Sallam wrote...
>How "rare" can something be when an instance of it goes up for auction
>every damn week!? Doug Yowza noted that there is one Altair or another on
>sale at ebay every day!
>
>This is insanity!!
I, for one, am glad when people mention an item of interest on Ebay. I don't
check ebay regularly. As a result, I *LIKE* being told if an item I'm
looking for goes up there.
That being said, I really like it when someone offers the item here first
before it goes to Escr*w... :)
However, I really wish an HP 2748 paper tape reader would go up on ebay :]
Jay West
>> If you have the DSD-440 hooked to your PDP-11, you
>> can just boot the utility floppy that came with the
>> DSD-440...
>You presume much. I got this box from Ohio State in
>two racks of PDP-11 hardware about ten years ago. I
>did get a lot of software, but I don't recall a DSD
>disk.
Seeing as how all DSD units shipped with a DSD diagnostics
disk in the first place, I don't think anyone would complain if I
offered "replacement" floppies for the cost of postage. The
diagnostics disk that came with my DSD440 actually works with many
other DSD floppy models, too.
>> Never, ever, lose the hyperdiagnostics section of
>> your DSD440 manual!
>I can't lose what I never had. Want to help me not
>lose it by sending me a copy? I will, of course, pay
>shipping and copying charges.
Sounds like a fair deal! Anyone else interested, let me
(shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com) know and I'll run off some copies and get
the total costs estimated.
--
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 just got a //c over the Week End,
It came with what looks like a sound system: the item is in a separate
enclosure with what looks like a speaker and a volume knob. It's labelled
"cricket". Does anyone on the list have any infor on this item? Power
requirement, software that uses it etc...
Thanks
Francois
I wrote:
> >IIRC, the DSD drives _can_ format floppies.
>
Tim Shoppa replied:
> Absolutely, in both RX01 and RX02 modes.
> If you have the DSD-440 hooked to your PDP-11, you
> can just boot the utility floppy that came with the
> DSD-440...
You presume much. I got this box from Ohio State in
two racks of PDP-11 hardware about ten years ago. I
did get a lot of software, but I don't recall a DSD
disk.
> You don't even need a computer hooked to the drive
> to do it - you just set the hyperdiagnostic
> DIPswitch pack on the in-box controller to format the
> floppies, and let it rip.
Cool. I may need this in the future, but for now, I've
got several boxes of real RX02K's, new, that I got
>from a guy who used to have a whole pallet of various
disks from various vendors. Before anyone asks, he's
out of business, I got the disks in 1991, and there
were only two shipping boxes of RX02K's. With all the
eOverpay frenzy for nominally valueless classic stuff,
I wish I had asked for a box of the hard-sectored
floppies he had.
> Never, ever, lose the hyperdiagnostics section of
> your DSD440 manual!
I can't lose what I never had. Want to help me not
lose it by sending me a copy? I will, of course, pay
shipping and copying charges.
> Every DSD440 box I have (gees, there must be 9 or 10 > now) has a
Xerox of the DSD440 hyperdiagonstics
> pocket ref taped to the top cover :-).
That sounds like a doc worthy of scanning and/or
retyping for future generations of collectors. If
I had a copy, I'd do it myself (hint ;-).
> >> There were also bus adapters for the Unibus and
> >> Omnibus available.
>
> It's a quad-size card marked "DSD 2131". There's a
> complete schematic of the interface on page A-20 of
> your DSD 440 User Guide. Looks to be maybe $15 in
> TTL chips.
Most excellent. I happen to have a quad DEC prototype
wire-wrap board. This might make an good use of it
(if I don't stick something like a 32K SRAM and SCSI
or IDE port on that board first).
Thanks for all the good info.
-ethan
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>IIRC, the DSD drives _can_ format floppies.
Absolutely, in both RX01 and RX02 modes. If you have the DSD-440
hooked to your PDP-11, you can just boot the utility floppy that came
with the DSD-440 and it gives a menu letting you select from several
different diagnostics and format utilities. You don't even need
a computer hooked to the drive to do it - you just set the hyperdiagnostic
DIPswitch pack on the in-box controller to format the floppies, and let
it rip. Never, ever, lose the hyperdiagnostics section of your DSD440
manual! Every DSD440 box I have (gees, there must be 9 or 10 now) has a
Xerox of the DSD440 hyperdiagonstics pocket ref taped to the top cover :-).
