<On Tue, 16 Feb 1999, Roger Ivie wrote:
<>As far as OS/278 and WPS goes, the video/keyboard is the console. The
<
<Ok, what does OS/278 look like? DOS? UNIX? CP/M?
DOS looks like CP/M and that looks like OS/278 (newest to oldest).
Allison
<As far as OS/278 and WPS goes, the video/keyboard is the console. The
<console is run via a combination of hardware and slushware; the slushware
<provides terminal emulation services and the hardware provides the hooks
Slushware is the embedded system tracks that do terminal and keyboard work.
<needed by the terminal emulation services to appear as a normal console
<type serial device to OS/278 and WPS (which expect to talk directly to
<the console UART rather than via some sort of device driver).
If you were to reassemble os/278 it's possible to redirect it to a serial
port. Not a trivial task for a PDP-8 novice. It is doable as the sources
are on the net.
<If you are sufficiently technically equipped and inclined, it should be
<possible to switch the console port (on which the emulator runs) and
<the 9-pin serial port for the printer. The first thing done by the
<firmware (before it checksums the ROM and loads the slushware) is to
<program the I/O addresses of the various hardware ports. It is possible
<to switch a few instructions in the initialization sequence to swap the
<addresses of the printer and console ports. Although I've _thought_ about
<doing this and investigated far enough to determine that it ought to work,
<I've not actually _tried_ it, so I could be wrong.
No good. The control software is very port specific.
<There are a number of fun bits involved. The PDP-8 is a 12-bit machine.
<The ROMs are 8-bit parts (2716s). There are three ROMs, providing a
<4Kx12 memory image for the PDP-8. The ROMs are interleaved in a funny
<way; I figured it out once and Lasner was able to use the information to
<extract a ROM image and disassemble it, but that was a few years ago. I'd
<have to figure it out again.
I think I have that on line. The slushware is where all the interesting
stuff is.
Allison
The reason why I picked up the DECMate at all was because many of you are
such fans of the PDP-8 instruction set. What could I use to experience
this wonderful creation ;)?
--Max Eskin (max82(a)surfree.com)
I need information on two S-100 cards that I have acquired with no manuals. If someone has manuals on these, I'd pay a nominal fee for a copy, but in the meantime I'd like switch and jumper info.
Card #1 is a Vector Graphic 64k RAM card. The card uses four rows of National Semiconductor MM5290 chips. There is one dip switch, 8 position, and lots of jumpers. Also, some circuitry that is not populated [U17, U18, U32 and a number of discreet components]. What are the 5290's, are these static or dynamic ? I was presuming it was DRAM, but I was expecting 4 rows of 4116's. Bad news, the memory chips and most of the support chips are soldered and are not socketed, which will be tough to fix if it doesn't work [and for a 20+ year old board, the chances that it works are not that good]. Can anyone help ?
Card #2 is a Problem Solver Systems {PSS} Ram 16, a 16k static board with TMS4045 chips [those are 4k x 1 static rams, good chips, I have LOTS of experience with them and even some spare chips]. Two dip switches, one toggle switch and lots of jumpers. Need info.
Anyone who can help, thanks in advance !
Regards,
Barry Watzman
Watzman(a)ibm.net
Score!
In my quest to get a sun 3/60 running SunOS 3.X, so that I can use it
as a boot server for a Sun 1/100U, i managed to score not only a complete
set of SunOS 3.2 manuals, but also the manual for installing SunOS
version 2.0, AND... A small, but possibly complete, set of SunOS
1.0 manuals, revision D, dated November 1st 1983...
I'm quite pleased with myself. of course, I had to agree to make a
Apple Laserwriter Plus work from a Sparc 4 serial port... But such is life.
D-ring binders... gotta find a bulk supplier of D-ring binders...
-Lawrence LeMay
> On Tue, 16 Feb 1999, Roger Ivie wrote:
> >No. 15-pin cable provides video and power for the monitor as well as a
> >serial port for the keyboard; although it looks like a VT220, it's a
> >monitor and a keyboard, not a terminal.
