powered up.
Yep - if the drive isn't getting the clock signal from the bus interface
module in the computer (this is used to synchronize the spin rate, among
other things), it'll light up its fault light and refuse to do anything.
At least you know that the "fault" light works! When one of the other
bulbs goes bad, the "fault" light is usually the first one cannibalized
because it's so rarely on.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
Having read through the discussion, I sat down and sketched out some "flip
chip" type designs. Units of logic that could be wired together to create
the CPU. When I did this I was striving for a fairly universal design so,
as John put it, we could have a whole bunch made and get the benefit of
volume manufacturing.
Well, not too suprisingly (ask the right question, get the same answer) I
was about halfway through my sketched out design when I realized I was
duplicating something I had seen in a databook, a Xilinx databook to be
precise.
The flip chips are the "CLB"s (Complex Logic Blocks) of your standard gate
array design. The backplane is the interconnects.
The problem is reduced to the complexity of implementing the FPGA
architecture and then having the tools send out wrap lists rather than
routing configs :-)
--Chuck
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, October 22, 1999 2:49 PM
Subject: Re: OT: how big would it be?
>> I liked Hans's suggestion (which I have now deleted, alas) of a museum
exhibit
>> with three identical computers, but with processor as single chip, board
of
>> gates, and rack of trannies for comparison. It does provide a service
that you
>> couldn't get another way...
>>
>> ... or could you? Didn't PDP8 come in all three versions?
>
>Yes it did, but there were _slight_ differences in the instruction set
>IIRC (rather like the differences in the PDP11 instruction set between
>similar-ish models).
>
>But having a straight-8, a PDP8/e and a DECmate all running side by side
>would be an interesting exhibit. Pity I can't do it...
>
>If we consider calculators for a moment, you can get 2 out of the 3
>machines by :
>
>Casio AL1000 (discrete transistor, programmable, not scientific)
>Casio AL2000 (ICs, much the same functionality as the AL1000)
>???? (All-in-one-chip equivalent)
>
>Or :
>
>HP9100 (discrete transistors, programmable, scientific)
>??? (Equivalemt with simple ICs)
>HP65 (Almost the same functionality in a handheld)
>
>Only worrying thing would be putting the AL2000 and the HP9100 alongside
>each other. They're almost the same size, but the HP uses 'older'
>technology and does a lot more...
>
>>
>> I've often wondered if you could build a transistorised computer without
pcbs at
>> all. You know, trannies on tag board, little plugs bolted onto the ends
(or on
>
>Of course you could, but why would you want to? What's the problem with
>PCBs (or am I going to find out for myself when I get seriously into
>making them at home?)
>
Making PCBs at home is a rediculous waste of time. I have a vacuum lightbox
here as well as a commercial processing system, a silkscreening set up, even
a wave solder machine in my home and nothing compares to what the big guys
can do and charge for the same thing. My last *production* company use to
make its own prototype doublesided PCBs in house and it wasn't worth it. I
have a company I use now that will make me a double sided PCB, GOLD PLATED
contacts, solder mask both sides (pre-drilled of course), and silk screened,
and cut for less than a $1 a board in quantities of 500.
Pre-sensitised boards are useless as they usually come flawed and the
coating thickness is not consitant. The company I use now for PCBs used a
"roll" of sentised film that was "ironed" onto a 3' X 3' board. Far better
process.
Don't forget a good GERBER and NC drill file is needed and most PCB
manufacturers find little problems with the files that you may not uncover
in
>-tony
>
At 01:32 15/10/99 EDT, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>does anyone collect IBM manuals from the mainframe line, like
>system /360, or even older ones, like 1140, 1401, 7090, and earlier ?
>I would be particularly interested in any hardware docs.
>
>Thanks and regards
>John G. Zabolitzky
I have original manuals and disks for the IBM 5288
Machine has been disassembled last week (SIG!)
Let me know if interested.
Riccardo Romagnoli
<chemif(a)mbox.queen.it>
I-47100 Forl?