>> There were also bus adapters for the Unibus and
>> Omnibus available.
>I'd love to find an Omnibus module for it. Didn't
>know it existed.
It's a quad-size card marked "DSD 2131". There's a complete schematic
of the interface on page A-20 of your DSD 440 User Guide. Looks
to be maybe $15 in TTL chips.
--
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
> It's a bus adapter that's part of a system that
> *emulates* a RX01 or RX02 controller. It doesn't
> actually drive a RX01/02 (40-pin connector), nor does
> it directly drive a Shugart 801-style drive (50-pin
> connector). What you need is a DSD440 chassis,
> which has a rather smart Z80-based board in it that
> converts from the DSD 26-pin connector to the Shugart
> 50-pin bus.
Ooh... I think I have one of these with a Unibus
adapter. I'll have to dig it out and open it up.
IIRC, the DSD drives _can_ format floppies.
> There were also bus adapters for the Unibus and
> Omnibus available.
I'd love to find an Omnibus module for it. Didn't
know it existed.
-ethan
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Fandt <cfandt(a)netsync.net>
>No problem Mike! ;)
Alright Christian, schwing!
>I've got my ETA-3400 packed away with the ET-3400 and a bunch of other
>docs. I built both from kits back in 1981/82. I'll have to dig around for
>the box (one of those *many* boxes we still need to go through after moving
>into this house a year ago.) Found two boxes I'd never opened from my last
>move into the old house 22 years ago! Contained good radio parts to keep
>though :)
>
>Anyway, I'll have to hunt for and pull out the ETA-3400 docs and find a way
>to make copies for you. May have to go to a commercial copy house and pay
>as I've not got a new job yet (which usually comes with a copier ;) Is
>that okay Mike?
Any convenient way for you is fine with me. (Hurry! ;) )
>BTW, this was a really fun accessory to the ET-3400. Learned my first uP
>and some basic computing from the ET. Hence, my lean toward Motorola's uP
>families and away from the Intel types.
>
>IIRC, the ETA has Tiny Basic in ROM. I recall having fun lashing it up to
>my new, freshly-built H-19 terminal and later, my freshly-built H-8
>computer via a terminal program (which I've long forgotten which) from the
>HUG. Those were the days! :-) :-) :-)
Cool, TB too... truely a magical little box. (My H8 and H19 is sitting on
the sidelines waiting to talk to their brother...) In the mean time, I'll
go back and dig in the old Remarks and see if I can find anything more on it
>Regards, Chris
Thanks!
- Mike: dogas(a)leading.net
>Yup, and there is a jumper buried over on the side that is labelled "RX01
>EN" (presumably to enable it as an RX01 controller).
>
>So I think we've got it nailed as an RX01/RX02 controller, which is cool
>since I've got an RX01 drive, but those are 8" drives and the connector is
>only 26 pins.
It's a bus adapter that's part of a system that *emulates* a RX01 or RX02
controller. It doesn't actually drive a RX01/02 (40-pin connector), nor does
it directly drive a Shugart 801-style drive (50-pin connector). What you need
is a DSD440 chassis, which has a rather smart Z80-based board in it that
converts from the DSD 26-pin connector to the Shugart 50-pin bus.
There were also bus adapters for the Unibus and Omnibus available.
--
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
OK, here's a challenge that I hope one (or more) of you will rise too. I
found something I didn't even know existed. It's the Heathkit Memory I/O
Accessory ETA-3400. Woo Hoo!!! Its the expansion box for the 6800 based
ET-3400 Microprocessor Learning System (one of my favorite toys.) Now for
the good news, and too my dilema. It's still it kit form with all the
parts! ;))) I get to build it. I guess I'll need the assembly/op docs for
it. An external examination reveals rca jacks for 'tape input' and 'tape
output' and also a rs-232 port. I gotta get this thing up.... help!
And, with Sydex and other hp150 wares on import from Joe, the aformentioned
printer is available to anyone who wants it.
Also, last call on the mechanical adder, else it will go to eBay and make
me millionz iz tellz ya.
;)
-Mike: dogas(a)leading.net