>
> Is there a way to log into the D-25 COMM port?
That depends on what you mean by "log into" and how determined you are.
One of the operating systems available on the DECmate was CTOS, allegedly
some sort of multiuser commercial operating system. I've not used it, so
I can only spread rumors about it. It might be possible to "log into" a
CTOS system from the comm port.
As far as OS/278 and WPS goes, the video/keyboard is the console. The
console is run via a combination of hardware and slushware; the slushware
provides terminal emulation services and the hardware provides the hooks
needed by the terminal emulation services to appear as a normal console
type serial device to OS/278 and WPS (which expect to talk directly to
the console UART rather than via some sort of device driver).
If you are sufficiently technically equipped and inclined, it should be
possible to switch the console port (on which the emulator runs) and
the 9-pin serial port for the printer. The first thing done by the
firmware (before it checksums the ROM and loads the slushware) is to
program the I/O addresses of the various hardware ports. It is possible
to switch a few instructions in the initialization sequence to swap the
addresses of the printer and console ports. Although I've _thought_ about
doing this and investigated far enough to determine that it ought to work,
I've not actually _tried_ it, so I could be wrong.
There are a number of fun bits involved. The PDP-8 is a 12-bit machine.
The ROMs are 8-bit parts (2716s). There are three ROMs, providing a
4Kx12 memory image for the PDP-8. The ROMs are interleaved in a funny
way; I figured it out once and Lasner was able to use the information to
extract a ROM image and disassemble it, but that was a few years ago. I'd
have to figure it out again.
Roger Ivie
ivie(a)cc.usu.edu
Hi,
I finally picked up the DECMate III that was at my uncle's house. The WPS
binders and software got thrown away, but I suppose I could download that
stuff from SunSite. I have been told that this is a PDP-8. Is it possible
to use 8" disks with this? It only has a dual 5.25" drive (RX50?).
Forgive me, I am not familiar with DEC machines. Oh, and one more thing.
Can the screen/keyboard be replaced with a PC running a terminal emulator?
The screen is attached via a 15-pin cable but otherwise resembles a
VT-220. Thanks.
--Max Eskin (max82(a)surfree.com)
Max Eskin wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Feb 1999, Roger Ivie wrote:
> >As far as OS/278 and WPS goes, the video/keyboard is the console. The
>
> Ok, what does OS/278 look like? DOS? UNIX? CP/M?
It looks kind of like a primitive RT-11. :-)
Filenames are 6.2. Of the three you listed, it is closest in flavor to
CP/M, but it's really quite different; superficially it is similar
(you've got the PIP command, etc.), but it is radically different
under the hood.
Roger Ivie
ivie(a)cc.usu.edu
Some time back I got a nice double bay DEC rack that is the dark orange
color with beige trim. The top front has a slight slope to it (on one side
of the rack this slope contains the controls for the TU10).
I'm pretty sure that this rack is the "correct" rack historically for the 8E
I received separately. However, in the rack I got was a complete TU10 with
the TM11 interface. Since the unit includes the TM11 one can be sure that it
was used with a Unibus PDP-11 system, not an Omnibus system.
I'm starting to suspect that the TU10 was used with an 8, and the 8 was
later upgraded to an 11, so the TM11 was added. How likely is this?
More to the point, can the 8E use a TU10, if so via what 8E modules, and is
it "historically accurate" to put a TU10 on an 8E? Or - was this a config
that was possible but so rare as to not be representative?
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Jay West
> I finally picked up the DECMate III that was at my uncle's house.
> Is it possible
> to use 8" disks with this?
There was an 8" controller for the DECmate II, but it's rare and I don't
know if it works with the three.
> Can the screen/keyboard be replaced with a PC running a terminal emulator?
> The screen is attached via a 15-pin cable but otherwise resembles a
> VT-220. Thanks.
No. 15-pin cable provides video and power for the monitor as well as a
serial port for the keyboard; although it looks like a VT220, it's a
monitor and a keyboard, not a terminal.
Roger Ivie
ivie(a)cc.usu.edu
